LONDON -- 65 percent of Brits think Boris Johnson should resign if he is fined by police for breaching COVID restrictions, a new poll shows as Britain's Prime Minister seeks to side the partygate -Turn the pages of scandals.
Parties held in Downing Street and Whitehall during lockdown constituted "serious leadership failure", according to a report by officer Sue Gray completed earlier this week.
Gray was only able to issue a partial update as the Metropolitan Police are investigating 12 cases of social gatherings that may have violated indoor mixing laws in place at the time.
When questioned by lawmakers on Wednesday, Johnson insisted his focus was on "getting down to business."
He declined to say whether he would resign if the police decided to issue a warrant for breaking the rules, saying only that he would "comply with the law".
But according to a poll by Redfield and Wilton made exclusively available to POLITICO, nearly two-thirds of the public think they should quit if there's a fine, while 58 percent thought they should quit if their employees fail to have. the law.
Less than half, 44 percent, of Conservative voters polled said Johnson should resign if he is fined, which could further strengthen his resolve to get through the scandal.
He backs suggestions from Conservative MPs that the prime minister still enjoys high levels of support among grassroots activists.
75 per cent of respondents were in favor of an alcohol ban in Downing Street after Gray criticized the drinking culture in parts of Whitehall.
The survey also revealed the scale of the scandal: 89 per cent said they had heard or read about Downing Street parties and just 3 per cent said they had not.
The PM, in a recent interview with The Sun, dismissed calls for his resignation and vowed to stand for re-election in 2024, adding: "I have a lot more work to do."
