UK premier apologizes, pays police fine for lockdown-breaking party

Baku, April 13, AZERTAC

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized on Tuesday after receiving a fine from the police for attending his own birthday party in 2020 in breach of lockdown rules at the time, according to Anadolu Agency.

In a statement, he said: "Today I've received a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police relating to an event on June 19, 2020. Let me say immediately that I have paid the fine and I once again offer a full apology. And in a spirit of openness and humility I want to be completely clear about what happened on that date.”

Johnson said June 19 was his birthday, and that after chairing a number of government meetings “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.”

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

Johnson continued by saying that the police found otherwise and that he fully respected the outcome of their investigation.

“I understand the anger that many will feel that I myself fell short when it came to observing the very rules that the Government I lead had introduced to protect the public and I accept in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better,” he said.