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Boris Johnson: NI parties press for prime ministers’ resignation

Several Northern Ireland parties have called for Boris Johnson’s resignation after it was revealed he was fined for breaking lockdown rules.

The PM has apologized again and confirmed he paid the fine – but didn’t say how much it was.

He also said he will not resign because of the incident.

Alliance and the SDLP said the prime minister must resign within days.

But the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said it remains a matter for Mr Johnson and the Conservative Party.

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The fine was imposed on Mr Johnson for attending an hour-long meeting in the Cabinet Room on June 19, 2020.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak was also fined and the PM’s wife Carrie Johnson confirmed she had paid a fine in relation to the same incident.

“I think their positions are untenable, both should resign and they have to go quickly,” said Alliance Deputy Chairman Stephen Farry.

“This is a completely unprecedented situation – to have both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor in the same situation is completely unique – integrity must play a role in public life.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood also criticized Mr Johnson.

“When people were talking to loved ones through windows and unable to properly bury their mothers and fathers, Boris Johnson popped wine corks with the Chancellor and his staff.

“It’s crazy to think he thought it was okay to break the rules he made, he broke the law.”

DUP MP Carla Lockhart said the Prime Minister “needed to be aware of the injuries and damage” his actions had caused.

But she stopped calling for his resignation: “It’s a question for his own party and for him, he needs to examine his own heart in relation to his actions.”

Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns tweeted that the Prime Minister had a “major job to do to restore confidence”.

Mr Johnson’s fine makes him the first sitting British Prime Minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating 12 suspected unlawful gatherings across Whitehall.

More than 50 fines have been imposed so far, and more are expected.

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