Boris Johnson is being ridiculed around the world over the ongoing 'Partygate' scandal.
The news comes in the wake of the release of a redacted version of the Sue Gray report, which was opened late last year following revelations about a series of Christmas parties that took place in Downing Street while London was under Covid-19 restrictions banning social gatherings.
It since expanded to investigate more than a dozen parties that allegedly took place during lockdown, including a May 2020 gathering attended by Johnson, a late night party the night before Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021, and a surprise birthday party thrown for the prime minister in June 2020.
Media outlets from Russia to the US have been making quips at the prime minister's expense amid the ongoing scandal.
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Yesterday, February 1, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the scandal during a press conference, as per the Daily Mail.
A reporter questioned whether 'Partygate' had hindered Johnson and President Joe Biden's ability to handle Ukraine border tension, as Johnson was forced to reschedule his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to answer questions about the parties.
The reporter then asked, 'Has the president ever been ambushed by cake?', a reference to Conservative minister Conor Burns, who defended Johnson by saying the prime minister was 'ambushed' with a birthday cake at one of the alleged parties.
Psaki responded by laughing and saying, 'Has the president ever been ambushed by a cake? Not that I'm aware of.'
The press secretary then went on to say that while she had not spoke to Biden about the scandal, she understood that president was 'confident' in the UK and US's partnership and ability to deal with the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
She said, 'I have not spoken with him specifically about the reports in the UK. But what I can tell you is that he is confident in the important partnership we have with the United Kingdom – the role they play as an important partner and making clear to Russia the unacceptable nature of the buildup of troops and their bellicose rhetoric as it relates to Ukraine. And that certainly has not changed despite cakes in anyone's faces.'
Meanwhile, as per The Times, Russian TV stations also made fun of Johnson, with one outlet declaring that the prime minister was 'the most disliked, disrespected and ridiculed character in Britain' who was 'completely under the control and heel of his young wife'.
NTV said that 'even schoolchildren are laughing at him', before saying that if it were up to Johnson, '[Sue Gray’s report] would have vanished into the bowels of the Victorian sewers of the city of London'.
The state-run channel Russia 1 accused Johnson of stirring up 'anti-Russian hysteria' to detract from the scandal, adding, 'Only anti-Russian sanctions can distract from Johnson’s protracted partygate'.
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Topics: Boris Johnson, UK News, World News, Russia, US News
Shola Lee