Shaun Bailey in 2021.The partygate scandal is refusing to die down as police confirmed fines are to be issued for an infamous Westminster shindig.
The Met Police said on Friday it has made referrals for 24 fixed-penalty notices over the lockdown-busting “jingle and mingle” party at Tory headquarters during the coronavirus pandemic.
The fines related to a December 2020 event at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) for activists on behalf of Shaun Bailey’s unsuccessful effort to be London mayor.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “Having assessed that new evidence, the Met has made 24 referrals for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to the ACRO Criminal Records Office for breaches of Covid-19 regulations.”
ITV News reported 150 partygate fines have now been dished out.
BREAKING: The Met Police have issued a further 24 referrals for partygate fines for this party at Conservative HQ on 14th Dec 2020.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) October 13, 2023
That means total fines for partygate now stand at 150. pic.twitter.com/BmRQ8JE4LM
The probe was re-opened in July after footage emerged showing Tories drinking and dancing at a Christmas event at the Conservative Party headquarters in London on December 14, 2020.
The party was held by the campaign team forBailey. It happened at a time when London was under Tier-2 restrictions, meaning people were banned from socialising indoors.
Bailey admitted attending the event but has said he “toodled off” to appear on the BBC.
The Metropolitan Police did not issue any fines related to the event during their probe into partygate last year because they said they did not have enough evidence.
Police only had access to still images of the event at the time. The new video footage, obtained by the Daily Mirror, was followed by the BBC publishing an invitation, revealing the event was called “jingle and mingle”.
