Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, apologized to the British Parliament on Wednesday for attending what he thought was a “business meeting” at Downing Street Gardens on May 20, 2020, in full attire.
“I want to apologize. I know that millions of citizens of this country have made extraordinary sacrifices over the last 18 months. I know the anguish they have gone through, not being able to mourn their families, not being able to live their lives as they wanted to or do the things they love,” said the Tory leader, who reiterated that “I should have done things differently.”
Johnson presented his first account in the Commons control session for a party organized at a time when the entire country was obeying by tight constraints imposed by his Executive, which prohibited social interaction, amid rising criticism and calls for him to consider keeping his job.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the British people that he is aware of their “anger” toward him and the government he leads, “when they believe that Downing Street does not follow the rules properly by those people who dictate them”. “I can’t anticipate the conclusions that the current inquiry (being conducted by senior civil servant Sue Gray into alleged Downing Street social graces during 2020) will yield, I’ve learned enough to know that there were things we simply didn’t get right and I must take responsibility,” he added.
His apology was mocked by Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, who branded it a “pathetic spectacle” and “offensive” to the British people that he provided as an explanation the argument that he “didn’t know he was going to a party”, but thought it was “a work event”. “Is he now going to do the right thing and resign?,” the Labour Party leader wondered.
Starmer accused his political rival of having “misled” Parliament, which he noted was also a violation of the rules, and questioned whether the Conservative Party or the people are “going to throw him out”” of government in the face of Johnson’s repeated apologies during the session.