Met Police are accused of ‘politicising’ Partygate probe as Tory MPs question timing of fines issued to Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak ahead of local elections
- The Metropolitan Police has been accused by Tory MPs of ‘politicising’ Partygate
- The Prime Minister and Chancellor were fined for attending a birthday gathering
- Tory MPs questioned the timing of the fines ahead of the local elections on May 5
The Metropolitan Police has been accused of ‘politicising’ Partygate after fining the Prime Minister and Chancellor for attending a birthday gathering lasting only nine minutes.
Scotland Yard today said it had issued 50 fixed penalty notices – up from 20 last month – as part of Operation Hillman.
But it is now expected that as the police continue to examine each event, Mr Johnson could receive more fines.
He is believed to have attended at least six of the 12 parties under investigation.
One senior MP said: ‘It beggars belief that the Met are politicising fines at such a crucial time for our country’
However, Tory MPs have questioned the timing of the fines ahead of the local elections on May 5 and why they had not all been issued in one go.
One senior MP said: ‘It beggars belief that the Met are politicising fines at such a crucial time for our country.
‘You would hope that Sadiq Khan’s police force would be focused on tackling crime affecting Londoners in their daily lives.’
A Tory former minister added the force should have waited until the election was over as it might look like it is ‘attempting to influence the outcome’.
Meanwhile, some backbenchers argued that the timing was positive for the Government as MPs are in recess and not in Westminster for another week.
The senior Metropolitan Police officer in charge of the Downing Street Partygate investigation is deputy assistant commissioner Jane Connors.
Her team has examined CCTV, emails and questioned attendees at the alleged rule-breaking parties. She joined the force in 1993 and gained her current rank last year.
And she previously defended the force over their handling of the vigil on Clapham Common for Sarah Everard.
When asked about the possibility that he may receive further fines, Mr Johnson did not rule it out today.
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