Afternoon summary
- Boris Johnson will not receive any more fines for lockdown-breaching parties, it has been confirmed, after the Metropolitan police said they had completed their investigation into gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall. The government is now expected to publish the Sue Gray report next week, which will set out in more detail how the lockdown rules were broken in No 10. Johnson will respond with a statement in parliament. The conclusion of the Met investigation also means the Commons privileges committee is free to start its inquiry into whether Johnson deliberately misled MPs about the parties, although it is not clear yet exactly when this will start. Labour says Johnson told a “barefaced lie” about the parties, and that this, above all, is why he should resign. (See 1.54pm.)
- Downing Street has denied reports claiming it is blocking the Treasury from imposing a windfall tax on energy companies (see 9.48am) as the chancellor faced pressure from the CBI to “help the hardest-hit now” with financial help to get them through the cost of living crisis. (See 9.09am.) As PA Media reports, the PM’s spokesperson said he had seen “lots of reports” on division between the departments, but he insisted Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were “aligned” on the issue. Labour accused the government of acting like “headless chickens” on the matter and suggested a U-turn was inevitable. (See 12.52pm.)
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Here is an article explaining what some of our readers are saying about their response to Partygate.
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