Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing further scrutiny over the so-called "Partygate" scandal after a government ministry passed on information to police about more alleged breaches of coronavirus lockdowns by the very people who instituted them, British media is reporting.
London's Metropolitan Police announced Tuesday they were assessing new information regarding "potential breaches" of Downing Street’s COVID-19 rules between June 2020 and May 2021.
According to the outlet which broke the story, Thames Valley Police were also said to be analyzing new evidence regarding potential lockdown violations at Chequers, a country estate sitting just outside London which is legally reserved for the serving prime minister.
One British outlet explained Johnson was “reported by civil servants over alleged visits to Chequers… as well as potential breaches in the leader's Downing Street residence.” The breaches are said to involve both friends and family of the former conservative leader.
The Cabinet Office, a British government department that works alongside the prime minister, said that “information came to light during the process of preparing evidence for submission to the COVID inquiry.”
“In line with obligations in the Civil Service Code, this material has been passed to the relevant authorities and it is now a matter for them,” it added.
A spokesman for Johnson described the recent referrals as a “clearly politically motivated attempt to manufacture something out of nothing.”
His office is adamant that events hosted by the former UK prime minister “were lawful and were not breaches of any COVID regulations,” and said his lawyers have written to the Cabinet Office outlining that position.
The since-ousted conservative leader was singing quite a different tune in March, when Johnson swore on a King James Bible and insisted — “hand on heart” — that he had not lied to the House of Commons, before later admitting he was “not going to pretend” that social distancing guidelines were “enforced rigidly.”
Johnson was ultimately slapped with fines last year over the government parties held in 2020 and 2021 which infringed on the stringent lockdowns imposed by his government.