The politician was fined for a video posted online by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s staff. On Friday (January 20) night, UK police filed a case against the Prime Minister for driving without wearing a seatbelt. The discovery was made after the video was posted on Instagram and received criticism from many users.
Sunak’s spokesman apologized for the “error of judgment” but said the prime minister had removed his belt to record a video designed to promote government policy for economic investment in disadvantaged areas. The post has been removed.
The use of seat belts is mandatory in almost all situations in the UK and in Brazil, including in the back seats.
Police in the county of Lancashire in northwest England, where the car was located at the time the video was recorded, initially did not name the prime minister, although they did say his age and place of residence.
“We have today (Friday 20 January) made a standing offer to a 42-year-old man from London following a video circulating on social media showing a man not wearing a seatbelt while traveling in a speeding car in Lancashire. Fine,” the police said.
This means that the accused person can pay the fine, implicitly accepting the blame for what happened. In return, the amount paid is much less than the maximum penalty and there is no risk of the case going to court. This is the standard punishment usually used in these situations.
Sunak admitted the mistake
Sunak was fined £50 ($100), a tenth of the maximum fine for not wearing a seatbelt if the case went to court.
Sunak’s office said in a statement that the prime minister “fully accepts” that what happened was “wrong” and that it was clear he would serve a standard sentence.
The case drew criticism from opposition politicians. On the other hand, the incident was played down by some conservative politicians. For example, MP Scott Benton said he was “certainly” Lancashire Police’s time would be better spent “investigating serious crime”.
Other warnings
This is not the first time Sunak has been fined. He was one of around 50 people, including former prime minister Boris Johnson, warned in April 2022 for attending a party at the seat of the British government in June 2020, at a time when the country was experiencing tighter security rules. Quarantine due to covid-19 pandemic. The scandal became known as “Partigate” and was one of the events that led to Johnson’s resignation in July last year.
Even before the incident, Sunak had come under fire for jetting into Lancashire, a “costly habit for the environment and taxpayers”, condemned by the opposition No 2 from Labor’s Angela Merkel. Rainer.
Lee (Lusa, Reuters, AP, AFP)
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