Rishi Sunak news – live: Met Police open fresh inquiries into two more Partygate allegations
Police also announced they will take no further action against Boris Johnson
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Police have reopened an investigation into potential Covid breaches during a Tory party HQ Christmas Party and launched a fresh probe into a gathering in parliament.
But they will take no further action against Boris Johnson over gatherings at Downing Street and the then-prime minister’s country residence Chequers in 2020 and 2021.
Scotland Yard said that after assessing new evidence including a video, it was re-investigating a “Jingle and Mingle” party at the Conservative Party’s campaign headquarters on 14 December 2020.
The second probe will look into an event on 8 December 2020 – the date of an alleged drinks event attended by Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “The Met is now re-opening an investigation into potential breaches of the Regulations at an event in Matthew Parker Street on 14 December 2020.
“Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the Regulations at an event on 8 December 2020.”
On the police probe, a spokeswoman for the Speaker’s Office said: “As this is a live investigation any further inquiries should be directed to the Met Police.”
The Metropolitan Police announced it was launching a probe into “potential breaches” of Covid rules at a gathering inside parliament on 8 December 2020, the date of an alleged drinks event attended by Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin for his wife’s birthday.
The alleged gathering was held in the Commons office of Dame Eleanor Laing, the deputy speaker, and attended by Sir Bernard Jenkin.
Dame Eleanor will not be stepping down as Deputy Speaker while the investigation continues, PA news agency reported.
Sir Bernard Jenkin said of the police probe: “It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation.”
The Metropolitan Police announced it was launching a probe into “potential breaches” of Covid rules at a gathering inside parliament on 8 December 2020, the date of an alleged drinks event attended by Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin for his wife’s birthday.
December 2020 gathering in parliament to be investigated by Met Police
The Metropolitan Police announced that it was also launching a probe into “potential breaches” of Covid rules at a gathering inside parliament on 8 December 2020, the date of an alleged drinks event attended by Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin for his wife’s birthday.
A Met Police statement said: “Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in Parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the Regulations at an event on 8 December 2020.”
The alleged gathering was held in the Commons office of Dame Eleanor Laing, the deputy speaker, and attended by Sir Bernard Jenkin in December 2020.
The event came to light shortly before the publication of the privileges committee report into Boris Johnson
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has previously accused Sir Bernard Jenkin, the most senior Conservative member of the Commons Privileges Committee, of “monstrous hypocrisy” after the Guido Fawkes website reported the MP had gone to a drinks party in Parliament while Covid restrictions were in place on December 8.
Which parties are being investigated?
The Metropolitan Police will reopen an investigation into COVID-19 lockdown breaches at a December 2020 event held in the headquarters of the governing Conservative Party following an assessment of new evidence.
However, police said other referrals, made to them by the government following an examination of former prime minister Boris Johnson’s diary, did not meet the criteria for further investigation.
The reopened investigation concerns a Christmas party organised by staff working on a mayoral election campaign.
No fines were issued when it was initially investigated, but a video recently aired by British media, which showed people dancing and partying at the event, has prompted officers to look again.
Police said their approach was only to retrospectively launch investigations when there was evidence of a serious and flagrant breach and other conditions were met.
The Conservative Party did not issue a fresh comment following the police announcement, and referred to a previous statement in which it said the gathering was unauthorised and that four staff had been disciplined as a result.
An additional investigation was opened into a Dec. 8 2020 gathering in parliament, but police did not provide details about those in attendance.
Police also said they had assessed information provided by the Cabinet Office regarding potential breaches of the regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Johnson’s then-Downing Street residence and office, and the prime ministerial country home, Chequers.
They had “concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation”, police said.
Shaun Bailey could be installed as peer in mid July despite partygate row
Shaun Bailey is expected to be installed as the latest member of the House of Lords as early as the middle of July.
He is poised to take up the job for life on 18 July, sources told The Independent.
However, Bailey is under pressure to hand back his honour, received in Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours list, after an explosive video of the Partygate event emerged.
A Labour Lords source described the introduction of peers on Boris Johnson’s list as “rushed”.
Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “Shaun Bailey should do the right thing and agree to turn down this peerage now. If he refuses to do that, Rishi Sunak must finally show some backbone and confirm he will withdraw the Conservative whip from Bailey if he joins the Lords. Anything less would be an insult to bereaved families who followed the rules while the Conservatives broke them.”
Mr Bailey apologised “unreservedly” after the video was revealed by the Daily Mirror, but said it was for “others to decide” what happened to his peerage.
Mr Bailey does not feature in the video but he appears in a widely-circulated photograph of the event.
Who is Shaun Bailey? The ‘Jingle and Mingle’ lockdown party host named on Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list
For over a decade, Shaun Bailey has tried and failed to get into parliament. Last month it looked like he might have finally made it – only for one last obstacle to be put in his way.
New footage emerged showing dancing at a lockdown-breaking Christmas Party organised for his team at Tory HQ, prompting the Met to investigate. Mr Bailey says he is “very upset” and had not seen the footage.
The release of the footage, which dates from 2020, came at a poor time for the politician.
Just days earlier he had been nominated for a life peerage in the House of Lords by Boris Johnson – an honour which he has been urged by critics to reconsider.
Jon Stone reports:
Who is Shaun Bailey? The lockdown party host named on Boris Johnson’s honours list
Bailey has repeatedly stood for election, but parliament has so far evaded him
Lib Dems: Bailey should not be allowed to join Lords while under investigation
Responding to the news the Met Police are reopening their investigation into a party held at CCHQ, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said: “Once again Conservative politicians are facing allegations they broke the rules we were all asked to follow.
“Rishi Sunak needs to confirm he will call for honours to be stripped from anyone found to have broken the law. Anything less would make a complete mockery of his pledge to lead with integrity.
“He should also step in to stop Shaun Bailey from taking his seat as a peer while this investigation takes place. There’s no way that Shaun Bailey should be allowed to join the House of Lords while he’s under police investigation.”
New probe to investigate ‘Jingle and Mingle’ Christmas party held at Conservative Party’s campaign headquarters
The Metropolitan Police said it has reopened its investigation into potential Covid regulation breaches during an event at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in December 2020.
Scotland Yard said that after assessing new evidence including a video, it was re-investigating a “Jingle and Mingle” Christmas party held at the Conservative Party’s campaign headquarters on 14 December 2020.
It comes after a video emerged appearing to show Tory staff drinking, dancing and joking about “bending” Covid lockdown rules.
The video, said to have been taken on 14 December, 2020, when socialising inside was banned in parts of the UK, showed for the first time, staff joking about their Christmas party at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) in London breaking the rules, according to The Mirror.
The party was organised by the campaign team behind Shaun Bailey’s ultimately failed bid to become mayor of London and “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four staff members over the “unauthorised” event.
The party was organised by the campaign team behind Shaun Bailey’s ultimately failed bid to become mayor of London and “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four staff members over the “unauthorised” event.
One attendee in the footage could be heard saying: “As long as we don’t stream that we’re like, bending the rules,” before laughing, while a man and woman hold hands and dance.
Met Police not taking further action against Boris Johnson
The Met Police has announced it will not take any further action against Boris Johnson for lockdown breaches.
Scotland Yard reopened its investigation into potential Covid regulation breaches during an event at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in December 2020 and has launched a new probe into a gathering in Parliament during the same month.
However, police said a “number of other events” at Downing Street and the prime minister’s country residence Chequers, which were believed to involve Mr Johnson in 2020 and 2021, would not be probed further.
Officers assessed official diary entries that were passed to the Met by the Cabinet Office ahead of the Covid public inquiry, in a move attacked by Mr Johnson’s allies.
At the time, a statement from the former prime minister’s office said his lawyers had written to police to “explain in detail why the Cabinet Office is entirely wrong in its assertions”.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Based on an assessment of that material and an account provided regarding the diary entries, and also having sought some further clarification, the Met and Thames Valley Police have each assessed the events in their jurisdiction and concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation.”
Cabinet office under fire after reporting Boris Johnson to police over Chequers
The cabinet office came under fire after it emerged it had reported Mr Johnson to police over Chequers.
The Met decision will inflame already heightened tensions within Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.
A cabinet office source last night said the issue was an “operational matter for the police”.
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