Emily Thornberry has said that Boris Johnson should offer his apologies and resignation when he next meets with the Queen. This comes amid new reports that Downing Street staff held two leaving parties in No 10 on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. The reported events were held at a time when the UK was in a period of national mourning, which ran from 9 April to 17 April, following Prince Philip’s death.
Ms Thornberry told Good Morning Britain that Mr Johnson cannot “pretend everything is alright” the next time he sees the Queen for their weekly audience.
Host Ben Shephard pointed to Jacob Rees-Mogg’s claims on Thursday that the COVID-19 restrictions were “too hard on people” and “very hard to obey”.
Mr Shephard said: “Perhaps the rules were too complicated, they were too difficult to follow them. What did you make of that?
“These were rules put into place by Boris Johnson and his team.”
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The Shadow Attorney General responded: “Exactly. They seem to understand them enough to pass them, but not understand them enough to abide by them.
“I mean, really it’s pathetic. The thing about the rule of law is it applies to everyone equally.
“Boris Johnson ought to understand that, and if he doesn’t, he needs to learn it now.
“I see no reason why that man should appear before her Majesty again on a weekly audience and pretend that somehow everything is alright because it’s not alright.
Restrictions also saw the guest list cut back from 800 to just 30 people.
Coronavirus restrictions at the time banned indoor mixing between different households.
During the basement gathering at No10, sources claimed there was a “party atmosphere”, with a laptop placed on a photocopier with “music blaring out”.
Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, tweeted: “The Queen sat alone in mourning like so many did at the time with personal trauma and sacrifice to keep to the rules in the national interest.
“I have no words for the culture and behaviours at No 10 and the buck stops with the PM.”