All the government officials who resigned for breaking lockdown rules

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are facing calls to resign after it was revealed they are to receive fines for breaking lockdown rules.

The prime minister and the chancellor will receive fixed penalty notices for attending a birthday gathering for Johnson in Number 10 in June 2020. You know the one - he was ambushed with a cake.

In being slapped with the fine, Johnson has done what many believe he has always sought to do - make history. But sadly for him, it is not for the most honourable reason. He has become the UK's first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

Despite this and calls from opposition politicians and bereaved families, the pair have said they won't be packing up their belongings in cardboard boxes and instead will remain in their roles.

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They may not resign for breaking lockdown rules then, but these people did:

Prof Neil Ferguson

In May 2020, two months into the pandemic, Covid advisor Ferguson became the first figure to slip up when the Telegraph reported a woman he is said to be in a relationship with entered his home

He resigned and said he regretted his actions.

Matt Hancock

In June 2021, the then health secretary Hancock resigned following the publication of images and videos showing that he breached social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.

The colleague in question, Gina Coladangelo, also left her role as a non-executive director of the Department of Health.

Allegra Stratton

In December of last year, footage emerged showing Johnson's press team prepping for how they would answer questions about alleged parties in Downing Street.

Stratton, who was Johnson's press secretary at the time, was filmed laughing about "cheese and wine" before saying: “It was a business meeting... and it was not socially distanced.”

Following the publication of the footage, Stratton resigned and said: “My remarks seemed to make light of the rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey.

“That was never my intention. I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days and I offer my profound apologies to all of you at home for them.”

Shaun Bailey

A week later, another head rolled when London Assembly member and former Tory mayoral candidate Bailey was forced to quit as chair of a police and crime committee after allegations emerged that he attended a Christmas party last year when London was under tier 2 Covid restrictions.

His resignation came shortly before The Mirror published a photograph of him and about 23 staff at a party in CCHQ with drinks and a buffet.

Simon Case

It is almost unimaginable now given her household name status, but the Sue Gray report was almost the Simon Case report. The latter started the investigation into alleged lockdown breaching events in Downing Street until it was reported a quiz was held in his office in December 2020.

He duly stepped down after the Christmas quiz came to light last last year and Gray stepped up. The rest, as they say, is history.

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