"'Drinking Party' Prime Minister's Resignation Day 'Celebratory Beer'... 'Suitable for Work Parties' Satire [Beer and Politics]"

Ignoring Public Hardships, Holding Drinking Parties... Public Outrage Erupts
Resignation as Prime Minister Followed by Loss of Parliamentary Seat
Current Prime Minister Keir Starmer Also Faces Controversy

Editor's NoteWhat if the most popular alcoholic beverage, beer, carried a political message? In Western countries, new beers with political messages are sometimes released whenever there is a major shift in the political landscape. We examine the background behind the release of these 'special edition' beers with political messages and the related changes in international affairs.

Promotional image of the beer 'Boris Lie' released in July 2022 by Brewdog, a brewery based in Scotland, UK. Brewdog official website

In the UK, the beer named after a politician, 'Boris Lie,' is well known. This beer was launched in July 2022, when former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation. It satirized Johnson's 'Partygate,' where he faced severe criticism for holding drinking parties with acquaintances during the COVID-19 lockdown, violating quarantine rules, which eventually led to his resignation. Johnson, who initially downplayed Partygate, was ultimately completely ousted from politics after resigning as Prime Minister and later as a Member of Parliament.

UK Former PM Boris Johnson's Resignation Commemorated with Beer... 'Boris Lie'

In April 2021, then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposed a toast at a pub in Wolverhampton, England, celebrating the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. AP·Yonhap News

Scottish brewery Brewdog released the beer named 'Boris Lie' on the day Johnson resigned in July 2022. They also unveiled promotional images featuring 10 Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister's residence, as the backdrop. Brewdog stated, "We released this to celebrate Johnson's resignation" and promoted it as "a beer suitable for work parties."

The beer's name and promotional images were thoroughly targeted at Johnson's Partygate scandal. Partygate refers to the incident from June 2020 to April 2021 during the COVID-19 lockdown when Johnson held multiple drinking parties at his official residence, violating quarantine rules. At that time, social distancing rules prohibited gatherings of many people except for official events, but Johnson reportedly held drinking parties with hundreds of aides and acquaintances, sparking controversy.

The UK police began a formal investigation in December 2021, and by January of the following year, it was confirmed that Johnson attended three parties that violated quarantine rules. Subsequently, the police issued a total of 126 fines to 83 senior officials confirmed to have attended the parties.

Public Outrage Explodes Over Partygate... Complete Ouster from Politics

In December 2021, London citizens protested holding placards in opposition to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Partygate scandal. AP·Yonhap News

Johnson continuously denied the scandal, explaining, "It was a work event, not a party. I only stayed for 10 minutes." However, it was revealed that he drank until dawn at the party and even brought karaoke equipment for drinking and singing, leading to accusations of lying.

At the time, Johnson had already lost significant public support due to his forceful push for Brexit (the UK's withdrawal from the European Union). After the June 2016 Brexit referendum, where 51.9% voted in favor, the UK began the withdrawal process but faced stalled negotiations over resetting relations, including free trade agreements (FTA) with the EU.

A hardline Brexiteer, Johnson insisted on a 'No deal Brexit' and pushed Brexit through, leading to the UK's official departure from the EU in January 2020. However, as trade disputes with the EU caused significant damage, public opinion within the UK became unsettled. The UK and EU barely managed to conclude an FTA and future relationship agreements in December 2020, but these were criticized as rushed deals.

In this context, the backlash from Partygate was much larger than expected. Anger spread uncontrollably among small business owners in the UK who had suffered massive economic damage due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Despite repeated calls for resignation after Partygate broke out, Johnson held on until July 7, 2022, when over 50 senior government officials simultaneously announced their intention to resign, forcing him to step down.

Following his resignation as Prime Minister, Johnson also stepped down as an MP in June 2023. This came after a special committee in the UK House of Commons announced it would investigate whether Johnson lied about following COVID-19 lockdown rules during Partygate. If found guilty of lying, Johnson would lose not only his MP seat but also his eligibility to run in elections. As of 2025, he has not returned to UK politics.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer Also Caught in 'Beergate'... "Will Resign Even if Fined"

Photo of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. EPA·Yonhap News

Prime Minister Keir Starmer also faced a COVID-19 quarantine violation scandal. In December 2021, Starmer, then leader of the UK Labour Party, was reported to have gathered with party members at an election office in Durham, consuming beer and food, sparking controversy. Alongside Johnson's Partygate, this was dubbed 'Beergate.'

Unlike Partygate, Beergate did not attract much attention despite Conservative Party attacks. Seventeen Labour Party members were shown in footage holding a meeting, some eating and drinking beer. The Labour Party stated the gathering was an official event and that food was consumed during the meeting, which extended into the evening. In response to Conservative criticism, Starmer firmly stated, "I will resign even if I receive a fine."

Subsequently, the UK police conducted investigations into both Johnson's Partygate and Starmer's Beergate simultaneously. The Beergate case was eventually dismissed. After reviewing videos and photos related to Beergate, the police announced that no illegal activity was established.