British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized on Wednesday for attending a gathering at his official residence during the first coronavirus lockdown and said he understood the fury it had caused.

Asked on Wednesday if he would resign, Johnson said that he would not pre-empt the findings of an independent inquiry into parties at his office during coronavirus lockdowns.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer asked if Johnson would do the "decent thing and resign."

"I regret very much that we did not do things differently that evening," Johnson told parliament.

(Cover: British Prime Minster Boris Johnson visits Uxbridge police station, December 17, 2021. /CFP)