UK: PM Johnson appoints new sleuth for partygate probe after incumbent officer steps down

As a major jolt against UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the official who was supposed to investigate the party gate scandal, has stepped down after he too was caught up in the scandal. 

According to a report by AP, the head of the civil service, Simon Case, stepped down from heading the investigation after a local media reported a story with concrete evidence of his attendance at the party held during COVID-19 lockdown last year. Subsequently, Johnson ordered a former senior government ethics adviser, Sue Gray, to take over the scandal enquiry.

The development came nearly a month after reports claiming that Johnson had hosted as well as attended parties during the stringent COVID-19 lockdown last year. Media reports claimed that Christmas parties were held in Downing Street at the height of the coronavirus lockdown last year.

It is worth noting Downing Street is a 200-metre long street in the City of Westminster that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. As a result, the Opposition parties took the matter and demanded an independent investigation in the case. Labour lawmaker Neil Coyle, who played a major role in boosting the opposition's demand said, "Prime Minister is not above the law."

Johnson on multiple occasions denied allegations

While speaking to AP, Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, said that Gray now has the task of restoring public trust.

"At the moment, people are saying, Which department didn't have a party? It's incredibly disappointing because we all know what was happening when these parties were going on: people couldn't see their loved ones who were dying and were making incredible sacrifices," Rayner added.

According to reports, one point in Gray's favour could be that she was based in Belfast a year ago as the senior civil servant in the Northern Ireland Department of Finance.

Notably, before initiating a probe, Johnson on multiple occasions denied attending any party during the lockdown. However, after the videos and photos of the event went viral on social media, Johnson was forced to order a probe.

With inputs from AP

Image: AP/Pixabay