LONDON: Senior British minister Michael Gove on Sunday described a video showing a party at the ruling Conservative Party's headquarters during a lockdown in 2020 as "terrible", as COVID rule-breaking gatherings continue to hang over the government.
The video was published by the Mirror newspaper just days after a parliamentary committee ruled that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had wilfully misled lawmakers about rule-breaking lockdown parties at his office.
The 45-second clip shows revellers partying in December 2020 when the British public in London were banned from socialising indoors to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
People can be seen dancing and drinking in the video. Two of those at the gathering, which had previously been investigated by police when a still photo of it emerged, were given honours by Johnson in his resignation list earlier this month.
"It's terrible," Gove, the housing minister, told Sky News. "I think it's completely out of order. I just want to apologise to everyone really."
The issue of rule-breaking during COVID lockdowns helped bring down Johnson, who left office last year, and still hangs over the Conservatives and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Johnson stepped down as a member of parliament on June 9, days before the privileges committee - the main disciplinary body for lawmakers - issued its damning verdict on him, re-opening divisions in the party and re-igniting public anger.
Polls suggest the Conservatives, in power since 2010, are trailing the opposition Labour party by about 20% percentage points. The next election must be held by late 2024.
VOTE ON JOHNSON
Lawmakers will vote on Monday on whether to endorse the privileges committee's report. Although largely symbolic now Johnson has quit as a lawmaker, his supporters have said those who backed its findings could face a backlash from Conservative members and even face de-selection as parliamentary candidates.
Gove said he would abstain, saying parts of the report were "excellent" but he did not agree with its conclusion that Johnson should have been suspended from parliament for 90 days had he remained a lawmaker. He said he did not know what Sunak himself would do.
The ongoing Johnson saga and COVID "partygate" headlines will do little for Sunak's attempts to focus on boosting Britain's flagging economy, with homeowners facing large increases in mortgage repayments as the Bank of England hikes interest rates in a bid to curb stubbornly high inflation.
Asked if the government would step in to help borrowers, he said it had no immediate plans to intervene but was keeping the matter under review.
"The worst thing to do would be to spend money in order to provide a short-term relief, which would then mean that our overall finances were in a weaker position, and interest rates were higher for longer and inflation was high for longer," Gove said.
Reuters
Mon Jun 19 2023
"I think it's completely out of order. I just want to apologise to everyone really," Michael Gove said. - REUTERS/Filepic
Fahmi peguam baharu ibu bapa Zayn Rayyan
Beliau akan hadir di Mahkamah Majistret Petaling Jaya pada Jumaat sekiranya pihak polis membuat permohonan untuk melanjutkan tempoh reman.
Aaron-Wooi Yik ketuai kemaraan negara di Jakarta
Aaron-Wooi Yik mengesahkan kemaraan selepas menewaskan wakil Amerika Syarikat, Vinson Chiu-Joshua Yuan, 21-14, 21-14.
Jurulatih badminton era 70-an Lee Guan Chong meninggal dunia
Anak mendiang Eric Lee berkata ayahnya menghembuskan nafas terakhir pada 7.52 pagi akibat sakit tua pada usia 87 tahun.
Lebih 2,000 wartawan terbunuh dalam 20 tahun: Kumpulan pemantau media
Konflik-konflik seperti perang di Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, dan Gaza adalah antara yang menyumbang kepada jumlah terbesar wartawan terbunuh.
Kiraan undi di India tunjukkan parti Modi gagal peroleh majoriti mudah
Pengiraan undi yang dipungut antara 19 April dan 1 Jun menunjukkan blok pembangkang memberikan saingan lebih baik daripada yang dijangka.
PBB zahirkan kebimbangan mendalam terhadap krisis kemanusiaan yang memuncak di Gaza
Pesuruhjaya Tinggi PBB bagi Hak Asasi Manusia, Volker Turk berkata malah kakitangan PBB mempunyai akses terhad ke Gaza.
Ketua Pihak Berkuasa ibu kota baharu Indonesia letak jawatan, cetus tanda tanya
Ketua Pihak Berkuasa IKN Nusantara, Bambang Susantono mengambil keputusan untuk mengundur diri dari jawatannya.
Kanak-kanak Palestin redha impian terbantut
Setiap manusia pasti mempunyai impian dan keinginan yang ingin dikecapi..
Buat kanak-kanak di Palestin, hasrat yang ingin mereka capai hanyalah satu iaitu untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke pesada dunia.
Buat kanak-kanak di Palestin, hasrat yang ingin mereka capai hanyalah satu iaitu untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke pesada dunia.
Australia buka pengambilan kepada warga asing
Hari ini, kami mengumumkan Australia membuka pintu kepada bukan warganegara untuk berkhidmat dalam pasukan pertahanan. Kami bercakap tentang pemastautin tetap yang telah menetap untuk sekurang-kurangnya setahun. Dan kami memerlukan mereka untuk mengambil kewarganegaraan Australia dalam masa 90 hari selepas menyertai ADF. Kami membuka pintu pada mulanya kepada Kiwi (warga New Zealand) mulai 1 Julai. Susulan itu, mulai Januari tahun depan, mungkin kami akan membuka permohonan kepada negara-negara Five Eyes pula.
Matawang baharu berimejkan King Charles III dipamerkan
Matawang baharu berimejkan King Charles III dipamerkan
Rakyat Britain bakal melihat matawang baharu dengan potret King Charles III, apabila ia akan mula diedarkan pada 5 Jun ini.
Mereka juga berpeluang melihat not polimer itu - yang terdiri daripada £5, £10, £20 dan £50 - dengan lebih awal apabila ia dipamerkan di Muzium Bank England
Rakyat Britain bakal melihat matawang baharu dengan potret King Charles III, apabila ia akan mula diedarkan pada 5 Jun ini.
Mereka juga berpeluang melihat not polimer itu - yang terdiri daripada £5, £10, £20 dan £50 - dengan lebih awal apabila ia dipamerkan di Muzium Bank England
Perebutan jawatan PM UK, Michael Gove sokong Rishi Sunak
Bekas Setiausaha Negara Britain untuk perumahan dan komuniti Michael Gove, yang pernah dipecat oleh Boris Johnson Julai lalu, menyatakan sokongannya terhadap Rishi Sunak.
UK dijangka perkenal sistem sijil status COVID-19 bermula 21 Jun ini
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Michael Gove bagaimanapun mendedahkan tiada tarikh muktamad ditetapkan berhubung pengenalan sijil berkenaan buat masa ini.
COVID-19: England perlu sekatan lebih ketat selepas perintah berkurung tamat
Perdana Menteri Britain, Boris Johnson menulis surat kepada Ahli Parlimen mengenai hasrat kerajaan melaksanakan rancangan tersebut.
COVID-19: Sekatan sebulan di Britain mungkin dilanjutkan - Menteri Kanan Kabinet
Katanya, sekatan nasional perlu dilaksanakan bagi memastikan sistem kesihatan tidak mengalami tekanan dan penularan COVID-19 masih mampu dikawal.
UK umum peruntukan lebih 700 juta pound persediaan keluar EU
Pakej pembiayaan tersebut akan membayar kos untuk pos kawalan sempadan baharu dan meningkatkan pengambilan kakitangan pasukan sempadan sebanyak 500 orang.
COVID-19: Kanak-kanak 13 dan 5 tahun antara korban termuda di UK
Kematian itu melibatkan keluarga Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, yang meninggal dunia hanya pada usia 13 tahun di King's College Hospital, London.
Kecewa ditukar jabatan oleh May, Justine Greening letak jawatan
Disebabkan kecewa kerana ditukarkan untuk mengetuai portfolio yang bukan "kanan" susulan rombakan kabinet Theresa May, Justine Greening bertegas letak jawatan sebagai Setiausaha Pendidikan.