YORK’S Conservative MP Julian Sturdy has added his voice to the chorus of calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign in the wake of the damning ‘Partygate’ report.

Speaking after Mr Johnson's press conference this afternoon, Mr Sturdy said he could no longer give the Prime Minister the 'benefit of the doubt' and that it was in the 'public interest' for the PM to go.

Mr Sturdy said: “The Sue Gray report clearly shows that the Prime Minister has presided over a widespread culture of disregard for coronavirus regulations. Furthermore, questions are now being raised about whether the Prime Minister misled Parliament when asked about these events.

“Discussions about parties in Downing Street remain a damaging distraction at a time when our country faces massive challenges.

"While I thought it important to wait for the conclusion of the Metropolitan Police investigation and the publication of the Sue Gray report, I am now unable to give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt and feel it is now in the public interest for him to resign.”

The Gray report published earlier today gave details of gatherings at which officials drank so much they were sick, sang karaoke, became involved in altercations and abused security and cleaning staff at a time when millions of people across the country were unable to see friends and family. But at this afternoon's press conference, the Prime Minister refused to resign.

Mr Sturdy, the MP for York Outer, has has now joined with Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP  for York Central, in asking Mr Johnson to quit.

Speaking earlier today, Ms Maskell said: “While families were denied the most important of moments, to say farewell to their loved ones, the Prime Minister continued to justify his choice to break the rules and hold a party to say farewell to his staff.”

She said that Sue Gray’s report included the damning statement that there were ‘multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff’, and said the Prime Minister had yet to apologise. “It all goes to show that he is out of touch with the hurt he has caused, as he continues to prioritise himself. He must resign,” she said.

Her comments were echoed by Cllr Claire Douglas, the leader of the opposition Labour group on City of York Council, and by Cllr Carol Runciman, the council’s Liberal Democrat executive member for Adult Social Care and Public Health - who said Conservative MPs should oust Mr Johnson from office.

The Metropolitan Police has issued 126 fines for rule breaches in No 10 and Whitehall, with the Prime Minister receiving a single fixed-penalty notice.

But senior civil servant Ms Gray condemned the wider culture that had been allowed to develop under Mr Johnson’s leadership. said. She said: “The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and what happened fell well short of this.”

In his press conference this afternoon the Prime Minister refused to resign, saying: "I overwhelmingly feel it is my job to get on and deliver." 

He acknowledged that people were 'indignant' and said he took 'full responsibility' for the scandal. He added: "No matter how bitter and painful the conclusions of this may be - and they are - and no matter how humbling they are, I have got to keep moving forward and the Government has got to keep moving."