The public will now be told if Boris Johnson has been handed a fine for breaking coronavirus rules, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister’s office executed a swift u-turn yesterday afternoon on its refusal not to announce if Boris Johnson is handed a fixed penalty notice over the partygate breaches of lockdown.
Having initially said it would not name anyone fined by the Met Police, Downing Street caved to pressure and said that “hypothetically” it would reveal if the Prime Minister is fined.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “Obviously there is a significant public interest regarding the PM and we’ll always look to provide what updates we can on him specifically.”
Asked if that meant number 10 would say if he was issued with a fixed penalty notice, the spokesman said: “Hypothetically, yes.”
Scotland Yard confirmed it will not name anyone given a fixed penalty notice (FPN) as a result of its investigation after Johnson’s press official initially refused to guarantee Downing Street would tell the public if fines were issued.
That raised the possibility the public might never be told if the Prime Minister is found to have broken the law, a move which Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said “stinks of a cover-up by Number 10”.
Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said: “The public have a right to know if the Prime Minister is found to have committed an offence by the police.”
The move is the second chaotic u-turn on partygate in 24 hours by Downing Street.
Having refused to confirm the full Sue Gray report would be published, Downing St on Monday night reacted to Tory backbench fury and reversed the decision.
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