British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his finance minister Rishu Sunak will be fined by police over lockdown violations conducted on U.K. government premises, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
The London Metro Police said that they have issued more than 50 fines as part of their investigation into parties and other gatherings held at Downing Street and Whitehall during the initial phase of strict lockdowns at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.
The fines are positive confirmation that the prime minister and Sunak violated lockdown laws despite previous insistences to the contrary. The prime minister's wife, Carrie Johnson, will also be fined.
The uproar over Johnson's lockdown violations, dubbed "Partygate," created a serious threat to Johnson's role at the head of government. He faced a number of demands to resign, and Tuesday's announcement is sure to prompt a new handful.
