The Metropolitan Police has re-opened its investigation into a boozy lockdown Christmas party at Conservative HQ after bombshell footage was published showing staff cavorting and joking at the event.
Footage first released by the Mirror last month showed a number of senior Tory party staff enjoying a "jingle and mingle" at Conservative Campaign Headquarters – more commonly known as CCHQ – on December 14, 2020, when much of the country was in lockdown.
Scotland Yard says it is also opening a new investigation into a reported gathering in Parliament during the same month. However, it will not investigate claims Boris Johnson breached regulations at No 10 and his country residence at Chequers.
In a statement, the Met said it was assessing new material in relation to "potential breaches of Covid regulations" under Operation Hillman, its probe into illegal gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall.
The force said it had re-assessed the events in a manner that was "enforcing the law carefully, thoroughly, proportionately, impartially and without fear or favour."
Police previously handed out 126 fixed penalty notices in relation to the investigation across all known gatherings. The Met also previously assessed the Tory HQ event, held by members of one-time London mayoral candidate and newly anointed peer Shaun Bailey, but did not issue fines.
After being handed a copy of the footage of the December 2020 event, obtained by the Mirror, the force said today: "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."
An event at Parliament on December 8 will also be assessed after new evidence came to light. The Guido Fawkes website reported that MPs had gone to a party to celebrate the birthday of the wife of senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin in December 2020 in Parliament, while Covid restrictions were in place on December 8 2020.
Sir Jenkin is the most senior Conservative member of the Commons Privileges Committee, which recently ruled that Boris Johnson not receive a pass to continue visiting parliament after he stops being an MP.
Johnson, who resigned following the committee report, has accused Sir Jenkin of "monstrous hypocrisy" because of his own alleged infraction of lockdown rules.
Detectives will not, however, be examining further alleged breaches of Covid lockdown rules by Boris that are said to have occurred between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street and the PM's country residence, Chequers.
The statement added: "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."
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