Boris Johnson has escaped more Partygate fines after the Met Police finally finished its investigation into lockdown gatherings.
Scotland Yard revealed it is dishing out 126 fines for events held in No10 and Whitehall.
Yet despite dozens of aides receiving fines the Prime Minister, who was at many of the same events, was told by police that he would not.
Mr Johnson became the first sitting PM to be found to have broken the law last month when he was fined over his lockdown birthday party.
The Mirror understands that his wife, Carrie Johnson, has also not received a second fine while Cabinet Secretary Simon Case has not received any at all.
Labour ’s Lord Blunkett branded the police announcement “murky” because it was unclear how the PM managed to avoid being fined when people at the same events were given penalties.
And while Tory MPs' calls for him to quit will subside, the PM is not out of the woods yet as Sue Gray will deliver her report on Partygate, likely next week.
So what has happened today, what comes next - and what does it mean for Keir Starmer? Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Partygate latest news?
The Met Police has finished a four-month investigation into Covid lockdown breaches at 12 parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Officers studied 510 photos along with CCTV, emails, door logs, diary entries, witness statements, and 204 questionnaires.
The fines relate to between eight and 12 events, out of the 12 that were probed by police.
It’s unclear because the 12 events happened on eight dates - and the Met only clarified the number of dates, not events.
Now the investigation is over, Whitehall ethics chief Sue Gray can publish a second, more detailed report into the parties and the culture in government.
This report is expected next week and will be followed by a statement from Boris Johnson to Parliament.
How many Downing Street party fines were given out?
Officers dished out 126 fines to 83 people for at least eight events. Of those 83 people, 28 got multiple fines - at least one person received FIVE fines.
For the gender breakdown, 53 fines were issued to 35 men and 73 fines were given to 48 women.
This makes Downing Street the most heavily-fined workplace in the country over Covid.
Has Boris Johnson been fined over Partygate?
Boris Johnson was already fined £50 over a birthday party in his honour on 19 June 2020, where there was cake and beer.
But now police have informed the Prime Minister he will face no further action.
This raised eyebrows, because we know fines were issued for between four and six events Boris Johnson attended.
Carrie Johnson has also not been issued with a further fine, beyond the birthday. This is despite claims she hosted an ‘Abba party’ in the No10 flat on 13 November 2020.
We don’t know whether anyone at the Abba party was fined. We only know fines were issued for 13 November - and there were two events on the same night.
Rishi Sunak, who was fined for the birthday party, will also not face further action.
And top civil servant Simon Case - who quit his role leading the probe after a party was held in his office - has not been fined at all.
How did he 'get away with it'?
Covid laws expert Adam Wagner said the PM likely avoided sanction for the 20 May 2020 ‘bring your own booze’ garden party because of a loophole.
The fines were for “being outside of the place where you were living”, and the garden counted as his home.
But for the other parties the PM attended, the fines were for gatherings indoors so it’s not clear how the PM escaped a fine.
Mr Wagner told Sky News: “I don’t really understand how he can participate in what were deemed to be illegal gatherings unless, for each one, the people who stayed on later did something different and were fined for that reason.”
Labour peer Lord Blunkett told the BBC : “I suspect some people had good legal advice and others didn’t have access to it.
“I think there’s a murky back story to what has happened.
“I’m sorry if that is the case because some people have been very badly hurt by it whilst others are walking away.”
Police and No10 refused to confirm details. But we know Boris Johnson was arguing his presence was reasonably necessary for work.
Asked if the PM was “relieved”, Boris Johnson’s spokesman replied: “He’s pleased the investigation has concluded.”
Asked if the PM “feels like he’s got away with it,” the spokesman replied: “He thanks the Met for their work on this.”
What happens now in the Partygate saga?
All eyes will now turn on Sue Gray’s report into parties during lockdown in Downing Street and Whitehall.
The ethics chief, a senjor civil servant, is expected to deliver a follow-up report with damning verdicts on the culture in No10 next week.
Once it is received by Downing Street, it will be published almost immediately.
No10 said it expects to publish the report in the same form it is received by Downing Street - warts (and even photos?) and all.
But it’s quite possible Sue Gray will omit any sensitive or personal data from the report before it’s sent to No10 in the first place.
Meanwhile there is a Privileges Committee probe into whether the PM misled Parliament over the saga, but any result is likely months away.
What is the Sue Gray report?
Sue Gray is the former long-serving Director General for Propriety and Ethics in the Cabinet Office.
She took over the probe into 16 No10 and Whitehall parties from Cabinet Secretary Simon Case after a party was held in his office.
In January, Ms Gray published an interim report which blasted “failures of leadership and judgment” in No10.
However, this was only an interim report with few details because she handed most of her material to police to start an investigation.
The second report could be much more damning.
Ms Gray has no power to censure the Prime Minister but her report could lead to political pressure against him.
Will there be a Tory leadership contest?
The fact Boris Johnson faces no more fines is a big boost to his chances of survival, and at least one MP told ITV they’d withdraw their no confidence letter.
The only chance of a leadership contest is if the Sue Gray report is so damning of the Prime Minister personally that 54 Tory MPs sign no-confidence letters.
Even then, around 180 MPs would have to vote him out of office to trigger a full-blown leadership contest.
However, that’s just for now. If two crunch June by-elections - in marginal Wakefield and Lib Dem challenger seat Tiverton and Honiton - go badly it could spark fresh recriminations. And of course, voters could yet punish the Tories at the ballot box in the 2024 general election.
What does it all mean for Keir Starmer and Beergate?
Keir Starmer is still under investigation for having a curry and a beer with Labour activists during election campaigning in April 2021.
That probe is being carried out by Durham Police so has no connection to the Met’s Partygate investigation, and could reach very different conclusions.
However, Labour peer Lord Blunkett said the result for Boris Johnson suggests Keir Starmer is less likely to be fined for ‘Beergate’.
He told the BBC’s Politics Live: “If Boris Johnson’s not been fined for other work-related activities that involved food and drink, then it’s very difficult to see Keir Starmer could possibly receive a fixed penalty notice.
“But it is in the hands of the Durham Police.”
Keir Starmer has said he’ll resign if he’s fined or found to have broken the law.
Which events have police fined people over?
Six of the 12 events, the ones marked with an asterisk (*), were said to have been attended by Boris Johnson.
- 20 May 2020: BYOB party in No10 garden*
- 18 June 2020: Karaoke leaving do for No10 official Hannah Young
- 19 June 2020: Boris Johnson's birthday party*
- 13 November 2020: Either the 'Abba Party' in the No10 flat,* or a leaving do for spin chief Lee Cain*, or both - Scotland Yard didn't say.
- 17 December 2020: Either leaving do for Covid rules chief Kate Josephs, or leaving do for Cpt Steve Higham*, or Christmas quiz in civil service chief Simon Case's office, or all three - Scotland Yard didn't say.
- 18 December 2020: Downing Street Christmas party first revealed by the Mirror
- 14 January 2021: 'Prosecco-fuelled' leaving bash for No10 officials*
- 16 April 2021: Riotous leaving dos in No10 on eve of Prince Philip's funeral
