hello, i m christian fraser. you re watching context on bbc news. the british prime minister says he did attend a downing street party while the rest of the country was in lockdown and he apologises. borisjohnson tells the house he was at drinks with downing street staff for 25 minutes, but still insists that technically it didn t break the rules. i regret the way the event i have described was handled. i bitterly regret it and wish that we could have done things differently, and i will continue to apologise for what we did. the party s over, prime minister. the only question is, will the british public kick him out, will his party kick him out, or will he do the decent thing and resign? cheering
conduct for ministers the prime ministers office at one of those that means it is the prime minister who would decide, johnson who would decide based on the facts found in the report what would happen. so crucially, the facts as she determines them will be very important. but that may be where it s very important about what johnson said today. what he did was he said he apologised, but he said he was apologising because he thought this was a work event, he believed implicitly, despite what some like keir starmer said. but he also then said that this was, the garden was an extension of the office, and the event could technically be said to fall within guidance, millions wouldn t see that way, and that s what he offered his apologies. his apologies for the way it could be seen, and the was a work
with an admission of possible rule breaking, an apology from a weakened leader. but will the answers to today s prime minister s questions see boris johnson through? mr speaker, i want to apologise. i know that millions of people across this country have made extraordinary sacrifices over the last 18 months, and i know the rage they feel with me and with the government i lead when they think that in downing street itself the rules are not being properly followed. by the people who make the rules. there were things we simply did not get right. and i must take response ability. responsibility. claiming to disbelief in the commons that technically a bring your own booze organised drinks event was within
some staff did stop to watch. silly boris. all conservative supporters, they were keen to hear what the prime minister had to say. but for millie, it didn t cut it. i m angry. i think he s broke the rules. everyone who s broke the rules in government have resigned, i and i do think it s time he needs to resign, personally. i think he s broke the rules and i |think that s what he s got to do. j her colleagues, though, think he deserves another chance, though they are frustrated. kind of could almost excuse the christmas event but this, like, a0 people in a garden, no. that s not a work meeting, or event. i m angry with him, because it s bad because i really liked him. i thought he was doing a good job. i m not angry about what s happened, i m disappointed that they ve - had to admit to this. i think all the goodwill they ve i built up is beginning to fade away. i m still a big supporter, but i think the mood of the country is turning against them. just over two years ago, this part
a photo taken on 15 may showed the prime minister, his wife, and staff in the downing street garden with bottles of wine and cheese. when asked about it, borisjohnson said. a few days later about 100 people were invited by e mail to socially distance drinks in the number ten garden. today, the prime minister admitted he attended for around 25 minutes. and on 15 december multiple sources told the bbc there was a christmas quiz for number ten staff. borisjohnson took part remotely but others gathered in one room. a video obtained by itv news showed the prime minister s then press secretary, allegra stratton, joking about reports of an event on 18 december, saying this fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced. those that worked with theresa may in downing street say going back support can be difficult. clawing back support. the issues this government are suffering from at the moment