Boris Johnson has said he has paid a fixed penalty notice relating to a gathering in the Cabinet Room on his birthday on June 19 2020, and offered a “full apology”. Speaking at Chequers, the Prime Minister said: “Today I’ve received a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police relating to an event in Downing Street on June 19 2020.
“And let me say immediately that I’ve paid the fine and I once again offer a full apology and in the spirit of openness and humility I want to be completely clear about what happened on that date. My day began shortly after 7am and I chaired eight meetings in Number 10, including the Cabinet committee deciding Covid strategy.
“I visited a school in Hemel Hempstead, which took me out of Downing Street for over four hours and amongst all these engagements on a day that happened to be my birthday, there was a brief gathering in the Cabinet Room shortly after 2pm lasting for less than 10 minutes, during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes. And I have to say in all frankness at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules.”
