‘Boris Johnson firmly denies recent allegations of breaching lockdown rules as utter nonsense’

The decision to refer concerns over events in Chequers and Downing Street to the police, following a review of the former prime minister’s official diary, was made without any involvement from No 10 ministers, according to a statement. Labour’s leader, Sir Keir Starmer, who was visiting Scotland, commented on the referral and raised new questions about potential further lockdown breaches involving Mr Johnson. He expressed the public’s frustration with continuous stories about the former prime minister, stating that during the Covid pandemic, people made significant sacrifices, such as missing the birth of their child or the funeral of a close family member. The increasing revelations about Boris Johnson only deepen this sense of hurt and reinforce the perception of a double standard, where different rules apply to those in power.

The Cabinet Office clarified that ministers had no role in the decision to involve the police, as the referral was made by officials adhering to the Civil Service Code. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson’s office denounced the handling of the situation as “bizarre and unacceptable” and asserted that the events in question were within the rules. They accused certain individuals within the government of orchestrating politically-motivated attacks by reporting these allegations to the police and the Privileges Committee.

The Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police were informed of the concerns by Cabinet Office officials after they emerged during a review conducted by lawyers funded by taxpayers in preparation for the Covid public inquiry. Additionally, the Privileges Committee, responsible for investigating whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament regarding the partygate scandal, has been notified.

According to The Times, Mr Johnson had planned to release a photograph of a specific garden visit at Downing Street in June 2020, where he had lunch with his mother and sister. The image, however, was not released. The newspaper reported that Mr Johnson believed the photo would demonstrate compliance with all the rules.