Boris Johnson apologises after lockdown parties report
January 31, 2022, 5:05 pm

Boris Johnson apologises after lockdown parties report

Boris Johnson:We know vaccine immunity weakens over time, so it’s vital that you come forward and get boosted when you can/Official Facebook page

The Mint news website reported that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised on Monday after a report into lockdown parties held at his Downing Street residence criticised serious failures at the heart of government.

Johnson told parliament: "I want to say sorry."

Johnson said that he was "sorry" for a series of lockdown-breaching parties identified in an official inquiry but vowed "to get on with the job".

"I get it, and I will fix it," he said, vowing administrative changes to his Downing Street operation.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray published findings on four gatherings in 2020 and 2021, and police are investigating a further dozen events.

Johnson has rebuffed calls to resign from opposition politicians and some of his own Conservative lawmakers.

Boris Johnson-UK Prime Minister/Official Facebook page

Gray concluded that “failures of leadership and judgment" allowed events to occur that "should not have been allowed to take place."

Gray said: “Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behavior surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify."

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Gray's glimpse inside a 10 Downing St marked by excessive alcohol consumption and staff afraid to speak out about workplace problems are a blow to Johnson — who has previously said the rules were followed at all times — and come despite the fact that Gray's conclusions relate to just four of the 16 events she investigated.

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Her findings on 12 other events in 2020 and 2021 have been withheld at the request of the police, who have launched a criminal investigation into the most serious alleged breaches of coronavirus rules. The cuts have led opponents to accuse Johnson of a whitewash.

Source: livemint

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.