The Independent newspaper said a poll of its readers has revealed that the vast majority of respondents want British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign over alleged lockdown-breaching parties.
Readers were asked, “Should Boris Johnson resign?” with respondents given a choice of “Yes,” “No” and “Not sure.” Details of the Partygate allegations were also provided as context, the paper said.
Of the 891 respondents, 797 – or 89.5% – said Yes, the prime minister should resign.
The poll was launched after Johnson apologized for attending events during lockdown but insisted that he didn’t think he had broken his own rules. The survey ran for two weeks following Johnson’s remarks in the House of Commons.
Further revelations have emerged in the Partygate scandal since the poll was launched. The PM acknowledged last week that he attended a celebration for his birthday at Downing Street in June 2020. It was reported that the prime minister received a cake and that the event was attended by up to 30 people.
The Met Police have also since opened their own investigation into possible breaches of coronavirus laws.
On Monday, the Cabinet Office said senior civil servant Sue Gray “provided an update on her investigations to the prime minister.” Gray had been asked to probe the events at Downing Street and judge whether the PM had broken his own rules.
On Friday, the Met Police requested that Gray include only “minimal reference” in her report to the events they are investigating, leaving some experts questioning what will actually be included in the civil servant’s dossier.