By PM refuses to say whether any potential fine will be publicised
Boris Johnson has refused to state on record whether any fine he may potentially receive for breaking Covid rules will be made public.
There have been differing reports on the matter, with the Metropolitan Police stating that they would not be publicly naming anyone who is fined in the partygate investigation, however, a No 10 spokesperson later clarified that the public would be told if the PM received a fine.
In a bid to gain absolute definitive clarity on the issue, Boris Johnson was asked whether he would make it publicly known if he got a fine in the investigation.
Labour MP Abena Oppong-Asare asked the PM at PMQ’s: “If the prime minister receives a fixed penalty notice [for breaking Covid rules] will he inform the House and will he resign?”
Mr Johnson replied: “Of course, I will comply with the law, but I have got to wait for the process to be concluded.”
On Tuesday, The Telegraph revealed that the PM had been seen going into his flat on 13 November 2020, one of the dates being investigated by the police into alleged Covid rule-breaking parties.
It is the same date that former senior advisor Dominic Cummings left Downing Street for the last time.
This event is one of 12 being looked at by the police, after Sue Gray’s update showed that she looked at a total of 16 different dates, with only four of those not being deemed to have passed the threshold for a police investigation.
Fines of up to £10,000 have been given to members of the public over Covid rule breaks, including students holding flat parties during lockdown.
Westminster SNP leader Ian Blackford, who was kicked out of the Commons on Monday for calling the PM a liar and saying he knowingly misled the house, asked him about the event on 13 November 2020, asking whether he was in his flat at the time.
The PM responded by saying that he will not answer the question as the SNP leader asked it before on Monday, and said that the (police investigative) “process must go on”.
Contact Gi National
Email us: news@gi-media.co.uk
