By Ben Kerrigan-
Police have started to dish out £50 fines to ministers for attending Downing Street parties, in a step up of punitive measures against rule lockdown rule breakers during the pandemic.
Lockdown breaches were forced to take a backseat when the Russian war started, but the Met police has slowly began to revisit the wide breaches that brought shame to ministers who were meant to be setting good examples for the British public.
After the Metropolitan police said on Monday that they were issuing 20 penalty notices, emails have gone out to some of those involved, who the police “have a reasonable belief” attended gatherings during lockdown. How the police can use reasonable belief to determine guilt is a curious question, but it is assumed they have used facts and circumstances surrounding individual cases.
Government sources said the Met appeared to have tackled the “low-hanging fruit first” by concentrating on parties where those involved had acknowledged their participation.
The Met suggested the fines were issued as part of a “first tranche”, indicating that more could be handed out in relation to more complicated events where those involved are denying having attended illegal gatherings.
One of the events where some of the people in attendance are believed to have got fines is a leaving party on 18 June, which was held for a departing No 10 aide.
The Met has opted against transparency in stating which of the 12 events being investigated have led to fines so far. No 10 has said it will provide an update if Boris Johnson receives a fixed penalty notice. The prime minister is believed to have been present at several of the gatherings under investigation,.