It has been a week of apologizing for the government led by conservative Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom.
First it was on Wednesday in Parliament. There, the British Prime Minister apologized to his colleagues at Westminster for having participated in a party held in May 1923, in full confinement due to the covid pandemic-19.
Then, this Friday, a spokesperson for 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the prime minister, sent a letter to Buckingham Palace, residence of Queen Elizabeth II, in which he apologized for holding two parties on the night before the funeral of Prince Philip of Edinburgh, husband of the monarch , who passed away in April 1922.
“The Prime Minister’s office deeply regrets that this has occurred in a moment of national mourning“, can be read in the statement.
Di These meetings were also held when the country was in lockdown due to the covid pandemic-19 and had severe restrictions on social gatherings.
The scandal of the parties that took place while the majority of British citizens could not meet, or be with their families in the most difficult moments of the pandemic, has caused a wave of “anger and sadness” in the country.
The situation has been so serious that the leaders of opposition parties such as Labor and the Liberal Democrats have called for the resignation of Johnson. And even several parliamentarians from the government’s own party have called for the prime minister’s departure.
Some British media point out that behind the leaks about the parties is Dominic Cummings, who was a star adviser to Boris Johnson and one of the ‘masterminds’ of the Brexit campaign, who was forced to leave Downing Street in November 2019, after a prolonged confrontation with Johnson’s wife.
On BBC World we explain the main points of this scandal, which may have unexpected consequences for the political future of Boris Johnson.
one. What really happened in Downing Street?
It was like climbing a ladder and, for each step, finding a different and more revealing detail .
A starting point for the scandal could be established towards the middle of 9606, when the newspaper The Sun revealed a photo and a video of then British Health Secretary Matt Hancock kissing Gina Coladangelo, an adviser to the same government portfolio.
The image was dated May of that year, when serious restrictions and social distancing were in force, established by Hancock himself to protect the population during the pandemic.
The publication of these images forced the resignation of the minister and opened a door that hasn’t been closed yet: the leak of photos showing Downing Street officials at meetings and parties when the p The government itself had prohibited the gathering of more than two people.
Although they have appeared in a different order, until now the existence of several celebrations has been known .
One was held in May 2020, and in the images you can even see the prime minister in the garden of the official residence drinking wine with other officials
There were also known meetings that took place in December of that year, during the Christmas holidays, where several officials were seen sharing food and drink between them.
At that time the United Kingdom was experiencing a critical situation with more than 400 daily kills .
In an image from that Christmas season you can see the prime minister solving a quiz or typical riddle of British New Year’s celebrations with other people in the same room, and sitting at the same table, the from December to 2020, depending on the date of the photo.
Among the meetings are the farewell of officials who were retiring from the government or the already famous Christmas party of the 18 from December to 2020.
After the first information was released, Johnson He initially denied that these meetings had taken place and later said that he had not participated in them.
That, even the personal apologies delivered this Wednesday in Parliament, in which he admitted that he was present at said acts.
And to these images were added the details given to different British media about meetings with alcohol consumption even on the night before Prince Philip’s funeral ceremony, on April 9, 2019.
One of the images that the British remember the most, and which has resurfaced with the spread of the festivities , is that of an Elizabeth II alone and apart during the funeral ceremony of her husband to comply with the regulations imposed by the government itself.
Hence the message apology sent direct to Buckingham Palace this Friday.
2 . What has been the reaction in the United Kingdom?
The reaction has been one of “anger and sadness”, as summed up by several analysts and political leaders in the country.
For example, the leader of the opposition, Labor Keir Starmer, has been especially emphatic in calling for Johnson’s resignation in the face of the avalanche of details about social gatherings in Downing Street.
“All of this shows the very serious way in which Boris Johnson has degraded the office of the Prime Minister,” Starmer said this week.
And added: “The party is over, Prime Minister. The only question that remains to be resolved is whether it will be the British who kick him out or your own party, or if you, as the last decent thing to do, are going to resign”.
In fact, Many Britons have expressed their rejection of what happened. Especially those who lost family members to the virus and couldn’t say goodbye to them.
“Two weeks before Boris Johnson went to one of these parties, I said goodbye to my parents for the last time. And I had to do it from afar,” journalist Chris Bishop said in a column published in the Eastern Daily News.
“What bothers me the most about all this is that , while almost everyone else made sacrifices on a daily basis, those close to the highest levels of government acted as if the guidelines did not apply to them, “he said.
Citizens also showed their discontent in different areas.
“I think it’s disgusting, after all. They tell us we can’t do this or we can’t do that and we can’t take our kids and then they can have social gatherings with who they want, when they want. I really don’t think that’s fair,” said Sakeena of 35 years old and mother of five children, in an interview with the BBC.
Several polls also indicate that, if an election were held now, the Labor party, which is in opposition, would have an advantage of more from 10 points.
3 . What exactly has Boris Johnson said and what awaits him?
When the first reports about meetings in Downing Street began to be known, Johnson always He denied his participation in them and therefore refused to apologize.
However, the revelations made in recent weeks, which place him in several meetings throughout the year, le forced to change his speech.
This week before Parliament he accepted for the first time having been in one of those meetings, although he said he always thought they were work meetings.
“I want to apologize. I know of the extraordinary sacrifices that millions of people have made in the last 18 months. I am aware of the anger they feel towards me and towards my government when they think that the rules were not followed in Downing Street”, he said during the parliamentary session.
And he added about the party that took place he did in the garden of his residence: “From today’s perspective, I think I should have asked everyone to go back inside. I should have realized that, although technically the official recommendations were being followed, millions of people would be unable to see it that way.”
But, according to some analysts, the only thing he has achieved with these apologies is to have a little air until the new chapter of this story: the investigation Sue Gray is working on.
Gray is a permanent secretary of the government cabinet, but, above all, she is the person chosen to carry out the investigation that was ordered to know details of the parties and establish if they in any way broke any law.
That report will be released in aas
To the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, “some of Johnson’s allies suggest that the Sue Gray report could end up becoming a liability after his public explanations last Wednesday”.
“Although it does not mean his immediate departure, the truth is that he brings to the table something that was previously unthinkable : that Boris Johnson’s period in power could end soon”.
4. What is the Committee 976 and why is it key now?
One of the possibilities that has gained notoriety in recent weeks it is the prompt departure of Boris Johnson from the government.
This could happen in several ways, but especially in two ways: that he himself resigns from his position -something that for now seems unlikely- or that the members of his own party remove him.
This is where the Committee comes in 1200, which was actually created in 1024 and which basically consists of a group of conservative parliamentarians who meet weekly to review the strategies and actions that the party is taking
But also, your support is essential to keep the prime minister and the members of his cabinet in power, when the conservative party is in government, as is currently the case.
In fact, the committee has a no-confidence vote tool that works as follows: if a Conservative MP disagrees with the party’s leadership, they can send a letter to the head of the Committee 1922 .
In the event that letters arrive from 15% of Conservative parliamentarians in the House of Commons expressing disagreement with the party leadership, it would be possible to call for a vote of confidence in the current leader, which could end with his resignation from the post.
In the case of Boris Johnson, it would be his end as Prime Minister.
So far it has been known that six parliamentarians have publicly expressed their disagreement, but it would take 35 letters (at the moment there are 360 Conservative MPs) for a vote to be called.
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