The Salisbury Liberal Democrats have urged the MP to call for the resignation of the Prime Minister, following the Downing Street garden party scandal.

Victoria Charleston, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for the constituency, has written to the Conservative MP John Glen, asking him to "join the call of cross-party members for the Prime Minister to resign".

This is after Boris Johnson apologised during Prime Minister's Questions last week over holding a garden party at No 10 in May 2020.

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ITV reported an image of a leaked email that suggests around 100 members of staff were invited to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" on May 20, 2020.

It was allegedly sent by Martin Reynolds, Principal Private Secretary to The Prime Minister, asking them to "bring your own booze" to Downing Street that evening.

The lockdown rules at the time stated that you could only see one other person outside your house at a time, outdoors and at a two-metre distance.

Commenting on the events, Victoria Charleston said: "Mr Glen must stand with Salisbury residents and act on this issue.

"Boris Johnson must resign. His position has become untenable. His leadership has been mired by corruption and the shocking flouting of his own rules. All whilst the country suffered and sacrificed in the hope of defeating this virus.

"People are incensed; I share people’s anger that the Prime Minister flouted lockdown rules whilst many others missed funerals and cancelled weddings. He must go now.”

The letter in full reads: "Dear John,

Following Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, during which Mr Johnson admitted attending a drinks party in his private garden on 20th May 2020, I urge you to join the call of cross-party members for the Prime Minister to resign.

"There have been many allegations made about Government representatives and officials breaking the rules during the pandemic, and I await with interest the findings of Sue Gray’s inquiry, but the event on 20th May 2020 appears not only clear cut but to provide evidence that the Prime Minister has broken the Ministerial code and lied to Parliament.

"Residents in Salisbury have seen the invite to one hundred people, at a time we were told we could only meet one person outside. We know it happened on the Prime Minister’s premises, that his own private secretary organised it, and that he attended it. We do not need an independent investigation to tell us if the Prime Minister knew it was a party.

"In May 2020 the nation was frightened of the virus. The death toll was climbing. Pubs and many shops were closed. The rule of six wasn’t even introduced for another month. Devastatingly, local people were deprived of previous final moments with family and loved ones were forced to attend funerals via Zoom.

"It is time for the Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign. I urge you to demonstrate that you will stand with the people of Salisbury, who have sacrificed so much during the pandemic, and join me in this resignation call."

In reply to this letter, John Glen said he had little to add than his previous response to the allegations.

Last week, the MP told the Journal: "I wasn’t invited to a party or gathering of any kind and I know no more about it than what is being reported in the media.

"All breaches of the rules should be acknowledged and dealt with appropriately, and I trust that is what the inquiry will achieve."

He added that he has previously made "strong representations to my whip, conveying the anger of constituents and indeed my own conviction that this needs to be dealt with definitively.

"I do not seek to defend what happened and will be continuing to make my feelings known."

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