Covid: Met Police to investigate alleged lockdown parties in Downing Street, Cressida Dick confirms

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said on Tuesday that officers were now investigating after being passed information from the Sue Gray inquiry.

The move plunges Boris Johnson into deeper jeopardy ahead of the publication of the investigation by Ms Gray, a senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office.

Dame Cressida told the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee: ‘We have a long-established and effective working relationship with the Cabinet Office, who have an investigative capability.

‘As you well know they have been carrying out an investigation over the last few weeks.

‘What I can tell you this morning is that as a result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team and, secondly, my officers’ own assessment, I can confirm that 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.’

She added: ‘The fact that we are now investigating does not, of course, mean that fixed penalty notices will necessarily be issued in every instance and to every person involved.

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‘We will not be giving a running commentary on our current investigations.’

But there will be updates at ‘significant points’, she added.

She said ‘several other events’ that appeared to have taken place in Downing Street and Whitehall had also been assessed, but they were not thought to have reached the threshold for criminal investigation.

It comes after Downing Street admitted that Boris Johnson attended a surprise birthday party during lockdown.

ITV News reported the Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, had organised the surprise get-together complete with a chorus of ‘happy birthday’ on the afternoon of June 19 2020.

Interior designer Lulu Lytle admitted attending but insisted she was only present ‘briefly’ while waiting to talk to Mr Johnson about the lavish refurbishments she was carrying out to the couple’s flat above No 11.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: ‘A group of staff working in No 10 that day gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room after a meeting to wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday. He was there for less than 10 minutes.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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