Will Boris Johnson still be Prime Minister at the end of this week, in a month, in a year? No one claims to have a definitive answer to this pressing question in the halls of British power anymore, as revelations and twists accumulate around “Partygate”, the party scandal given in Downing Street in full confinement.
On Tuesday January 25, against all odds, Cressida Dick, the head of the Metropolitan Police (Met, Greater London police) announced the launch of an investigation into these parties, farewells and other alcoholic work meetings that took place in the most famous alley in the country, when the bulk of the British respected social restrictions.
“I can confirm that due to information provided by the Cabinet Office [l’administration travaillant en soutien du premier ministre] and my officers’ own assessments, the London Police are now investigating a number of events which took place in Downing Street and Whitehall [les ministères] over the past two years and who could [s’être tenus] in violation of health laws, said Cressida Dick on Tuesday morning at a London Assembly meeting. The investigations will be led by Police Commander Jane Connors.
Scotland Yard on a mission at the heart of the British political reactor? This development is not trivial, but there is precedent. In 2006, ministers and Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair were questioned as part of a police investigation into the “cash for honors” scandal – the head of government had been heard as a witness. At the time, the Labor Party was suspected of having implemented a system of thanking its donors with honorary appointments. However, the investigation did not result in any indictment or conviction.
Boris Johnson facing mortal danger
Despite mounting press revelations, the Met has so far refused to investigate Downing Street, while it has not shied away from prosecuting British citizens convicted of breaking health rules – no meetings with more than two people outdoors until the end of June 2020, and no more than six people in meetings from September 2020 until spring 2021. This attitude has drawn strong criticism, in particular from the Good Law Project, an NGO specialized in legal actions against corruption. ” Decision [de la Met] failure to investigate Downing Street party stories could be illegal and we could prosecute her, unless she reconsiders her decision or explains convincingly the reasons for her refusal,” explained the NGO a few days ago.
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