UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer termed Johnson’s apology as a Joke and asked to resign as Prime Minister….reports Asian Lite News
UK Prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday apologised to the House of Commons after he was fined for breaking law.
During his address, Boris Johnson reiterated that he did not think that he was breaking law when he attended the birthday party in Downing street in 2020, BBC reported.
According BBC reports, opposition has asked Johnson to quit over his controversial actions.
UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer termed Johnson’s apology as a Joke and asked to resign as Prime Minister.
MPs will hold a vote on Thursday whether he misled the Parliament as the misleading Parliament is a resigning offence in UK, the BBC reported.
But the motion is unlikely to succeed because the majority is standing by the PM, and they are instructed to counter the Labour move.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will apologise for breaking his own lockdown laws when he makes his first statement to MPs since being fined by police. Mr Johnson has vowed to “set the record straight” when he speaks to MPs at about 3.30pm.
Opposition parties have accused him of lying to Parliament after he previously told them no rules had been broken.
The prime minister will appeal to the MPs to focus instead on issues such as rising prices and the war in Ukraine.
There is no immediate threat to the Prime Minister as the country is going to poll on May 5. Conservatives are facing defeat at many councils and that will prompt more to join the anti-Boris brigade. But the opposition is planning to unseat the prime minister through a trust vote or a censure motion. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will decide the next course of action today.
“He’s not just broken the rules, he’s lied to the public and he’s lied to Parliament about it,” Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told ITV News.
He also accused the prime minister of using the conflict in Ukraine as a “shield” to keep his job, adding that he finds such a tactic “pretty offensive”.
“For millions of people, complying with the rules really, really hurt,” he added. “This is why it has gone so deep – we’ve all heard of terrible cases of funerals that people couldn’t attend.”
He dismissed the argument put forward by some of the Prime Minister’s allies like Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that Mr Johnson’s punishment was “like a speeding fine”.
“I have never had anybody break down in front of me because they couldn’t drive at 35mph in a 30mph zone; I have had no end of people in tears – in real bits – about complying with rules that really, really hurt them. There has been a pathetic display of Tory MPs going out to defend the indefensible” and it is “something they all ought to be ashamed of.
“I don’t really buy into this idea, by the way, that Johnson is the only person of any importance in the Ukraine crisis,” the Labour leader said. “He is using that, really, as a shield and I think that’s pretty offensive. I understand the argument that the Conservative Party is making, which is ‘we are not going to bring him down, we are prepared to go out and parrot his ridiculous defences’. I think for the public it is different, I think people still talk about this, they really hurt about it. I think any Conservative MP that thinks this is just going to go away is making a huge mistake.”
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks at the House of Commons. (Credit: UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)
Mr Johnson became the first serving UK prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law when, along with his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, he was fined last week for attending the birthday event held for him in the Cabinet Room in June 2020. The PM is also facing accusations of lying to MPs because he initially told them Covid rules had been followed in No 10 after the first reports of parties emerged last year.
Under government rules, ministers are expected to resign for knowingly misleading MPs – and correct the record as soon as possible if they inadvertently tell Parliament something false.
Mr Johnson has since said it “did not occur” to him at the time of the gathering that it could be in
Opposition parties strongly believe the prime minister deliberately misled parliament and are looking at various mechanisms to hold him to account.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, have apologised after London’s Metropolitan Police announced they will fine the duo for attending rule-breaking gatherings during the Covid-19 lockdown
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, have apologised after London’s Metropolitan Police announced they will fine the duo for attending rule-breaking gatherings during the Covid-19 lockdown, in an episode which has been dubbed as the ‘partygate’.
Johnson, who initially denied he was in breach of any law, now acknowledged that he indeed was, but refused to step down. “It didn’t occur to me that, as I say, that I was in breach of the rules. I now humbly accept that I was. I think the best thing I can do now is, having settled the fine, is focus on the job, and that’s what I am going to do,” the premier said.
Police have been investigating as many as 12 parties at Johnson’s Downing Street office and the Cabinet Office, including a gathering on the occasion of his 56th birthday on June 19, 2020.
Sunak, meanwhile, issued an ‘unreserved apology’ for attending the same birthday party. “I deeply regret the frustration and anger that I caused, and I’m sorry. I understand the anger that many will feel that I, myself, fell short when it came to observing the very rules which the government I lead had introduced to protect the public,” said the 41-year-old leader in a televised interview.
The fines against Johnson and Sunak are among the three announced by the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday, all in connection with the 57-year-old Johnson’s birthday celebration event. In all, the police said, more than 50 fines will be issued.
This is believed to be the first time when a sitting British Prime Minister has been found to be in violation of a law.
In recent days, Johnson has been an active participant in global efforts to end the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine; last week, he made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the war-torn nation’s capital, to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President.
Sunak, meanwhile, has been fighting allegations that his wife, Akshata, the daughter of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy, has a ‘non-domicile status’ for the UK’s tax purposes. An individual who has such a status does not have to pay tax to the UK government for their income from outside Britain.
The Prime MinisterBoris Johnson is joined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak as they make their way up the staircase of No10 Downing Street to give a press conference on the Coronavirus. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Opposition Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer immediately called for Johnson and Sunak’s resignations….reports Ashish Ray
Financial penalties have been imposed on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak by Londons Metropolitan Police for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules. Johnsons wife Carrie has also been fined.
Johnson and Sunak are otherwise in the middle of a tense relationship after the tax affairs of the latter’s wife, Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, became public.
Such information is meant to be confidential at all times with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. A section of the British press has insinuated that Johnson’s loyalists may have been behind the leak.
The fines on Johnson, Sunak and Carrie were confirmed by government officials, who did not specify which event or events the penalties are linked to. It was previously reported, though, that the three were at a gathering for the Prime Minister’s birthday in June 2020.
The Met, popularly known as Scotland Yard, has been investigating 12 rule breaking parties at 10 Downing Street, the office-cum-residence of the British Prime Minister. It has so far issued an estimated 50 fines to various individuals.
Opposition Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer immediately called for Johnson and Sunak’s resignations.
He said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must resign.”
Johnson is also accused of misleading the Parliament, which is a resignable offence.
However, it is really up to his Conservative party to decide whether it wants to change its leader in mid-term.
Johnson had insisted in the House of Commons that “guidelines were followed at all times”.
This has now turned out to be untrue. He apologised for attending a drinks party at his garden with an unconvincing excuse that he believed it was a work event.
An inquiry by a senior civil servant, Sue Gray, found that there had been a failure of leadership’. This has effectively been confirmed by the police.
Social media reflected that the British public were pleased. It’s a great moment for democracy when a law enforcement body proclaims an incumbent Prime Minister to be guilty of an offence and slaps a penalty on him.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture supplied by the Ukrainian government.
This visit comes as the Johnson government has announced defensive aid to Ukraine with a new £100m package, reports Asian Lite News
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday.
Johnson said that he has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskyy in person and show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
“Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine. We’re setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country’s struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign,” Johnson tweeted.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Keiv, Ukraine. Picture supplied by the Ukrainian government.
The Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom tweeted a picture of Boris Johnson sitting alongside Zelenskyy in an office. This visit comes as the Johnson government has announced defensive aid to Ukraine with a new £100m package.
The new support will include: more NLAW anti-tank missiles, additional Javelin anti-tank systems, additional loitering munitions, additional Starstreak air defence systems, and additional non-lethal aid including ballistic helmets, body armour and night-vision goggles.
This package amounts to more than £100 million and has been designed in consultation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to ensure that it meets their military needs. This builds on the £350 million of military aid and around £400m of economic and humanitarian support that the UK has already provided.
As well as providing bilateral lethal aid, the UK Armed Forces – alongside Polish, US and international partners – have established an International Donor Coordination Centre in Stuttgart.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Keiv, Ukraine. Picture supplied by the Ukrainian government.
This plays a leading role in the international effort and ensures that the military aid delivered to Ukraine is as coordinated and effective as possible. The team from 104 Logistics Brigade was established following the first International Donor Conference convened by the Defence Secretary in February.
UK Prime Minister: “Putin has steeled our resolve, sharpened our focus and forced Europe to begin to rearm to guarantee our shared security.” (ANI)
During the phone call, Johnson expressed again his sympathy with the victims of the flight that crashed in China last week….reports Asian Lite News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest – including the situation in Ukraine.
“The leaders discussed a range of issues of mutual interest – including the situation in Ukraine. It was a frank and candid conversation lasting almost an hour. They agreed to speak again soon,” the British Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
During the phone call, Johnson expressed again his sympathy with the victims of the flight that crashed in China last week.
Noting the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level between the two countries, Xi said that the relationship in the past half-century has witnessed continuous growth on the whole despite some ups and downs.
Noting that both nations have different domestic conditions and development paths, Xi said the two sides should bear in mind a strategic and long-term perspective, Xinhua news agency reported.
Xi said that China is willing to conduct dialogue and cooperation with Britain in a frank, open and inclusive manner, and hopes that the British side can view China and China-Britain relations objectively. (ANI)
UK PM Boris Johnson’s remarks over Ukraine war did not go down well among political figures in the UK and Europe…reports Asian Lite News
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has garnered widespread criticism after her compared the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine to Brexit, a media report said on Sunday.
While addressing a Conservative Party spring conference in Blackpool on Saturday, Johnson said: “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time. I can give you a couple of famous recent examples.
“When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners.
“It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”
But his remarks did not go down well among political figures in the UK and Europe, said the BBC report.
Gavin Barwell, who served as former Prime Minister Theresa May’s chief of staff in No 10, said: “Apart from the bit where voting in a free and fair referendum isn’t in any way comparable with risking your life to defend your country against invasion, and the awkward fact the Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom to join the EU, this comparison is bang on.”
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, chair of the defence select committee, said that “comparing the Ukrainian people’s fight against Putin’s tyranny to the British people voting for Brexit damages the standard of statecraft we were beginning to exhibit”.
Calling Johnson a “national embarrassment”, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “To compare a referendum to women and children fleeing Putin’s bombs is an insult to every Ukrainian. He is no Churchill: he is Basil Fawlty.”
Meanwhile in Europe, Donald Tusk, former president of the European Council, tweeted: “Boris, your words offend Ukrainians, the British and common sense.”
Guy Verhofstadt, the former Prime Minister of Belgium who was the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, said the comparison was “insane”.
Prime Minister Johnson set out his deep concerns with Sheikh Mohamed on Russia-Ukraine war, and stressed the importance of working together to improve stability in the global energy market, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Wednesday met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Abu Dhabi.
Both leaders have discussed the historical friendly relations between the UAE and the UK, the joint cooperation and coordination in various fields, in addition to all regional and global issues and topics of mutual interests.
This came during His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s reception to Boris Johnson at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser.
MBZ, Johnson discuss global energy stability (WAM)
Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Johnson’s visit to the UAE, which comes as a part of both sides’ keenness to continue joint consultation and coordination between the two friendly countries in promoting peace and regional and international stability.
The two sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern, beginning with the Ukrainian crisis and its humanitarian repercussions. They also stressed the need to intensify global efforts to support the humanitarian conditions of the civilians.
Johnson set out his deep concerns about the chaos unleashed by “Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine”, and stressed the importance of working together to improve stability in the global energy market.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed also discussed the stability of the global energy markets with the British Prime Minister.
MBZ, Johnson discuss global energy stability (WAM)
Sheikh Mohamed reiterated the UAE’s call for adoption of peaceful and diplomatic means to settle various disputes, differences and issues between countries in a way that will serve regional and international security, stability and peace.
Johnson stressed that his country puts special emphasis on developing cooperation and joint coordination with the UAE to serve their mutual interests and contribute to enhancing peace, stability and security in the region and globally.
The leaders welcomed the longstanding partnership between our two countries and discussed opportunities to increase collaboration between the UK and UAE on energy security, green technology, and trade.
They also agreed on the need to bolster our strong security, defence and intelligence cooperation in the face of growing global threats, including from the Houthis in Yemen.
Later in the day, Johnson also met the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh.
He set out the UK’s view that we are facing a fundamentally changed world order following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, which requires countries to work together to improve energy security and reduce reliance on Russian hydrocarbons.
The UK PM and Saudi Crown Prince agreed to collaborate to maintain stability in the energy market and continue the transition to renewable and clean technology.
They also committed to boost cooperation in defence, security, trade and culture, welcoming a new UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Agreement and a major investment announced today by the alfanar group in green aviation fuel in Teesside.
Recently, the government of the UAE has worked with the UK government to launch a toolkit to support financial institutions in tackling illicit financial flows in Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT).
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, has partnered with UK Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon to launch the toolkit, which was launched at Expo 2020 Dubai to coincide with UN Wildlife Day.
The toolkit provides key guidance to institutions in combating the illegal wildlife trade, from large institutions with significant compliance departments to smaller institutions with less experience or fewer resources in countering this trade.
The toolkit was developed with a focus on the Africa to Asia route, and highlights the importance of public-private sector cooperation in global financial centres, including the UAE, Hong Kong, and Singapore, to combat this trade.
The two sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern, beginning with the Ukrainian crisis and its humanitarian repercussions…reports Asian Lite News
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today discussed with Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), the historical friendly relations between the UAE and the UK, the joint cooperation and coordination in various fields, in addition to all regional and global issues and topics of mutual interests.
This came during His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s reception to Boris Johnson at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Johnson’s visit to the UAE, which comes as a part of both sides’ keenness to continue joint consultation and coordination between the two friendly countries in promoting peace and regional and international stability.
The two sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern, beginning with the Ukrainian crisis and its humanitarian repercussions. They also stressed the need to intensify global efforts to support the humanitarian conditions of the civilians.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed also discussed the stability of the global energy markets with the British Prime Minister.
In this context, he reiterated the UAE’s call for adoption of peaceful and diplomatic means to settle various disputes, differences and issues between countries in a way that will serve regional and international security, stability and peace.
Johnson stressed that his country puts special emphasis on developing cooperation and joint coordination with the UAE to serve their mutual interests and contribute to enhancing peace, stability and security in the region and globally. (WAM)
President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The UK and our allies will respond decisively,” said Johnson….reports Asian Lite News
The UK and its allies will respond decisively to Russia’s “unprovoked” attack on Ukraine, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Johnson said that he is appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the next steps.
“President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The UK and our allies will respond decisively,” he stated.
This tweet comes soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special “military operation to protect Donbas” in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations has appealed to its members to “stop the war” at an emergency meeting of the Security Council.
“It is the responsibility of this body to stop the war. So I call on every one of you to do everything possible to stop the war,” Ukrainian envoy Sergiy Kyslytsya was quoted as saying by CNN during the meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
However, defending Russia’s decision to take military action in the Donbas region, the Russian envoy to the UN Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya said “the root of today’s crisis around Ukraine is the actions of Ukraine itself.”
“The root of today’s crisis around Ukraine is the actions of Ukraine itself, who for many years was sabotaging its obligations under the (Minsk agreement),” said Nebenzya.(ANI)
