Johnson ‘not out of the woods yet’ as Partygate day of judgment looms
SENIOR figures in Downing Street are braced to receive fines this week for breaking lockdown rules in the “Partygate” scandal.
A Downing Street source confirmed the 20 fines last week were largely for junior staff, with senior figures set to receive penalties this week.
There has been speculation fines could be given to the Prime Minister, his wife Carrie and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case. The source said the “pressure will be on then” for people to be sacked or resign.
It comes as senior MPS warned Boris Johnson that disastrous results in May’s local elections could trigger another attempt to oust him.
While the PM has been applauded for his leadership over Ukraine, and the war “has bought him time”, many MPS are still concerned about the political fallout from Partygate.
There is also anger over a failure to properly tackle the cost of living crisis, as energy bills rose last week alongside a National Insurance hike.
Rebel Tory MPS, who tried to oust Mr Johnson earlier this year over claims of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, insist “the issue has not gone away” despite the Russian invasion.
A source on the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, told the Sunday Express: “We have Easter recess then are rapidly into the local elections.that may be the decision point.”
And a senior backbencher who had handed a letter demanding a leadership election to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady, said: “Boris is definitely not out of the woods yet.”
Last week, 20 Downing Street employees received police fines for breaking lockdown rules but the Government refused to name them.
The MP went on: “Obviously, Ukraine has bought Mr Johnson time and also helped strengthen his position. We cannot change leader in the middle of a war but that does not mean we will not revisit this issue.
“There are problems with the cost of living in particular that the Government is not tackling and if the local elections are bad then we will see letters go in again.”
A vote on a Tory leadership challenge would be triggered if 54 Tory MPS submit letters to Sir Graham. But one known rebel told the Express any potential coup is “now over”. The MP said: “Ukraine has put everything into perspective. We have seen in Russia what a real dictator looks like and in the middle of a war, partygate seems a lot less important.
“The Prime Minister has shown real international leadership.”
Speculation over Mr Johnson’s future comes as a new poll has revealed a collapse in support for the Conservatives in their rural heartlands, with a swing of 7.5 per cent towards Labour.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) survey shows that a third (36 per cent) of the rural electorate plan to vote for Labour in the next election – almost identical to those planning to vote Tory (38 per cent).
It found 66 per cent of respondents said the Government is not doing enough to create prosperity in rural communities.
Mark Tufnell, the president of the CLA, said: “No party should take rural voters for granted.
“Any party that comes up with a genuinely ambitious plan to grow the economy in rural areas would, I suspect, win a great deal of support.”
‘Ukraine has bought Mr Johnson time’