Boris Johnson reprimanded for 'contempt' of parliament over COVID-19 rules in UK

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, September 30, was reprimanded by the speaker of the Parliament for showing 'contempt' towards the lawmakers. Johnson was scolded for hurrying through the COVID-19 restrictions without taking into account all the factors.

The chief officer of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, told Johnson that he had made rules in a 'totally unsatisfactory' way, marking a rare intervention by the speaker. Hoyle further told Parliament that the way in which the government has exercised its powers to make secondary legislation during this crisis has been totally unsatisfactory.

Hoyle is the highest authority in the House of Commons and moderates debates as the speaker. She said that the government should no longer treat it with the contempt that it has shown.

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Following the backlash, Johnson had to apologise after the growing anger due to the local lockdown rules, which have caused confusion across the country and destroyed businesses in the process. Lawmakers belonging to the Conservative party have also threatened to rebel against the government in light of the COVID-19 situation.

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'UK is at a critical moment': Boris

Meanwhile, later in the day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said that the UK is at a “critical moment” in its fight to control the spread of coronavirus. While addressing a briefing from 10 Downing Street in London, Johnson struck a sombre note as he called for 'collective forbearance, common sense and willingness to make sacrifices' in order to avert another nationwide lockdown, even as he warned that he would not hesitate to impose further restrictions if needed.

His warning of a high number of infections and "tragic increase" in deaths came as this week marked the biggest rise in daily cases since the pandemic began, with a further 7,108 infections recorded on Wednesday and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators hitting 312.

“These figures show why our plan is so essential. We have to stick to it together and we should stick to it with confidence,” said Johnson. Meanwhile, citizens have displayed anger at the idea of reintroducing restrictions.

READ |Boris Johnson says UK at ‘critical moment’ in coronavirus fight

(With inputs from PTI) (Image AP)