Theresa May has no patience for Boris Johnson's flouting of COVID-19 restrictions

Theresa May, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom before current PM Boris Johnson, lit into her successor and fellow Conservative on Monday over his flouting of the U.K.'s COVID restrictions, CNN reported.
"The COVID regulations imposed significant restrictions on the freedoms of members of the public. They had a right to expect their prime minister to have read the rules, to understand the meaning of the rules — and, indeed, those around him to have done so, too — and to set an example in following those rules," May said in the House of Commons.
May served as prime minister from 2016 to 2019 and continues to serve as a backbench member of Parliament.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Earlier Monday, British civil servant Sue Gray released an update on her investigation into drunken parties and other gatherings held by Johnson and his staff while COVID-19 restrictions were still in effect.
The controversial gatherings that have been revealed in recent weeks include two held by Downing Street staff the night before Prince Philip's funeral, at which Queen Elizabeth II sat alone due to social distancing requirements.
The Week contributor Joel Mathis wrote last week that Johnson "appears to be on the cusp of losing his office" over the scandal.
"What the Gray report does show," May continued, "is that No. 10 Downing Street was not observing the regulations they had imposed on members of the public. So either my right honorable friend [Johnson] had not read the rules or didn't understand what they meant — and others around him — or they didn't think the rules applied to No. 10."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"Which was it?" May concluded emphatically to shouts of acclamation.
In response, Johnson stammeringly suggested that May wait "to see the conclusion of the inquiry."
May has been critical of Johnson in the past. Last month, she wrote that his stance in Brexit negotiations and his decision to renege on foreign aid commitments had cost Britain its position of "global moral leadership," The Guardian reported.
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
October 11 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include exercising voting rights, weight-loss drugs for the military, and ICE at a job fair
-
Remaking the military: the war on diversity and ‘fat generals’
Talking Point The US Secretary of War addressed military members on ‘warrior ethos’
-
Crossword: October 11, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats