Boris Johnson‘s Partygate inquisitor Sir Bernard Jenkin was last night facing a police investigation into claims he attended a lockdown-busting party himself.
Scotland Yard said it has launched a formal probe into a ‘birthday drinks’ bash for the wife of the Tory grandee amid evidence of ‘a serious and flagrant breach’ of Covid rules.
Previously, the force was only ‘assessing’ whether any breaches might have occurred.
It means that Sir Bernard, who co-authored a controversial Commons report into claims Mr Johnson lied to Parliament about lockdown parties in Downing Street, now faces the humiliation of being questioned over his own conduct.
At the same time, Mr Johnson was effectively cleared last night by police over extraordinary Cabinet Office claims that he committed further lockdown breaches while in office.
Facing questions: Scotland Yard said it has launched a formal probe into a ‘birthday drinks’ bash for the wife of Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin (left with wife Anne) amid evidence of ‘a serious and flagrant breach’ of Covid rules
Tory peer Lord Cruddas (left with Jacob Rees Mogg), a close ally of the former prime minister, last night called on Sir Bernard to resign from the privileges committee, which investigated Mr Johnson, ‘for the sake of the integrity of the Commons’
Tory peer Lord Cruddas, a close ally of the former prime minister, last night called on Sir Bernard to resign from the privileges committee, which investigated Mr Johnson, ‘for the sake of the integrity of the Commons’.
If Sir Bernard is found to have broken the law it could raise questions about the Commons privileges committee’s investigation into Mr Johnson, which triggered his shock resignation from Parliament.
When the allegations about Sir Bernard first emerged last month, Mr Johnson wrote to the committee’s chairman Harriet Harman accusing him of ‘rank hypocrisy’ and warning that if the claims were true he ‘can no longer be held to have been a valid judge or investigator in these proceedings’.
Yet Sir Bernard continued to contribute to the committee’s damning report and voted for its findings, despite remaining silent on questions about his own conduct.
The gathering being probed by police took place in December 2020 and was allegedly to celebrate the birthday of his wife, Baroness Jenkin, who also now faces an investigation.
Sir Bernard has declined to answer questions over his attendance at the event – where cake and alcohol were reportedly on offer – for three weeks.
But fellow Tory MP Virginia Crosbie has apologised for being at the gathering, saying it was an ‘error of judgment’ to attend, although she said she was there only briefly.
- As many as ten people were said to have attended, with one source claiming social distancing ‘went out of the window’. In other developments:
- Police said they would reopen an investigation into a ‘Jingle and Mingle’ party held at Tory HQ by staff of former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey.
- Parliamentary sources said Deputy Commons Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing could be ‘in trouble’ for allegedly hosting the birthday drinks attended by Sir Bernard in her Commons suite if rules were broken.
- Police said diary entries supposedly showing Mr Johnson broke Covid rules at 16 events at No 10 and Chequers did not meet the threshold for investigation.
- The Cabinet Office denied claims by friends of Mr Johnson that it had launched a ‘malicious’ campaign to damage him.
The news of the investigation into Sir Bernard came just minutes after he used his role as chairman of the Commons liaison committee to grill Rishi Sunak during a 90-minute hearing.
He had faced calls to step down as chairman amid questions about whether he breached lockdown rules.
Shortly afterwards, he declined to answer questions from the Daily Mail for the second time in a week.
Asked if he broke any rules and if the police had been in touch, he said: ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’
This newspaper also contacted Baroness Jenkin, who replied: ‘Sorry, I can’t answer any questions. I have nothing to say.’
After Scotland Yard announced its probe, Sir Bernard said: ‘It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation.’
Boris Johnson giving evidence to the Privileges Committee at the House of Commons in March over the Partygate inquiry
Sir Bernard Jenkin quizzes Boris Johnson during the Partygate inquiry in March
The report he co-authored as a member of the privileges committee found Mr Johnson lied repeatedly to Parliament over lockdown gatherings in No 10, all but ending the former prime minister’s Commons career.
But Sir Bernard has been accused of ‘staggering hypocrisy’ for condemning Mr Johnson’s behaviour while himself facing allegations he broke lockdown rules.
Last month Mr Johnson branded the allegations against Sir Bernard ‘a total contempt of Parliament’ and said he has ‘no choice’ but to recuse himself from the privileges committee.
Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg had also called for him to step down from the liaison committee ahead of yesterday’s hearing.
In its statement yesterday, Scotland Yard said: ‘Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in Parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the regulations at an event on 8 December 2020.’ It made clear that it launches retrospective investigations into lockdown breaches when there is ‘evidence of a serious and flagrant breach’.
The Met added that it only does so when ‘there is evidence that those involved knew or ought to have known what they were doing was an offence’, that ‘not investigating would significantly undermine the legitimacy of the law’ and when ‘there is little ambiguity around the absence of a reasonable defence’.
An ally of Sir Bernard’s previously told The Guardian that he briefly attended the December 2020 gathering to collect his wife and that he believed it was a ‘work event’. But this was contradicted after an invite, sent on WhatsApp by his wife, emerged apparently describing it as a ‘birthday drinks’ party for ‘a few of our favourite people’. Ms Crosbie’s apology also contradicted his account, as it suggested rules might have been broken.
The event was held in the offices of Dame Eleanor, who until now has been allowed to continue chairing debates in the Commons despite the allegations.
But there were questions last night about whether she may have to step down while the police probe is carried out.
At the time of the event, lockdown regulations made clear that ‘you must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household… or support bubble’.
Everyone who could ‘work effectively from home must do so’, official guidance added, with no justification provided for an indoor social celebration.
Former culture secretary Maria Miller and Tory MP Miriam Cates are also thought to have attended and may also face questions.
The police decision to reopen the investigation into the ‘Jingle and Mingle’ event follows the emergence last month of a video of drinking and dancing in a room in CCHQ on December 14, 2020.
A previous investigation into the event for Mr Bailey’s team did not result in any fines. Mr Bailey is not in the video footage but was photographed at the event.
The Lib Dems last night said he should lose the peerage awarded to him in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours.