U.K. Opposition's Starmer Asks If Johnson Will Resign Over 'Partygate'

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to head off a growing revolt within his own party, offering an apology for attending what he called a “work” event in the Downing Street garden during lockdown, when outside parties were illegal.

“There were things we simply did not get right,” he told the House of Commons on Wednesday. “I must take responsibility.”

The rare apology came after Johnson and his officials had spent days stonewalling after ITV reported that the premier’s senior adviser had invited about 100 people to a drinks party in the No. 10 garden in May 2020. Such gatherings were banned at the time as the U.K. battled the first wave of Covid-19 infections.

Johnson said he believed the event was a work event, and he went into the Downing Street garden to thank groups of staff.

“With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside,” he said. “I regret very much we did not do things differently that evening.”

Members of Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party had warned the prime minister his silence was untenable and that his position would be at risk unless he gave a clear account of what happened -- and especially if it turned out he had lied about the party and others reported to have happened that year.

The allegations, which have dominated newspaper front pages and driven a steep decline in support for the Tories in opinion polls, represent a significant moment of peril at the worst possible time for Johnson. The prime minister had hoped to begin 2022 with a reset after a turbulent end to last year, which culminated in a damaging loss in a special election.

Instead, Johnson found himself answering questions on alleged law-breaking by a former director of public prosecutions in a packed House of Commons. Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer had been released from self-isolation after contracting Covid-19 just hours before the critical session.

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