Boris Johnson’s allies have been warned off seeking to put pressure on Scotland Yard to give the Prime Minister “special treatment” during its probe into the partygate scandal.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said reports that senior allies of Boris Johnson are pressuring the police to give the Prime Minister special treatment over rule-breaking were reprehensible.
He spoke out after a senior ally of Johnson told The Times that the Metropolitan Police will need to be “very certain” that he had broken lockdown rules before issuing him with a fixed penalty notice.
The source added: “There is inevitably a degree of discretion here. Do you want the Met Police deciding who the Prime Minister is?”
Blackford said: “Boris Johnson must distance himself from this extraordinary threat to the police.
“It beggars belief that the Tories think the Prime Minister should get special treatment - or find a loophole, within a technicality, to wriggle off the hook."
“Going down either path would do serious and lasting damage to any remaining public trust in the UK government.”
Blackford added: “No one is above the law, not even Boris Johnson - no matter what he might believe. He’s been caught red-handed breaking the rules, lying, and misleading Parliament. He is not fit for office - and if he won’t resign, then Tory MPs must remove him.”
Pressure is mounting on No 10 to make clear it will have no direct involvement in the choice of the next Met Police commissioner following the resignation of Cressida Dick.
The Home Secretary Priti Patel will appoint Dick’s successor, in consultation with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, but given that the Met is currently investigating Downing Street lockdown parties questions are being raised over political influence on the inquiry.
Sir Bob Neill, Conservative chairman of the Commons justice committee, stressed that “any suggestion of political pressure on the police is completely reprehensible”.
Neill, a senior Tory MP, said it was “completely inappropriate to suggest that there should be any special treatment for anyone involved in these inquiries and any suggestion of political pressure on the police is completely reprehensible”, adding that No.10 “would do well to disown it”.
Cressida Dick will stay on as Met Commissioner for a short time while a replacement is found while Operation Hillman, the Scotland Yard investigation into lockdown breaches in Downing Street may be complete within weeks.
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