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Sue Gray delivers the first report on those Downing Street parties
Every part of the British establishment has debased itself
PEOPLE LASH out when cornered and Boris Johnson is no exception. In a bad-tempered debate in Parliament on January 31st, MPs picked over a report into a series of illegal parties in Downing Street—including Mr. Johnson’s own flat—and other locations during the lockdown. Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, called on the prime minister to resign and labeled him “unworthy of his responsibilities”. Mr. Johnson in turn accused Sir Keir, a former director of public prosecutions, of failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile, a former children’s entertainer, and Britains most notorious pedophile.
It was a low point in a scandal that has debased almost every part of the British establishment. Everyone is responsible, from the prime minister to the police and civil servants. A report by senior bureaucrat Sue Gray criticized the “leadership failure” that allowed 16 parties to continue while the country was blocked. Police are investigating 12 people, which can take several months. After being despised by Congress, Mr. Johnson’s future as prime minister looks more uncertain. However, blight has spread far beyond the current inhabitants of Downing Street.
