Lord David Wolfson said he could not remain a minister following the revelations about the No. 10 party that took place during the coronavirus restrictions. Wolfson’s resignation came as senior Tories voiced concern that the scandal could last much longer, with the prime minister facing more fines for Downing Street parties and the risk of photos leaking from rallies in the media. Johnson became the first UK prime minister to commit a criminal offense during his tenure after being fined by the Metropolitan Police for attending a birthday party on Downing Street in June 2020. Chancellor Richie Soun penalty for the same Event. Johnson and Sunak said on Tuesday they had paid the fines and apologized. Sunak’s allies downgraded media reports that he had spent seven hours “fighting” on Tuesday over whether to resign after receiving the prescribed penalty notice. Justice Secretary Lord David Wolfson said: “I regret that the recent revelations lead to the inevitable conclusion that there have been repeated breaches of law and criminal law in Downing Street.” © Gov.uk Wolfson, who was appointed junior minister in the Department of Justice in December 2020, said he had “no choice” in resigning as he criticized the “official response” to the partygate revelations. In a letter to Johnson, he said: “Justice can often be a matter of courts and procedure, but the rule of law is something else – a constitutional principle that, at its root, means that everyone in one state, and in fact the state itself, subject to the law. “I’m sorry that the recent revelations lead to the inevitable conclusion that there have been repeated violations of the law and violations of criminal law in Downing Street.” A handful of Conservative MPs called on Johnson to resign on Wednesday. Nigel Mills, a supporter of the Tories, said the prime minister’s position was “unfounded”. Caroline Nokes and Gary Streeter, two former ministers who have previously called for Johnson to resign, have reiterated their positions. But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended Johnson, saying he “knowingly did not break the law.” He added that the prime minister was “saddened” and “incredibly embarrassed” because he had been fined by the police. The Met has so far issued more than 50 fines to an unknown number of individuals as part of its investigation into 12 different governing parties in 2020 and 2021, which potentially violated Covid-19 restrictions.

Senior Conservative officials have said they are concerned that with the Met still in its infancy, Johnson could face further fines in the run-up to the May 5 local elections. They also expressed concern about the risk of media leaks to some of the estimated 300 photos, related to rallies at Number 10 and Whitehall, handed over by the government to the Met. A Whitehall expert said he had seen a photo of several government figures – apparently drunk – sitting around a table on Downing Street late at night during one of Covid’s lockdowns. “If and when the public sees photos of people drinking at the No. 10 party, then they could see another wave of anger – the images have a much more compelling effect than hundreds of prose words,” said a former Downing Street official. “People are very worried that the photos could still be taken.” A senior Conservative MP said the partygate saga could last for weeks or even months, in part because the final rally report commissioned by Johnson and prepared by senior civil servant Sue Gray is not expected to be released until after local elections. The MP added: “Fines will continue to be imposed until election day, which could make locals worse. Then we have to face it [publication of the] full Sue Gray report. This is the point at which Johnson faces the greatest danger, as everything can turn out to be too much. “ Sunak’s allies, meanwhile, said he had been bitten by what he thought was an “unfair” fine for Johnson’s June 2020 birthday party and that he was considering his political future following an intensive review of his wife’s tax privileges. in the United Kingdom due to its non-residence. condition. Some of Johnson’s allies have urged the prime minister to oust Sunak in a future cabinet reshuffle, saying his family’s tax disputes and his much-criticized spring statement had made him responsible for the election. A Johnson supporter said: “Rissi has proven to be a mess in politics over the last two weeks. “I do not think it has a good enough political crisis to last.” But other allies of the prime minister have said that Johnson and Sunak, following tensions over the partygate scandal, “came closer” to the fact that they had both been fined. “The fact that Risi has not resigned means that they are together,” said one minister.