Conservative colleague David Wolfson has resigned as justice minister because of the “scale, context and nature” of violations of COVID regulations in Downing Street.
Lord Wolfson said in a letter to Boris Johnson that he was leaving not only because of the events themselves or the “own behavior” of the Prime Minister, but also “the official response to what happened.”
He said: “I am sorry that the latest revelations lead to the inevitable conclusion that there have been repeated violations of the rules and violations of the criminal law on Downing Street.
“Again, with considerable regret, I have come to the conclusion that the scale, context and nature of these violations mean that it would be incompatible with the rule of law for this conduct to pass with constitutional impunity.”
Lord Wolfson has been Minister of Justice since December 2020. He was responsible for human rights and the constitution.
This comes after Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak paid fines for attending a birthday party for the prime minister in Cabinet No. 10 in June 2020.
Neither Mr Johnson nor Mr Sunak indicated that they would resign because of their fines.
Reacting to the news, Tobias Eloud, chairman of the defense committee, told Sky News: “That is why I want the prime minister to move forward with his plan to recognize the scale of the challenge we face, the fact that trust is eroded. otherwise we will get this effect of drip feeding on people who no longer want to stay away.
“Let us have the opportunity in the near future, where everyone can leave their mark and decide in one way or another whether we support the prime minister in the next general election or it is time for a change.”
The Tory MP became the first back band to call on Johnson to leave
Earlier Wednesday, Tory MP Nigel Mills became the first back judge to call on Johnson to leave after being fined.
Read more: Partygate: what’s happening now?
Johnson may have survived the storm so far, but the worst is yet to come
Mr Mills, who had previously said the prime minister should look into the scandal, emphasized that Mr Johnson’s position was untenable.
Several other Tories, who previously said they lost confidence in the prime minister because of revelations about Downing Street parties, have since united around their leader, saying he must stay – at least for now – while the war in Ukraine rages.
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