Because of the expected censorship, hardly anyone now expects serious allegations to be made against Johnson.
(Photo: AP)
London The pressure on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is increasing because of numerous parties during the corona lockdowns. Some of the events at his Downing Street office should not have taken place, while others got out of hand, senior official Sue Gray wrote in her interim report published on Monday.
She attested to the British government’s severe leadership failure and lack of judgment. “I’m sorry,” Johnson said in the British Parliament. “I understand the anger that people feel.” But now you have to go back to work.
In the past few weeks, more and more parties during the corona lockdowns have become known. In the face of harsh criticism, including from within his own ranks, Johnson had played for time and said he would first wait for the Gray report. However, due to police investigations running in parallel, this has now not been published in full.
Nevertheless, the published passages contain some political explosives. Gray called for clear rules to prevent drinking at work. “Excessive consumption of alcohol is never appropriate in a professional workplace.”
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In the past few weeks, media reports have reported of drinking sprees in which government employees dragged suitcases full of alcohol and danced until the early hours of the morning. Meanwhile, strict corona contact restrictions applied in Great Britain, so that relatives could not attend funerals, for example.
Gray also found that employees felt pressured. Some wanted to raise concerns but were reluctant to do so. Government officials need to be able to complain about improper conduct, Gray wrote.
In initial reactions, the opposition criticized the fact that only part of the report was published due to the ongoing police investigation. “This watered down update is utterly pointless,” said Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats. “Everyone knows that Boris Johnson broke the rules and lied to the country.”
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