- Met Police Launches Investigations into Conservative Party Gate Gatherings
- Re-investigation of Shaun Bailey’s Campaign Party Controversy
- Police to Investigate Alleged Rule-breaking Party at House of Representatives
The event being re-examined occurred on December 14, 2020 – the day footage was captured of Shaun Bailey’s London mayoral campaign employees dancing and mingling. The police have also opened an investigation into a party held for the wife of British politician Sir Bernard Jenkin, Baroness Jenkin.
Met Police has announced two investigations into party gate gatherings involving senior Conservatives.
A December 2020 re-investigation of COVID rule-breaking party charges by workers of former Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey.
The force stated in a press release, “The Met is reopening an investigation into potential violations of regulations at an event on Matthew Parker Street on 14 December 2020.”
While London was under Tier 2 COVID restrictions, Mr. Bailey’s 2021 London mayoral campaign staff danced and mixed.
The force added: “Following an evaluation of materials related to a gathering in Parliament, the Metropolitan Police will investigate potential violations of the Regulations at an event on December 8, 2020.”
The House of Representatives hosted Baroness Jenkin’s birthday party on December 8, 2020.
Sir Bernard, a member of the Commons Privileges Committee, which published a highly critical report about Boris Johnson last month, did not deny to reporters that he attended the event when the Guido Fawkes website first published the allegations.
In addition, the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley have decided not to investigate alleged rule-breaking parties at Downing Street and Chequers, the official country residence of British prime ministers, between June 2020 and May 2021.
These 16 incidents occurred “without any prior notice” and were recorded in Mr. Johnson’s prime ministerial diary.
The COVID investigation sought the diaries last month, and Cabinet Office sent them to the police.
Scotland Yard stated that “based on an evaluation of that material and a description of the diary entries,” the events “do not meet the retrospective criteria for launching an investigation.”
In response to the announcement by the Metropolitan Police, a Conservative Party spokesperson stated, “Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorized social gathering organized by the Bailey campaign in the basement of Matthew Parker Street on the evening of 14th December 2020.
“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff members who were seconded to the Shaun Bailey campaign.”
Mr. Bailey previously apologized “unreservedly” after a video of his staff celebrating in lockdown was published by the Sunday Mirror, stating that he was “very upset” to see the footage.
Mr. Bailey, a 2021 London mayoral candidate, attended the event. But he was absent from the most recent footage.
In response to the announcement by the Metropolitan Police, the Liberal Democrats demanded that Mr. Bailey, who was nominated for a peerage as part of Mr. Johnson’s resignation honors, be prevented from assuming a seat in the House of Lords.
Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, stated, “Rishi Sunak must confirm that he will call for the revocation of honors from anyone convicted of breaking the law.
Anything less would completely undermine his promise to govern with integrity.
He must also intervene to prevent Shaun Bailey from assuming his seat as a peer while this investigation is ongoing.
The Metropolitan Police previously issued 126 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) referrals following Operation Hillman, an investigation into allegations of COVID rule-breaking parties at Downing Street and Whitehall.
