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    <title>Aaj TV English News - World</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright 2026</copyright>
    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:53:40 +0500</pubDate>
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      <title>UK government on defensive as ‘partygate’ report looms</title>
      <link>https://english.aaj.tv/news/30287139/uk-government-on-defensive-as-partygate-report-looms</link>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LONDON: Boris Johnson’s government went
on the defensive on Wednesday, as it awaited an official report into coronavirus lockdown-breaking parties at the UK prime minister’s Downing Street office and residence.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report is expected to be
published on Wednesday, against a backdrop of new photographs and accounts this week of boozy gatherings that took place there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It is set to offer more details of parties at the heart of
power while the rest of the country was under a strict lockdown to try to curb the spread of COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson, who was fined by police for attending his birthday
party during lockdown but escaped further penalties, has been forced to apologise for the culture in Downing Street, but more details may only add to pressure for him to quit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Seeking to play down Gray’s report, a British minister said
police had investigated “all of these events”.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“They’ve issued a fixed penalty notice to the prime minister
in respect of one of those events that he that he attended. He’s
paid that penalty,” Environment Minister George Eustice told
Times Radio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“He’s apologised … So I’m not sure that anything new will
come from this report other than further detail, but of course,
we will… look at it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For months, evidence of alcohol-fuelled parties at Downing
Street has dripped out into the media, forcing Johnson to
apologise, change the team at his office and promise a reset to
try to restore his authority.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But his actions have failed to stem a steady drumbeat of
calls for his resignation, with some lawmakers saying his
position is untenable if he lied to parliament, a matter under
investigation by parliament’s Committee of Privileges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ministers say he has not misled parliament.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gray’s report follows new revelations of what went on inside
Downing Street when coronavirus rules meant people could not
socialise outside their households or even, in many cases,
attend funerals for loved ones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Late on Tuesday, the BBC’s Panorama programme cited insiders
as saying staff crowded together at such events, and how,
sometimes in the morning when arriving for work, they were met
with bottles littering parts of the building. Some parties went
on so late, they said, some people ended up staying all night.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On Monday, photographs published by broadcaster ITV appeared
to show Johnson on Nov. 13, 2020 making a speech and raising a
toast, with a glass in his hand, standing next to a table on top
of which are several open wine bottles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson’s spokesman did not address the photographs directly
but said that, after the publication of the Gray report, the
prime minister would address parliament and answer questions.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p><strong>LONDON: Boris Johnson’s government went
on the defensive on Wednesday, as it awaited an official report into coronavirus lockdown-breaking parties at the UK prime minister’s Downing Street office and residence.</strong></p>
<p>Senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report is expected to be
published on Wednesday, against a backdrop of new photographs and accounts this week of boozy gatherings that took place there.</p>
<p>It is set to offer more details of parties at the heart of
power while the rest of the country was under a strict lockdown to try to curb the spread of COVID-19.</p>
<p>Johnson, who was fined by police for attending his birthday
party during lockdown but escaped further penalties, has been forced to apologise for the culture in Downing Street, but more details may only add to pressure for him to quit.</p>
<p>Seeking to play down Gray’s report, a British minister said
police had investigated “all of these events”.</p>
<p>“They’ve issued a fixed penalty notice to the prime minister
in respect of one of those events that he that he attended. He’s
paid that penalty,” Environment Minister George Eustice told
Times Radio.</p>
<p>“He’s apologised … So I’m not sure that anything new will
come from this report other than further detail, but of course,
we will… look at it.”</p>
<p>For months, evidence of alcohol-fuelled parties at Downing
Street has dripped out into the media, forcing Johnson to
apologise, change the team at his office and promise a reset to
try to restore his authority.</p>
<p>But his actions have failed to stem a steady drumbeat of
calls for his resignation, with some lawmakers saying his
position is untenable if he lied to parliament, a matter under
investigation by parliament’s Committee of Privileges.</p>
<p>Ministers say he has not misled parliament.</p>
<p>Gray’s report follows new revelations of what went on inside
Downing Street when coronavirus rules meant people could not
socialise outside their households or even, in many cases,
attend funerals for loved ones.</p>
<p>Late on Tuesday, the BBC’s Panorama programme cited insiders
as saying staff crowded together at such events, and how,
sometimes in the morning when arriving for work, they were met
with bottles littering parts of the building. Some parties went
on so late, they said, some people ended up staying all night.</p>
<p>On Monday, photographs published by broadcaster ITV appeared
to show Johnson on Nov. 13, 2020 making a speech and raising a
toast, with a glass in his hand, standing next to a table on top
of which are several open wine bottles.</p>
<p>Johnson’s spokesman did not address the photographs directly
but said that, after the publication of the Gray report, the
prime minister would address parliament and answer questions.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
      <category>World</category>
      <guid>https://english.aaj.tv/news/30287139</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2022 17:26:30 +0500</pubDate>
      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
      <media:content url="https://i.aaj.tv/large/2022/05/251726143b5ff55.jpg?r=172630" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="1080" width="1920">
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        <media:title>Photo by: Reuters
</media:title>
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