"Partygate" scandal develops alarmingly: Conservative MPs who want Johnson to step down are "blackmailed" by the British government

Source: World Wide Web

【Global Network Comprehensive Report】The British government's "party door" scandal continues to ferment. Comprehensive British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Reuters and other British media reported on the 21st that a senior lawmaker of the British ruling Conservative Party on the 20th local time accused the British Conservative government of intimidation and attempted to "blackmail" those party parliamentarians who they suspected of forcing Johnson to step down.

The senior member mentioned in the British media is William Raghe, chairman of the Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs in the lower house of parliament. He launched charges against the Johnson government in a statement issued before the meeting of the committee on the 20th, saying that in recent days, some parliamentarians who want to launch a vote of no confidence in the prime minister who hold leading positions in the party have faced pressure and intimidation from members of the government.

Mr. Rager said the Conservative MPs had been told that public funds originally allocated to their districts would be cut if they continued to oppose Johnson. In addition, staff and government officials in the Prime Minister's Office "encourage others to publish articles in the media in an attempt to embarrass those who oppose the Prime Minister."

"As far as I know, these elements seem to constitute a threat." Ragragh said. He also suggested that threatened colleagues should report the situation to the Speaker of the House of Commons and the police.

For example, Christian Wakeford, a former Conservative MP who switched to the Labour Party, also corroborated that he was threatened by the funding of a school. "I was threatened that if I didn't vote somehow, I wouldn't get the Radcliffe College funding." Wakeford said in an interview with the BBC.

Hoyle, speaker of the house of commons of the British Parliament, also expressed concern that "anyone who tries to stop the work of MPs by intimidation is 'flouting Parliament'".

However, Johnson was quick to come out and deny the intimidation of Conservative MPs who opposed him. "I have not seen or heard any evidence" of blackmail within the party — Johnson told reporters, but when asked if he would investigate the circumstances, he replied: "Of course." ”

At the beginning of this month, the number of confirmed cases in the United Kingdom exceeded 200,000 in a single day, and then gradually declined, and the daily increase in confirmed cases announced on the 19th was 108,000. At the same time, Johnson is facing his toughest challenge since coming to power in 2019 – being forced out of power by the party inside and outside the party due to the "party door" scandal. According to British media previously revealed, during the entire new crown epidemic, the British Prime Minister's Office was exposed to have a party every Friday, and the "lockdown" of London and the funeral of Prince Philip were also indispensable. As prime minister, Johnson not only attended three times, but also encouraged employees to attend parties to "release stress". Although Johnson himself has apologized for this, the "party door" is still fermenting, and for a time public resentment is boiling, and the prime minister's position may be precarious.