The Metropolitan Police have announced the reopening of one of their Partygate investigations and the launch of a new probe following the assessment of new material related to potential breaches of Covid regulations in 2020 and 2021.
In a statement, they said:
“The Metropolitan Police, in collaboration with Thames Valley Police, carefully assessed the new evidence and utilized predetermined criteria to determine whether investigations were warranted. The criteria included the presence of serious and flagrant breaches, evidence of knowledge or should-have-known awareness of the offences, significant harm to the legitimacy of the law if left uninvestigated, and absence of reasonable defense.
“As a result of this assessment, the Metropolitan Police conducted a thorough and impartial investigation under Operation Hillman into allegations of Covid regulation breaches at Downing Street and Whitehall, leading to 126 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) referrals. Additionally, the Met had previously investigated an event on Matthew Parker Street in December 2020, which, based on the available information, did not result in FPNs but left the possibility of revisiting the decision if substantial evidence emerged. The recent receipt of video evidence prompted the Met to revisit and update its assessment, ultimately leading to the reopening of the investigation.
“Furthermore, the Met has decided to open an investigation into potential breaches of Covid regulations at an event in Parliament on 8 December 2020, following the assessment of relevant material. However, both the Met and Thames Valley Police have concluded that the events at Downing Street and Chequers, based on the assessed material and accompanying diary entries, do not meet the criteria for retrospective investigations”
The Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police emphasise their commitment to reconsidering assessments if significant new evidence emerges. Therefore, ongoing investigations are subject to potential updates and should not be prejudged or commented on during their progress.
The Metropolitan Police has stated that it will provide further updates when appropriate, ensuring transparency and accountability in addressing these alleged breaches of Covid regulations.

