BREXIT Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has claimed the Metropolitan Police issuing more than 100 fines over the partygate scandal is a “non-story”.
It was announced on Thursday that the force had made around 50 further fixed penalty notice referrals as part of its investigation into possible lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and across Whitehall.
Rees-Mogg played down the importance of the latest development on Friday, questioning whether “the rules were right in the first place”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “I’m afraid I think this is a non-story. I mean, the BBC has absolutely loved it but what is important is that we get on with the business of government.”
Naga Munchetty - Do these fines, more than 100, reflect well on this Tory government? Jacob Rees-Mogg - "This is a non story..." #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/7GJAfV3Jdj
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) May 13, 2022
Pressed on whether he had seen that people including bereaved families were “devastated” they had observed the Government’s rules while those in power were breaking them, he said: “I think people were upset.
“I think this was an important story in February when it first became known and that there was great concern, and there was a feeling of people who were bereaved, particularly, about it.”
He added: “We need to look at whether these rules were right in the first place in case we have a pandemic again because I think they were too restrictive.”
The number of partygate fines issued by the Met now stands at more than 100 – with Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak hit with fixed penalty notices in April over a birthday party held for the Prime Minister in No 10’s Cabinet Room in June 2020.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said Johnson broke his own rules on a “record-breaking scale”, adding that “Britain deserves better”.
Johnson’s official spokesperson said following the Met’s update that neither the PM nor Cabinet Secretary Simon Case were among those fined in the latest batch.
The Prime Minister confirmed he was not one of the most recent recipients, nor was his wife, following a Cabinet away day in Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday.
Earlier, ministers dodged questions on whether they still had faith in the PM when asked about the latest development.
Home Secretary Priti Patel failed to say whether or not she still supported Johnson. Health Secretary Sajid Javid also chose not to answer when asked why the PM would not resign, despite Labour leader Keir Starmer’s promise to do so if he is handed a fixed penalty notice over similar allegations.
There have been ongoing calls for the PM to resign over the saga from opposition MPs, as well as his own backbenches, but he has repeatedly said he is determined to get on with the job.
In addition to the Scotland Yard probe and the investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the partygate claims, the PM is facing a third inquiry by the Privileges Committee into whether he misled Parliament with his repeated assurances that Covid rules were followed in No 10.
