LONDON (AP) 鈥� British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday offered what he said was a 鈥漺holehearted鈥� apology for attending an illegal party during lockdown 鈥� but insisted he didn't knowingly break rules or mislead Parliament, and brushed off calls to resign.
Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that it simply "did not occur to me鈥� that the birthday gathering, complete with a cake, was a party.
That excuse was greeted with derision by opposition politicians 鈥� and some among the governing Conservatives 鈥� who have called with increasing frustration for Johnson to quit since stories began to circulate late last year of parties in the prime minister's office and other government buildings in 2020 and 2021, when millions in the country were barred from meeting with friends and family or even attending funerals for their loved ones.
Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer branded the apology 鈥渉alf-hearted鈥� and 鈥渁 joke."
Last week, Johnson was for attending his own surprise birthday party in 10 Downing St. in June 2020, making him the first British prime minister ever found to have broken the law while in office.
Speaking as the House of Commons returned from an 11-day Easter break, Johnson acknowledged people's 鈥渉urt and anger,鈥� but added that 鈥渋t did not occur to me then or subsequently that a gathering in the Cabinet Room, just before a vital meeting on COVID strategy, could amount to a breach of the rules.鈥�
Starmer said that excuse would ring hollow with ordinary people who 鈥渦nderstand that the rules apply to all of us,鈥� and he challenged Conservatives to 鈥渂ring an end to this shameful chapter鈥� and jettison Johnson.
鈥淗e knows he鈥檚 dishonest and incapable of changing," Starmer said. "So he drags everybody else down with him."
Starmer was told off by House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for accusing another member of dishonesty 鈥� a breach of parliamentary rules. Minutes later, Labour lawmaker Karl Turner also was chastised by the Speaker after branding Johnson a liar.
鈥淚 withdraw the word 鈥榣iar,鈥� Mr. Speaker," Turner said. 鈥淏ut the electorate will already have decided.鈥�
Labour has not given up on trying to get lawmakers to censure Johnson over the 鈥減artygate鈥� scandal. said he would allow Labour to hold a Commons debate and vote Thursday on whether Johnson should be investigated for allegedly misleading Parliament. Ministers found to have done that knowingly are generally expected to resign.
Johnson is due to be out of the country Thursday on a visit to India, and the big Conservative majority in Parliament means the measure is unlikely to pass. But the vote will force Tory lawmakers uneasy with the prime minister to publicly back him or criticize him.
Johnson insisted Tuesday that he was contrite, but argued it would be wrong to change leaders while Britain faces crises including the and a cost-of-living squeeze driven by surging energy and goods prices.
Johnson鈥檚 grip on power had appeared to be on a knife-edge earlier this year amid police and civil service investigations into the parties, and the departure of several top aides.
Allies feared 鈥減artygate鈥� could become a tipping point for a divisive but resilient leader who has over his expenses and his moral judgment. Some Conservative lawmakers were openly calling for a no-confidence vote in Johnson.
But Johnson has hung on, partly because Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine has seized public and political attention.
Johnson鈥檚 international image, battered by Britain鈥檚 messy exit from the European Union under his leadership, has been revived by his firm military, political and moral support for Ukraine. Johnson traveled to Kyiv earlier this month to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Johnson's troubles are not over and he could still face more fines. London鈥檚 Metropolitan Police force is investigating a dozen events, including 鈥渂ring your own booze鈥� office parties and 鈥渨ine time Fridays,鈥� and Johnson is reported to have attended several of them. So far at least 50 tickets have been handed out, including those to Johnson, his wife Carrie and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak.
If Johnson is sanctioned again, calls for a no-confidence vote could grow among Conservatives. For now, many are biding their time, and looking to see whether public anger translates into losses for the party at local elections across the country on May 5.
Conservative lawmaker Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said his colleagues were 鈥渨ithholding their judgment and waiting to see what happens.鈥�
But fellow Conservative Mark Harper, a former government chief whip, said Johnson 鈥渂roke the laws that he told the country they had to follow鈥� and 鈥渉asn鈥檛 been straightforward about it.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 very sorry to have to say this, but I no longer think he is worthy of the great office that he holds," Harper said.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
