UK answers whether ‘Partygate’ fines will be made public
The prime minister’s spokesman made no guarantees that the fines for the lockdown-busting parties at Number 10 in 2020 and 2021 will be announced to the general public.
During a regular Westminster briefing, the spokesman told journalists that it was for the Metropolitan Police who are in charge of the ‘Partygate’ case to decide whether to make any of this information public.
“It will be the Met that sets out what they see fit at the conclusion of their work and I would not seek to set out what that may or may not be,” he was quoted as saying by Sky News.
The police have said that the names of those punished for breaching Covid regulations aren’t usually revealed.
Labour party deputy leader Angela Rayner has criticized this decision on social media, stating that the public has the “right to know” if the PM was found guilty of having committed a public offense.
“Number 10 said they would publish the full report. They cannot be allowed to backtrack or hide the results of the police investigation,” she concluded on Twitter.
I can't believe this needs saying. The public have a right to know if the Prime Minister is found to have committed an offence by the police. Number 10 said they would publish the full report. They cannot be allowed to backtrack or hide the results of the police investigation. https://t.co/s7POt2y5jR
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) February 1, 2022
The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating a total of 12 events that allegedly took place in 2020 and 2021 while Covid-19 restrictions were in place nationwide. These occurrences include the prime minister’s birthday on 19 June 2020.
The police have reported that they have gathered a total of 300 photos and 500 paper documents related to the allegations.
Another four events that allegedly took place at Number 10, in the prime minister’s office and residence from May to December 2020 have been investigated by senior civil servant Sue Gray. Her initial report on the case was revealed on Monday, and it stated that these gatherings were “difficult to justify.”
The Downing Street spokesman commented on Monday that the prime minister will ask Gray to “update her report” with new information when the Metropolitan Police investigation is completed, after which it will be published.
