LONDON – Partygate is back, but the mood in Westminster has changed – for now. A new episode was released on Tuesday for observers following the final season of “What’s Happening in the UK” as Metropolitan Police said they would issue 20 fines for social gatherings in the heart of the government for violating COVID rules. It is the first major development since police announced they would investigate a series of parties held on Downing Street and Whitehall during various stages of the pandemic lockdown. While politics remain volatile, just over a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to invade Ukraine, the so-called “partygate” scandal that many Westminster observers predicted would overthrow the British prime minister has been sidelined. Several Tory lawmakers, critical of having the power to oust Johnson as party leader and with him as prime minister, recalculated in the face of Russian aggression and concluded that it was not time for a change of leadership. However, the decision to impose fines brings the spotlight back to a scandal that No. 10 wanted to forget and raises new questions about Johnson’s future. Information about the sentences is limited so far, with police saying they will not identify those who have been fined or what the fines are related to. Civil servants may not even have to declare that they have been fined, depending on the level of their security clearance, and the government is not expected to comment on any disciplinary action. Downing Street has confirmed that it will not provide details about anyone involved other than the Prime Minister and the head of the UK public service, Simon Case. Most Conservative MPs agree that they are in a detention pattern until there is some information on whether Johnson himself will receive a fine, which could take months. Some predict, however, that the prime minister will overcome the scandal, as the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated dramatically. A Tory lawmaker who criticized Johnson said: “There is a sense that we are going through a seismic historical event and the prime minister is showing the right kind of leadership at a time like this. “I’m afraid that drinking parties that break the rules have faded in importance.” He added that this was also the feeling between party members and local officials – important because MPs would generally consult with them before asking for Johnson’s replacement. Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative who canceled a letter of no confidence in Johnson, told the Daily Telegraph: “If there was a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister tomorrow, I would have to vote for him because otherwise we would be playing Putin. hands.” A third member of parliament, a member of an insurgent parliamentary group elected in 2019, repeated this, saying it was difficult to see how the prime minister could be “removed” now. Others suggested that relations between No. 10 and his party had improved after a reshuffle in the background last month.
The brand has tarnished
The war in Europe may have strengthened the position of prime minister, but things could change quickly. A senior conservative warned that one should not assume that a leadership challenge was out of the question. James Johnson, founder of the JL Partners poll, said the idea of a “Ukraine bounce” for the prime minister was not reflected in public sentiment. “The focus groups have been saying the same thing consistently since January – the prime minister’s name has been tarnished significantly and the partygate’s influence on his name still plays an important role,” he said. “It is strongly mentioned every time I ask about the government and the Prime Minister – more than Ukraine.” Confirmation that Downing Street and Whitehall officials did violate the law also raises the possibility that the prime minister may have misled the House of Commons when he previously claimed that no rules had been violated. The deception of the house is traditionally considered a matter of resignation. Former Cabinet Secretary Andrew Mitchell recently said at an anti-corruption meeting: you have to take a much harder line. “ Johnson’s spokesman said on Tuesday that he did not accept that he had misled Parliament. While another awkward dose of the prime minister’s questions will have to be endured on Wednesday, parliament will adjourn immediately after that for a two-week Easter break. This will serve to defuse tensions in Westminster to a convenient location for Johnson, without guidance as to when an ongoing police investigation may result in or result in further fines. Once again, it seems that Johnson’s strategy for survival will depend on holding on tight and circling.
