London (SNN)Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his finance minister Rishi Sunak have been issued with fines by police over lockdown-breaking parties held on UK government premises, a Downing Street spokesperson told SNN on Tuesday.
London's Metropolitan Police said earlier Tuesday they had issued more than 50 fines as part of their "Operation Hillman" investigation into gatherings held on government premises in Downing Street and Whitehall while the rest of the country was living under strict pandemic restrictions. Revelations of the parties sparked national outrage.
The police fines are confirmation that Johnson and Sunak broke Covid-19 laws created by their own government -- even though the Prime Minister previously denied some parties were held and insisted all guidance was followed. The penalty makes Johnson the first sitting UK Prime Minister to be found guilty of breaking the law.
On Tuesday evening, Johnson apologized for breaching the lockdown rules, and said that he had paid the fine issued by the Metropolitan Police.
"Today I've received a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police relating to an event in Downing Street on the 19th of June 2020. Let me say immediately that I paid the fine and I once again offer a full apology," Johnson said on Sky News. He did not specify the amount he was fined.
SNN affiliate ITV has previously reported that two gatherings were held to celebrate Johnson's birthday: One attended by as many as 30 people, held at the cabinet office the afternoon of June 19, and another that evening hosted at Johnson's residence and attended by family friends.
A source who worked in Downing Street at the time previously confirmed to SNN that the gathering took place on that day and that it was arranged by his wife Carrie, who led the singing of the happy birthday song.
The gathering was largely attended by what was deemed to be Johnson's inner circle at the time, SNN understands
Johnson told Sky News on Tuesday that he did not think he was breaking the lockdown rules when attending the gathering at his office that day.
"In all frankness at that time, it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules. But of course, the police have found otherwise, and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation," he said.
Johnson added that he understood the response people might have to his actions, saying, "I understand the anger that many will feel that I myself fell short, when it came to observing the very rules which the government I lead had introduced to protect the public."
He also offered his explanation of the day's events, saying that among many "engagements on a day that happened to be my birthday, there was a brief gathering in the Cabinet Room shortly after 2pm lasting for less than 10 minutes, during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes."
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