The Met says it’s statement from last week still stands. ie there is insufficient evidence to investigate
The Metropolitan Police have said that they will not be investigating claims of Christmas Parties being held in Downing Street last year in breach of Covid rules, despite photographic evidence of the prime minister hosting a Christmas quiz which is alleged to have broken the rules.
It comes after Boris Johnson was personally accused of breaking Covid regulations by hosting a Christmas quiz in No10 last year. Exclusive images released by the Mirror show the prime minister sitting underneath a portrait of Margaret Thatcher as he read out questions.
A source told the paper that ‘many staff huddled by computers, conferring on questions and knocking back fizz, wine and beer from a local Tesco Metro’. The event is said to have taken place on December 15.
It comes after Johnson ordered a probe into reports of an illegal Christmas party being held in Downing Street last year in breach of Covid regulations. The prime minister continued to insist that no such party had taken place, despite leaked footage emerging of Downing Street staff joking about a boozy together.
There were calls for the Met Police to investigate the allegations, however the force said that there was an “absence of evidence” and it had a policy not to investigate retrospective breaches of coronavirus regulations.
Yet now that the photo of the Christmas quiz in Downing Street has emerged, the Met is still refusing to investigate.
ITV’s Paul Brand tweeted: “The Metropolitan Police say that despite photographic evidence of the PM potentially breaking social distancing rules by hosting a Christmas quiz they still do not intend to investigate claims of Christmas parties in Downing Street at this time.
“The Met says it’s statement from last week still stands. ie there is insufficient evidence to investigate and police do not look retrospectively at Covid breaches.”
One social media user wrote in response: “But there are people in the courts right now accused of breaking coronavirus regulations. They are retrospective cases.
“Just as it one rule for Downing St officials and another for the rest of us, is it one rule for the Met police and another for all other police forces?
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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