Police investigated Boris Johnson ‘over just two of the six parties he attended’

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Partygate police investigated Boris Johnson 'over just two of the six events he attended'

The Prime Minister was allegedly told he would be investigated for two gatherings (Picture: PA)

Boris Johnson was investigated over just two lockdown-breaking gatherings, it has been claimed.

Scotland Yard said yesterday it had issued 126 fines to 83 people in relation to events held at Downing Street and across Whitehall spanning eight separate days.

The Prime Minister received just one fine alongside his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Mr Johnson was told by Scotland Yard he would only be investigated for a total of two lockdown gatherings, the Mirror reports.

The newspaper claims a ‘limited probe’ was carried out by police as part of the four-month inquiry.

Only two of the alleged six rule-breaking events were investigated – Mr Johnson’s birthday gathering on June 19, 2020 and a so-called ‘Abba party’ at his official Downing Street flat on November 13, 2020.

Downing Street declined to comment when approached by the Mirror.

The conclusion of the £460,000 Scotland Yard investigation comes a week before the publication of Sue Gray’s long-awaited report into the events held at No 10 and Whitehall.

epa09855995 Ukraine tributes are placed on the windows of 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 28 March 2022. The conflict in Ukraine has been a distraction from the mounting pressure and criticism Boris Johnson was under over 'partygate'. Only five or six weeks ago British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting for his job over allegations of lockdown parties at Downing Street. EPA/ANDY RAIN

Only two lockdown-breaking gatherings were investigated, it has been claimed (Picture: EPA)
The Prime Minister received just one fine alongside his wife Carrie and Rishi Sunak (Picture: AFP)

Sources say the Prime Minister will have to respond to what the interim report brands ‘failures of leadership and judgment’ that allowed rule-breaking gatherings to take place.

A Government spokesman said: ‘As we set out earlier in the year, steps are being taken to further strengthen the operation of both No 10 and the Cabinet Office so they are best placed to deliver for the public now and in the future.

‘Work to deliver these plans is ongoing.’

Downing Street said Mr Johnson will ‘talk in more detail’ about the scandal after the report is published.

The prime minister has been urged to resign over the scandal (Picture: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)
Sue Gray is expected to publish her report next week (Picture: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/REX)

One veteran Tory MP said the threat of the official’s report and the current trouble over the Northern Ireland Protocol meant Mr Johnson was still not safe from a possible coup and no-confidence vote.

Sir Roger Gale, a critic of the Prime Minister, told Channel 4 News: ‘I don’t think he is by any means out of the woods.

‘I still feel that there is a likelihood of a leadership challenge mounted before the summer recess.’

Yesterday, Acting Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball said police had carried out a ‘thorough and impartial’ investigation.

She said: ‘When Covid regulations were introduced, the Met was clear that whilst we would not routinely investigate breaches of regulations retrospectively, there may be occasions when it would be appropriate to do so.

‘The information that we received with regard to the alleged breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall was sufficient to reach our criteria to begin such an investigation.

‘Our investigation was thorough and impartial and was completed as quickly as we could, given the amount of information that needed to be reviewed and the importance of ensuring that we had strong evidence for each FPN referral.

‘This investigation is now complete.’

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