Tory peer Shaun Bailey takes House of Lords seat despite Partygate police probe
Partygate peer Shaun Bailey took his seat in the Lords today after snubbing calls to give up the gong.
The Tory London mayoral flop, 52, accepted a coveted spot on the Upper Chamber’s red leather benches despite demands he should wait until police complete a probe into a lockdown “Jingle and Mingle” bash held by his campaign team and which he attended.
Wearing ermine robes and escorted by Black Rod Sarah Clarke, Independent peer Baroness Clare Fox and Conservative peer Lord Stuart Polak, he was formally "introduced" as Baron Bailey of Paddington just after 2.40pm and swore the oath of allegiance, his left hand across his breast. He then bowed to and shook hands with Lord Speaker Lord McFall.
Scotland Yard reopened their inquiry into the boozy Christmas 2020 gathering at Conservative Party headquarters after the Mirror published a bombshell video of the event last month.
Mr Bailey previously claimed he "toodled off" to appear on BBC Newsnight before the party was in full swing. He was awarded a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours - and today appeared in the Lords for the first time.
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The Lib Dems’ leader in the Upper House, Lord Newby, fumed: “It beggars belief that Shaun Bailey is being allowed to take up his seat in the House of Lords, despite an ongoing police investigation into a potential law-breaking party by his mayoral campaign. Rishi Sunak refused to step in and stop Boris Johnson’s Partygate honours list, showing just how weak he is.
Baron Bailey of Paddington was sworn in this afternoon (Parliment TV)“The very least Sunak could do now is withdraw the Conservative whip from Bailey while this police investigation takes place. Anything less would show that yet again it’s one rule for Conservative politicians and another for everyone else.”
London Assembly Member Mr Bailey refused to comment when confronted by the Mirror this month about the new police probe into the bash he attended. Officers examined the December 2020 party last year and decided to take no further action.
They reopened the investigation this month after footage released by the Mirror showed people dancing and laughing at Covid rules. Indoor socialising was banned at the time. Mr Bailey, who was at the gathering in Central London with Tory aides, insists he left the event before the scenes were filmed.
The Mirror tracked down the Conservative politician to City Hall two weeks ago to grill him about the new police inquiry. Our reporter asked the one-time mayoral hopeful if he thought it was acceptable that he was awarded a peerage by shamed ex-PM Pal Mr Johnson.
A picture showed 24 revellers, including Mr Bailey, as he was thenMr Bailey insisted: “That’s for other people to decide” before waltzing back inside. He has previously apologised “unreservedly” for the party and said he was “very upset” to see the footage. He claimed the event “obviously turned into something once I’d left – I didn’t realise that”.
His peerage was rubber-stamped by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. But it is unclear if the watchdog would have backed Mr Bailey’s elevation to the Lords if the police probe had been under way at the time it considered his nomination.
Mr Bailey, who could claim a £332 per day attendance allowance on top of travel expenses, could have refused to accept the seat.
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