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Kate Plummer
May 19, 2022
Metropolitan Police conclude Partygate inquiry with 126 people fined
Indy
The Metropolitan Police has finished its investigation into Partygate so now Sue Gray can finally publish her report.
Gray’s report into a series of alleged breaches of Covid lockdown in 10 Downing Street and Whitehall was completed in January, but she delayed the publication of the full document because the Met said it could influence their own investigation.
But no worries of that happening anymore as the investigation - which resulted in a total of 126 fines for eight events - is done.
In total 83 people have been issued with fines, the force added, with 28 people facing between two and five fines. Boris Johnson got one fine as well, as we already know, making him the first PM in history to be slapped on the wrist by the police.
Now it's time for Gray to shine. Metropolitan Police acting deputy commissioner Helen Ball said: “We have no objection to Sue Gray publishing her report and she will make her own decision now on what action she wants to take.”
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She has become a bit of a meme since it was first decided she would be the arbiter of Johnson's morality months ago. So enter the Sue Gray jokes, comments, memes and general thoughts:
Sue Gray rnpic.twitter.com/j770w9WoXD— Mollie Goodfellow (@Mollie Goodfellow) 1652954912
The Sue Gray report could be published in full next week, which means it\u2019s now time to start working up a list of all those who are going to resign instead of me.\n#Partygate— Parody Boris (@Parody Boris) 1652962709
Met police: *finish Partygate investigation*\n\nSue Gray with her report:pic.twitter.com/SmZtmb25Om— Nadine Batchelor-Hunt (@Nadine Batchelor-Hunt) 1652953808
Live scenes as the Sue Gray report crashes back into the news cycle:pic.twitter.com/HmRN4r1W1M— Have I Got News For You (@Have I Got News For You) 1652957887
I\u2019ve seen this film before. This is the part where the Met Police investigation is wrapped up and the Sue Gray report is lost forever when the USB stick it is saved on gets accidentally dropped into an enclosure at London Zoo where it is eaten by an over-enthusiastic penguin.— Simon Harris - #LovelyBitOfSquirrel (@Simon Harris - #LovelyBitOfSquirrel) 1652960711
So now we're all waiting for Sue Gray again...— Pippa Crerar (@Pippa Crerar) 1652954278
Sue Gray, Sue Gray, come out, wherever you are\u2026— Tim Walker (@Tim Walker) 1652867637
Someone send up the bat signal \u2013 it's time to summon Sue Gray.— Sam Bright (@Sam Bright) 1652954401
Sue Gray report potentially coming next week. Here's a sneak preview.pic.twitter.com/h6Zxm5Aayd— Best for Britain (@Best for Britain) 1652956881
In Gray's interim report, she said she was “extremely limited” in what she could say while police inquiries were under way.
She said that some behaviour at the gatherings was “difficult to justify” given the public was being asked to “accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives”.
There were “failures of leadership and judgement“ by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times. Some of the events “should not have been allowed to take place”, while others “should not have been allowed to develop as they did”.
She also criticised a drinking culture within No 10.
Time will tell what her full report has to say which is expected next week because, that's right, everyone's favourite character in British politics is back.
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