The fines will be imposed by detectives investigating the “partygate” scandal. It is believed that these punishments are only the first, and others are expected as more than 100 people were handed questionnaires by the Metropolitan Police as part of the investigation – under the name Operation Hillman. Whitehall sources said the fines may come as early as Tuesday, but said the Met may change its schedule. Read more: Everything you need to know about Met Police partygate research Image: Boris Johnson was sent a partygate questionnaire to complete The police force launched an investigation in late January into 12 alleged incidents that occurred on eight dates during lockdowns in England in 2020 and 2021 to determine if COVID regulations had been breached. One of the events that caused a stir was a rally in Downing Street Garden at the height of the UK’s first national blockade in May 2020, with an email leaked by one of the prime minister’s top aides urging staff to “bring the your own drink “. Event. A photo showed Boris and Carrie Johnson there, and the prime minister admitted to attending the event with “staff groups” for 25 minutes, but stressed that he believed it was a “work event”. It is not known if anyone who attended the event was fined, but Mr Johnson said he would reveal if he had been fined. The Prime Minister is known to have attended at least two other rallies under investigation – one on 19 June 2020 in the cabinet room for his birthday and another on 13 November 2020 for the departure of a special adviser. Several Conservative lawmakers have called for Johnson to resign over the parties, but some have changed their minds since the start of the war in Ukraine just over a month ago. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:28 Key points from Sue Gray’s report Questionnaires were sent to suspicious participants All those believed to have attended a party that allegedly removed the lockdown in Westminster were sent an email questionnaire asking for their account and explanations for their participation. The Meteorological Police announced in early February that its officers began contacting people believed to have been involved in the 12 incidents under its investigation. Mr Johnson received one on February 11 and, like everyone else, had seven days to respond. Met Police said the document has a formal legal status and must be answered honestly. He said no further action would be taken against those paying the fine and that they would consider whether to take the matter to court if the fine was challenged. The Scotland Yard inquiry is the second to investigate allegations that No 10 officials – including the prime minister – were partying while Britain was under restrictions on COVID-19. Sue Gray Research Senior civil servant Sue Gray led an investigation in Whitehall into allegations that led many to question Johnson’s political future. However, a full report was not released in late January because the Met Police made a U-turn after saying they would not investigate the facts. Ms Gray’s report found that there were “leadership and crisis failures” regarding the rallies between May 2020 and April 2021. He was investigating 16 incidents, with police examining all but four. The prime minister said a full version of her report would be released as soon as police completed their investigation.
