Londres (CNN) — Britain’s beleaguered Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing accusations of misleading lawmakers and facing new calls to resign, after new footage appeared to show him raising a glass with colleagues at a social gathering inside Downing Street during the covid-19 lockdown.
The photos, obtained by ITV News, appear to show Johnson offering a toast during a colleague’s farewell party in November 2020; several bottles of alcohol are on the table in front of him. In some of the photographs, Johnson appears to be giving a speech, says the ITV News report.
At the time, indoor social gatherings were banned due to a spike in Covid-19 cases, and no more than two people were allowed to gather outside.
Johnson’s position as prime minister has been shaken by the so-called “Partygate” scandal, in which parties and meetings have been denounced for months within his government during various stages of confinement due to the pandemic.
The UK Prime Minister initially claimed in December that no party had taken place, but police have ended up investigating eight events and both Johnson and his chancellor, Rishi Sunak, have been fined for attending one of them.
The new images have sparked a new wave of outrage from opposition lawmakers and some colleagues in Johnson’s own Conservative party.
“Boris Johnson repeatedly said that he knew nothing of the breach of the law… now there is no question, he lied,” Labor Party Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said. “The prime minister has demoted him. He made the rules, then he broke them. The British people deserve better.”
The footage calls into question a statement Johnson made in the House of Commons in December, after being asked if there was a party in Downing Street on the date in question.
“No, but I’m sure no matter what, the guidelines were followed and the rules were followed at all times,” Johnson replied.
Another of the images shows several bottles on the table in front of Johnson and his colleagues.
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Intentionally misleading the House of Commons is a breach of the British Government’s ministerial code, and usually leads to resignation.
“I think the Prime Minister has misled the (House of Commons) from the box. That is grounds for resignation,” Conservative MP Roger Gale wrote on Twitter.
Criticism of the Metropolitan Police for its role in the investigation against Boris Johnson
The images were released as Westminster awaits the publication of a report by official Sue Gray on the “Partygate” events. In a brief update on her investigation in January, Gray denounced “leadership failures” and “a serious breach” of governance rules.
The footage has also drawn scrutiny from the Metropolitan Police, whose own investigation into the Downing Street parties delayed Gray’s investigation, after officers decided not to fine Johnson for the act seen in the latest footage.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday that it was important that “the police explain why they have reached the conclusions they have drawn.” And former Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve told the BBC that the officers’ decision to clear Johnson for the act was “incomprehensible”.
But Downing Street told CNN that police had access to photos and other evidence during their investigation. They added in a statement: “The Met has concluded its investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which time the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full.”
Johnson has previously apologized for the parties during the lockdown and has promised to make changes to the Downing Street operation.
The scandal has clouded Johnson’s standing in opinion polls and left his job security on the brink for several months.
Conservative MPs have so far refused to trigger a no-confidence motion which, if passed, could force Johnson out of office. But the disappointing results of last month’s local elections and two difficult by-elections scheduled for June have kept scrutiny on the British prime minister’s leadership.
CNN’s Radina Gigova contributed her report.
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