Police to question Boris over Downing St parties

If police decide Johnson has no reasonable excuse for attending six parties, he faces a criminal penalty and the end to his premiership.

Boris Johnson is expected to be among 50 people in Downing Street who will be questioned by police over lockdown-breaching parties.

Detectives will begin sending formal questionnaires at the end of the week asking about their participation in 12 alleged parties.

The prime minister attended six of the events. They included a “bring your own booze” No 10 garden party, a gathering to celebrate his 56th birthday in the Cabinet Room and an alleged party in his flat to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings, who was his chief adviser. He also attended three leaving parties.

Policing sources said that Johnson was likely to be questioned over his involvement in the events. The questionnaires have “formal legal status” and those receiving them will be required to answer truthfully. The answers can be treated as written statements made under caution.

The recipients of the letters will have seven days to provide an “account and explanation” of their involvement. If detectives consider that there is no “reasonable excuse” a fixed penalty notice of up to £200 can be issued.

The prime minister’s allies have said that he will stay on at No 10 even if he is found to have broken the law. Johnson has repeatedly denied breaching Covid regulations, including in the Commons. He has, however, committed himself to disclosing whether he has been fined by the police.

A senior Conservative MP said that those who believed that the prime minister could survive were “deluded”, adding: “We are supposed to be the party of law and order. We can’t have a prime minister who has received a criminal penalty. A criminal penalty in any normal world should be the end.”

The announcement last night by the Metropolitan Police overshadowed Johnson’s attempts to overhaul No 10 with a mini-reshuffle.

He faced further questions yesterday after the Daily Mirror obtained a photograph of him attending a virtual Christmas quiz in front of a table with an open bottle of champagne. One of the colleagues in the picture with him was wearing a Santa hat, while another had tinsel draped around his neck. The Met said yesterday that it was reviewing its decision not to investigate that event, which took place on December 15, 2020, when Tier 2 lockdown restrictions were in place.

Labour has asked Scotland Yard to investigate the prime minister over the funding of the renovation of his Downing Street flat after its lawyers claimed there was a “reasonable suspicion” it had broken anti-bribery laws. Labour said that the prime minister may have acted improperly by linking a request for funds to cover the refurbishment of the flat with a promise to “promote a project” supported by a Conservative donor. Scotland Yard said that it would make “an appropriate response in due course”.

The force said that more people could be contacted if they were identified as having taken part in an event that potentially breached the Covid regulations. Police are also investigating two leaving parties held on April 16 last year on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.

The Met said: “It should be noted that being contacted does not mean a fixed penalty notice will necessarily be issued to that person. Nevertheless, if following an investigation officers believe it is appropriate because the Covid regulations have been breached without a reasonable excuse, a fixed-penalty notice will normally be issued.”

The fine during the pandemic was £200 but it was lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days. Partygoers will be asked if they had a “reasonable excuse” to attend. If anyone ignores the letters, or declines to pay, the Met will make a decision on whether to prosecute based on the evidence it has gathered.

A fixed-penalty notice is not a criminal conviction but it may be recorded on the Police National Computer, which means that it could come up for advanced checks.

Johnson was asked about the photograph of him in front of a bottle of champagne at prime minister’s questions. Fabian Hamilton, a Labour MP, said: “It looks a lot like one of the Christmas parties he told us never happened. Will the prime minister be referring this party to the police?” Johnson responded: “In what he has said he is completely in error.”

The Times