Tuesday, March 26

Scotland Yard to investigate Downing Street parties during lockdown


Correspondent in London

Updated:

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After Downing Street confirmed on Monday night that a thirty-person celebration for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s birthday was held on June 19, 2020, on Tuesday, Scotland Yard Chief Commissioner Cressida Dick, announced that the police will investigatepotential violations of Covid-19 regulations» during the parties that took place during the confinement.

Dick’s announcement, which for some comes late, is, however, a breath of fresh air for those who have been demanding for several weeks that the authorities get involved in the scandal baptized as ‘partygate’. Dick, who spoke at an appearance before the Assembly Police and Crime Committee of London, defended himself by saying that the police have “finite resources” and that it was better to focus on serious crimes

that in infractions that according to the confinement laws only carried fines.

In any case, he pointed out that “normally it would not be a proportional use of time” for the Corps to investigate the infractions of the rules from two years ago, but that the Police would analyze the complaints because the infractions could be “more serious and flagrant”. In addition, he said he understood the “deep public concern” about the accusations and recognized the “enormous sacrifices” made by the population during the pandemic.

According to the chief commissioner, the investigation was initiated as “a result of information provided by the investigation team of the Cabinet Office”, led by civil servant Sue Gray, whose conclusions were expected this week. However, according to the BBC, the report may not be published while the police carry out their investigations.

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“Rules are for everyone”

Labour’s Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, applauded the news and asserted that “the public expects the police to enforce the law without favoritism, no matter who is involved” and added that the population “should be able to expect the highest standards” from behavior by “everyone, including the Prime Minister and those around him”. «Nobody is above the law. There cannot be one rule for the government and another for the others,” he concluded. For its part, the second of Labor, Angela Rayner, once again demanded that the premier resign. “Boris Johnson is a national distraction. Conservative MPs should stop supporting him and he should finally do the right thing and resign.”

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Transport Minister, Grant Shapps, defended Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday, and has assured that “eating cake and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ cannot be considered a party».

In the midst of controversy over the alleged parties held in Downing Street during the confinement decreed due to the pandemic in 2020, Shapps has pointed out that “the prime minister clearly does not organized the event so that he was given a cake». “Some people thought it would be appropriate given it was his birthday,” he told Sky News television. However, he regretted that the decision taken at that moment was “foolish.”

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