UK pm apologizes for breaking lockdown rules

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has offered a wholehearted apology after he was fined 50 pounds $88 by the police for breaking lockdown rules.

Johnson said he did not know that a birthday gathering at the height of the epidemic was in breach of the rules he had set.

The UK opposition argued that the prime minister must resign after he and other members of his party broke COVID 19 rules in Downing Street and then repeatedly lying to parliament when he said all guidelines had been met.

In the House of CommonsHouse of Commons, Johnson told the House of CommonsHouse of Commons he had not deliberately misled Parliament, but said he had never noticed that he was in breach of the rules.

He acknowledged that the public had a right to expect better.

He apologized to the Speaker of the House as he said a vote could be held on Thursday into whether Mr Johnson should be investigated over claims he misled parliament.

knowingly misleading parliament is an offence that should result in resignation.

As soon as I received the notice from police, I acknowledged the hurt and the anger, and I said that people had a right to expect better from their prime minister, said Johnson to parliament.

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Opposition, accused the Prime Minister of failing to respect the sacrifices made by the British public during the lock-ins and demeaning his office.

He said that the Prime Minister had the chance to bring back decency, honesty and integrity back into our politics and to end the denigration of everything that this country stands for. Johnson told parliament in December that all guidance was followed completely over the lockdown restrictions.

He was fined by the police last week after an internal investigation found Downing Street held alcohol-fuelled parties at a time when people were not allowed to attend funerals or visit the sick.

If a full inquiry is needed, the Parliament can decide if a full inquiry is needed.

Politicians will vote on Thursday on whether Mr Johnson should be referred to the Privileges Committee for a full inquiry.

The motion is unlikely to pass because Mr Johnson has the support of most in his Conservative Party and can still command a majority in parliament.

In his first statement to parliament since being handed over the fine, Mr Johnson tried to deflect some criticism by talking about other issues he is dealing with, including the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and immigration.

The police have investigated 12 gatherings in Downing Street and the prime minister could be fined again.

But John Whittingdale, a former Conservative minister, said that it was not time to replace the prime minister because of the war in Ukraine.

He said that we need to stay focused on beating Putin and stopping the aggression against Ukraine because we are facing the gravest crisis in our global security for a long time.