Police probing alleged lockdown breaches at Downing Street

LONDON • British police will investigate alleged lockdown breaches at Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Downing Street residence after receiving evidence from an internal government probe into a series of such gatherings.

Mr Johnson yesterday welcomed the Metropolitan Police probe into the alleged lockdown parties, and said it would help to draw a line under the issue.

An internal investigation is being carried out by a senior civil servant, and the findings have been shared with the police, "so I welcome the Met's decision to conduct its own investigation because I believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters", he told Parliament.

Mr Johnson, who in 2019 won the biggest Conservative majority in more than 30 years, is fighting for his political survival after a stream of leaks revealed that his staff held parties in 2020, during the toughest peacetime rules imposed in Britain.

New allegations emerged late on Monday that he broke the Covid-19 lockdown rules he imposed by attending a surprise birthday party in Downing Street when social gatherings indoors were banned.

ITV reported that Mr Johnson attended a surprise party on his birthday, June 19. Up to 30 people were at the event in the Cabinet Room of No. 10, his office and residence, ITV said.

The Prime Minister was presented with a cake while his then fiancee Carrie, now his wife, led staff in a chorus of happy birthday, ITV said.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Grant Shapps said he understood voter concerns about such reports but added that Mr Johnson clearly did not organise it such that he would be given a birthday cake.

"I understand the sense of concern about the sort of reports we see on the front of the newspapers," Mr Shapps told Sky News. "Mistakes were made."

He added: "Just to be clear, the Prime Minister clearly didn't organise to be given a cake; some people came forward and thought it would be appropriate on his birthday to present a cake."

Mr Johnson has given a variety of explanations about the previous allegations of parties: first he said no rules had been broken but then he apologised to the British people for the apparent hypocrisy of such gatherings.

That added to a long list of alleged lockdown breaches in Downing Street, including one "bring your own booze" party which Mr Johnson has said he attended thinking it was a work event.

London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said yesterday: "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."

A statement from the government's Cabinet Office said its investigation, being carried out by senior official Sue Gray, was continuing and there was ongoing contact with the Metropolitan Police.

Media reports suggested the publication of her report could be delayed however. It had been expected this week.

Reported revelry at Downing Street throughout Britain's multiple coronavirus lockdowns includes boozy staff parties, suitcases of supermarket wine, a broken children's swing, a wine fridge and jokes by staff about how to present such parties to reporters.

The scandal has seen Mr Johnson's Conservative Party fall far behind the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has repeated his call for Mr Johnson to step down, saying: "This is yet more evidence that we have got a prime minister who believes that the rules that he made don't apply to him.

"We cannot afford to go on with this chaotic, rudderless government. The prime minister is a national distraction and he's got to go."

REUTERS