Wolverhampton MP: Boris Johnson hopes public will 'shrug off' lockdown breaches
Boris Johnson is hoping the public's dim view of politicians means they will "shrug off" images of him breaking lockdown rules, a senior Labour MP has claimed.
Pat McFadden said it was "hard to see" how an image appearing to show the PM drinking in Downing Street during the November 2020 lockdown could be reconciled with his claims that no rules were broken.
The Wolverhampton South East MP said the Partygate scandal spoke to "a bigger issue" over the lack of "serious leadership" in the country at a time of crisis over the cost of living.
Mr McFadden, Labour's Shadow Secretary to the Treasury, said: "It's hard to see how this picture can be reconciled with what the Prime Minister has said to Parliament about these events.
"As has been the case all the way through on this, he'll be hoping desperately that the public will shrug it off by saying 'they are all the same'.
"The whole thing speaks to a bigger issue about whether or not the country has serious leadership. Right now, we don't."
The leaked images were reportedly taken at a leaving party for Lee Cain, the PM’s former director of communications, and appear to show Mr Johnson drinking with a group of several people.
At the time Covid restrictions allowed two people from different households to meet indoors.
