It has just been announced that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are to receive fines for attending parties during lockdown.
A No 10 spokesperson confirmed today that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor had received notification from the Metropolitan Police that they would be given fixed penalty notices as part of a wider investigation into a series of gatherings held at Downing Street and Whitehall when COVID-19 restrictions were in place back in 2020 and 2021.
However, the spokesperson said they had not been told which event the fine was for, and declined to provide further information at this time.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police launched an official investigation back in January into 12 events where restrictions may have been breached, with a total of more than 50 fines having been handed out so far.
Police issued the first 20 fines on 1 April to people who attended a leaving party for a Number 10 official on 18 June 2020 in the Cabinet Office building at 70 Whitehall, and then some of those fines were also handed out to people who attended two events on 16 April 2021, which shocked the nation as it was the day before Prince Philip’s funeral.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are to receive fines for attending parties during lockdown / Credit: Flickr
At the time the investigation was launched, the Met said they would “police without fear or favour”, and provide updates “at significant points” in its inquiry, but said they would not be naming those who received the fines.
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The government promised to reveal if Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak were among them, however.
After the news broke this afternoon, leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, has spoken out in response to the fines in a statement on Twitter, calling for both the Prime Minister and Rishi Sunak to resign.
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“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign. The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern.
“Britain deserves better.”
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public.
They must both resign.
The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.
The police have now completely shredded Boris Johnson’s claims that no laws were broken in No10. He cannot be trusted and cannot continue as Prime Minister.
No other leader in any other organisation would be allowed to continue after law-breaking on this scale.
Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, has also called for Parliament – which is currently on its Easter recess – to be recalled to hold a no confidence vote in the Prime Minister, as “no other leader in any other organisation would be allowed to continue after law-breaking on this scale.”
“This is a government in crisis neglecting a country in crisis,” he added on Twitter.
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Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Emily Sergeant -
12th April 2022 
