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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Laura Webster

More than 100 fines now issued over partygate, Met Police reveal

A police officer on Downing Street. Photograph: PA

THE Metropolitan Police has said more than 100 fines have now been issued over breaches of coronavirus regulations in Whitehall and Downing Street.

The latest revelation from the force means more than 50 have been dished out since the previous update, when the total stood at 50.

The force said: “As of Thursday May 12, Operation Hillman, the investigation into breaches of Covid-19 regulations in Whitehall and Downing Street, has made more than 100 referrals for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to the ACRO Criminal Records Office.

“These referrals have continued to be made throughout the period since our last update on Tuesday April 12 and the investigation remains live.”

It is understood that Boris Johnson has not received another fine, but the police investigation continues.

Downing Street previously said they would tell the public if he had.

Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were hit with fixed penalty notices in April over a birthday party held for the Prime Minister in the Cabinet Room in Number 10 in June 2020.

Johnson previously said it “did not occur” to him the gathering to mark his 56th birthday was a violation of coronavirus rules, but that he “now humbly accepts” he did breach Covid-19 laws.

Responding to the latest news about the fines, the SNP's Westminster deputy leader Kirsten Oswald MP said: "The sheer scale of law-breaking is staggering. 

"With more than a 100 fines now issued by the Met Police over lockdown-breaking parties, Downing Street may well be one of the biggest law-breaking venues in the UK.

"It's beyond any doubt that while people made difficult sacrifices and followed the rules to look out for each other, Boris Johnson and his Tory colleagues believed the rules they set didn't apply to them as they laughed and partied away.

"People are being hammered by a Tory-made cost-of-living crisis and the reality is that the Prime Minister and his Chancellor are too consumed by scandals to get on with the day job.

"Boris Johnson should have resigned a long time ago over the law-breaking parties - it is beyond shameful that he continues to desperately cling on."

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