“I feel absolute disgust, it sickens me - the government is laughing at us”. These were the comments of a Yorkshire man who because of COVID regulations was unable to visit his elderly father who sustained a stroke and was unable to speak, while the Prime minister’s office was holding parties at Downing Street in breach of those regulations.

Multiple sources revealed that a party had been held at No 10 on 18 December 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vehemently denied it.  But a video surfaced showing his aides joking and laughing about the party and the lack of social distancing. Despite the footage No 10 maintained the denial.

Johnson faced a furious public backlash. Even his own MPs were outraged. Tracy Couch, a former Tory minister, demanded “a fulsome explanation and apology”. “I am fuming as are my constituents whose loved ones died alone”.  The former leader of the Scottish Tories gave a scathing verdict on Johnson’s conduct. “None of this is remotely defensible - not flat out denying things that are easily provable, nor taking the public for fools”. Sir Roger Gale, a longstanding Tory MP warned that “to mislead the Commons deliberately would be a resignation matter”. Baroness Warsi, the former party chair, tweeted “Those that make the law must obey the law”.

Faced with unmitigated fury, even from his own benches, Johnson made a screeching U-turn. “I apologise unreservedly for the offence this has caused up and down the country; if rules were broken there will be disciplinary action for all those involved,” he declared in Parliament. Johnson stated apologetically that he had been shocked by the video of his aides, mocking and laughing after breaking COVID regulations.

Johnson announced that he had tasked the UK’s most senior civil servant to investigate and promised to hand over any evidence of law-breaking to the police.  The Metropolitan police were considering the footage.

Within hours, Johnson’s spokesperson, Allegra Stratton had resigned in tears.  “I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days, I offer my profound apologies”.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Kier Starmer, noted that “the incident has left the PM without the moral authority to ask the public to follow COVID rules”.

While the British PM is left battling calls for his resignation, an inquiry by the top civil servant and a possible police investigation, Prime minister Robert Abela flagrantly and arrogantly breaches COVID rules without as much as a whimper.

Robert Abela attended the Sigma Conference with Minister Silvio Schembri where COVID regulations were blatantly disregarded and practically no COVID protocols were in place. Abela himself was filmed without a mask and surrounded by several persons all maskless in flagrant violation of COVID rules.

But unlike Boris Johnson, Abela made no grovelling apology when he was challenged about his disregard for the rules.  Not only was he not held accountable but he had the sheer cheek to appeal to the public to follow the rules and for “responsibility”. “Today I was wearing the mask and we are observing social distancing rules,” he maintained. But that is not what he did at the Sigma conference.

While the British public was incensed at the behaviour of the PM’s aides, the Maltese public barely batted an eyelid as PM Abela continued with his routine public flouting of the rules. While a civil service inquiry was launched into the British PM’s office and evidence handed to the Metropolitan police, Abela simply carried on with his arrogant disdain for the rules and his utter disrespect for all those who lost loved ones to the pandemic. It is a two fingered salute to those striving to vaccinate the nation and to those battling to protect the health service from another hit.

Abela’s recklessness is nothing new. In July 2020 the Prime minister and his wife hosted “A Night at the Palace” at the PM’s official residence at Girgenti.  Despite existing rules, the department of information published photos of the Prime minister and his wife seated maskless in close proximity to many other maskless people attending the event with total disregard for the rules. The DOI statement bragged that “The Prime Minister and Dr Lydia Abela, together with their daughter Giorgia Mae, had the opportunity to meet the hundreds of families attending this new project”. The number of COVID cases rose rapidly after the event.

At least President George Vella’s office had the decency not to publish photos of the 2020 August Moon Ball held without the requisite risk assessment. When the President’s office was asked whether that risk assessment had been conducted his office failed to reply. The President at least tried to hide his guilt.  The Prime minister had no such qualms.  And still doesn’t.

The Maltese public is regularly showered with insolent contempt as Abela and the majority of his parliamentary group defies regulations. While teachers and students, irrespective of their age, are compelled to wear face masks for hours on end, Labour’s MPs arrogantly break the rules.  Their shameless defiance is broadcast live for the whole population to witness. Even Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci is complicit in shielding MPs by evading direct questions about their irresponsible behaviour. As she tiptoes around the powerful, making sure she steps on no toes, she demonstrates what is so horribly wrong with this country. “There is one rule for the Gods, and one rule for the animals,” as Evarist Bartolo eloquently put it.

Instead of becoming enraged, as Britain did, the country rewards Abela with even more loyal support.  In Britain those who make the law must obey it. In Malta, those who make the law, including the Prime minister, blatantly ignore it. With no consequences. Malta is the land of impunity. Instead of demanding resignations, inquiries and police investigations, the common man quiescently accepts that the rules only apply to him. Being taken for fools is what common citizens expect. No wonder Labour’s laughing at us.