Boris Johnson’s deputy insisted the prime minister had not violated the ministerial code, although he had been fined by police for attending the No. 10 party in a blockade because the government’s ethics chief reportedly threatened to leave over the scandal.
Dominic Raab, deputy prime minister and justice minister, said Wednesday that Johnson had only “unintentionally” and “unintentionally” broken the law by attending a 10th birthday party during a blockade that resulted in a police fine.
He said it was not a violation of the ministerial code, although the prime minister’s ethics chief, Lord Hyde, asked if it was.
Hyde’s future in the role is in doubt after he said it was a “legitimate” question whether Johnson had broken the code. In response, the prime minister made it clear that he did not believe the code had been violated.
The prime minister is still the only one who can give permission for an ethical investigation, and on Tuesday he made clear his intention to block such conduct of his own because of the fixed penalty notice.
The dispute with Hyde is the latest headache for the prime minister, as he faces a wave of discontent from his lawmakers over the announcement of fixed penalties. More than 40 Tory MPs have publicly questioned Johnson’s suitability to take office, including 18 who are known to have sent letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Committee since 1922, to formally request a vote. trust.
Others openly called on the prime minister to resign or said they had lost faith in his leadership.
Raab said he did not believe there would be a no-confidence vote against Boris Johnson next week. He told Sky News: “I just don’t see it. I think the Westminster bubble and the village are breaking these things. I’m not saying it’s not serious and significant. But we dealt with all these issues, the Prime Minister dealt with all these issues. “
Speaking to broadcasters, Raab said that Hyde had “clarified a number of concerns, but the prime minister addressed them in his response, and in particular made it clear that he did not believe he had violated the ministerial code.”
“In connection with the one-time notice with a fixed sanction, this was an unintentional violation of the law and unintentional in the sense that he appeared at the meeting without realizing that it would be in violation of the relevant provisions.
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Raab did not deny that Gade had threatened to leave, saying he was “unfamiliar” with the talks.
This comes after Johnson rejected calls for Geidt to have the power to launch his own investigation into the behavior of the prime minister or other cabinet members.
Last week, Johnson also amended the code to make it clear that ministers do not necessarily have to resign, even if they are found to have violated the code by offering apologies or losing pay as an alternative remedy.
Raab also pointed out that Lady Scotland was allowed by Gordon Brown to keep her job as Attorney General in 2009, despite being fined for hiring a housekeeper who remained in the country illegally.
“I’m just saying there are precedents for this… I think it’s clear from the circumstances of this particular gathering where he showed up, he was there for 10 minutes, he didn’t know it was a surprise birthday cake for him, it was” “This is a key moment,” Raab told Times Radio.
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