Partygate: campaigners lose bid to bring High Court challenge against Met Police over investigation

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those to receive a fixed penalty notice after illegal gatherings were held in Downing Street and Whitehall in 2020
Heather Carrick
By Heather Carrick
22nd Feb 2023, 6:30pm
Nine photos were included in the Sue Gray report of Downing Street and Cabinet Office parties and events.Nine photos were included in the Sue Gray report of Downing Street and Cabinet Office parties and events.
Nine photos were included in the Sue Gray report of Downing Street and Cabinet Office parties and events.

Campaigners have lost a bid to launch a High Court challenge against the Met Police over their handling of the Partygate scandal.

The Good Law Project (GLP) and former deputy assistant commissioner of the Met Lord Paddick brought legal action against the police force, after criticising the investigation into the gatherings mentioned in Sue Gray’s infamous report. At the time, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Rishi Sunak were all among those fined for their participation in Downing Street events which broke lockdown rules.

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However, legal action has been halted after Justice Swift refused to grant a full hearing of the case. He argued that he believed that GLP and Lord Paddick has “no prospect of success” in pursuing their case, adding: “It is not for the court to second-guess the steps the police should take for the purposes of investigation.”

The Met Police issued a total of 126 fixed penalty notices to 83 people in Downing Street and Whitehall following the investigation.

Johnson was fined after he and other members of staff were found to have broken strict Covid rules afer holding a birthday party in a cabinet room. A picture from the event showed the former PM and his former Chancellor Sunak both in attendance.

PM Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Issue date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.PM Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Issue date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.
PM Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Issue date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.

However, Gray’s report also provided evidence for a number of other gatherings. This included a leaving party for the then-communications chief Lee Cain on 13 November 2020, two days after England was placed back under strict Covid rules.

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A picture from the gathering showed Johnson toasting the departing Cain, with a wine glass in his hand while surrounding by colleagues and bottles of wine. He also was said to have taken part on a separate leaving party for another two members of staff on 17 December 2020, although no further action was taken byt he Met Police against Johnson for these incidents.

issued by the Cabinet Office showing Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Issue date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.issued by the Cabinet Office showing Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Issue date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.
issued by the Cabinet Office showing Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Issue date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.

The GLP had argued that the Met Police had failed to send questionnaires or issue a fixed penalty notice to Johnson for gatherings outside of the June 2020 event he had already been fined for. GLP director Jo Maugham said that the group was considering appealing Mr Justice Swift’s decision not to proceed.

He said: “We are disappointed – but sadly not surprised.

“We think this decision ignores the quite proper questions that people have about what they understandably perceive to be differences of treatment between the powerful and the rest of us. It can’t be one rule for those in power, and another rule for us.”

Related topics:High CourtMet PolicePartygateBoris JohnsonDowning Street

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