Why Boris Johnson must resign

In early April, a court served a man from Tottenham with a £2,200 fine for going out during the Covid-19 lockdown “without a reasonable excuse”.

The man had been driving in a car with his friend on the North Circular in January 2021. While the police statement said he had been speeding and driving without insurance, the fine only related to the lockdown offence. After he failed to pay an initial £200 fine, a magistrate heard the case and, despite this being the man’s first Covid-19 rule break, decided to multiply the fine by over ten times.

This was one of the largest fines issued for a lockdown offence by a London court, larger than some fines for those found guilty of holding multiple large parties.

Of course, this man shouldn’t have been breaking lockdown, and of course he should have paid the f ine as soon as he could. At the same time, you can imagine how frustrated he must have been when he heard the news that Boris Johnson had been living it up.

While he has been served with a f ine larger than the average monthly wage, and the vast majority of Tottenham residents abided by the rules and stayed at home, the prime minister thinks it’s all a joke.

First, Johnson denied there were parties. Then he denied he was at the parties. Then he denied that he knew they were parties. After the Metropolitan Police were eventually persuaded to investigate, the prime minister has finally been issued a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for breaking lockdown laws.

After months of obfuscation and lies, laughing all the way through, Johnson really thought he could get away with it. The government has a rotten and entitled culture, is not interested in honesty and without any sense of public duty. Johnson just doesn’t think the rules apply to him.

In times of crisis, having a credible prime minister is all the more important. Neville Chamberlain, Herbert Asquith and Pitt the Younger all stepped down for the good of the country. But our current PM has no sense of what is right – only what serves himself. While inflation rises and there is war in Europe, we are led by an unserious man.

Walking through Tottenham, knowing that everyone struggled and suffered through each Covid-19 lockdown, I am so angry that we do not have a prime minister who was following his own rules. Tottenham constituents have been punished harshly for breaking lockdown rules. The only way some semblance of justice could be restored would be if Boris Johnson were to lose his job.

If you are a Tottenham constituent, get in touch with David Lammy MP:

Call 020 7219 0767

Email [email protected]

Visit davidlammy.co.uk