“The prime minister’s behaviour makes a complete mockery of those who followed the rules at a time when he couldn’t be bothered to.”
Daisy Cooper MP and the local Liberal Democrat party have today called on Boris Johnson to resign as the damning Sue Gray report is published and the Partygate scandal comes to a head.
She accused the Conservatives of “failing the country” and added that while thousands in St Albans made sacrifices, Boris Johnson’s Number 10 partied.
Daisy also branded Conservative MPs in Hertfordshire who are supporting Boris Johnson as “insulting local people’s sacrifices.”
Today, the Sue Gray report includes pictures of Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak together at a birthday party. The report came with a damning line to Boris Johnson’s Government saying, “the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.”
Daisy said: “My thoughts are primarily with my constituents in St Albans and all others who made huge sacrifices during the pandemic . At a time when funerals were missed, loved ones died alone and grandchildren weren’t seen, there were raucous, drunken parties going on at Downing Street.
“The photos are frankly sickening to look at – the prime minister’s behaviour makes a complete mockery of those who followed the rules at a time when he couldn’t be bothered to.
“And not only did he preside over and partake in this appalling behaviour at No 10, but he then lied about what happened and deliberately misled Parliament. The Sue Gray report has made clear that he must bear responsibility – but his mealy mouthed apology that we heard today means absolutely nothing.
“He clearly doesn’t ‘take full responsibility’, as he said – otherwise he would resign. Liberal Democrats have been calling on him for months now to go – and we still are. But if he doesn’t do the right thing – and let’s face, he’s not going to – Conservative MPs now need to step up, do it for him, and boot him out.”
St Albans Liberal Democrat councillor and council leader Chris White added: “What depresses me is the excuse that everyone at Number 10 had been working so hard during Covid. Where is the recognition of NHS workers? Of local government workers, some of whom I know worked seven days a week at some points? Of the voluntary sector? They no doubt felt that they needed cheering up too. But they obeyed the law and got on with their job.
“But the prime minister didn’t care then, and he doesn’t care now, when every household in Britain faces eye-watering costs at the petrol pumps, sky-rocketing food prices and massive energy bills. It’s become even clearer than before that he now must go.”