UK PM Johnson must address culture that led to lockdown parties - Conservative chairman

FILE PHOTO: Co-Chairman of British Conservative Party Oliver Dowden walks on Downing Street in London, Britain, December 17, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) -The British Conservative Party chairman rejected calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign but said he must address the culture within his government that resulted in multiple staff gatherings at his residence during coronavirus lockdowns.

Johnson has apologised for attending a gathering in the garden of his Downing Street residence in May 2020 where staff had been invited to bring their own alcohol at a time when strict rules forbade the public from almost all socialising.