February 3, 2022
3 mins read

Boris slams criticism as party allegations escalate

Johnson faced multiple questions from opposition MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday over fresh allegations of parties during the coronavirus lockdown…reports Asian Lite News

Boris Johnson dismissed criticism about the conduct of his government after further reports of parties in Downing Street during lockdown prompted renewed pressure within his ruling Conservative Party for him to resign.

The U.K. prime minister told the House of Commons on Wednesday that it was “more vital than ever” for the government “to get on with the job” — pointing to a long-awaited plan to reduce economic inequality, and his efforts to help ease tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

But he faced fresh turmoil on Wednesday when Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons defense committee, joined rebels in submitting a letter to the influential 1922 committee calling for a vote of no-confidence in Johnson’s leadership. That came hours after the premier returned from Kyiv after talks with the Ukrainian leadership.

The relentless flow of allegations of rule-breaking gatherings, dubbed “Partygate” by the U.K. media, has damaged Johnson’s standing within his Conservative Party, and the danger for the prime minister is that enough of Ellwood’s colleagues are also persuaded to submit letters. If the total reaches 54 — or 15% of the party’s MPs — it will trigger a no-confidence vote in the premier.

So far about a dozen Tories have publicly either called for Johnson to go or said they’ve written a letter. Tory MPs Andrew Mitchell, a former cabinet minister, and Peter Aldous also this week called on him to quit. But many others have said they’re reserving judgment until a police inquiry into 12 gatherings reaches its conclusion.

Johnson faced multiple questions from opposition MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday over fresh allegations of parties during the coronavirus lockdown. The Telegraph reported that he was seen heading up to his flat on Nov. 13, 2020, when a gathering was held which is now being investigated by the police. The Guardian said he’d attended another boozy leaving do for staff in January 2021.

Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader, branded Johnson a “dangerous distraction at home and a running joke on the international stage.” The premier said he could not comment on alleged gatherings while the Metropolitan Police was investigating.

The police probe into potential criminal offenses — which could take weeks or even months –has delayed the publication of the full findings of a civil service inquiry by the senior official Sue Gray. Johnson’s official spokesman Max Blain told reporters in a regular briefing Wednesday the prime minister had not yet been contacted by police for interview.

Gray’s final report and the police investigation will provide moments of danger for the prime minister and ensure the lockdown parties remain in the public eye.

In an attempt to shift the narrative, Johnson’s government on Wednesday fleshed out his vision to “level up” Britain — a key catchphrase in the Conservative Party’s election-winning campaign of 2019 — and said it would move many decision-making powers away from London and seek to boost pay and productivity in the U.K.’s most deprived regions.

Key measures in the plan include creating more local mayors, a commitment to boost public investment outside the south-east of England and regenerate town centers, according to a statement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

ALSO READ-Johnson dials Putin to discuss Ukraine

Previous Story

Boost for space clusters across Britain

Next Story

Patel hits back at Macron over Channel crossings

Latest from -Top News

Singapore’s Ruling Party Achieves Landslide Victory

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, whose party won the election, thanked supporters.,..reports Asian Lite News Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) won 87 of the 97 seats in Parliament in Saturday’s general election,

Jaishankar, Lavrov Discuss Pahalgam Terror Attack

Both the Ministers discussed issues of Russian-Indian cooperation and the aggravation of India-Pakistan relations following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar spoke to the Russian Foreign Minister

Ukrainian forces to join VE  procession  

Ukrainian personnel will join around 1,000 UK armed forces members, including soldiers on horseback and military bands, to symbolise “the global support for their continued fight for freedom” against Russia  krainian armed

Rajnath Singh to skip Russia visit

The decision comes amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir…reports Asian Lite News Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will not likely attend Russia’s

WAVES 2025: Jaishankar Advocates Cultural Pluralism

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a powerful address at the WAVES 2025 Global Media Dialogue, highlighting the significance of cultural pluralism in shaping global change. Speaking on the second day of
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Rahul leaves for UK to address ‘India@75’ at Cambridge

Gandhi will be speaking on May 23, holding a conversation

Controversy Erupts Over UK Kabaddi Cup 

The IKF clarified that no national Kabaddi federation affiliated with