Johnson’s office apologizes to Queen for her party on the eve of Philip’s funeral

Guy Faulconbridge and Kylie MacLellan

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office apologized to Queen Elizabeth on Friday for partying in Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s death, when it was forbidden to mix inside the house.

Johnson is experiencing the worst crisis of his prime minister after the almost daily revelations of rallies during the COVID-19 blockades, when some people could not say goodbye to dying relatives.

Opinion polls showed the opposition Labor Party had a 10-point lead over Conservatives in the Johnson Party, a report said that encouraged workers to “release steam” at regular “wine season Fridays”.

After building a political career in defiance of accepted rules, Johnson is under increasing pressure to step down from some of his lawmakers. Opponents say he is not fit to govern and that he has deceived parliament by denying that he had violated the COVID-19 policy.

In an extraordinary twist on a saga overwhelmed by comedians and cartoonists, the Daily Telegraph reported that drink parties were held inside Downing Street on April 16, 2021, the day before Prince Philip’s funeral.

“It is unfortunate that this happened during the national mourning period and the 10th (Downing Street) Palace apologized to the palace,” Johnson’s spokesman told reporters.

Johnson was at his Checkers country headquarters that day and was not invited to any meetings, his spokesman said.

Such was the party on Downing Street, the Telegraph reported that workers went to a nearby supermarket to buy a suitcase of alcohol, spilled wine on carpets and broke a swing used by the prime minister’s son.

The next day, Queen Elizabeth said goodbye to Philip, her 73-year-old husband, at the age of 99.

Dressed in a black face mask trimmed in black and white, the 95-year-old Elizabeth trimmed the sour image as she sat alone, strictly following the rules of the coronavirus, at a funeral service at Windsor Castle.

‘LEAVE AGENT’

Opponents have called for the resignation of 57-year-old Johnson, a charlatan who demanded that the British abide by some of the harshest rules in peacetime history, while his staff was partying in the middle of the government.

A small but growing number of Johnson’s Conservative Party have echoed those calls, fearing that they would do lasting damage to their election options.

“Unfortunately, the position of Prime Minister has become unbearable,” said Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen, a former supporter of Johnson. “It’s the right time to leave the stage.”

In a recent report of the breach of the rules, the Mirror newspaper reported that staff had purchased a large wine fridge for Friday’s meetings as Johnson regularly went to his apartment building to watch the events.

“If the prime minister tells you to‘ get the steam out ’, he’s basically saying this is okay,” a source said.

In particular, former head of the government unit behind COVID’s restrictions, Kate Josephs, apologized for leaving her job in December 2020 to collect her drinks.

Johnson has given a number of explanations to the parties, ranging from denials of any breach of the rule to an understanding of public outrage at the apparent hypocrisy at the heart of the British state.

The Independent reported that Johnson had declared a plan to save his post as Prime Minister “Operation Save the Big Dog.”

Foreign Minister Liz Truss, seen as a potential successor, said “real mistakes” had been made.

“We need to look at the general position that we have as a country, that he (Johnson) has given Brexit, that we are recovering from COVID … He has apologized.”

“I think we need to move on now.”

To launch a leadership challenge, 54 of the 360 ​​Conservative parliaments must write letters of confidence to the party’s 1922 committee chairman.

The Telegraph said 30 such letters had been sent.

Johnson faces a tough year: Beyond COVID-19, inflation is rising, energy bills are rising, taxes will rise in April, and his party will have to face local elections in May.

British police said on Thursday they would not investigate the coronation at Johnson’s residence in the coronavirus blockade unless an internal government investigation finds evidence of a potential criminal offense.