THE Prime Minister has been fined for failing to wear a seatbelt while filming a social media clip in the back of a moving car.
Rishi Sunak previously apologised for the “brief error of judgment” as he carried out a series of visits in Lancashire on Thursday.
It is the second time the Prime Minister has been fined while holding a Government position.
He was fined for attending an illegal lockdown party last year following an investigation by the Met Police.
At the time, Boris Johnson was also fined, making him the first serving prime minister to be punished for breaking the law while in office. The latest news means Sunak is the second.
The Tory leader was spotted not wearing his seatbelt in an Instagram video he filmed to promote levelling-up funding during a visit to the North of England.
Lancashire Police said: “You will be aware that a video has been circulating on social media showing an individual failing to wear a seat belt while a passenger in a moving car in Lancashire.
“After looking into this matter, we have today (Friday, January 20) issued a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of fixed penalty.”
Downing Street has so far declined to comment on the latest development.
Earlier on Friday, No 10 said Sunak “fully accepts this was a mistake and apologises”.
A No 10 spokesman said “of course” the Prime Minister does not believe anyone is above the law, adding that he “believes it is important for people to wear their seatbelt”.
“It was an error of judgment, he removed it for a short period of time to film a clip, which you’ve seen, but he accepts that was a mistake,” the spokesman added.
There are a few exemptions for failing to wear a belt, including when a car is being used for police, fire and rescue services and for certified medical issues.
Downing Street said it did not believe there is an exception for travelling in a ministerial car.
Daisy Cooper, the LibDems' deputy leader, said: "Rishi Sunak has shown the same disregard for the rules as Boris Johnson, and now becomes the second ever prime minister to be fined by the police.
“From partygate to seatbelt gate, these Conservative politicians are just taking the British people for fools.
“Whilst they continue to behave as though it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else, this fine is a reminder that the Conservatives eventually get their comeuppance.”
Chris McEleny, the Alba Party's general secretary, said: “We have had three prime ministers in the past twelve months that Scotland didn’t vote for.
"One Prime Minister resigned on the back of party gate, the second crashed the economy and now the current Prime Minister has been handed his second police fine in a year.
“The UK Government is a global laughing stock, Rishi Sunak didn’t even travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos because he couldn’t secure a speaking slot at it.
“However, for Scots the real criminal act is that hundreds of thousands of households are living in fuel poverty in our energy rich land.
"It’s time to send Rishi Sunak more than just a fine, it’s time he was put on notice that enough is enough, it’s time for independence.”
