Former UK PM Boris Johnson to face probe again after new 'Partygate' claims

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing more police investigations into the “Partygate” incident, it was revealed Tuesday, after a government ministry provided two police units data concerning possible Covid lockdown violations. The Metropolitan Police in London announced that it was “assessing” fresh material received in the previous week regarding “potential breaches” of coronavirus guidelines in Downing Street between June 2020 and May 2021. Meanwhile, The Times, which broke the story, said that Thames Valley Police were looking into additional evidence of probable rule-breaking at Chequers, the prime minister’s country house outside of London. According to many sources, the alleged breaches affected Johnson’s family as well as his acquaintances. According to a source close to the former leader, this is false. Johnson, 58, was ousted as prime minister last summer following a revolt within his ruling party after being dogged for months by the accusations of lockdown breaches and other scandals. He repeatedly denied in parliament, and elsewhere, that he or his staff had breached his own pandemic era restrictions by holding boozy gatherings in Downing Street. But the Met issued fines to dozens of aides after a criminal probe, and Johnson became the first serving UK prime minister found to have broken the law, over one of the gatherings. The ex-leader is currently being investigated by a parliamentary committee over whether he lied to MPs about “Partygate”, in a process that could ultimately trigger his removal as a lawmaker. The spectre of new police probes follows the Cabinet Office, which supports prime ministers and ensures the effective running of government, passing the two forces new “information”. It “came to light” as the ministry prepares for a public inquiry into the country’s pandemic response. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said the material was identified “as part of the normal disclosure review of potentially relevant documents being undertaken by the legal team for inquiry witnesses”. “In-line with obligations in the Civil Service Code, this material has been passed to the relevant authorities and it is now a matter for them,” the spokesperson added. A spokesman for Johnson said: “Some abbreviated entries in Mr Johnson’s official diary were queried by the Cabinet Office during preparation for the Covid inquiry.” He added the former leader’s lawyers wrote to the Cabinet Office, and the parliamentary committee probing him, “explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any Covid regulations”. His team told The Times that the referrals were “clearly politically motivated attempt to manufacture something out of nothing”. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.