Boris Johnson the First-Ever Sitting PM to Break the Law

The UK government is well known for its continuous corruption, from the dark legacy of Margaret Thatcher to the sugarcoated war crimes of Tony Blair. And these are just some of the wrongdoings committed by previous Prime Ministers, never mind MPs. However, it wasn’t until this week that an actively sitting PM was found guilty of breaking the law. Boris Johnson has officially been issued with a fine (yes a mere fine, pocket change to someone of his stature), for breaking lockdown rules, while the rest of the nation remained isolated from their loved ones.

Not only did Boris Johnson break COVID-19 regulations, he then proceeded to lie in parliament, breaking ministerial code. Now of course, realistically speaking Boris Johnson is not the first PM to break the law and he won’t be the last. However, he is the first to ever be found guilty, with the public fully aware of his crimes.

Despite being found guilty, Boris Johnson’s punishment only goes thus far. His punishment for breaking lockdown laws and breaking ministerial code is a mere fine, not even a conviction. And although theoretically, parliament could force Boris Johnson to resign, considering how many of his fellow MPs are willing to sacrifice their own credibility and morality to protect the uncombed and unhinged leader, it seems rather unlikely.

Grant Shapps was determined to defend the Prime Minister, saying he broke the law but not with ‘malice’.

Speaking to Sky News, he said, "I'm not saying that the prime minister isn't a flawed individual. We're all flawed in different ways,"

"The question is did somebody set out to do these things with malice?"

That excuse may have been viable had the PM owned up to the parties when the accusations first arose, instead he chose to lie through his teeth and if lying doesn’t imply malice then I don’t know what does.

Under government laws, a minister who knowingly misleads parliament should offer to resign, however, these rules were made for honest and accountable government ministers.

Not to mention, the fines issued to government ministers were worth a laughable £50, pocket change to the likes of the Tories. However, back when the regulations were in place, for members of the public, the fines originally started at £60 and were later increased to £100. So why is it that the very people who put the rules in place get to pay a discounted fine? The answer to that is short and cruel, corruption and greed.

The partygate scandal and the government’s handling of it have exposed how little compassion the Tories feel towards the very people they serve and how out of touch they truly are. A complete disregard for human life. It has also been an overt reminder that the rich and upper class are indeed above the law. Just like Prince Andrew, eh?

According to YouGov, 65% of all adults in the UK think that Boris Johnson is doing badly as Prime Minister, almost a 20% increase from the same time last year. As encouraging as it is to see people take Bojo for what he is, a corrupt liar. But it’s questionable why this public outcry did not happen sooner, considering how many times he has lied.

Since becoming Prime Minister, Johnson has broken several promises made in his 2019 manifesto, as thoroughly outlined by Byline Times.

“The Prime Minister’s pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance was a central pledge in the Conservative Party’s 2019 General Election campaign,” a promise he ripped to shreds just this month.

He promised to host the government’s first-ever LGBT Conference, instead, he mocked the LGBTQ+ community by u-turning on his pledge to put an end to conversion therapy. All while, a fellow MP of his came out as trans.

“Another key pledge broken from the 2019 manifesto was the Conservatives’ promise to keep the energy price cap and “lower bills”.”

Boris Johnson’s lies are countless and predate his time as PM. He has always been a lying, conniving and corrupt man, however, he has always been protected by the mainstream media and been made out to seem like he’s doing his best, and thus a hero of a nation at its wit's end. The only difference now is, that his wrongdoings have become too exposed and available to the public for the media to turn a blind eye.