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‘Welsh Conservatives must condemn’ say Lib Dems over images of Johnson drinking at leaving do

23 May 2022 3 minute read
Picture obtained by ITV of PM drinking at a party in No 10 on 13 November 2020. Photograph: ITV News

It’s time for the Welsh Conservatives to turn on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has said.

Images showing Boris Johnson raising a glass at a leaving party in Downing Street during lockdown, published by ITV, have sparked fresh allegations that he lied to Parliament.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said that those in the Conservative Party who were continuing to defend the Prime Minister had now run out of road.

“These photographs obliterate the Prime Minister’s claims that he did not know of any rule-breaking during lockdown and that the rules were followed at all times. While the public made huge sacrifices, he partied in Number 10,” Jane Dodds said.

“The public are not stupid. They understood perfectly well that the Prime Minister was lying to them. The only people who fell for it were Conservative parliamentarians.

“This is a key moment for Andrew RT Davies and Welsh Conservative MPs. They should condemn the lawbreaking and lies of a Prime Minister who is only out for himself. Conservative MPs should be submitting their letters of no confidence if they don’t want to do a serious disservice to their constituents.

“It’s high past the time that Welsh Conservatives stop putting the interests of their Party ahead of the country. Every day Boris Johnson remains in office will do more damage to public trust and to our democracy.”

‘Unjustifiable’

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said that the Prime Minister should now resign.

“Boris Johnson told parliament there was no party in November 2020,” she said.

“Seven bottles of alcohol and a packet of biscuits tell a different story. He must come to parliament to correct the record and offer his resignation.”

The pictures were taken at a leaving party for then-director of communications Lee Cain on November 13 2020, eight days after Mr Johnson imposed England’s second national coronavirus lockdown.

For four weeks, people were banned from social mixing, other than to meet one person outside.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross demanded the Prime Minister explain why he believes his behaviour was “acceptable” when most will think the pictures “seem unjustifiable and wrong”.

Mr Ross, who previously retracted his call for the Prime Minister to resign, said: “These images will rightly make people across the country very angry.

“The Prime Minister must outline why he believes this behaviour was acceptable. To most, these pictures seem unjustifiable and wrong.”

Labour said the images show there is “no doubt now” that Mr Johnson “lied” to Parliament when he repeatedly insisted all rules had been followed in Downing Street.

Downing Street declined to defend the scene portrayed, saying the Prime Minister will comment after the Sue Gray report into partygate is published in the coming days.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Cabinet Office and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs.

“The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which point the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full.”


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Paul
Paul
2 years ago

Look Davies here is your mighty leader being totally insulting to the families of the 156,000 plus who died of Covid on his watch, what say you now?

Cathy Hill
Cathy Hill
2 years ago

Look its been an open secret that Johnson was lying, so really, ANYONE who defended him should resign out of shame.

This is a disgusting carry-on and the stench of corruption and abuse of power is all across the land… and I would like to draw people’s attention to the speech SNP MP Mhairi Black gave in the House of Commons on the rise of fascism in the UK. It’s on YouTube, on Politics Joe’s channel.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago
Reply to  Cathy Hill

Watched SNP MP Mhairi Black’s speech live. She hit the Tories where it hurt

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

He is not drinking in this photo, but what is happening is, he is morphing into a fish, and what he is doing, is learning to extract oxygen from a liquid while developing gills. He is not at a party he is not drinking, and he has not, or is not breaking any covid rules or laws. Well that’s what I think, after listening to all the other excuses, why not? The other excuses have all been as far fetched, and fully supported by Torys.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

Antagonist Andrew RT Davies & Welsh Conservatives are incapable of condemning Boris Johnson’s drinking & Covid rule breaking during the height of the pandemic in 2020 where hundreds were dying daily because he & they only have daggers sharpened for Wales.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

Following the resignation of former Tory leader Paul Davies, for taking a drink in lockdown, the support shown to Boris by ART Davies, says more than any statement he could ever make.

Last edited 2 years ago by Gareth
hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Gareth

Those 3 Tories who were found guzzling at Y Senedd only got off the hook because there was a Labour member with them. In house conspiracy got them all off the hook with the approval of most of the other members. Do we need any more evidence that most politicians of all stripes believe that they are a cut above the rest of us ? The corruption of values and this sense of entitlement is now at epidemic level among our self appointed elites.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

What a shame that the proposal by Plaid Cymru to make it an offence to lie, whilst in office, for MP’s was opposed. As an indy country we could make this place a fairer and more honest place for future generations.

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

No chance. Not fragment of a vertebra, nor the faintest trace of a hint of the memory of a conscience left among them.

Dafydd
Dafydd
2 years ago

Ive said it before adn Ill say it again.

You cant bang on about Putin and the Rules based international system when you yourself don’t adhere to it.

Yes ones a mass murderer the others a mass liar – both are immoral cych.

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