COPS will quiz two people over a festive lockdown party that led to a top Tory quitting.
Former mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey stepped down after a photo emerged of 24 aides at a boozy Christmas bash.
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Bailey stood down from his role at the London Assembly yesterday after damning photos were revealed by the Mirror.
The event, organised by Bailey’s mayoral campaign, allegedly took place on December 14 last year during tighter Covid restrictions.
Bailey posed up for a snap with more than a dozen other staffers on his campaign team and Tory donors, surrounded by huge platters of food and holding drinks, with some in Christmas jumpers too.
The pictures were apparently taken last December when people in London were banned from meeting others indoors as part of tier 2 – except for work meetings.
It is believed the party took place the day before the festive No10 gathering where the PM was pictured and four days before the Downing Street Christmas party.
PARTY QUIZ
Boris Johnson’s top aide Allegra Stratton resigned in tears earlier this month – just hours after bombshell footage showed her laughing about the No10 shindig.
The PM has now asked Simon Case, Britain’s most senior civil servant, to investigate alleged gatherings.
And tonight, Met Police said officers are mulling a “significant amount of material” connected to the claims, which have caused fury across the nation.
However, they still won’t be investigating any of the other parties.
In a statement, they said: “The Cabinet Office is looking into staff gatherings at Number 10 Downing Street and the Department For Education in November and December, 2020.
“The Met is in contact with the Cabinet Office in relation to this. If any evidence emerges of behaviour that is potentially a criminal offence it will be passed to the Met for further consideration.
TORY QUITS
“The Met has received a significant amount of material in relation to the allegations reported in the media.
“All the material has been considered by detectives in detail and it does not provide evidence of a breach of the Health Protection Regulations, but restates allegations made in the media.
“In line with our policy where we do not normally investigate breaches of these regulations when they are reported long after they are said to have taken place, unless there is evidence from the Cabinet Office or other evidence comes to light, the Met will not at this time commence an investigation.
“The Met is also aware of a gathering at an address in Matthew Parker Street, SW1 on 14 December 2020.
“Officers will be making contact with two people who attended in relation to alleged breaches of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations.”
A Tory spokesman previously said: “Senior CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of 14 December.
“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.”
Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green Party politicians on the London Assembly had written to commissioner Dame Cressida Dick demanding an investigation, saying the photo indicate “a clear breach of the regulations”.
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