Politics

Johnson offers fresh apologies as long-awaited Partygate report published

London, May 25 (EFE).- Boris Johnson on Wednesday said he was “appalled” by fresh details published by an investigation into the so-called Partygate scandal that detailed boozy social gatherings in government institutions that on occasion lasted into early hours of the morning in breach of Covid-19 measures.

The British prime minister told the House of Commons he was “surprised and disappointed” by the revelations that some of the social gatherings that took place in official institutions “went on far longer than was necessary.”

Johnson defended his “brief” attendance at social gatherings to bid farewell to senior staff members but claimed he had no knowledge at the time that some of those gatherings spiraled into events that “were clearly in breach of the rules and fell foul of the rules.”

The PM said he was appalled that cleaners and security workers were found by the report conducted by senior civil servant Sue Gray to have been subjected on multiple occasions to “poor treatment” and a “lack of respect” by Downing Street and offered his apologies.

He said he took responsibility for “everything that took place on my watch.”

Sue Gray’s report into social gatherings held in official institutions during the various stages of lockdown in the United Kingdom was published Wednesday morning and heaped further pressure on Johnson, whose tenure has been dogged in recent months by the scandal known in the UK as Partygate.

Gray investigated 12 social events and found that “many” breached Covid-19 guidelines at the time.

She said there had been a “failures of leadership” at Downing Street and by government staff and that senior political and official leadership should “bear responsibility.”

The report also details a social gathering where a participant drank until they vomited and an altercation broke out between two other staff members.

It also showed that some of the events were preplanned and went ahead despite some staff sharing their concerns that they would be discovered.

The report contains 60 pages of information, including photographs of the prime minister and senior staff in various social situations.

Johnson and his finance chief Rishi Sunak were among dozens of individuals fined by police in April for attending social gatherings. EFE

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