The country needs stability not delay

The decision of the Metropolitan Police to investigate allegations of lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street was a long time coming. That it was announced just minutes before the Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, was due to appear before a Greater London Assembly policing committee suggests she felt her prevarication was hard to justify.

Many people have been fined for breaking the rules, with party organisers facing particularly harsh penalties. Why should No 10 staff, or even the Prime Minister, be treated any differently? In the immortal words of Thomas Fuller, “Be ye ever so high, the law is above you”.

The Met’s involvement cast doubts over the timing of a report by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, into the No 10 parties. Downing Street initially said it would be delayed but appeared to soften that position. It would suit Boris Johnson if he could put some distance between the recent flood of party allegations and any findings of culpability, criminal or otherwise.

But this needs to be brought to a speedy conclusion for the good of the country. If the police have no objection to Ms Gray’s report being published (in full) when it is concluded there need be no further delay. Equally the police should expedite their investigation, not let it drag on for weeks, involving dozens of officers who have better things to do.

While breaking the regulations is a serious matter given the sacrifices others made to stick within them, the punishment for failing to do so normally warranted no more than a £100 fixed penalty. Breaches did not require full-blown investigations to establish and there is no reason why the Downing Street goings-on cannot be dealt with in a summary manner.

Mr Johnson said he was happy to be questioned by the police but Labour said the very existence of an investigation meant Mr Johnson should stand down immediately. That was not a position it took when Tony Blair’s Downing Street operation was investigated in 2007 during the “cash for honours” affair.

Moreover, there are pressing issues confronting the country that need stability, not least the threat of war in eastern Europe. The great danger of “partygate” is that it is a huge distraction from the day-to-day requirements of governance.

Related Posts

Property Management in Dubai: Effective Rental Strategies and Choosing a Management Company

“Property Management in Dubai: Effective Rental Strategies and Choosing a Management Company” In Dubai, one of the most dynamically developing regions in the world, the real estate…

In Poland, an 18-year-old Ukrainian ran away from the police and died in an accident, – media

The guy crashed into a roadside pole at high speed. In Poland, an 18-year-old Ukrainian ran away from the police and died in an accident / illustrative…

NATO saw no signs that the Russian Federation was planning an attack on one of the Alliance countries

Bauer recalled that according to Article 3 of the NATO treaty, every country must be able to defend itself. Rob Bauer commented on concerns that Russia is…

The Russian Federation has modernized the Kh-101 missile, doubling its warhead, analysts

The installation of an additional warhead in addition to the conventional high-explosive fragmentation one occurred due to a reduction in the size of the fuel tank. The…

Four people killed by storm in European holiday destinations

The deaths come amid warnings of high winds and rain thanks to Storm Nelson. Rescuers discovered bodies in two separate incidents / photo ua.depositphotos.com Four people, including…

Egg baba: a centuries-old recipe of 24 yolks for Catholic Easter

They like to put it in the Easter basket in Poland. However, many countries have their own variations of “bab”. The woman’s original recipe is associated with…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *