Scottish Tory leader says PM should not be removed
- Published
Douglas Ross: "It would not be right to change our leadership at the time we are supporting people in a war in Europe."
The Scottish Tory leader has said Boris Johnson should not be removed from office "at this time" despite his fine for breaking lockdown rules.
Douglas Ross said he shared the fury of the public over the "unacceptable" actions of the prime minister.
But he said it would be wrong to destabilise the UK government while the war in Ukraine was ongoing.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, will also be fined over parties in Downing Street.
Downing Street has confirmed Mr Johnson's fine was in relation to an event he attended on 19 June 2020 to celebrate his birthday.
His wife and Mr Sunak were also reported to have been at the gathering, with an ITV report saying the prime minister had been presented with a cake while people sang Happy Birthday to him.
The fines are among more than 50 to have been handed out so far by officers from the Met, who have been investigating alleged Covid law-breaking at 12 gatherings in Whitehall and Downing Street during lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
Mr Johnson is the first serving prime minister of the UK to be sanctioned for breaking the law.
Mr Ross called for Mr Johnson to quit in January, but later said the issue should be "put on hold" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have both called for Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak to resign.
But Mr Ross said in a statement that removing the prime minister would "destabilise the UK government when we need to be united in the face of Russian aggression and the murdering of innocent Ukrainians."
He said the public was "rightly furious" at what had happened in Downing Street during lockdown, adding: "I understand why they are angry and share their fury.
"The behaviour was unacceptable. The prime minister now needs to respond to these fines being issued.
"However, as I've made very clear, in the middle of war in Europe, when Vladimir Putin is committing war crimes and the UK is Ukraine's biggest ally, as President Zelensky said at the weekend, it wouldn't be right to remove the prime minister at this time."
Awkward doesn't really cover the spot that Douglas Ross finds himself in. His credibility is in question.
Having concluded the prime minister's position was "untenable" in January, before the police investigated - he's now arguing the opposite when Boris Johnson has been fined.
This about turn is not new. He made that the early stages of the Ukraine war, on the basis that the UK should present a united front against Russia.
Partygate has certainly united the opposition in demanding the PM's resignation, with some arguing the UK cannot afford to be represented by a lawbreaking leader on the world stage.
There's division within the Conservative party too, with former Scottish leader Ruth Davidson sticking to her view that Mr Johnson has lost the "moral authority" to govern. Awkward indeed.
Watch: I fell short in observing the rules - Boris Johnson
Mr Johnson has confirmed that he has paid the fine, and he apologised but insisted he would not resign over the matter.
"I accept in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better," he said in an interview, at his Chequers country retreat.
"[But] now I feel an even greater sense of obligation to deliver on the priorities of the British people."
Reports that parties had been held in Downing Street during lockdown first emerged in December of last year, with Mr Johnson initially insisting that "the guidelines were followed at all times".
He later apologised for attending a drinks party in the Downing Street garden, but told Parliament he believed he had been attending a work event.
This admission initially resulted in Mr Ross saying the prime minister's position was no longer tenable, and he wrote to the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs in January calling for a leadership contest.
But he withdrew the letter in March, arguing that calls for Mr Johnson to quit should be put on hold following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson subsequently attended the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen, where he was welcomed onto the stage by Mr Ross.
Mr Sunak was also asked in the Commons in December if he attended Christmas parties said to have taken place in 2020, and replied: "No, I did not attend any parties."
Rishi Sunak told parliament that he had not attended any parties
What has the reaction been?
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that Mr Johnson had broken the law and "repeatedly lied to parliament about it", and must therefore resign.
She added: "The basic values of integrity and decency - essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy - demand that he go.
"And he should take his out of touch chancellor with him".
Labour leader Sir Keir said the fines showed that the Conservatives were "totally unfit to govern", adding: "Britain deserves better.
"Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign."
Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay said Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak were "a disgrace" and that "if they have a shred of dignity left they will resign immediately."
And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said parliament should be recalled for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.
Campaigners from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group also said there was "simply no way either the prime minister or chancellor can continue".
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack issued a statement in support of the Mr Johnston, saying he remained the "right person to lead this country at such a crucial time.
Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, however, tweeted that he had lost moral authority and he "should go".
Timeline: Downing St gatherings
The government has faced intense pressure over gatherings held in and around Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. A police investigation into several of the events has now concluded, with more than 100 fines having been issued to attendees. Here is what we know about the gatherings and the restrictions in place at the time:
A photo from May 2020 showed the prime minister and his staff with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard in the Downing Street garden. When asked about it, Boris Johnson said "those people were at work talking about work".
The rules:
Legal restrictions at the time said you could not leave your house without a reasonable excuse and government guidance was that you could meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor setting while exercising.
This event was not investigated by the police.
About 100 people were invited by email to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening". Witnesses told the BBC the PM and his wife were among about 30 people who attended.
Boris Johnson apologised to MPs for attending the event, saying he spent 25 minutes thanking staff, before returning to his office.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
A gathering took place in the Cabinet Office to mark the departure of a No 10 private secretary.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
We know at least one fine has been issued after the government's former head of ethics admitted receiving one and apologised for attending the event.
On Boris Johnson’s birthday, up to 30 people gathered in the Cabinet Room at No 10 to present the prime minister with a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday, according to a report by ITV News.
No 10 said staff had "gathered briefly" to "wish the prime minister a happy birthday", adding that he had been there "for less than 10 minutes".
The rules:
Restrictions at the time banned most indoor gatherings involving more than two people.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
We know at least three attendees have received fines from the police, with the PM, his wife Carrie Symonds and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all confirming they have paid fixed penalty notices.
Two gatherings are understood to have taken place in Downing Street on this date: one to mark the departure of a special adviser and one in the Downing Street flat.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the gathering in the flat where Mr Johnson and his wife live was to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings, the PM's former senior adviser. A spokesman for Mrs Johnson denies the party took place.
The rules:
Eight days earlier Boris Johnson had announced a new lockdown in England. Indoor gatherings with other households were banned, unless they were for work purposes.
The police investigation determined that an event on this date did breach the rules in place at the time but they have not confirmed whether it was one or both of the events.
A leaving event was held for No 10 aide, Cleo Watson, where people were drinking, and Mr Johnson made a speech, according to sources.
This event was not investigated by the police.
The Department for Education has confirmed it had an office gathering to thank staff for their work during the pandemic. It says drinks and snacks were brought by those who attended and no outside guests or support staff were invited.
The rules:
Eight days earlier, London had been placed in restrictions which banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless "reasonably necessary" for work purposes.
This event was not investigated by the police.
The Conservative Party has admitted that an "unauthorised gathering" took place at its HQ in Westminster. It was held by the team of the party's London-mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, who has since stepped down as chair of the London Assembly police and crime committee.
In December, police said they would be contacting two people who attended the party.
This event was not included in Sue Gray's report.
Multiple sources have told the BBC there was a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff last year. A photo - published by the Sunday Mirror - shows Boris Johnson taking part and sitting between two colleagues in No 10. Mr Johnson has denied any wrongdoing.
The rules: At this time, the rules in London banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless "reasonably necessary" for work purposes.
This event was not investigated by the police.
The Department for Transport has apologised after confirming reports of a party in its offices, calling it "inappropriate" and an "error of judgment" by staff.
This event was not included in Sue Gray's report.
A leaving party was held at the Cabinet Office for the outgoing head of the civil service Covid taskforce - the team responsible for drawing up coronavirus restrictions.
Kate Josephs, now chief executive of Sheffield City Council, apologised for the event, saying she was "truly sorry that I did this and for the anger that people will feel as a result".
A second gathering was held in the Cabinet Office to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office.
A third gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of a No 10 official
The police investigation determined that an event on this date did breach the rules in place at the time but they have not confirmed whether it was one or all of the events.
Downing Street originally denied a report by the Daily Mirror that a party took place in Downing Street on this date.
However, a video obtained by ITV News showed the prime minister's then-press secretary Allegra Stratton joking about reports of the event, saying: "This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced."
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
A gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of two private secretaries.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
Two parties were held by Downing Street staff at No 10, the night before Prince Philip's funeral.
One of the events was a leaving party for the PM's then director of communications James Slack, who has apologised for the event and acknowledged it "should not have happened at the time that it did".
Boris Johnson was not at either party.
The rules
The rules had been eased in England on 12 April, but working from home continued to be recommended and socialising indoors with people from other households was not allowed. Meeting others outdoors was limited to groups of six people or two households.
The police investigation determined that an event on this date did breach the rules in place at the time but they have not confirmed whether it was one or both of the events.
We know fines have been issued to some people who attended Mr Slack’s leaving party, but we do not know who they were issued to.