Our long national nightmare is over. Our Cabinet Office works. Our Kingdom is a government of laws and not of party animals. Ok, not quite.
The Metropolitan Police’s investigation into partygate is over. It has issued 126 fixed penalty notices in total, referring to 83 individuals. That means that some people were fined more than once, including at least one person who accumulated an impressive five. For some reason, Scotland Yard has also provided a gender breakdown.
Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie have received no further fines. At first glance, it may seem odd that they should escape further punishment, having attended subsequent events for which more junior staff did receive fixed penalty notices.
The barrister and lockdown regulations guru Adam Wagner sums it up thus: “I think the outcome of the Met investigation is that the Prime Minister attended 6 illegal gatherings but attended 5 of them legally.” ¯\_(ã)_/¯
Of course, there will be no immediate let up for the Prime Minister. Next will come Sue Gray’s verdict. As you may recall, her interim report was fairly scathing of the culture and leadership in Downing Street. But do not expect a smoking gun.
A civil servant, even one as senior and feared as Gray, is not about to bring down the government, in the same way that the Queen was never going to veto the 2019 prorogation. (Yes, some people really believed she would.)
Johnson also faces a Commons Privileges Committee probe into whether he deliberately misled Parliament in statements he made to the House over lockdown breaches. Ministers are expected to correct the record as quickly as possible should they inadvertently mislead the House. Deliberate falsehoods are a resigning offence, but proving a motive beyond doubt is tricky.
Ultimately, the same rules apply as before. This isn’t about parties or the law. It is about politics. Unless and until a sufficient number of Conservative MPs conclude a different leader would fare better, Boris Johnson will remain in office.
Which, as unedifying and nakedly expedient as it may appear, is a good thing. While we should hold our elected representatives to the highest of standards, the repeated intervention of the police in British politics – in some cases allegedly under pressure from political parties – is an ominous development we would do well to leave behind.
And for those disappointed by today’s news, there is a further reality to consider. If the Met, Sue Gray or his backbenchers don’t bring down Johnson, there’s every chance the cost of living crisis will.
Elsewhere in the paper, I’m sorry, it’s not a purple line. It’s a white line with purple borders. And I get it – Transport for London is at pains to point out that Crossrail isn’t a tube line. There’s a nifty explainer here as to why. But we can all agree about colours, right?
Anyway, the new tube map has been revealed and it looks marvellous. Still, let’s never speak of Bond Street station.
In the comment pages, Andy Burnham admits the rest of England will be jealous of Crossrail, and calls for a Northern version. While Raph Dilhan, finalist on The Great British Sewing Bee, reckons it’s time men were part of the fast-fashion conversation.
And finally, one to bookmark: Angelica Malin reveals her 10 fail-safe spots for a first date in London.
