Workington’s Conservative MP Mark Jenkinson says that the Prime Minister “continues to have the support of the majority” of his constituents following reports of a party in the garden of Downing Street.
During Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon, Boris Johnson admitted that he did attend a gathering on May 20, 2020, inside the garden of Number 10 but said that he wasn’t aware that it was a party.
He said he was present for only 25 minutes to thank staff for their efforts, but apologised for attending the event.
A number of MPs, including the Labour Leader Keir Starmer, called for Mr Johnson to resign.
Frustrations with the Prime Minister can also be seen within his own party, with backbencher Sir Roger Gale and former Conservative leader in Scotland Ruth Davidson questioning Mr Johnson’s apology.
‘Bring a bottle’ to a ‘work event’ is a novel idea! Very thin ice indeed.
— Sir Roger Gale MP (@SirRogerGale) January 12, 2022
And I'm not convinced today drew a line under anything either. https://t.co/zGgDlH7ACs
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonPC) January 12, 2022
Workington MP Mark Jenkinson said: “My constituents, like many others across the country, have made huge sacrifices over the last two years. We cannot but listen to harrowing stories, of which there are many, and empathise with those feelings of pain and anger.
“As we have heard today, the Prime Minister has taken full responsibility and apologised for not getting everything right during the pandemic. It is clear from his apology that if he was to turn back time, he would have found some other way to thank staff at No 10.
“Speaking to my constituents, as I do on a daily basis, it is clear that the majority feel that time is not well spent looking backwards.
“Britain is one of the first countries to emerge from the pandemic. This achievement cannot be overlooked and is in no small part due to the Prime Minister’s drive on vaccinations, on boosters and on his personal determination to follow the data instead of the scenarios proffered by doom-mongers.
“Scotland and Wales continue to be in various stages of lockdown as their leaders have refused to take the brave decisions that our Prime Minister did, which continue to be vindicated.
“He continues to have my support, that of the Parliamentary Party, and of the majority of my constituents who tell me that, as we are now out of the European Union as they asked, they see this as an exciting period for Britain and that they (and I) hope we take the opportunities ahead of us as we are led out of the pandemic by a Prime Minister that truly believes in the ability and opportunity of our country.”
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