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Police to contact Downing Street 'partygate' suspects as force vows to investigate 'without fear or favour'

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Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson

Steve Reigate/Getty Images

  • The Met Police stated that they will be contacting those suspected of attending 10 Downing Street parties during COVID-19 lockdown. 
  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson publicly admitted to attending one of these parties. 
  • The Sue Gray report, the government inquiry into the events, is reportedly set to be published "imminently."

The Met Police released a statement saying those believed to have attended parties at 10 Downing Street during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 — some weekly— will be contacted by the force. 

In a statement on their website, Commander Catherine Roper, who leads the Met's Central Specialist Crime Command confirmed they have received material from the Cabinet Office as part of their investigation into the parties. 

Roper said that "individuals who are identified as having potentially breached these regulations will normally be contacted in writing, and invited to explain their actions including whether they feel they had a reasonable excuse."

She also said that "officers will now examine this material in detail to establish whether individuals attending the events in question may have breached the regulations. They will do so without fear or favour following our normal processes."

It is not yet clear who exactly these people will be, as the Met Police told Insider they are not in a position to release any more information. 

It is unclear if Boris Johnson is among those to be contacted. However, the Prime Minister admitted to having been at the gathering on May 2020 — when the country was in a full lockdown — in Downing Street garden, although he insisted he thought it was a work event

"I want to apologize," Johnson told MPs in Parliament as he admitted to attending the gathering.

"I know that millions of people across this country have made extraordinary sacrifices over the last 18 months. I know the anguish that they have been through — unable to mourn their relatives, unable to live their lives as they want, or to do the things they love.

Downing Street did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

The statement from the Met Police also denied any notion that they have delayed the release of the Sue Gray report, the government inquiry into these parties.

According to The Guardian and Sky News, the Gray report is set to be published "imminently," but with no time scale yet provided by government sources. 

The "partygate" scandal has rocked the Prime Minister over the last week, who is facing numerous calls to resign as well as public support drop significantly, according to an Ipsos Mori poll for the Evening Standard.

Read the original article on Business Insider


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