NEW alleged breaches of Covid rules in the corridors of power during lockdown are being probed by the Metropolitan Police, the force has confirmed.
In a revival of the partygate scandal, police in London confirmed on Monday they were investigating a number of alleged breaches said to have taken place in 2020 and 2021.
These include material referred by the Cabinet Office to the Met and Thames Valley Police regarding potential breaches between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street and the prime ministerial country getaway house at Chequers.
The Independent reported these events are understood to have been logged in Boris Johnson’s diaries which were being reviewed ahead of the Covid-19 inquiry, which began last week.
The probe is also looking into claims reported by the news site Guido Fawkes that Bernard Jenkins, one of the MPs on the committee which found Johnson guilty of lying to parliament, broke lockdown rules by attending a drinks party in Parliament during lockdown.
Police will also investigate footage which appeared to show Tory staff partying shortly before Christmas in 2020. The BBC reported on Monday attendees were sent an invite for the event, which christened it a “jingle and mingle” party for failed Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey.
The Mirror, which broke the story of the party, also published video said to be of the event appearing to show attendees dancing and joking about the Covid rules, with one person heard to say: ““As long as we don’t stream that we’re, like, bending the rules.”
Investigations will only be launched retrospectively into alleged breaches where there is “evidence of a serious and flagrant breach”, the force said.
