Tories must not allow Johnson and Sunak to brush sordid 'partygate' fine shame under the carpet - The Yorkshire Post says

In addition to becoming the only sitting Prime Minister to be found to have broken the law, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak appear to be attempting to pull off another political first in hoping the wider Conservative party will join them in brushing the sordid affair under the carpet.

When the news broke that numerous parties that had been taking place at Number 10 during lockdown restrictions there was a widespread and justifiable anger across the nation, a sense of displeasure that was felt within Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak’s own Tory ranks.

Howden and Haltemprice MP David Davis was among those who called on the Prime Minister to resign over the scandal, with several other leading Tories following suit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, with the abominable conflict in Ukraine having understandably dominated the news agenda for the past few weeks, the upper echelons of Government have been given time to draw cabinet members and wider backbenchers within the party into their orbit, as testified by the mealy mouthed messages of support from senior Tories over the past 24 hours.

Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have both been fined for breaching lockdown restrictions.Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have both been fined for breaching lockdown restrictions.
Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have both been fined for breaching lockdown restrictions.

Only one Tory MP, Amber Valley’s Nigel Mills, has so far had the integrity to say what is right, saying it is “just impossible”, for Mr Johnson to carry on as leader.

Had the fixed penalty notices been issued to the Prime Minister and Chancellor sooner, it is far more likely that letters calling for a vote of confidence would have been issued.

And while many Tory MPs may be waiting to see if further fines are issued to the occupants of Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street before making any public pronouncements, the fact remains that the British public endured incomparable sacrifices in following the rules while those issuing them did not.

It remains the view of this newspaper that their resignations are essential to preserve the integrity of British democracy.