By Ben Kerrigan-
Leaked copies of a Partygate questionnaire confirms that Downing Street insiders are being questioned under police caution , and asked to provide a “reasonable excuse” for attending lockdown-busting gatherings.
The forms sent to those accused of breaking Covid regulations asked respondents to provide a “lawful exception” or “reasonable excuse” for their lockdown-busting behaviour.
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Obtained by ITV News, they are part of the evidence Scotland Yard is gathering as part of its investigation into potential law-breaking on Downing Street.
It states that those accused can provide a written statement “under caution” , highlighting Mr Johnson as the first Prime Minister to face answering police questions in this way.
The leaked document asks respondents around a dozen questions including “did you participate in a gathering?” on a specific date and “what was the purpose of your participation” in that event.
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It also asks “did you interact with, or undertake any activity with, other persons present at the gathering? If yes, please provide details.”
The questionnaire asks for timings of attendance at any individual party and how many others were present.
It also provides them with a chance to justify their actions, asking: “What, if any, lawful exception applied to the gathering and/or what reasonable excuse did you have for participating in the gathering?”
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “This is an embarrassment that for the first time in UK history we have a PM interviewed under police caution.”
Boris Johnson has already returned his replies to the Metropolitan police’s questions, standing his grounds to have attended social events in No 10 in a work capacity.
A copy of one of the official questionnaires, obtained by ITV, includes the police caution: “You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you subsequently rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “This is an embarrassment that for the first time in UK history we have a PM interviewed under police caution.”
As well as asking the recipient to confirm their attendance at a specific event, the leaked questionnaire shows they were also asked: “What was the purpose of your participation in that gathering?” and “did you interact with, or undertake any activity with, other persons present at the gathering. If yes, please provide details.”
Recipients were offered the opportunity to give a “lawful exception” or “reasonable excuse” for attending. Johnson is understood to have hired a lawyer to help him draw up his responses, which Downing Street has confirmed were submitted before the deadline of last Friday.
The Met investigation into 12 social events, several of which the prime minister is known to have attended, was triggered by evidence uncovered by the senior civil servant Sue Gray, whose full report on her inquiry will not be published until the police have completed their work.
Johnson’s allies are convinced he has a justification for attending events that took place at No 10, which is his home as well as his workplace. He initially denied reports that parties had been held in Downing Street, telling MPs: “All guidance was followed completely.”
Receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaching rules that he himself drew up is regarded as unacceptable to many backbenchers, and would be likely to prompt more letters calling for a vote of no confidence.
Downing Street staff have been asked by police to provide a “lawful exception” or “reasonable excuse” for parties which took place during lockdown, a partygate questionnaire leaked to ITV News has shown.
The questionnaires – sent to those suspected of breaking Covid regulations by attending gatherings at the height of the pandemic – form part of the evidence the Metropolitan Police is gathering as part of its investigation into potential law-breaking on Downing Street.
The prime minister has already returned his copy and the document gives the first insight into the kind of questions he is likely to have been asked.
Police make clear to recipients that people are filling out the questionnaire under caution and Boris Johnson is understood to be the first prime minister subject to that level of police questioning.
The document states at the outset that those accused have an opportunity to provide “a written statement under caution”.
It then goes on to ask around a dozen questions, including:
“Did you participate in a gathering on a specific date”
“What was the purpose of your participation in that gathering”
“Did you interact with, or undertake any activity with, other persons present at the gathering. If yes, please provide details”
The questionnaire asks for timings of the person’s attendance at the party and how many others were present.
“It just suggests that there’s no effort going into any real investigation of ascertaining who did what when and where and why.”
“This is anything but a rigorous investigation, it’s the direct opposite,” he said, “there’s just no effort gone into this at all”.
The prime minister is known to have taken legal advice before submitting his response last week, and is expected to argue that he did not violate the rules by attending several gatherings because Number 10 is both his place of work and his home.
More junior members of staff have told ITV News that they are concerned they won’t be able to afford the same standard of legal advice, potentially meaning that they are more likely to be fined than the prime minister.
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