The Met’s decision not to investigate the Christmas gatherings at Number 10 has been described as ‘unbelievable’
A group has threatened to sue the Metropolitan Police over their decision not to investigate allegations of Christmas parties at Downing Street last December.
Earlier this week, the Met said it would not be investigating goings-on at Number 10 in December 2020 due to “an absence of evidence.”
But now, the Good Law Project has written to the force asking it to explain its decision to not probe the Christmas party allegations, saying they will be suing the Met if it does not provide a good enough explanation for its failure to investigate.
In a statement, the group said: “There have been multiple reports from people who say they were in attendance on the night that a party of 40 – 50 people took place in the Prime Minister’s own home.
“This would have been a clear breach of the ‘tier 3’ restrictions in place at the time.
“Yet – unbelievably – the Met claims there isn’t enough evidence to open a criminal investigation.
“Boris Johnson and his Cabinet have shown us what they think about the ‘little’ people. Our sacrifices are just something to laugh at. They think that the laws of the land don’t apply to them.
“But the law says we are all equal. And the Metropolitan Police need to apply it.
“It’s shocking just how much damage to public confidence in policing and the rule of law the top brass at the Met are prepared to do to avoid an embarrassing confrontation with Number 10.
“It seems the Met have forgotten their role is to investigate crime. We intend to remind them.”
The group concluded: “Our lawyers have today written to the Met asking them to open an investigation, or if not, to provide the full and detailed reasons behind their refusal to do so.
“We’re also asking the Met to provide details of its policy ‘not to investigate retrospective breaches of the Covid regulations’, referred to in its statement of 8 December 2021.
“If they fail to do this, we will be left with little choice but to consider suing.”
There is no denial that a number of 'gatherings' took place and no attempt has been made to justify them by reference to the narrow exceptions that the law permits.
— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) December 10, 2021
You can read the full letter sent to the Met here.
Related links:
- Gary Neville calls for mass protest outside Downing Street on December 18
- ITV News’ intro to Downing Street Christmas party clip is absolutely brutal
- Met Police responds to one million partiers ‘attending’ No 10 Christmas rave
Jo Maugham, the director of the Good Law Project, added: “Now we know what Boris Johnson and his advisors think about the awful sacrifices people up and down the country have made.
“They think sacrifices are for the ‘small’ people – but not for ‘Great’ people like them.
“But the law says we are all equal. Great and small alike, subject to the same laws. That’s what the law says – and the Metropolitan Police need to apply it.”
In a thread on Twitter, Maughan explained that the Good Law Project believes there is a “very significant public interest in identifying whether there was a breach of the rules.”
We also think there is a very significant public interest in identifying whether there was a breach of the rules, particularly taking into account the alleged repeated deliberate breaches of the law by senior officials. Even if there is a policy it should be set aside.
— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) December 10, 2021
The government has announced that it will be conducting an inquiry into the Downing Street party, and that this will be broadened to look at another alleged event in November said to be attended by the Prime Minister himself.
