Met Police makes final ruling on allegations of Covid rule breaches

08 December 2023 , 15:55

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The force said it has now finished 'all assessments or investigations by the Met into alleged breaches of Covid regulations' (Image: PA)

The Metrpolitan Police has announced they had concluded all their investigations into allegations of Covid breaches.

In a statement Scotland Yard said it had closed a probe into a December 2020 event in Parliament after finding it did not meet the threshold for fixed penalty notices.

The gathering was said to have been arranged by Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing to celebrate the birthdays of Tory MP Virginia Crosbie and peer Baroness Anne Jenkin while London was in Tier 2 measures that restricted indoor socialising.

Ms Crosbie has previously apologised for attending the event, saying: "The invitation for this event was not sent out by me. I attended the event briefly, I did not drink and I did not celebrate my birthday. I went home shortly after to be with my family. I apologise unreservedly for a momentary error of judgment in attending the event."

The Met said officers "assessed the available information and concluded it did not meet the threshold for the referral of any fixed penalty notices" and there would be no further action.

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They added: "Our approach to the assessments of these allegations has been consistent throughout. The individuals affected have been told there will be no further action. "This now concludes all assessments or investigations by the Met into alleged breaches of Covid regulations".

Last year Boris Johnson became the first sitting PM to break the law after being fined over a gathering in the Cabinet Room for his 56th birthday on 19 June 2020. His wife Carrie and the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak were also issued fixed penalty notices for attending the Partygate event.

In October police also fined 24 people over a lockdown-busting Christmas bash in Tory HQ after the Mirror published bombshell video footage. Dubbed the "Jingle and Mingle" event it showed aides dancing, drinking and laughing in December 2020 when socialising was banned in many parts of the country including London.

Ashley Cowburn