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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Chris McCall

Boris Johnson refuses to say whether he will resign if fined by police over partygate

Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he will resign as Prime Minister if cops find he has broken lockdown laws.

The embattled Tory leader stonewalled repeated questions on the subject during an excruciating TV interview with the BBC today.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police are investigating whether Johnson or any of his staff should be fined over several parties that took place at Downing Street during the height of lockdown in 2020.

He has already faced repeated calls to quit from his own colleagues in the Scottish Conservative party as well as the SNP.

Senior Tories are anxious their party could lose hundreds of seats at May's council elections due to Johnson's unpopularity.

Asked whether he would resign if police decide to take action, the PM said: "I can't comment about a process that is under way."

More than 50 people have been sent a questionnaire by cops.

Downing Street has not revealed what Johnson said in his written response to the police - only that it was sent to them within a seven-day deadline.

Ppressed on the subject by the BBC's Sophie Raworth, Johnson said: "There is literally not a bean I can tell you about that."

He was asked if he was "burying" his "head in the sand" as he was being investigated by the police, had MPs calling on him to resign and might face a no-confidence vote.

Johnson replied: "I am fortunate to live in a democracy. I am fortunate to be the PM of a free independent democratic country where people can take that sort of decision, and where I do face that sort of pressure, that's a wonderful thing."

The police investigation was launched in late January after an internal inquiry led by civil servant Sue Gray passed information to the force.

The initial findings of Ms Gray's inquiry criticised "failures of leadership and judgement" over the gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall.

The police investigation, Operation Hillman, is examining 12 gatherings on eight dates - some of which the PM has already said he attended - to see if Covid regulations were broken.

The Met has said a fine would be issued to anyone found to have breached Covid regulations. A decision is not expected for weeks.

The survey, sent by email, has the same status as information given in an interview under caution.

The Met said previously that it "must be answered truthfully".

SNP depute Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald said: "It is utterly absurd that Boris Johnson believes he can remain in office - indeed, it is absurd that he is even still in office after the long list of scandal and sleaze that seems to be endemic in his premiership.

"Under Boris Johnson, the UK is in a state of constant chaos.

"Westminster is engulfed in sleaze, corruption and criminality, the Tory cost of living crisis is spiralling out of control, and his reckless hard Brexit has inflicted billions of pounds of damage to Scotland's economy.

"He should have gone long ago - and it is a disgrace that Tory MPs are continuing to sit on their hands and keep him in office. His arrogance is quite frankly dangerous."

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