PRESS RELEASE: Zöe Franklin, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages, calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation and has urged Guildford’s MP to join her. 

Guildford Liberal Democrats
Contact: Zöe Franklin
EMBARGO: Immediate

At yesterday's PMQs, after weeks of lying and gaslighting the public and Parliament, we all saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson admit he attended a party at the height of Lockdown in 2020. This is unacceptable and insulting to the people who followed the rules and sacrificed so much to try and stop the spread of COVID. Boris Johnson must, for once, do the right thing for the country and resign.

Over the last few weeks, public anger has grown as we have seen, almost daily, the list of lockdown breaches by the government grow. Earlier this week we all saw the invitation, sent to 100 people, inviting them to the garden in number 10 to enjoy the nice weather and to 'bring their own booze'. At this point in the pandemic, we were not allowed to visit elderly, sick or dying loved ones. Front line workers were risking their lives to ensure we could still buy food. NHS and care workers were staying away from their families so they could continue to keep those in their care safe: some of them lost their lives. But the prime Minister and his government thought it was appropriate to hold a party.

Today Zöe Franklin has written to Guildford's Conservative MP urging her to join the calls for Johnson's resignation. This is not the time for blind loyalty, it is time to put the constituents of Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages first and do what is morally right.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Zöe Franklin said:

"The Prime Minister and the MPs defending his behaviour should be ashamed. He has lied to the public, lied to parliament and broken the law. We do not need an independent enquiry to tell us that. It is time for Boris Johnson to resign."

"What we need now is strong leadership. Mr Johnson and his government can no longer provide that. They have lost their moral authority and shown they believe there is one rule for them and another for us. They have undermined everything the public has done to try and keep their loved ones safe."

"If we are to get through this pandemic and start our recovery we need politicians at all levels who put their constituents first and show the public respect instead of contempt. By allowing Boris Johnson to keep his position as Prime Minister, the Conservatives are only showing the latter."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Ms A Richardson MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

13th January 2022

Dear Angela Richardson MP,

Following Prime Ministers Questions earlier today, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted to attending a party at Number 10 at the height of lockdown in 2020, followed by an insincere, evasive and empty apology. I am writing to urge you to join calls for the Prime Minister to resign.

Are we truly to believe he wasn't aware this was a social gathering and not a work meeting?

We have seen the invite to a hundred people at a time we were told we could only meet one person outside. We know it happened on the Prime Minister's premises, that his private secretary organised it, and that he attended it. We do not need an independent investigation to tell us if the Prime Minister knew it was a party.

During this time of the pandemic, the nation remained frightened of the virus. The death toll was climbing. Pubs and many shops were closed. The rule of six wasn't introduced for another month, and rule-breakers faced hefty fines. But it gets worse than that.

Front line workers were putting their lives at risk to ensure we could still buy food. NHS and care workers were living away from their families to keep the people in their care safe - some even lost their lives. Local residents were deprived of precious final moments with family and loved ones and were forced to attend funerals via Zoom.

How, especially at this point in the pandemic, the Prime Minister thought it appropriate to hold a party is unthinkable. He then, as a final insult, sought to deceive both Parliament and the public.

At a time when we need true and strong leadership, we have a Prime Minister and a Government who believe there is one rule for them and another rule for us - he will lie and gaslight the nation if anyone justifiably accuses him of doing wrong. It undermines everything the public has done over the past 20 months to try and keep themselves and their loved ones safe. It is also clear this was not an isolated incident, with new gatherings exposed almost daily.

I recognise that you will owe some loyalty to the Prime Minister. You were first elected with him as a leader, and you have voted in line with his orders on almost every occasion. But now you must put your constituents in Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages first and do what is morally right.

It is quite clearly time for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign, he and his government no longer have the moral authority needed to help us through the pandemic. I urge you to demonstrate that you will stand up for the people of Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages, who have sacrificed so much during this pandemic, and join me in calling for his resignation.

Yours sincerely,

Zöe Franklin
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Guildford, Cranleigh and our Villages