DOUGLAS Ross has called for Boris Johnson to explain his behaviour after pictures showing him drinking at a party during lockdown and raising a toast were published.
ITV News revealed the pictures of the Prime Minister drinking in a room full of people, alongside a table filled with different kinds of wine, hand sanitiser and a red ministerial briefcase. Also included in the picture are what appears to be bottles of spirits, a takeaway food box and snacks.
According to the report, the event photographed was held in hour of former comms director Lee Cain’s leaving night.
The Scottish Conservative chief – who called for Johnson to resign at the start of the partygate saga before U-turning and saying the Ukraine situation was more important – was quick to condemn the images.
The Moray MP said: “These images will rightly make people across the country very angry.
“The Prime Minister must outline why he believes this behaviour was acceptable. To most, these pictures seem unjustifiable and wrong.”
In a statement, he failed to say whether there would be another U-turn on Johnson’s suitability for his position.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the Prime Minister has to stand down over the new revelations.
“This proves that Boris Johnson lied to Parliament and lied to the people,” he said.
“He has been taking us all for fools. No more excuses, no more lies, and no more false equivalences – Boris Johnson has to go.”
Scottish Green health spokeswoman Gillian Mackay said the images were “shocking” and “prove that the Prime Minister has lied”.
She added: “They prove that he has lied repeatedly to the public and to Parliament.
“Every day that Boris Johnson remains in office is an insult to the millions of people who made sacrifices and had their lives turned upside down by the pandemic.
“If he had even a shred of dignity or integrity he would have resigned months ago.”
Scottish LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the pictures “obliterate the Prime Minister’s claims” he did not know about rule breaking at Number 10, adding: “The public are not stupid. They understood perfectly well that the Prime Minister was lying to them. The only people who fell for it were Conservative parliamentarians.”
Cole-Hamilton called on Mr Ross to re-submit his letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
Johnson was not fined by the Metropolitan Police over the event seen in the images, which show at least nine people in close proximity along with six bottles of wine.
Downing Street declined to defend the scene portrayed, saying the Prime Minister will comment after the Sue Gray report into partygate is published in the coming days.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Cabinet Office and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs.
“The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which point the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full.”
