Politicians across south west London are calling for PM Boris Johnson to resign after he admitted attending a ‘bring your own booze’ party during lockdown.
Boris Johnson is facing pressure from all angles after confessing at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday that he went to a party at Downing Street in May 2020.
Senior civil servant Sue Gray is leading the ongoing inquiry into a string of parties held in Downing Street, and many Conservative MPs are refusing to comment before the report is released.
However, Tory MP Stephen Hammond is vocal in his disapproval and told SWL: “I am disappointed and concerned by the parties held at No10.
“The rules were clear at that time and I think everyone has been aware of the rules and guidelines throughout the pandemic.
“My constituents in Wimbledon have followed the rules and many have made personal sacrifices.
“They have the right to expect that everyone, whoever they are, acted as they did and respected the rules.
“There is no justification for anyone breaking the rules.”
Munira Wilson, Lib Dem MP for Twickenham, told SWL: “Boris Johnson admitted to breaking lockdown rules, he lied to Parliament and to the country.
“I agree with the residents that have contacted me in their droves over the last few days – Boris Johnson has to go.
“While the Prime Minister attended a party in Downing Street, thousands of people in our area listened to the government and obeyed the rules, often at a huge personal cost, missing funerals and weddings while being unable to say goodbye to dying loved ones.
“One of my constituents, Jane, was only able to speak to her dying mother over the phone, through a window of Hampton Care Home. People like Jane, up and down the country, are hurt and angry.
“The Met Police must now confirm that a full investigation will be launched and that the Prime Minister will be held to account for his actions.
“In the meantime, the Prime Minister should do the right thing and resign.”
Wilson tweeted that the Tory backbenches were particularly quiet during PMQs, suggesting a lack of support among Johnson’s own party.
Greg Hands, Tory MP for Chelsea and Fulham, told Channel 4 on Wednesday: “Once you see the report, that will enable a judgement as to what kind of event [it was].
“I have known the Prime Minister for many years. I’m comfortable going out there defending the Prime Minister.”
Chris Philp, Tory MP for Croydon South, tweeted in support of Secretary of State Nadine Dorries’ statement that an enquiry should be allowed to establish the full facts of what happened.
Many south west London opposition MPs took to social media to express their outrage and disgust at the PM’s actions, accusing him of being a ‘coward’.
Liberal Democrat leader and MP for Kingston and Surbiton, Ed Davey, spoke at PMQs to demand that the PM step down.
He said: “After another shameful week for this government, this has been a shameful attempt to apologise.”
Davey has since written a letter to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, calling for a police investigation and interview of Johnson about the ‘illegal gathering’.
Labour MP for Tooting, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, said of Johnson: “A true leader takes responsibility, he’s throwing everyone else under the bus when he should be handing himself in.”
Dr Allin-Khan has previously stood up in Parliament and directly addressed the PM about her experiences of dealing with dying Covid patients in A&E at the same time that alleged No10 parties were taking place.
Steve Reed, Labour MP for Croydon North accused the PM of ‘whimpering excuses’.
He said: “[Johnson] is utterly without shame and contemptuous of the sacrifices made by the British people.
“If he had a shred of integrity he would resign, and if his party cared about trust in politics they would remove him.”
Labour MP for Putney, Fleur Anderson, compared Johnson to fictional spin doctor Stewart Pearson in The Thick of It, where he asks in a meeting: “When is a party a party?”
South west London Labour MPs Siobhain McDonagh, Marsha de Dordova and Sarah Jones also tweeted to voice their anger towards the PM’s actions and urge him to resign.
SWL has approached south west London Conservative MPs for comment.
Featured image credit: Andrew Parsons / Number 10 via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license
