The Metropolitan Police is reopening an investigation into possible Covid breaches at a Conservative ‘jingle and mingle’ Christmas party in 2020.
The force also announced it has launched a new probe into a gathering in Parliament during the same month.
The decision to reopen the investigation into the Christmas party at Tory headquarters comes after “new evidence” was provided to officers, specifically a video of two aides dancing together when the UK was under lockdown measures.
The Met said on Tuesday evening: “Following assessment of new evidence that was not previously provided to officers, the Met is now re-opening an investigation into potential breaches of the regulations at an event in Matthew Parker Street on 14 December 2020.”
The Met is also opening a new investigation into potential Covid breaches at a birthday gathering at Parliament on December 8, 2020.
Allegations were made to police on June 15 this year that senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin attended the birthday party when pandemic restrictions were in place.
Sir Bernard told the Telegraph: “It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation.”
But the force will not open an investigation into further potential breaches of the regulations in Downing Street, and Thames Valley Police will not investigate potential breaches at Chequers, the grace and favour country residence, when Boris Johnson was prime minister.
Police said in a statement: “The Met and Thames Valley Police have assessed material referred by the Cabinet Office regarding potential breaches of the Regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street and Chequers.
“Based on an assessment of that material and an account provided regarding the diary entries, and also having sought some further clarification, the Met and Thames Valley Police have each assessed the events in their jurisdiction and concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation.”
The Met said it had previously investigated the ‘jingle and mingle’ Christmas party but, “based on the information available at the time”, it did not issue any fixed penalty notices to partygoers.
It added: “The receipt of video evidence has resulted in the Met revisiting and updating the assessment.”
The footage, obtained by the Sunday Mirror, shows two workers on Shaun Bailey’s mayoral campaign team dancing while London was in Tier 2 of Covid restrictions in 2020.
The woman, Malin Bogue, is seen dancing in a red dress with Jack Smith, who works in Parliament for Tory minister Graham Stuart.
At the time Ms Bogue reportedly worked for Shaun Bailey’s mayoral campaign, which ended in defeat to Sadiq Khan in 2021, as did Tory aide Ben Mallet, who is also seen in the video.
Both Mr Bailey and Mr Mallet, who was handed an OBE in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours, attended the gathering. While Mr Bailey is not seen in the video, photographs show him at the event. He claimed he left the event before any dancing began.
Both Mr Mallet and Ms Bogue work for Moz Hossain KC, the barrister bidding to secure the Tory nomination to run against Mr Khan in next May’s City Hall elections.
Following the release of the footage, Mr Bailey apologised “unreservedly” and said it was for “others to decide” about whether he should be stripped of the peerage offered to him by former prime minister Boris Johnson.
Mayor Khan called for Mr Bailey to resign from the London Assembly in the wake of the scandal.
Mr Khan said: “We’ve heard mealy-mouthed apologies from those who have been caught out. We might ask why these are only forthcoming when the photos or emails appear in the papers.”
Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats renewed calls for Mr Bailey’s peerage to be paused amid the police investigation.
Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Rishi Sunak needs to confirm he will call for honours to be stripped from anyone found to have broken the law. Anything less would make a complete mockery of his pledge to lead with integrity.
“He should also step in to stop Shaun Bailey from taking his seat as a peer while this investigation takes place.”
Mr Bailey has been approached for comment.
In 2021 he said: “I want to apologise unreservedly for attending a gathering held by some of my staff in my campaign office last December.
“I gave a speech to my team to thank them for their efforts, before leaving shortly afterwards. It was a serious error of judgement at a time when Londoners were making immense sacrifices to keep us all safe and I regret it wholeheartedly.”
