The end of partygate? This morning the police have announced that their investigation into alleged Covid breaches in Downing Street has now been completed. The Met say the investigation – which began in January after Sue Gray uncovered evidence of breaches – has led to 126 people facing fines across eight different events.
Even though Johnson has avoided a second fine, it is not yet a matter of case closed.
As part of this, a final batch of fines have been issued. But the Prime Minister is not in that group – he has not received a second fine (after being fined previously for an event involving birthday cake). A spokesperson for Carrie Johnson says she has not been fined and she has been told no further action will be taken against her.
Even though Johnson has avoided a second fine, it is not yet a matter of case closed. The end of the police investigation means the Sue Gray can finally publish her report into wrongdoing in Downing Street over lockdown breaches. Senior officials have previously claimed that its contents are so damning it could lead to Johnson leaving his role. It’s understood that Gray is keen for the report to see the light of day sooner rather than later. It could be published as soon as next week – though it’s not yet clear whether parts will be redacted or some evidence kept private.
For now, MPs are broadly behind Johnson. The only event he has been fined for is the one that is regarded as the least serious: birthday cake between meetings. There is a sense among MPs that he is more likely than not to lead the party into the next election. The event that has worried Conservative MPs most relates to lockdown breaches in the No. 10 flat – the fact that both Johnson and his wife have avoided fines for this, takes some of the pressure off. However, it’s still possible that the Gray report reopens old wounds and leads to fresh questions about Johnson’s ability to lead.
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