A failed Tory London mayoral candidate is set to become a peer within weeks despite a new police probe into a Covid-era party organised by his campaign.
Shaun Bailey is under pressure to hand back his honour, received in Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours list, after an explosive video of the Partygate event emerged.
It showed members of Mr Bailey’s campaign team dancing at a Christmas party in December 2020, when indoor socialising was banned under strict tier 2 conditions.
It later emerged that partygoers had been formally invited to what was billed as a “jingle and mingle” party.
The Metropolitan Police have since announced that they have launched an investigation into the event.
Despite the uproar, Mr Bailey is expected to be installed as the latest member of the House of Lords as early as the middle of July.
He is poised to take up the job for life on 18 July, sources told The Independent. A Labour Lords source described the introduction of peers on Boris Johnson’s list as “rushed”.
Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “Shaun Bailey should do the right thing and agree to turn down this peerage now. If he refuses to do that, Rishi Sunak must finally show some backbone and confirm he will withdraw the Conservative whip from Bailey if he joins the Lords. Anything less would be an insult to bereaved families who followed the rules while the Conservatives broke them.”
Mr Bailey apologised “unreservedly” after the video was revealed by the Daily Mirror, but said it was for “others to decide” what happened to his peerage.
Asked whether he should give up the honour, he replied: “That will be for others to decide – for me, it has been a great privilege and I would like to keep doing work for the rest of the country and London as well.”
Mr Bailey does not feature in the video but he appears in a widely-circulated photograph of the event.
Earlier this week the Metropolitan Police announced it had launched a new investigation into alleged breaches of Covid laws. These included the “jingle and mingle” party as well as alleged events at Downing Street, Chequers and in parliament.
The probe includes more gatherings attended by Boris Johnson while he was prime minister.
Scotland Yard said that it was “assessing information and new material” over events in 2020 and 2021.
Its previous Partygate investigation saw 83 people, including the former prime minister and his successor Rishi Sunak, given a total of 126 fines.
Mr Bailey has been approached for comment.
