New blow as four in Johnson’s staff quit

LONDON — Four of Boris Johnson’s most senior staff quit on Thursday, triggering new turmoil for the embattled British prime minister.

Johnson’s office said chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and principal private secretary Martin Reynolds had both tendered their resignations. Director of Communications Jack Doyle and senior adviser Munira Mirza also said they had left Downing Street.

Reynolds is a key figure in the “partygate” scandal over lockdown-breaching parties held by Johnson and his staff during the coronavirus pandemic. He sent an invitation to about 100 staff to a “bring your own booze” garden party in May 2020, when Britons were banned from socializing in groups as part of restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The garden gathering is one of 16 alleged parties under investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray. A dozen of the events are also being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

This week Gray released an report looking at the four parties. She found that “failures of leadership and judgment” allowed events to occur that “should not have been allowed to take place” and described a Downing Street operation marked by excessive drinking and dysfunctional dynamics.

Johnson has apologized and pledged to fix the problems in his office. Lawmakers in Johnson’s Conservative Party are mulling whether to seek a no-confidence vote in the leader who won them a big parliamentary majority just over two years ago.