The Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, speaks with a group of students in a mathematics class as he makes a constituency visit to a school in the UK.
The position of the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is becoming more vulnerable as more reports emerge of parties and gatherings in Downing Street during periods of Covid-19 restrictions.
Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of breaking Covid laws after he was accused of attending parties and gatherings held by government staff.
In the last few days there have been more reports of parties, with the most recent being that a staff member was sent out to buy a suitcase on the eve of Prince Phillip's funeral.
Starmer said Johnson had lied about what he called "industrial scale partying" in Downing Street.
He said that the country had made up its mind and that the facts spoke for themselves.
He thinks he broke the law and is as good as he admitted.
Johnson admitted to Parliament last week that he had attended a drinks party at the prime minister's office in May 2020 but said he believed it was a work event.
A picture of Johnson and his wife drinking wine and eating cheese in the garden of No.10 showed people at work, he said.
A number of Conservative Party lawmakers have called on the prime minister to step down, saying his position is no longer safe as public anger has grown over reports of parties being held in government buildings. Others questioned Johnson's judgement and the work culture in the office.
The closest minister in Johnson's Cabinet has remained loyal for now, saying that they will await the conclusions of an investigation being carried out by a senior civil servant, Sue Gray, into whether parties and gatherings took place in various government buildings and broke Covid rules.
The results could be released later this week. Sky News published a list of alleged parties.
The Conservative Party Chairman said that the party needs to up its game and that the prime minister is committed to doing so.
The Cabinet Secretary in the U.K. was forced to quit his investigation after it was revealed that he had hosted a gathering in his private office.
Johnson admitted last week that he had attended a party in the garden of the Prime Minister in May 2020 that was billed as a "bring your own booze" gathering.
In the U.K., people were only allowed to meet one other person from outside their household, and had to meet outdoors.
Johnson apologized to the nation but defended himself, saying he only attended the party for 25 minutes to thank groups of staff for their hard work.
The leader of the opposition called on Johnson to resign as he said the explanation for his attendance was offensive to the British public.
The British public has become increasingly angry at the gatherings that took place at times when people were not meant to socialize, as the British media has tried to expose more details of them.
People who lost loved-ones during the Pandemic have expressed outrage at the reports of parties, feeling they were robbed of precious moments with family while politicians broke the rules.
Johnson hasn't shown any signs that he's thinking about his position in office. He has been out of the public eye for a while due to a positive Covid test.
The results of Sue Gray's inquiry will be watched closely, but most Conservative politicians have said they are waiting for the results.
The Conservative Party could move against Johnson if the public anger in the May local elections in the U.K. is any indication.
Johnson and his government have weathered political storms before, and have gotten some credit for their work. Conservative lawmakers will be looking at whether Johnson can win a future election given low public trust in him.
Ruth Gregory, senior U.K. economist at Capital Economics, noted last Friday that the political momentum has shifted quickly, with Johnson likely to have gone from a position of "feeling smug about his decision not to ramp up the Covid-19 restrictions in the wake of"
She noted that the coming days are likely to be marked by more political turmoil, with two flashpoints ahead:
The publication of the report about the PM breaking Covid-19 rules at parties in Downing Street is the first thing. The resignation of any Cabinet members. We don't think this period of political instability will stall the economic recovery. The economy has performed well when uncertainty has been elevated in the past.
Despite political upheavals, sterling has not budged, and is up just over 2% against the dollar this year. A pound was worth more than $1 on Monday.
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