Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have to go | Burnley Labour leader Afrasiab Anwar column

The pair have accepted that they broke the law and have been issued Fixed Penalty Notices by the police. For the first time ever, a sitting Prime Minister and a sitting Chancellor are found to have broken the rule of law.

They enjoyed themselves at parties whilst residents in Burnley lived under some of the strictest restrictions in the country for the best part of a year.

While Johnson and Sunak were partying, they were asking us to make huge sacrifices.

Unable to see family members or attend funerals of loved ones, we did the right thing, and stepped up to protect our communities and to stop the spread of the virus.

Conservative MP's are uncharacteristically quiet on the issue, in the hope that we will forget by the time Parliament returns from recess.

One who hasn’t been silent is Michael Fabricant, who has come out to defend the indefensible. Suggesting that the behaviour of those in Downing Street was no different to that of our NHS Heroes and teachers.

This is a disgusting slur on public sector workers who worked long hours to keep our country running.

They worked long hours and put their lives on the line. They stuck to the letter of the law because they understood the gravity of the situation we were in.

It is very distasteful and shameful of those justifying their behaviour by using the war in Ukraine as a shield.

To conceal the moral culpability of the government in this way shows a lack of respect for what the Ukrainians are going through.

We need to be able to trust our leaders. They have lost the moral authority to lead our nation.

At the time the story originally broke, the Burnley MP said "I am just as angry as you are" but will wait for the findings of the report and anyone found to be breaking the rules would have to face the consequences.

I now ask Anthony Higginbotham MP to stand true to his word, put his head above the parapet and call for there to be consequences for those breaking the law.

He should ask for the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to do the honourable thing and resign.

They have apologised, but only because they have been caught out. Britain deserves so much more.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor have degraded the public’s trust in our institutions, and they have let down those in public life who abide by the Nolan Principles.

They have shown a lack of respect, honesty, integrity and leadership and it's time for them to go.

For repeatedly lying to their colleagues, and for repeatedly lying to the British public.