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Police to investigate Downing Street lockdown parties | |
(32 minutes later) | |
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Watch Dame Cressida Dick announce the Met Police's investigation into No 10 lockdown parties | Watch Dame Cressida Dick announce the Met Police's investigation into No 10 lockdown parties |
The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into parties held in No 10 during the coronavirus pandemic. | The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into parties held in No 10 during the coronavirus pandemic. |
Commissioner Cressida Dick said they were looking into "potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations" in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020. | Commissioner Cressida Dick said they were looking into "potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations" in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020. |
She said the investigation was launched as a "result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team", led by civil servant Sue Gray. | She said the investigation was launched as a "result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team", led by civil servant Sue Gray. |
The Cabinet Office said Ms Gray's own inquiry would continue. | The Cabinet Office said Ms Gray's own inquiry would continue. |
But the BBC understands the report will not be published while the Met are investigating, and it is not clear how long the force will take. | |
The news comes after fresh allegations of a birthday party being held for the prime minister in June 2020. | |
Birthday celebration for PM sparks new party row | |
Analysis: Birthday claims add to PM's political baggage | |
Sue Gray report: What exactly is she looking at? | |
Downing Street has admitted that staff gathered inside No 10 to celebrate Boris Johnson's birthday when the first Covid lockdown was still in place. | Downing Street has admitted that staff gathered inside No 10 to celebrate Boris Johnson's birthday when the first Covid lockdown was still in place. |
But ministers have disputed the number of people attending, and called for "patience" while Ms Gray's inquiry is carried out to establish the facts. | But ministers have disputed the number of people attending, and called for "patience" while Ms Gray's inquiry is carried out to establish the facts. |
'Deep concern' | |
Dame Cressida made the announcement about the police investigation while facing questions from the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee on Tuesday. | |
She said she understood the "deep public concern" about the allegations of parties inside No 10, along with the "huge sacrifices" the public had made during the pandemic. | |
And she said it would "not normally be a proportionate use of time" for the force to investigate rule breaches as far back as two years. | |
But the commissioner said the police would look at allegations that "appeared to be the most serious and flagrant breach" of regulations. | |
She added: "As a result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office and secondly officers' own assessments, I can confirm the Met is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of Covid 19 regulations." | |
The first thing is to have a sense of proportion. | The first thing is to have a sense of proportion. |
When you hear the words, "Met Police, investigation, criminal, Downing Street", that sounds incredibly dramatic. | |
This is a big development in this story, but we are talking about the potential issuing of fixed penalty notices - fines - not about big criminal trials or people going to prison. | |
So it is important to keep that sense of perspective. | So it is important to keep that sense of perspective. |
There are also lots of things we don't know about this police investigation. | There are also lots of things we don't know about this police investigation. |
We don't know how many of these high-profile parties are now being investigated and crucially we don't know if they were parties attended by the prime minister. | |
We also don't know if the prime minister is in the frame for being interviewed by the police. | |
So, lots of unanswered questions, but it means this row is going to rumble on at a much higher volume for a lot longer. |