LONDON (AFP) - A “humbled” Boris Johnson said he took full responsibility after a damning official report on Wednesday detailed a series of illegal alcohol-fuelled parties at the British prime minister’s Downing Street office during coronavirus lockdowns.
Johnson has faced repeated calls to resign from opposition politicians and some in his own party after it was revealed both he and officials had broken the rules that meant people could not socialize outside their households or even, in many cases, attend funerals for loved ones.
“I take full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch,” Johnson told parliament.
The report by senior official Sue Gray did not specifically blame Johnson, but gave graphic details and included photographs from more than a dozen gatherings, some of which he attended.
Johnson was among those fined over a party to celebrate his 56th birthday on June 19, 2020, though Gray said he was unaware of the gathering in advance.
“Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen,” the report said. “The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.”
Johnson, who commissioned the report after revelations of boozy Downing Street events while social mixing was all but banned under stringent laws his government had made to curb COVID-19, said he was appalled by some of the behaviour it had uncovered.
“I ... am humbled and I have learned a lesson,” he told parliament to jeers from the opposition benches.
Gray’s interim findings were published in January, but most details were withheld until the end of a separate police inquiry, which concluded last week with 126 fines handed out.
Her full reports included emails and WhatsApp messages which showed many of the gatherings were planned in advance, with discussions on who would bring alcohol.
At one June 2020 event, Gray said there was “excessive alcohol consumption” that led to one person being sick and a fight between two others.