Although apologetic, Johnson adamant he didn't violate own rules
3 Min Read
Johnson faces a leadership crisis that he does seem to want to mitigate.
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Boris Johnson apologized for partying during lockdown - but refuses to admit his guilt.
According to Times, a British newspaper, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is steadfast that he did not violate any sanitary norms during the pandemic lockdown, despite that he was fined for holding a party at his residence.
Last week, Johnson apologized for partying on Downing Street during the COVID-19 lockdown, in addition to paying the fine.
When asked whether he would resign or not, Johnson said the best thing he could do in the current situation is "focus on the job at hand." He has recently refused to disclose whether or not he would resign, as his colleague, the UK Justice Minister David Wolfson, has resigned over the Partygate allegations.
Read more: After apologizing for Partygate, Johnson faces worst leadership crisis
The newspaper reported that Johnson will "of course apologize again" in a speech on Tuesday and that he "understands the strength of feeling." The newspaper, however, also wrote, quoting a source, "If you’re going from meeting to meeting and it’s something at 2pm in the afternoon, people wouldn’t particularly call that a party. You don’t tend to call that a party."
“If you go to something where you’re giving a speech, you’re not partying, so from his point of view, it’s his place of work, going to events in a work capacity, that’s the context in which these events happened. That is the way he will present it, and a lot of people understand this," the source said.
In his Tuesday speech, according to a statement, Johnson will most likely be speaking about the situation in Ukraine, bringing up his closeness with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. The new UK energy strategy will also be discussed.
It's also said that Johnson will be bringing up the issue of fines that were issued against himself, his wife - Carrie Johnson, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak.
Last week, a poll conducted by YouGov found that more than half of the British public reckon that Johnson should resign, particularly after the Partygate scandal unfolded. 57% of the British public over 18 think that Johnson should resign, 30% support that he remains in his place, and 13% said they "did not know."
