Kemi Badenoch criticizes Boris Johnson's Partygate fines
- Kemi Badenoch criticized Boris Johnson's COVID-related fines for creating unnecessary criminal behavior.
- Johnson was fined for attending an unauthorized birthday party during lockdown, which led to the larger Partygate scandal.
- Badenoch's remarks on mental health claims also drew backlash, indicating a divide within the Tory party on health policies.
In the United Kingdom, Kemi Badenoch, a contender for the Tory leadership, criticized Boris Johnson's fines related to the Partygate scandal. Johnson had been fined by the Metropolitan Police for attending a birthday celebration in Downing Street during COVID restrictions. Badenoch expressed her disdain for the fixed penalty notices, arguing that they created new criminal behavior out of routine activities in unique times. She suggested that if these fines had not been instituted, the resulting scandal would have been far less severe. Furthermore, Badenoch faced backlash over her recent comments regarding mental health claims in Britain, which were labeled 'disgraceful' by mental health advocates. This criticism underscores the tension within the Tory party surrounding public health policies enacted during the pandemic and the perception of the government's handling of those restrictions, as well as the current discourse on mental health support in the country.