Introduction
The legislative process is an essential part of every country’s internal condition. Every structure needs rules to guide and control people’s behavior and actions. However, there are cases when the same people who made the law break it. In 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic started to gain momentum, every country in the world introduced restrictions that limited the COVID-19 spread. Masks, massive isolation and lockdowns, and international flight ban were the peculiarities that were common for most of the countries.
A political scandal called “partygate” occurred in the United Kingdom and is related to several politicians, including then prime minister Boris Johnson, his wife, and Rishi Sunak, the Exchequer Chancellor and the Conservative party leader. It is significant to mention that Boris Johnson was the one who announced the rules every day that were directed to save as many lives as possible and prevent the British economy from collapsing. The legislative process is essential, but it takes effort to make it effective.
Partygate Analysis
Johnson’s Resignation Reasons
In light of recent events, including “partygate” and Johnson’s resignation, there is uncertainty about the future of the British political system and the prime minister’s position. The three most numerous political parties in Great Britain are the oldest and the largest, the Conservative and Unionist parties, the Labour party, and the Liberal Democrats. Some liberal democratic politicians state that “there is no formal pact, but there is a belief among both parties that the next government shouldn’t be a Tory one” (Pickard et al., 2022, para. 16). Johnson was not the only one that resigned because recent events have led to a host of other resignations.
The reputation of the Conservative party was also damaged by the Pincher and Owen Patterson affairs and other sex scandals. In February, Pincher was appointed by Johnson, but it was disclosed that he had been the subject of allegations of sexual harassment in the past. The office of Johnson declared that he did not know about allegations against Pincher in the past. However, it was revealed by Simon McDonald, a senior former civil servant, that Johnson investigated these allegations and supported the complaints in 2019.
The Partygate Excuses
The “partygate” seriously affected Johnson’s reputation as a national leader. A senior civil servant reported and informed about “a series of illegal lockdown parties, detailing instances of staff’s excessive alcohol consumption and vomiting” (Smout et al., 2022, para. 6). The prime minister was fined for this party by the police and apologized for this occasion before Queen Elizabeth for the party before Prince Phillip’s funeral. It is still unknown if Johnson deceived lawmakers when he stated that he did not know about illegal gatherings. He says that he believed these parties did not break the law but now understands it.
However, Martin and Price state that “actus reus, the physical element of a crime, can be an act, an omission, or a state of affairs” (2020, p. 4). That way, even his inactivity can be interpreted as an element of a crime. One of the reasons for changing the rules was to “avoid incentives for trivial or vexatious complaints, which may be made for partisan reasons” (Mason et al., 2022, para. 8). The Liberal Democrats and Labour believe Johnson rigged the system to get rid of the hassle of investigating.
The Effectiveness of the Legislative Process
Every bill has many stages to become a law, including the decision to legislate, its preparation and introduction, the first, second, and third reading, and the committee, report, and later stages. The legislative process is important and effective because it achieves needed goals, but it is not practical for every layer of the population. There should be no people in any country who have enough power to change the rules in their favor. People can understand the fact of closed parties held by Parliament. However, it is difficult to understand their reactions, including their response to the situation.
It is known that “under the ministerial code, which has no legal status, a minister who knowingly misleads Parliament is expected to resign” (White, 2022, para. 4). However, it did not happen for two years, and that worsened people’s trust in Parliament. The legislative process is equal for any person regardless of social status. The House of Commons could not debate the honesty of Johnson without issues. It is not allowed in Westminster to accuse someone of dishonesty if that lie is the subject under discussion. The problem’s crux is that some MPs do not fully understand the process of privileges inquiries. The Parliament needs to think about how to better restore its reputation among the people of Great Britain.
Conclusion
To conclude, scandals like “partygate” destroy unity within the nation fast and painfully. Every authority needs people to trust them to be able to move their ideas forward. Boris Johnson made a mistake when he participated in these parties, but he made an even more significant mistake when he chose to lie about it. Every nation consists of imperfect people who want to make their country a better place to live. However, it can only be possible if systems are regularly revised. The legislative process is crucial for every state’s present, but to truly work for good, it needs to be transparent for both the population and deputies. It takes effort to make this process effective and correct.
Reference List
Martin, J. and Price, N. (2020) Law AS level 1. Hodder Education. Web.
Mason, R. and Allegretti, A. (2022) Boris Johnson accused of changing ministerial code to ‘save his skin’. The Guardian. Web.
Pickard, J. and Cameron-Chileshe, J. (2022) Keir Starmer under pressure from within Labour party to back UK electoral reform. Financial Times. Web.
Smout, A. and Maclellan, K. (2022) Factbox: The many scandals of Boris Johnson’s premiership. Reuters. Web.
White, H. (2022) Parliament’s arcane processes undermine its credibility. UK in a Changing Europe. Web.