London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Met urged to reopen Partygate inquiry as fresh allegations emerge

Met urged to reopen Partygate inquiry as fresh allegations emerge

‘New information’ includes claims that Downing Street staff corroborated stories and destroyed evidence
The Metropolitan Police has been urged to reopen its investigation into the Downing Street “Partygate” scandal following the release of a podcast that raised questions about the force’s initial inquiry.

The deputy chair of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee has written to the Met commissioner, Mark Rowley, asking if he was “taking new information into account when making a decision regarding the reopening of the investigation” into the Downing Street lockdown parties.

The revelations include allegations that Downing Street staff corroborated their stories before filling out the Met’s questionnaires into lockdown parties, and that Number 10 officials deliberately destroyed evidence of partying before the force and a separate Cabinet Office inquiry by Sue Gray could investigate.

Originating from an ITV investigation into Partygate, the findings also include allegations that Boris Johnson joked to Downing Street staff that “this is the most unsocially distanced party in the UK right now” while attending a leaving do at Number 10.

In his letter to Rowley, Unmesh Desai, deputy chair of the committee that scrutinises the mayor’s office for policing and crime, which in turn oversees the Met, states: “You will no doubt be aware of the new evidence that directly contradicts the former prime minister’s claim that he was not aware of any rule breaking at 10 Downing Street. There are also reports of evidence demonstrating rule breaking being destroyed by staffers.”

The Met closed its investigation into Downing Street parties last May after informing Johnson that he faced no further action other than a £50 fixed penalty notice that he had received the previous month for flouting Covid laws at his birthday party in Downing Street in June 2020.

In total the Met issued 126 fines to 83 people during its inquiry, for events on eight different dates.

Johnson is due to appear next month before parliament’s privileges committee, which is examining whether he misled MPs about law-breaking parties during the Covid pandemic.

In the letter Desai adds: “I have raised the apparent inconsistency in how the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] have approached the investigation with your predecessors – particularly regarding why the former prime minister was issued with only one fixed penalty notice for his birthday party, but not for the other events, including the leaving drinks where there is photographic evidence of him holding a glass of champagne and making a toast.

“It has also been reported that the questionnaires sent by the police to those under investigation were easily navigated by staffers at 10 Downing Street, who were able to corroborate stories.”

The development follows reports last week that the government’s spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, is examining the contentious decision to provide £220,000 of taxpayers’ money to fund Johnson’s legal defence for the inquiry into his Partygate denials.

Last week it emerged that Johnson’s declared income since leaving office last September stands at almost £4.8m, including an advance payment of nearly £2.5m for speaking events.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×