“They have to go,” Starmer says as Johnson and Sunak fined over partygate

Keir Starmer has declared that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak “have to go” after the Metropolitan Police Service revealed that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are to be issued with fines for breaking public health rules during the pandemic.

The police revealed earlier this afternoon that it has made another 30 referrals for fixed-penalty notices, in addition to 20 handed out in an initial “tranche” of fines two weeks ago, as part of its investigation into gatherings held in breach of Covid rules.

Starmer said: “The British public made the most unimaginable, heart-wrenching sacrifices, and many were overcome by guilt. Guilt at not seeing elderly relatives, not going to funerals or weddings, or even seeing the birth of their own children.

“But the guilty men are the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. They’ve dishonoured all of that sacrifice, they’ve dishonoured their office. This is the first time in the history of our country that a Prime Minister has been found to be in breach of the law, and then he lied repeatedly to the public about it.”

A spokesman for No 10 said: “The Met Police have now explained that the FPN issued to the Prime Minister will be in relation to the following incident: On June 19th 2020 at the Cabinet Room, 10 Downing Street, between 1400 and 1500 you participated in a gathering of two or more people indoors.”

The June 19th party was reportedly a surprise birthday event held for the Prime Minister, organised by his wife with the Chancellor in attendance. Minister Conor Burns previously argued that Johnson had been “ambushed with a cake”.

The fixed-penalty notice issued to Johnson makes him the first sitting Prime Minister to receive a criminal sanction for breaking the law. His wife Carrie Johnson, who also lives at the Downing Street residence, will receive a fine as well.

The police are investigating 12 gatherings, including events held in the Downing Street garden, inside No 10 and in Johnson’s official Downing Street residence. The police have not specified to which of the gatherings the other fines relate.

It emerged after the first tranche, however, that a party held for former head of the Covid taskforce Kate Joseph and the leaving party for private secretary Hannah Young were two of the events that have resulted in fixed-penalty notices.

In a statement, the MPS said today: “We are making every effort to progress this investigation at speed, this includes continuing to assess significant amounts of investigative material from which further referrals may be made to Acro.”

The police began interviews with some of those involved in the events three weeks ago. They have also taken evidence from more than 100 ministers, advisers and officials, including the Prime Minister and Sunak, through questionnaires.