Numerous south west London MPs have called for Boris Johnson to resign following the news he will be fined for breaking lockdown laws.
Johnson and Rishi Sunak were confirmed today to be among those set to receive fixed-penalty notices from police in relation to alleged breaches of coronavirus restrictions at Downing Street and Whitehall.
The Met Police earlier confirmed that more than 50 fines have been handed out so far.
Ed Davey, Kingston & Surbiton MP and Liberal Democrat leader, has demanded Parliament be recalled from Easter recess for a no confidence motion to be held.
He said: “The country cannot have criminals and liars leading our Government, especially at a time of national and international crisis.
“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak took the country’s sacrifices for granted, while they broke the law to party in Downing Street. They are not fit to hold office. If they had a shred of decency, they would resign.
“Parliament should be recalled immediately so that MPs can hold a vote of no confidence. Conservative MPs must do their patriotic duty and kick these criminals out of Government once and for all.”
Davey’s calls were echoed by fellow Lib Dem MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson, who added: “Whilst people in Twickenham and right across south west London made heart-breaking sacrifices during lockdowns, Boris Johnson and his team were partying in Downing Street and then they lied about it.
“We all have painful memories of that lockdown, from not being able to see dying relatives, to being separated for months on end from our friends and family.
“Our country needs leadership right now, not a Government in chaos.
“The Prime Minister and the Chancellor must resign immediately and if they will not go of their own volition, Parliament must be recalled so that a vote of no confidence can be held in this morally bankrupt Prime Minister.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer also demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation, a sentiment shared by several of his party’s MPs in south west London.
Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones tweeted: “The Prime Minister and the Chancellor have broken the law. What a disgrace and an insult to all those people who stuck to the rules and all those police officers who worked to enforce them.”
Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova said: “The Prime Minister and the Chancellor brazenly broke the rules they set.
“They lied to Parliament and to the country about their own rule-breaking. And now the truth has caught up with them. Enough is enough. They have to resign.”
Johnson initially denied Covid rules were broken in Downing Street when allegations first surfaced.
He subsequently conceded he attended at a garden party in the Number 10 garden, but said he believed it was a work gathering.
Sunak also denied attending any parties before the House of Commons in December 2021.
Putney MP Fleur Anderson added: “More than 50 fines have been issued over lockdown parties in Downing Street, including to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.
“Both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak repeatedly lied to the British public, to Parliament, and to bereaved families.
“It is now clear that they both broke the law and it is time for them to take accountability for their actions and resign.”
Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said: “Leaving both of them in their posts even after they’ve been fined would show that the entire Tory Party is just as bad.”
Opinion polling suggests the public’s opinion of the Prime Minister soured as a result of ‘Partygate’, with a January 2022 YouGov poll finding 63% of Britons think Johnson should resign against 24% saying he should not.
Labour MP for Vauxhall Florence Eshalomi tweeted: “#Vauxhall residents followed the rules. Those at the top of Government broke the rules that they created, during the most serious crisis we faced for decades. This is no longer about parties but about the repeated lack of integrity.”
Brentford and Isleworth MP Ruth Cadbury said: “Both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have broken the very restrictions which they had written into law. People across London did the right thing and followed the law during lockdown.
“However both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor thought that the law didn’t apply to them.
“On top of that they lied in Parliament when asked about their own rule breaking. They are both unfit to lead our country and they should both resign.’”
South west London Conservative MPs have been contacted for comment.
Featured image: Number 10 @Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
