Police to issue 24 fines after fresh investigation into party at Tory HQ during lockdown

The fixed-penalty notices related to a “jingle and mingle” event in December 2020 at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) for activists on behalf of Shaun Bailey’s unsuccessful effort to be London mayor. Credit: PA

The Metropolitan Police has closed an investigation into alleged Covid breaches at a Christmas event, which ITV News understands to be for former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey's campaign team.

The force is set to issue 24 fines after a probe into potential breaches of regulations at a gathering on Matthew Parker Street in December 2020.

It is understood the fixed-penalty notices relate to a “jingle and mingle” event in December 2020 at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) for activists on behalf of Lord Bailey’s unsuccessful effort to be London mayor.

The investigation into the party was reopened in July this year after a video clip, obtained by the Mirror, of a party held at the CCHQ while Covid restrictions were in place appeared to show Conservative staff dancing and joking about lockdown rules.

Police investigating Conservative 'jingle and mingle' party at London HQ

Lord Bailey, who received a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours, has previously called the December 14 event a "serious error of judgement" and apologised “unreservedly".

The Met Police has not released the identities of the recipients of the fixed-penalty notices.

A second investigation, related to the partygate scandal in Parliament on December 8, 2020, continues.

The December 8 gathering - said to have been arranged by Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing - was cited by Mr Johnson in a scathing statement accusing Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin of “monstrous hypocrisy” for allegedly attending the event before sitting on the cross-party panel which found the former prime minister had lied to MPs with his partygate denials.

The Met said it would not "routinely investigate breaches of the Covid regulations retrospectively, and only do so where there is evidence of a serious and flagrant breach."

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