London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Mar 30, 2026

Partygate: 12 events that were under police investigation

Partygate: 12 events that were under police investigation

Fines have been issued in relation to at least eight of the 12 events for breaches of Covid restrictions

Fines have been issued in relation to at least eight of the 12 events across Whitehall that have been under police investigation. Scotland Yard has identified a range of events breaching restrictions under 2020 pandemic legislation, and in some cases confirmed that fixed-penalty notices had been issued.

20 May 2020: ‘bring your own booze’ party


A leaked email from the prime minister’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, showed No 10 staff were invited to “bring your own booze” to an event in the Downing Street garden. Boris Johnson admitted he was there for 25 minutes and said he thought it was a “work event” to thank staff for their efforts during the pandemic.

18 June 2020: Cabinet Office leaving do


A gathering took place in the 70 Whitehall building to mark the departure of a private secretary, Hannah Young. The government’s former ethics chief Helen MacNamara, who now works for the Premier League, has apologised for her “error of judgment” after she was fined.

19 June 2020: Boris Johnson’s 56th birthday


Downing Street has said staff “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room in what was reportedly a surprise get-together for the prime minister organised by his then fiancee, Carrie, now his wife. No 10 denied a report that later the same evening family and friends were hosted upstairs to celebrate the occasion.

Johnson, his wife and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, all received fines, it has been confirmed. Johnson became the UK’s first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

13 November 2020: Downing Street flat do


Carrie Johnson reportedly hosted parties in the official flat over No 11 where she and the prime minister, including one event on 13 November, the night of Dominic Cummings’s acrimonious departure.

13 November 2020: leaving party for senior aide


Johnson was reported to have given a leaving speech for Lee Cain, his departing director of communications and a close ally of Cummings. The Met has confirmed penalties were issued in connection with this date but has not clarified whether they were over the flat gathering or the leaving do.

17 December 2020: Cabinet Office ‘Christmas party’


The cabinet secretary, Simon Case, removed himself from the inquiry into parties – to be replaced by Sue Gray – after reports emerged of a gathering in the Cabinet Office.

It has been reported that the do was organised by a private secretary in Case’s team. The Cabinet Office said Case played no part in the event, “but walked through the team’s office on the way to his own office”.

17 December 2020: leaving drinks for former Covid taskforce head


Leaving drinks were held in the Cabinet Office for the former director general of the government’s Covid taskforce Kate Josephs, who went on to become chief executive of Sheffield city council.

17 December 2020: No 10 leaving do


A leaving do for a departing Downing Street official took place at No 10. The Met has not clarified which event resulted in fines but Josephs has said she was “truly sorry” over the leaving drinks held in the Cabinet Office.

18 December 2020: Downing Street Christmas party


Officials and advisers reportedly made speeches, enjoyed a cheese board, drank together and exchanged Secret Santa gifts, although the prime minister is not thought to have attended. Johnson’s spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, resigned after a video emerged of her joking about a “fictional party” at a mock press conference.

14 January 2021: more Downing Street leaving drinks


A gathering in No 10 on the departure of two private secretaries. The police investigation related to a suspected breach of restrictions on participating in an indoor gathering of two or more people in a tier 4 area.

16 April 2021: leaving drinks for the outgoing communications director James Slack


One of two leaving dos held on the night before the Queen sat alone at Prince Philip’s funeral. Slack, who left Downing Street to become deputy editor of the Sun, has apologised for the “anger and hurt” caused.

16 April 2021: leaving do for another departing Downing Street official


This is another event, separate to Slack’s leaving do, that took place at a Whitehall location. Johnson is not reported to have been present. This was a suspected breach of a restriction on participating in an outdoor gathering consisting of more than six people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
UK Housing Divide Deepens as Older Owners Hold Wealth While Under-30s Face Mounting Barriers
London Demonstration Calls on UK to Recognize Iranian Opposition’s Provisional Government
UK Green Party Vote on ‘Zionism is Racism’ Motion Collapses Amid Internal Disputes and Technical Failures
SNL UK Ignites Debate with Sharp Royal Satire Targeting Prince Andrew and Prince William
EU Proposes ‘Emergency Brake’ to Resolve Deadlock in UK Youth Mobility Talks
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
UK Museums House More Than 260,000 Human Remains, New Report Reveals
Surging UK Gilt Yields Reflect Inflation Pressures and Fiscal Uncertainty
UK Issues Updated Guidance on Children’s Screen Time with Focus on Balance and Wellbeing
UK Migration Figures Show Shifting Trends Across Asylum, Visas and Channel Crossings
UK Watchdog Launches Probe into Five Firms Over Alleged Fake Reviews and Ratings
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Urges Stronger Defence Investment as He Questions Allied Naval Capabilities
New COVID Variant Detected in UK Raises Concerns Over Vaccine Effectiveness
FTSE Russell Moves to Standardise Free-Float Rules for UK and International Listings
HBO Max Launches in UK and Ireland, Marking Major Step in Global Streaming Expansion
UK Signals Readiness to Seize Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Escalating Middle East Conflict Seen as Major Threat to UK Economic Stability
Early Challenges Mark Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit
UK Government Rejects Cover-Up Claims After Theft of Former PM Aide’s Phone
Cyprus Opens Strategic Talks with UK Over Sovereign Base Areas
UK Faces Risk of Sharp Inflation Surge Despite Stable Pre-Crisis Figures
UK Police Arrest Two Over Suspected Antisemitic Arson as Iran Link Investigated
UK Inflation Holds at Three Percent Ahead of Oil Price Shock from Iran Conflict
×