Boris Johnson, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, has been referred to police by the Cabinet Office, media reports on Tuesday said. The officials reportedly have claimed that Johnson broke coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown rules by hosting family and friends at Chequers.
A government ministry handed two police forces material about alleged Covid lockdown breaches.
The Cabinet Office looks after the operation of government and it said that it had made a referral to police based on information discovered while preparing submissions for a public inquiry into the pandemic.
This development means Johnson is facing further potential police investigations into the “Partygate” scandal.
The Metropolitan Police in London said that it was “assessing” fresh material received in the last week regarding “potential breaches” of Covid guidelines in Downing Street between June 2020 and May 2021.
The news was first published by The Times, which stated that the Thames Valley Police was also analysing new evidence related to possible rule-breaking at Chequers, which is the prime minister’s country estate outside London.
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As quoted by the news agency Reuters, Johnson’s spokesperson said: “Some abbreviated entries in Mr. Johnson’s official diary were queried by the Cabinet Office during preparation for the COVID inquiry.”
The spokesperson added, “Following an examination of the entries, Mr. Johnson’s lawyers wrote to the Cabinet Office and privileges committee explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any COVID regulations.”
As quoted by the report, Johnson’s team called the referral a “clearly politically motivated attempt to manufacture something out of nothing”. But the Cabinet Office confirmed it had passed information to the police “in line with obligations in the civil service code”.
The ‘Partygate scandal’
The Johnson government was slammed for organising several wine-fulled parties at Downing Street when such gatherings were banned across the country during the lockdown.
The 58-year-old was ousted as prime minister last summer following a revolt within his ruling party over several allegations, which he denies.
He denied repeatedly in parliament and elsewhere that he or his staff violated his own pandemic-era restrictions by holding gatherings in Downing Street.
Johnson was already fined by police for attending an event in Downing Street to celebrate his birthday in June 2020, making him the first prime minister to be found to have broken the law while in office.
A parliamentary committee is also investigating if he willfully or negligently misled the House of Commons in a series of speeches in which he claimed no regulations were broken during the gatherings.
(With inputs from agencies)
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