Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his finance minister Rishi Sunak are to receive fines for breaching strict coronavirus lockdown rules, the government said on Tuesday, prompting calls for them both to resign, reports Reuters.
Police have been investigating 12 gatherings at Johnson's Downing Street office and the Cabinet Office after a damning internal inquiry found his staff had enjoyed alcohol-fuelled parties that should not have been allowed.
Johnson said he had attended a few of the events, but has always denied knowingly committing any wrongdoing.
"The prime minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices," a government spokesperson said.
"We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do."
A spokesperson for Johnson's wife Carrie said she would also be fined.
Some of the gatherings took place when people could not attend funerals or say farewell to loved ones dying in hospital because they were following rules set by Johnson's government.
After the events were first reported in late 2021, Johnson said there were no parties and that all rules were followed.
He later apologised to parliament for attending one event, which he said he thought was work-related and also said sorry to Queen Elizabeth for another at which staff partied on the eve of her husband's funeral.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group said it was "still unbelievably painful" that Johnson had broken his own rules when they were unable to be with loved ones as they died.
"The fact that @BorisJohnson and @RishiSunak then lied about it, and would have continued to do so if the police hadn’t intervened, is truly shameless," the group said on Twitter.
"There is simply no way either the Prime Minister or Chancellor can continue. Their dishonesty has caused untold hurt to the bereaved."
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