On the same day that Tory MPs gathered for an all-parliamentary team-bonding dinner to boost morale, Scotland Yard announced that 20 fixed penalty notices will be issued in the first batch of fines for Covid-breaches in 10 Downing Street. The timing wasn’t exactly encouraging given the dinner was planned as a way to help mend ties between No. 10 and MPs. The event follows a fractious few months with the Owen Paterson debacle (which saw No. 10’s botched attempt to spare the former Tory MP a suspension over a lobbying breach) and partygate.
Not that the issue of the rule of law came up when around 250 MPs dined at Westminster’s Park Plaza Hotel last night. Instead, Boris Johnson used his address to joke about his fortunes while the after dinner speaker Gyles Brandreth tried to offer advice to MPs on how to avoid his own fate – losing a seat after one term. Despite the day’s news, inside the venue the mood was pretty jovial according to those present.
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