British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces claims to resign after his apology for attending a ceremony during the general closure

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized for attending a party during Britain's first lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

He told members of the House of Commons that the event at 10 Downing Street was "technically within the rules" but that he had to know what it would look like to the public.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said the prime minister should now resign over what he called his "ridiculous" lies and excuses.

Johnson is also under pressure from MPs in his own party about the May 2020 party.

The Conservative MP and chairman of a select committee in the House of Commons, William Ragg, said Johnson should resign before senior civil servant Sue Gray publishes her report on the Downing Street parties.

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After the end of his questioning, Johnson toured the restrooms of the House of Commons, where MPs gathered to rally support for him among his party's deputies.

If 54 of them were sent to the 1922 committee (the influential committee made up of Tory MPs that arbitrates disputes in the leadership of the party), it would be a major challenge for Johnson.

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Scotland MP and Conservative leader Douglas Ross said he would write to the committee because he believed the prime minister's position was "no longer tenable".

He added, "It is the prime minister and his government that set these rules, and he must be held accountable for his actions."

A senior Conservative source said Johnson appeared "hurt and frustrated" while speaking to MPs and that he had "lost what made him so successful with his party".

Member of Parliament Sir Roger Gale - a well-known critic of Johnson - said the prime minister was now "dead" politically.

Minister Rachel McClain warned there would be consequences for those who broke the law around coronavirus restrictions.

Speaking to BBC Two Politics Live, she said: "The law applies to everyone... including the prime minister." "The people who make the laws are also subject to the laws and that is why we have an investigation to find out exactly what happened, and if any laws are broken there will be consequences," she added.

But other Tory MPs rallied behind the prime minister, with Sir Christopher Chopp saying he had "never heard such an apology" in his time in Parliament, and that he thought it was "really sincere".

Government ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and Health Minister Sajid Javid, defended the prime minister, with Raab saying he had given a "clear account" of what happened and apologised.

The House of Commons was silent at the start of the prime minister's questioning, with Johnson admitting he attended the event for about 25 minutes, so he could "thank groups of staff" for their hard work, before returning to his office.

"I implicitly thought this event was work-related," he said.

But, he added, "after this was done, I had to tell everyone to go back inside."

"I had to find another way to thank them," he said, "and I should have realized that - even if it could technically be said to fall within the directives issued - there will be millions and millions of people who simply won't see it that way." .

A Downing Street spokesperson later said the Prime Minister had not seen the email inviting staff to drinks on 20 May 2020.

The Prime Minister concluded his statement by offering his apologies to the House of Representatives and those who were not able to see their loved ones at that time.

Opposition deputies called on Johnson to resign from the post of prime minister, and deputies in his party called on him to give up his post. The prime minister faced a total of eight calls to step down during the House of Commons grilling session.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "After months of deception, a pathetic spectacle of a man gone astray."

His defense ... that he didn't realize it was a party, is so ridiculous that it is, in fact, offensive to British citizens."

He has finally been forced to admit what everyone knows, that when the whole country went into lockdown, he was hosting drunken parties in Downing Street. Will he now do the right thing and quit?"

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, has also called on the Prime Minister to resign. He has also written to the Metropolitan Police to ask them to investigate Johnson's attendance at the May 20 2020 party.

Johnson faces outrage in Parliament for inviting 100 to a party for drinks despite the lockdown

Johnson intends to lift most of the "Corona" restrictions, despite the high number of infections

He urged MPs to wait for the outcome of Sue Gray's investigation into Downing Street's alleged breach of Covid-19 lockdown rules, which he said she would finish preparing and announce "as soon as possible". .

He added, "I am sorry for the way the event I have described was handled. I am so sorry. I wish we had done things differently."

The BBC's political editor, Laura Kuensberg, said she did not think Johnson's comments would ever end the matter.

His confession may have bought him some time, she added, but he is basically asking his party to wait for the investigation to finish before they make up their minds.

The anger escalated after witnesses said the prime minister and his wife were among about 30 people at the party in May 2020.

Another 379 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in the UK on Tuesday, as well as 120,821 new cases.

Which rulesis suspected of being broken?

Special government guidance in England on 20 May 2020 stated that public gatherings in the workplace should only take place if they are essential and that "workers should try to minimize all meetings and other gatherings in the workplace". They also had to "reduce the number of people they spend time with in the work environment".

At that time, people were not allowed to leave their homes (or be outside the place where they lived) without a reasonable excuse, and that included work, i.e. the impossibility of working from home.

Although anyone who attended the event in Downing Street may have broken the law, it might be argued that this does not apply to the Prime Minister himself. This is because the prime minister lives in Downing Street and so technically didn't leave his house to attend the party.

The law also prohibits gatherings in public places of more than two people, unless they are members of the same family or the gathering is “necessary for business purposes.” However, the lawyers said Downing Street was not a public place.

Timeline: Alleged government gatherings

The government is facing mounting pressure over the many parties and gatherings allegedly held during lockdowns in 2020. Here's what we know about them and the restrictions that were in place at the time:

May 10/May 2020

Boris Johnson announced a plan to take the "delicate first steps" out of the lockdown that began in March 2020. But he said people must continue to "obey and enforce the rules of social distancing, and we will increase fines for the few who break them." ".

The legal restrictions at the time indicated that you could not leave your home without making a reasonable excuse. The government guidance was that you could meet up to one person outside your household in an outdoor setting while playing sports.

May 15, 2020

A photo taken in May 2020 shows the Prime Minister and some staff in his office, carrying bottles of wine and a slab of cheese in Downing Street Park. When asked about it, Johnson said: "These people are in their workplace, talking about work."

May 20, 2020

About 100 people have been invited by email to a "socially distanced cocktail party in 10 Downing Street Garden" on behalf of the Prime Minister's Private Secretary, Martin Reynolds.

Witnesses told the BBC that the prime minister and his wife were among about 30 people who attended the party.

Johnson confirmed he attended the event, saying he was there for 25 minutes and "I implicitly thought it was a business event".

July 17, 2020

Boris Johnson has announced plans for a "large return to normalcy" in England by Christmas "through specific local measures rather than nationwide lockdowns generally.

However, he added, the related timeline depends on "everyone of us remaining alert and acting responsibly".

November 5/November 2020

With coronavirus cases rising again, the Prime Minister has told people in England that we are "again asking you to stay at home" as a new year lockdown begins.

He said people should only leave their homes "for work if you can't work from home, for education, for essential activities and emergencies". Indoor gatherings with other households were prohibited, except for work purposes.

13November/November 2020

Sources told the BBC that Downing Street staff attended a gathering that Carrie Johnson had called for in the apartment where she and the prime minister lived. A spokesperson for Ms Johnson denied that the party had taken place.

27November/November 2020

A farewell party was held for Cleo Watson, assistant to the Prime Minister's Office, which included alcoholic drinks and Johnson gave a speech, according to the sources.

December 2/December 2020

The second national lockdown ended after four weeks, but Boris Johnson replaced the restrictions that were in place with "strict levels of infection to be kept down".

London was placed in a second tier which prohibited two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless it was "reasonably necessary" for business purposes.

10 December/December 2020

The Ministry of Education confirmed that it held a desk meeting to thank employees for their work during the pandemic. She says drinks and snacks were brought by those who attended and no outside guests or support staff were invited.

14 December/December 2020

The Conservative Party has admitted that an "unauthorized gathering" took place at its headquarters in Westminster. It was held by the team of the party's mayoral candidate, Sean Bailey, who has since resigned as chairman of the London Council's Police and Crime Committee. The Metropolitan Police will speak to two people who attended the ceremony.

15 December/December 2020

Multiple sources have told the BBC that a Christmas quiz was run for staff at the Cabinet Office last year. A picture - published by the Sunday Mirror newspaper - showed that Boris Johnson was participating in the event and was sitting between two colleagues. Johnson has denied any wrongdoing.

16 December/December 2020

London has moved to the highest level of restrictions and Matt Hancock, who was the health secretary at the time, said it was important for everyone to "be careful" ahead of the festive period.

The Department of Transport apologized after confirming reports that a party had been held in its offices that day, describing it as "inappropriate" and an "miscalculation" by staff.

18 December/December 2020

The Prime Minister's Office denied a report by the Daily Mirror newspaper that a party had been held at Downing Street.

However, video obtained by ITV News shows then-Prime Minister Allegra Stratton's press secretary joking about reports of the party: "That fancy party was just a business meeting and he wasn't following the rules of social distancing."