THE SECRETARY of state for Wales has said people have "moved on" from partygate.  

Speaking to Sky News' Kay Burley this morning, Simon Hart MP said people "want an apology, but not a resignation" from Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the Downing Street parties during lockdown.

He said: "I have 65,000 constituents in West Wales, where I represent and they are not shy in coming forward and throughout all this saga with Downing Street parties they have said one thing very clearly, and the vast majority, they say they want contrition and they want an apology but they don't want a resignation.

"I think, at the moment, the idea that it might be appropriate to have a six week, self-indulgent leadership contest, frankly, I don't think that's very sensible either."

READ MORE: No 10 insists Johnson did not mislead MPs – despite Met finding law was broken

The Met Police has started fining those found to have breached Covid regulations by attending parties at Downing Street. 

Mr Hart said: "We all make judgements which we have time to reflect on and wish we'd made differently. I think, for me, personally speaking, the world has moved on a considerable distance.

"I trust the views of the people who elected me who say put this problem right, you acted inappropriately at the time, but the idea that every politician or every journalist for that matter who makes a misjudgement at the time should automatically be sacked is not something I subscribe to."

Responding to Mr Hart's comments, Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine MP said: "These comments are an insult to every family that suffered in lockdown while Downing Street partied.

"Boris Johnson's Conservatives have got something else coming if they think the public has moved on from this shameful scandal. Boris Johnson broke the rules he asked us all to obey then repeatedly lied about it. Conservative MPs must rediscover their moral compass and get rid of him."