New fines issued in ‘Partygate’ controversy
More than 50 fines have been issued today by the Metropolitan Police for Covid rules breaches in Downing Street and other government buildings.
Boris Johnson nor his wife Carrie were among the recipients this time, though the Met investigation is ongoing and more fines are expected to be handed out before it is closed.
This set of fines is thought to, at least partially, relate to the 18 December 2020 Christmas party which led to the resignation of Allegra Stratton. The PM’s former press secretary quit after footage of her joking about the party became public.
A timescale for further fines is not currently available but it is known that 12 meetings are being investigated, three of them attended by the Prime Minister.
This round of Fixed Penalty Notices follows over 50 previous fines issued last month with Mr Johnson, his wife, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all fined £50 for breaking Covid rules at a surprise birthday party for the Prime Minister in June 2020. The party took place in Downing Street’s Cabinet Room.
Mr Johnson has refused to disclose his feelings about the fines until the investigation has concluded, telling reporters “We’ll have plenty to say about that when the thing’s finished.”
Opposition leaders have called for the Prime Minister and Chancellor Sunak to resign from their posts, the Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey saying:
“Boris Johnson stood up in Parliament and said Covid rules were followed in No 10 at all times.
“Now 100 fines have been issued by the police over Partygate. It shows the shocking scale of the law-breaking in Johnson’s Downing Street and the extent of his lies.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been meanwhile involved in his own Covid rules breach scandal after footage of him drinking beer in City of Durham MP Mary Foy’s constituency office in April 2021 became public.
Mr Starmer has denied breaking any Covid rules at the time and has promised to resign if he is found to have breached Covid rules and gets fined over ‘beergate’.
