The Prague Post - UK's Johnson to face hostile MPs over 'partygate'

EUR -
AED 4.327349
AFN 83.648702
ALL 97.992509
AMD 453.964331
ANG 2.10844
AOA 1080.361606
ARS 1438.578501
AUD 1.79186
AWG 2.120666
AZN 2.000366
BAM 1.951118
BBD 2.379191
BDT 144.612991
BGN 1.958152
BHD 0.444162
BIF 3464.933127
BMD 1.178148
BND 1.497307
BOB 8.141945
BRL 6.439405
BSD 1.178372
BTN 100.72231
BWP 15.586137
BYN 3.856247
BYR 23091.69986
BZD 2.36677
CAD 1.608089
CDF 3390.074499
CHF 0.933682
CLF 0.028501
CLP 1093.73345
CNY 8.441724
CNH 8.437713
COP 4747.865558
CRC 594.772801
CUC 1.178148
CUP 31.220921
CVE 110.80498
CZK 24.685704
DJF 209.38064
DKK 7.461753
DOP 69.922992
DZD 152.326806
EGP 58.269905
ERN 17.672219
ETB 159.46198
FJD 2.632218
FKP 0.858629
GBP 0.857815
GEL 3.204535
GGP 0.858629
GHS 12.193706
GIP 0.858629
GMD 84.233194
GNF 10196.870185
GTQ 9.061257
GYD 246.421374
HKD 9.248403
HNL 30.871223
HRK 7.533907
HTG 154.539173
HUF 399.28026
IDR 19111.916078
ILS 3.985852
IMP 0.858629
INR 100.872442
IQD 1543.373817
IRR 49629.482794
ISK 142.603371
JEP 0.858629
JMD 189.255867
JOD 0.83529
JPY 169.249786
KES 152.565676
KGS 103.029595
KHR 4736.154516
KMF 493.644463
KPW 1060.431945
KRW 1598.876653
KWD 0.359536
KYD 0.981915
KZT 611.72213
LAK 25389.088251
LBP 105562.056017
LKR 353.57158
LRD 236.222384
LSL 20.848685
LTL 3.478764
LVL 0.71265
LYD 6.356109
MAD 10.582715
MDL 19.783939
MGA 5219.195316
MKD 61.519671
MMK 2473.197939
MNT 4222.627315
MOP 9.527455
MRU 46.831616
MUR 53.099902
MVR 18.141978
MWK 2045.893775
MXN 22.111009
MYR 4.945271
MZN 75.3547
NAD 20.865773
NGN 1808.126948
NIO 43.296875
NOK 11.877723
NPR 161.155297
NZD 1.934318
OMR 0.452981
PAB 1.178298
PEN 4.173592
PGK 4.864602
PHP 66.337973
PKR 334.299515
PLN 4.250679
PYG 9399.445377
QAR 4.28917
RON 5.070773
RSD 117.139711
RUB 92.488922
RWF 1689.464163
SAR 4.418374
SBD 9.82213
SCR 17.259451
SDG 707.477617
SEK 11.187074
SGD 1.500177
SHP 0.925839
SLE 26.449369
SLL 24705.177798
SOS 673.313866
SRD 43.897203
STD 24385.283936
SVC 10.31026
SYP 15318.23633
SZL 20.844291
THB 38.254145
TJS 11.635734
TMT 4.135299
TND 3.401903
TOP 2.759345
TRY 46.922104
TTD 7.974898
TWD 34.522095
TZS 3095.114843
UAH 49.307982
UGX 4235.835817
USD 1.178148
UYU 47.077035
UZS 14959.104588
VES 127.30344
VND 30785.005987
VUV 140.822024
WST 3.232242
XAF 654.345198
XAG 0.032589
XAU 0.000353
XCD 3.184004
XDR 0.820209
XOF 657.99454
XPF 119.331742
YER 285.406444
ZAR 20.760086
ZMK 10604.744772
ZMW 28.130708
ZWL 379.36316
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

UK's Johnson to face hostile MPs over 'partygate'

UK's Johnson to face hostile MPs over 'partygate'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face angry lawmakers on Tuesday for the first time since being fined for breaching his own coronavirus laws by attending a party at his Downing Street office.

Text size:

The embattled Johnson last week became the first British leader to be publicly fined for breaking the law, after police ruled he had failed to abide by lockdown curbs in 2020.

But as parliament resumes after a break for Easter, the prime minister will also outline his actions in support of Ukraine against Russia.

The conflation of issues led to charges that Johnson is seeking to bury the "partygate" fines -- which have also embroiled his finance minister and wife.

But while he defiantly resists opposition calls to resign, the prime minister is expected to adopt a tone of contrition when he addresses the House of Commons from around 1530 GMT.

"He fully respects the outcome of the (police) investigation," Johnson's spokesman told reporters.

"Many will feel he fell short and the public had a right to expect better."

Johnson could yet further fines over the parties, and MPs will hold a special debate on Thursday into whether he misled the Commons. However, he will be on an official visit to India by then.

Knowingly misleading parliament is a breach of government ministers' code of conduct, which states they should resign as a result -- and opposition lawmakers are adamant he should go.

- 'Liar' -

One national survey suggested around two-thirds of the public spoke negatively about Johnson, compared to just 16 percent positively, with the word "liar" the most commonly shared response.

"Overall, 'partygate' dominates views of Boris over Ukraine," said James Johnson, a Conservative pollster who conducted the sample.

"Fury has not receded. Many negative comments are by people who liked him previously but have now changed their minds."

Voters will get their chance to deliver a verdict on May 5, when the UK holds nationwide elections for local and city councils.

A drubbing for the Conservatives then could sharpen the debate among his own MPs, some of whom have said that now is not the time to change leader given the war in Ukraine.

Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer told ITV: "He is using that (Ukraine), really, as a shield and I think that's pretty offensive."

He added: "For millions of people, complying with the (Covid) rules really, really hurt. This is why it has gone so deep – we’ve all heard of terrible cases of funerals that people couldn’t attend."

There is cross-party support towards Britain's backing for Ukraine, and any Conservative successor would continue Johnson's war policy, Starmer said.

Simon Wolfson, a justice minister, has already resigned from the government, citing "the scale, context and nature" of the rule breaches.

But Johnson will bid to shore up his standing with backbenchers when he addresses a meeting of the Conservative parliamentary party on Tuesday evening.

- Attention diverted -

London's Metropolitan Police is investigating dozens of alleged lockdown breaches by Johnson and his staff in the Downing Street complex where he lives and works.

It said last week officers had so far issued more than 50 fines.

The scandal, the latest in a stream of controversies to hit Johnson since last year, left his position hanging by a thread and MPs from his Conservative Party in a rebellious mood.

But he boosted his survival chances with what is seen as a firm response to Ukraine, which diverted attention away from the furore when he was most vulnerable in February.

Britain's cost-of-living crisis is also credited with distracting people from the scandal, while Johnson has made several big policy announcements aimed at his pro-Brexit political base.

They include controversial plans to send migrants and asylum seekers who cross the Channel thousands of miles away to Rwanda.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis defended Johnson, telling Sky News that "at every point he has been clear with what he believes to be the truth".

B.Svoboda--TPP