Boris Johnson faces the threat of an interview under caution after Scotland Yard called in its 'celebrity squad' to lead a Partygate probe.
The PM found himself at the centre of a criminal investigation yesterday when Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick announced officers were investigating 'a number of' events at Downing Street and Whitehall over the last two years.
She suggested the slew of Partygate claims represented potentially the most serious type of breach where individuals knew they were committing an offence or 'ought to have known'.
Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick (pictured) announced officers were investigating 'a number of' events at Downing Street and Whitehall over the last two years
The Met's Special Enquiry Team, led by Commander Catherine Roper (left), has been tasked with the highly sensitive probe. Detectives will also report to Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors (right)
The team recently looked at a cash for honours scandal when it was alleged Prince Charles's aide Michael Fawcett (pictured with Charles), 58, offered a Saudi billionaire help to acquire an honorary CBE in return for charity donations. Detectives decided not to investigate in that case
The Met chief has refused to set a deadline, but the probe could take months given the number of parties being investigated, and the numbers of potential witnesses.
For weeks, the force had been reluctant to get dragged into what was regarded as a political minefield, citing first lack of evidence and then suggesting it should be left to the Cabinet Office.
But the force claimed it had no choice but to step in after it was handed the preliminary findings of the report by top civil servant Sue Gray which identified possible criminal offences.
Yesterday Dame Cressida told the London Assembly that it would not normally be a 'proportionate use of the force's resources to investigate historic allegations of Covid breaches', but there are occasions 'when we were looking at something which appeared to be the most serious and flagrant type of breach'.
She said officers had decided the threshold for a criminal investigation had been met as there was now 'evidence'.
'My three factors were and are: there was evidence that those involved knew, or ought to have known that what they were doing was an offence,' she said.
'Where not investigating would significantly undermine the legitimacy of the law. And where there was little ambiguity around the absence of any reasonable defence.'
There was speculation yesterday that police could probe up to eight events between May 2020 and April 2021. Mr Johnson was present on three of those occasions, including his birthday celebration and a 'bring your own booze' party.
The Met's Special Enquiry Team – known as the celebrity squad and led by Commander Catherine Roper – has been tasked with the highly sensitive probe.
The unit was formed around 20 years ago to 'investigate sensitive and confidential enquiries... involving high-profile subjects and politically exposed
