Downing Street has U-turned on its refusal to confirm whether it would reveal if Boris Johnson had been fined for breaching Covid rules, acknowledging there would be “significant public interest” in the issue.
Nevertheless, it remains unclear if No 10 would comment on whether any staff were fined for lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, because of the fact that fixed penalty notices are issued to individuals and it is officially up to them to disclose them.
Earlier, Labour and the Liberal Democrats argued the public would have a right to know if Johnson had been fined after a Metropolitan police investigation, after No 10 refused to say this would definitely happen.
The Met later confirmed that it did not routinely release or confirm names of people who had been given fixed penalty notices, and that this would be the case with any imposed for No 10 parties.
Asked again about the issue, Johnson’s spokesperson said: “Obviously we are aware of the significant public interest with regard to the prime minister and we would always look to provide what updates we can on him, specifically.” Questioned if this meant No 10 would say if the PM was given a fixed penalty notice, the spokesperson said: “Hypothetically, yes.”
Speaking earlier, Johnson’s spokesperson had declined to confirm whether he would confirm any fines, as he was “not going to get into speculation” during the police investigation.
Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, : “I can’t believe this needs saying. The public have a right to know if the prime minister is found to have committed an offence by the police.”
The Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, said: “Boris Johnson must come clean with the public and resign if he’s broken the rules and been fined by the police.”
Johnson’s spokesperson did say No 10 planned to release any fuller findings by Gray, the senior civil servant tasked with looking into parties, when the police investigation was over.
On Monday, Downing Street released a 12-page “update” from Gray, who had been asked by police to edit out most details amid their inquiries.
Johnson’s spokesperson said: “As we set out yesterday, while I can’t speculate on what Sue Gray might think is suitable to set out, he has been clear that we want her to come forward with a further report, a further update, however she might frame it, and we will our intention is to publish what we receive from her.”
The only exception, he added, would be to potentially remove personal details that could “compromise our commitment to confidentiality and anonymity”.
Dominic Raab, Johnson’s deputy and the justice secretary, had said earlier on Tuesday that it was unclear if there was further evidence to come, placing apparent doubt on No 10’s commitment to full transparency.
Mark Harper, a former Conservative chief whip, told the Guardian he had asked Johnson to reiterate at Wednesday’s PMQs his promise – made in private to MP colleagues – to publish the full report.
The prime minister had originally declined to do so when asked by Harper in the Commons on Monday during his statement on Gray’s update.
Raab had appeared to row back on commitments made by Johnson to publish further evidence once the Met investigation into 12 separate events in Downing Street has concluded.
Speaking to LBC, Raab said: “It’s not clear to me that there is anything more, other than any conclusions that she will draw once that investigation is concluded, that will come forward.”
In an update published on Monday, Gray said she had “extensive factual information” including speaking to at least 70 people – that could not be published until the Met had finished its investigation. She said she had declined to publish details of several other events that were not under investigation in order not to skew the findings.
“I will secure storage and safekeeping of all the information gathered until such time as it may be required further,” she wrote.
The police are examining about 300 photographs as part of the investigation into alleged parties. Raab told Sky News it was a “good question” why there were so many pictures of gatherings that were claimed to be work events.
