British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will be asked to pay fines for allegedly breaching restrictions during the COVID-19 lockdown in the country, 10 Downing Street said on Tuesday, 12 April, as per a report by The Guardian.
This comes after the UK's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into alleged lockdown parties attended by Johnson in Downing Street amid COVID-19 restrictions imposed by his government across the country.
"The prime minister and chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices. We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do," The Guardian reported a Downing Street spokesperson as saying.
However, the PM's office did not confirm whether Johnson and Sunak would oppose the fines, which are likely to be between £20 to £50.
The penalty comes in the backdrop of a huge controversy around Sunak. It was revealed last week that Akshata Murthy, Sunak's wife, holds a non-domiciled status in the country, allowing her to avoid paying millions in tax (only on her foreign earnings).
While Murthy has said that she will pay tax on her foreign earnings from now, Sunak, who recently raised the tax burden on the British people, reportedly considered resigning over the backlash.
Labour Leader Starmer Calls for Johnson's Resignation
Meanwhile, leader of Labour Party Keir Starmer called for the resignations of Johnson and Sunak.
"Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign. The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better," Starmer said in a tweet on Tuesday.
The police have been investigating a dozen parties that look place amid the lockdown in Britain, including events in the Downing Street garden, inside No 10, and one in PM Johnson's residence itself.
The Met had previously imposed more than 50 fines amid their investigation into the incident.
The announcement of the fine against Johnson is expected to reignite a debate regarding whether the PM should remain in office. Johnson had been heavily criticised, even by some Conservative MPs, after revelations of the parties were made last year. However, he refused to resign despite tremendous pressure to do so.
About 20-30 MPs were believed to have submitted no-confidence letters against Johnson. However, 54 letters were required to challenge his leadership as prime minister, The Guardian reported.
(With inputs from The Guardian.)
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