Boris Johnson will get away with a fine for the “bring alcohol” party he attends in Garden 10, a legal expert predicts – although others have been punished.
Downing Street says the prime minister has not yet received a fixed notice of punishment for the event, which would be his second fine in the Partygate crisis threatening his future.
Mr Johnson admitted to attending an event in May 2020 during the first blockade, when his own Covid rules banned social gatherings, both indoors and outdoors.
His personal secretary-general, Martin Reynolds, is thought to have invited up to 100 people to “socially distant” evening drinks in warm weather.
But Adam Wagner, a human rights lawyer and expert on many changes to coronavirus legislation, warned against believing it would mean a fine.
“I have said all along that I doubt the prime minister will receive an FPN for this event, as he was in his own home / garden,” he tweeted.
Mr Wagner added that “the rules at the time (changed on 31 May) only punished if you were away from home without a reasonable excuse”.
Some believe the BYOB party was a high-risk event for Mr Johnson because of the alleged “killer email” seen by Sue Gray, head of the cabinet’s investigation.
The senior official who sent him is believed to have provided evidence that the prime minister, according to Dominic Cummings, was warned not to do so.
He reportedly warned Mr Reynolds to cancel the party, after which Mr Johnson’s close associate “arrived at his office” and “asked him why the party should be canceled”.
Mr Cummings said Mr Reynolds had also told him he would “consult with the prime minister if he was happy to continue”, claiming that any allegation that Mr Johnson had not been consulted was “Not reliable.”
The prime minister provoked ridicule by telling the municipality that he “implicitly believes that this is a work event”. There was no such event allowed under Covid’s rules.
Mr Johnson’s problems deepened after he failed to block a municipal inquiry into whether he lied to MPs when he told them wrong that the rules had not been broken.
A senior Tory warned that the Conservatives would “reap the whirlwind” of public anger over the parties in the ballot box on May 5.
Former Secretary of State Steve Baker – who told the prime minister it was the “concert” of his prime minister’s job – said his constituents were “outraged” by the blockade violations.
Other senior conservatives predict that the post-local election challenge for Mr Johnson’s leadership is now inevitable, as lawmakers are not considering ending the controversy.
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