Bermuda Post

Friday, Dec 06, 2024

British Lawmakers Making a Joke of Their Own Laws: Met Police Revives Probe into Conservative Party's Festive Gathering Amid Pandemic

“Jingle and Mingle” Christmas event at Tory HQ and a parliamentary gathering under scrutiny for potential Covid-19 rule violations; Calls to halt Shaun Bailey's peerage.
In what appears to be a case of lawmakers skirting the very laws they uphold, the Metropolitan Police have announced the revival of an investigation into alleged breaches of Covid-19 restrictions at a Conservative Party Christmas gathering, dubbed the “jingle and mingle” event. This development follows the emergence of new video evidence in the Sunday Mirror, capturing the controversial holiday festivity held at the party’s headquarters.

The Met Police are not only zeroing in on the festive gathering but also investigating an event that transpired in Parliament on December 8, 2020. This comes after reports on the political blog, Guido Fawkes, implicated Conservative backbencher Sir Bernard Jenkin.

Sir Bernard, who is part of the Commons Privileges Committee, which released a report criticizing former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, refused to comment on the ongoing investigation. It’s noteworthy that Mr. Johnson had previously leveled accusations of "monstrous hypocrisy" against Sir Bernard in relation to the allegations.

Additionally, Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie issued an apology for her participation in the Christmas event during a time when Covid-19 restrictions were being strictly enforced. Ms. Crosbie confirmed the event took place, but clarified that she had not been involved in sending out invitations.

Previously, the Metropolitan Police investigated the December 2020 gathering at the Conservative Party Headquarters, after a photograph emerged showing former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey, alongside Tory aides, raising glasses beside a buffet, at a time when indoor socializing was prohibited. Initially, in November, the Met concluded no further action against Mr. Bailey or others in the photograph was necessary.

However, the investigation was reopened following the publication of a video by the Sunday Mirror, which had not been provided to officers during the initial probe. The footage shows attendees being invited to a “jingle and mingle” party. Shaun Bailey, who has been nominated for a seat in the House of Lords following Mr. Johnson’s resignation, expressed regret for the event, claiming that it escalated after he left. Mr. Bailey stated that he was “very upset about the video” as he had not seen it before.

The Liberal Democrats have urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bar Mr. Bailey from taking his seat as a peer while the investigation is ongoing.

Simultaneously, the Met Police and Thames Valley Police announced that no investigations into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations at Downing Street and Chequers, the Prime Minister's country home, between June 2020 and May 2021 will be conducted. They asserted that upon "further clarification" on diary entries, the events did "not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation".

Former Prime Minister Mr. Johnson, who resigned as an MP last month under allegations of misleading Parliament, denied any Covid-19 breaches at the events, claiming the actions of the Cabinet Office were part of a “politically motivated stitch-up”.

As the Met Police investigation gains momentum, questions surrounding the accountability and compliance with Covid-19 restrictions by political leaders are now at the forefront of public discourse and scrutiny.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
'I just lost it' Lowe’s worker fired after 13 years of employment for confronting thieves trying to steal $2K of merchandise
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
×