Cornwall MPs comment on Downing Street party fines

It was announced yesterday that Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie had all received fixed penalty notices from the Met Police for attending gatherings in Downing Street, against covid laws. All three have said that they have paid the £50 fines and all have apologised.

The revelations have led to fresh calls from some for the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to resign for not only breaking the law but also misleading Parliament when they repeatedly claimed that they had not attended any events or parties.

At the time of the events people were not allowed to gather together and this led, in some cases, to people being unable to visit their loved ones in hospital or to attend funerals. The Met has said that in total 50 fines have so far been issued in relations to events in Downing Street.

Stephen Double - UK Parliament official portraits 2017

Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said that the Prime Minister had his "full support."

He said: "I can completely understand how angry and upset many people feel about cases of rule makers breaking the rules, and it is absolutely right that those who have been found to have breached Covid regulations have been issued fines following a thorough and independent police investigation.

"But I do wish to point out that this event was reported in the Times newspaper, and elsewhere, the day after it took place.

"It was briefed out to the press in a statement from 10 Downing Street that members of staff organised and held an impromptu gathering for the PM in the Cabinet Office to celebrate his birthday.

"The “event” is said to have lasted ten minutes."

"Although with hindsight it is clear that this event should not have been allowed to take place, I believe this makes it clear that the Prime Minister and his team at No 10 did not believe the event was in breach of Covid regulations and clearly nobody else did at that time.

"No one reported the event to the police nor escalated it in any other way. It has however, now been established that the letter of the rules were broken.

"The Prime Minster has apologised and accepts such. However, I do not believe that a mistake that was made almost two years ago, that no one at the time took issue with, should require a change in leadership at this critical time.

"Although I clearly appreciate the strength of feeling that has been expressed to me by some, I also believe that the Prime Minister remains the right person to lead us through the very many significant challenges we and the world are facing at present, including the war in Ukraine.

"He continues to have my full support."

Derek Thomas, Conservative candidate for St Ives

Meanwhile Derek Thomas, MP for St Ives, who previously said that Mr Johnson should consider his position if it was found he had broken the law, said he was waiting for the report from Sue Gray, looking at all the events and parties at Downing Street, before making up his mind.

He said: "As I grew up a resounding theme was to be ‘beyond reproach’ which is a great principle to live by – but all of us fall short at times.

"Our leaders have a duty to be extra vigilant, especially when demanding such restrictions on the UK population as we did during the peak of the Covid pandemic.

"I have always refused to rush to judgement, as I said back in January – and I stand by what I said. 

"If the alleged activities were illegal AND the PM knew this, he must consider his position.

"I shall be discussing the appropriate course of action with other backbench MPs when we return to Parliament next week – and it has been reported that Sue Gray’s report will be published then, so we should be in full possession of the facts."

Cornwall’s other MPs – George Eustice, Scott Mann, Sheryll Murray and Cherilyn Mackrory – have not yet commented publicly on the latest announcements.