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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

Downing Street WILL reveal if Boris Johnson given Covid fine over 'partygate'

Downing Street will reveal if Boris Johnson is handed a fine for flouting Covid rules - in another U-turn.

Earlier today, No 10 refused to commit to informing the public if the Prime Minister is slapped with a fixed penalty notice for breaching lockdown restrictions.

Police are investigating 12 gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall, including several Mr Johnson is believed to have attended himself.

But after a furious outcry, the Prime Minister's official spokesman suggested people would be informed.

The PM's official spokesman said: "Obviously we are aware of the significant public interest with regard to the Prime Minister and we would always look to provide what updates we can on him, specifically."

Asked if that meant No 10 would say if he was given a fixed penalty notice, the spokesman said: "Hypothetically, yes."

Police are investigating a string of party claims (Getty Images)

Scotland Yard pointed to College of Policing guidance stating that the names of people dealt with by fixed penalty notices - the likely punishment for a breach of the coronavirus regulations - would not normally be disclosed.

"Identities of people dealt with by cautions, speeding fines and other fixed penalties - out-of-court disposals - should not be released or confirmed," the guidance states.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: "This shouldn't be a big deal. The public has a right to know.

"An ounce of transparency shouldn't be this hard to get from Boris Johnson."

The latest U-turn comes after Downing Street spent hours refusing to guarantee it would publish a second report by top mandarin Sue Gray into lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Ms Gray published a stripped back "update" on Monday, where she blasted the "failure of leadership" in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office - and made it clear that some of the events should not have taken place.

Sue Gray published a slimmed down update of her partygate report (Parliament TV)

But she was limited in what she could report after the Met Police revealed it was investigating a string of events.

In her report, Ms Gray warned she has “extensive substantive factual information” after interviewing more than 70 people and checking e-mails, WhatsApps, texts, photographs, official records and entry and exit logs.

Police revealed they had received "well over 500 pieces of paper, about a ream and a half, and over 300 photographs".

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