PM hands in partygate questionnaire to the police
Boris Johnson faces looming reckoning on Partygate as he hands in questionnaire about ‘lockdown-busting Downing Street gatherings’ to police
Boris Johnson has handed in to police his legal questionnaire about Partygate No, 10 confirmed the Prime Minister has complied with a Metropolitan Police Downing Street has previously said his responses will not be made public
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Boris Johnson is facing a looming reckoning on Partygate after he handed in to police his legal questionnaire regarding claims that lockdown-busting parties were held in Downing Street.
The Prime Minister has complied with a Metropolitan Police request for his answers to be submitted within a week of receiving the form last Friday, No 10 has confirmed.
Mr Johnson is expected to argue that he believed all the functions he attended were essential for work, but Downing Street has insisted the document will not be made public.
Officers involved with Operation Hillman, which is examining whether Covid restrictions were broken in Downing Street and across Whitehall, sent formal questionnaires to approximately 50 people as they look into the details of alleged Covid rule-breaking.
Boris Johnson has handed in to police his legal questionnaire regarding claims that lockdown-busting parties were held in Downing Street
Cabinet Office official Sue Gray carried out a probe into claims of lockdown breaches at the top of Government but has only published an interim report while she waits for the police investigation to be completed.
Out of 16 events Ms Gray reviewed, police are investigating 12 of them, including as many as six that the Prime Minister is reported to have attended.
Mr Johnson is believed to have attended as many as six of the parties being investigating by the Metropolitan Police.
One such party was allegedly organised by Carrie Johnson in the official Downing Street residence on November 13, 2020.
Another was the ‘bring your own booze’ garden which took place during the first lockdown in May 2020.
No 10 confirmed last week that the Prime Minister had received the legal form from Metropolitan Police officers and said he would ‘respond as required’.
A No 10 spokesman said: ‘We can confirm the Prime Minister has received a questionnaire from the Metropolitan Police. He will respond as required.’
It comes as a union representing civil servants said it had pushed for officials involved in the investigation to be able to consult notes on the evidence they gave to the Sue Gray inquiry to help inform their Met Q&A.
One of the parties under investigation is the ‘bring your own booze’ garden in May 2020 (pictured)
Cabinet Office official Sue Gray carried out a probe into claims of lockdown breaches at the top of Government but has only published an interim report
Dave Penman, general secretary of the Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA), said the decision to allow the notes to be viewed followed a bid by the union, which represents senior and middle management public servants.
‘To be clear, this has been agreed following a request from us, the FDA, their trade union,’ he tweeted.
‘They will only be able to see what they said in their own interview, to assist them in completing the questionnaires from the Metropolitan Police, who have raised no objection to this.’
It was revealed today that Downing Street staff, including the PM, have been offered the opportunity to see what they told the original Sue Gray Partygate inquiry before they respond to the police questionnaire.
ITV News reported that Ms Gray sent a letter to staff yesterday which said they could have ‘limited access’ to interview notes taken during the Cabinet Office probe.
However, people will only be able to view notes on the evidence they themselves gave which means staff will not be able to ask to see what others may or may not have said about their conduct.
The viewing of the notes will be subject to strict rules, with people not allowed to bring any legal representative with them while phones and laptops will be banned.
People will also not be permitted to ‘challenge, suggest changes or amendments to the notes or otherwise challenge their contents’.
No. 10 confirmed the Prime Minister has complied with a Metropolitan Police request for his answers to be submitted within a week of receiving the form last Friday
The letter reportedly said: ‘I appreciate that this is a worrying time for those affected by this process, which I do not wish to compound.’
The broadcaster said Ms Gray went on to say that ‘in light of particular circumstances surrounding this set of events, I have, as an exceptional measure, decided that individuals may be provided with limited access to the notes’.
Police have made clear they do not intend to disclose names when the Partygate investigation concludes.
However, the Lib Dems have tabled a ‘Humble Address’ motion that would require the publication of a full list of elected officials, senior civil servants and political appointees given FPNs.
It would also require the Sue Gray report to be published in full, alongside any accompanying evidence including photographs.
The Met has previously indicated that it has been given around 300, with Mr Johnson believed to be included in some of them.
Last week an Ipsos UK survey suggested that 54 per cent of Britons think Mr Johnson has done a bad job to date, with almost the same proportion supporting a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
In February last year 41 per cent thought he was doing a bad job. Some 54 per cent of those who voted Conservative in the 2019 election see him as having performed well – but that is down from 69 per cent 12 months ago.
Earlier this month outgoing Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick suggested some of those being contacted by officers will end up with fines.
‘Clearly, some, but probably not all, of those people may very well end up with a ticket,’ she told BBC Radio London.
Meanwhile former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said it would be ‘very tough’ for Mr Johnson to cling on to power if he was fined.
‘It will be difficult, he knows that,’ the senior MP said in an interview with the i newspaper.
Sir Iain added: ‘If you’ve set the laws, and you break them and the police decide you have broken them… and then there’s the unredacted (Sue Gray) report – the two things will come together.’
