WIDESPREAD lawbreaking is “all a joke to the Prime Minister” Ian Blackford has said after “damning” evidence published today exposed the extent of rule-flouting in Downing Street during lockdown.
The SNP leader condemned the behaviour of Boris Johnson and his colleagues, who were found by the long-awaited Sue Gray report - published half an hour before a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday - to have routinely broke strict lockdown rules.
Blackford told MPs the Prime Minister had “orchestrated” parties and accused him of “grabbing a glass for himself to toast the partygoers”.
He said: “He has lost the trust of the public and what little moral authority he had left.
“He apologised for one simple reason – he got caught. No apology will be enough for those who lost loved ones.”
Blackford told Johnson families bereaved by Covid, many of whom were unable to see their loved ones before they died, were now being “forced to look at pictures of the Prime Minister surrounded by drink”.
He added: "Empty bottles littering offices, rooms so crowded people were sitting on each other’s laps and security forced to intervene because the parties were so outrageous.
“At the centre was the Prime Minister orchestrating it, grabbing a glass for himself in order to toast the party goers. For eight months we’ve heard every excuse under the sun but now, now we’ve all seen the damning photo evidence."
Labour leader Keir Starmer chose not to focus on the partygate revelations released on Wednesday morning because a statement was given after 12.30pm.
Blackford urged the Prime Minister to resign or for Tory MPs to force him out.
The Prime Minister slapped away Blackford’s questions about partygate, saying they would discuss the matter at the SNP MP’s “customary length”.
Blackford hit back, saying the jibe showed the saga was “all a joke” to the Prime Minister.
He added that Johnson had engaged in drinking and debauchery that made a mockery" of the sacrifices made by others during the pandemic.
An unidentified Tory member shouted across the chamber: "Withdraw that."
Starmer focused his questions instead on the cost of living crisis and accused the Tories of failing to take action to combat soaring bills and prices, while condemning the Government for increasing taxes.
He asked what “attracted” Johnson to a “U-turn” on a windfall tax on the week the Gray report was published, highlighting rumours the Prime Minister was considering adopting Labour's policy.
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