London police to investigate alleged Downing Street lockdown parties

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said Tuesday that the police will investigate alleged parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall due to an apparent breach of Covid-19 rules.

The London police chief said that while the force did not typically investigate lockdown breaches long after the event, the decision to open an investigation followed evidence provided by the Cabinet Office.

Dick acknowledged “deep public concern” about allegations of lockdown parties in breach of the government’s own Covid-19 guidelines.

“What I can tell you this morning is that as a result firstly of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team and secondly my officers’ own assessment, I can confirm that the Met is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations,” Dick said.

Several other events that appeared to have taken place at Downing Street and Whitehall were deemed not to have reached the threshold for a criminal investigation based on the information available, Dick said.

The investigation marks an about-turn for the Met, which had previously faced sharp criticism for dismissing calls to investigate alleged Downing Street parties.

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