UK’s Johnson Faces No Further Fines as Police End ‘Partygate’ Probe

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, in London, on May 18, 2022. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been told he won’t face a further fine over COVID-19 lockdown breaches in Downing Street, as the police investigation into the so-called partygate scandal comes to an end.

The Metropolitan Police said on May 19 that its investigation into breaches of CCP virus rules in Downing Street and Whitehall has been completed, with 83 people receiving a total of 126 fines, including 28 people who have been issued multiple fines.

During a protest outside the gates, a group of police officers walk through Downing Street, in London, on April 13, 2022. Stefan Rousseau/PA

The prime minister, along with his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, was issued a “fixed penalty notice” for attending a birthday gathering for him in No. 10 Downing Street in June 2020.

But his official spokesman said on May 19 that Johnson hasn’t been issued a second fine, adding, “The Met has confirmed that they are taking no further action with regards to the prime minister.”

The spokesman said the prime minister was “pleased the investigation has concluded,” and “we’d like to thank the Met Police for their work in bringing this investigation to completion.”

The conclusion of Operation Hillman into breaches spanning 11 months paves the way for the potentially damaging publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s inquiry.

Conservative former chief whip Mark Harper joined Labour and the Liberal Democrats in calling for Gray’s report to be published swiftly.

Johnson’s spokesman said the intention is to publish the report “as received, as much as possible.”

He said the prime minister will “talk in more detail” about the scandal after the report is published.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer repeated his call for Johnson to resign over the breaches.

“What the investigation has shown is industrial-scale lawbreaking in Downing Street,” he told reporters in Leeds. “That reflects a culture and the prime minister sets the culture.”

According to the Met, the investigation involved 12 detectives and cost about 460,000 pounds ($572,000). Investigators examined 345 documents, including emails, door logs, diary entries, witness statements, and 204 questionnaires. They also examined 510 photographs and CCTV images.

There were no interviews under caution, with officers instead relying on answers to questionnaires.

The 83 recipients of the fines, known as “fixed penalty notices,” include 35 men, who received a total of 53 fines, and 48 women, who were issued a total of 73 fixed penalty notices, the Met said.

PA Media contributed to this report.