Nottinghamshire Live readers have voiced their thoughts over the Prime Minister's Covid fine. Boris Johnson is now bracing for more potential fines, according to reports.
The reports come as Conservative peer and justice minister David Wolfson said he had “no option” other than to quit because the scale and nature of the events determined by police to be breaches so far are “inconsistent with the rule of law”. He wrote a damning letter outlining his resignation.
Most Conservative MPs in Nottinghamshire have however pledged their support for Mr Johnson, while the city's Labour MPs have repeated their calls for his resignation. His wife, Carrie, and chancellor Rishi Sunak were also fined for a gathering at Downing Street on June 19, 2020.
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Mr Johnson is now reportedly facing more potential fines. A spokesperson said: “Whilst she believed that she was acting in accordance with the rules at the time, Mrs Johnson accepts the Metropolitan Police’s findings and apologises unreservedly.”
Some Nottinghamshire Live readers voiced their anger. Hilary Craik said: "They broke rules that they helped to make and then lied to parliament and to the nation. Sounds a good enough reason to resign to me."
Gillian Byron raised the case of a student in Nottingham who received a £10,000 fine for hosting a party. The Nottingham Trent University Student was one of the first people in the country to pay the hefty sum.
Many raised the very same point, including one Twitter user who went viral for the comparison. She said: "He got fined £50. That's nothing to him. People here in Nottingham got punished way more severely. I'm sure I read that students were fined £1k to £10k."
And Alan Smith says: "Sorry [Boris] but you've got to go. You can't make the laws and then break them. Millions couldn't see loved ones in hospital, care homes, at funerals, while you and your buddies were partying."
"Of course they should go, Alan Stretton said. "They broke the laws they made and lied continuously. I can't understand why anyone could think differently. Johnson is cynically using the awful happenings in Ukraine to deflect attention from his own disgraceful behaviour."
Some were more willing to let them off the hook, however. Christopher Brown added: "No, he should not resign. After everything he and his party have done to help the country, you should be proud of what he has achieved.
"He has led and rose to the challenge of PM, and as soon as he came into leadership, he has been tested from day one with one thing after another. No other leader would have coped under the immense pressure Boris has been under. Ok may be there was a few drinks, so what. He has staff that all work in the same building, why can't they have a drink.
"They all working endlessly trying to keep the country going, they all need down time as well. I doubt with any of the negative comments, those people would even stand the pressure of doing the job themselves. They are easy to criticise but may be that is because they can't do anything better themselves."
Stephen Smith said: "No. None of us were perfect, just crack on with life."
And Jackie Wilson added: "Who doesn't know of someone who had a secret party? I know a couple, but they aren't threatened with their jobs. Let him get on with his real job ,he's had the Covid, and now Putin ,give him a chance."
