Boris Johnson apologises after accepting Covid fine

The Prime Minister said he has paid a fixed penalty notice relating to a gathering in the Cabinet Room on his birthday on June 19, 2020. 

The Prime Minister said it “didn’t occur” to him that the gathering in the Cabinet Room on June 19 2020 to mark his 56th birthday was a violation of coronavirus rules.

However, he said that after being issued with a fine as part of a Metropolitan Police investigation into alleged parties at the heart of the Government during the pandemic he “now humbly accepts” he did breach Covid-19 laws.

But he said he will not resign and wants to "get on and deliver on the mandate that I have”.

Speaking of the incident, he added: "In all frankness, at that time, it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules".

He also believes he spoke in "good faith" when he repeatedly told the Commons no rules were broken.

Boris Johnson celebrated his birthday on 19 June, 2020, and was gifted a cake by a primary school. Picture:Number 10

Read more: Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to receive fines for lockdown parties

The Prime Minister, speaking to broadcasters at Chequers, said he “fully respects” the outcome of the police investigation and that he accepts “in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better” from him.

Outlining the busy nature of the day the fine related to, Mr Johnson said he chaired eight meetings in No 10 and followed them up with a four-hour round trip to a school in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

He said: “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.

“And I have to say in all frankness at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules.”

He added: “I now humbly accept that I was.

“But I think the best thing I can do now is, having settled the fine, is focus on the job in hand. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Asked if he thought more fines were coming his way, he said the media would be among the first to know.

The Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, has also paid a fixed penalty notice relating to a gathering on the afternoon of June 19 2020, and “apologises unreservedly”, a spokesperson for Mrs Johnson has said.

Cross-party MPs want Parliament to be recalled after the announcement that both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are due to be issued with fixed penalty notices over breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP backed calls for a Parliament recall. The disclosures come during Parliament’s Easter recess.

MPs are currently due to return on April 19, but opposition parties have backed calls for Parliament to be recalled in light of the fines in order to grill the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.