The London Metropolitan Police are reportedly investigating 12 such events held by government officials that may have broken the rules, known as partygate.
in the whitehall machine, what effect has this had on whitehall s self confidence, this process? i self confidence, this process? 1 think it must have a very self confidence, this process? i think it must have a very damaging effect on morale, to know that you and many of your senior colleagues are potentially facing investigation, fines, that will be very unsettling. i think there will be a lot of recriminations. how did we get into this? there should be some introspection. so many senior people were involved. 0ne people were involved. one interesting question for whitehall, hopefully there will be more insua great s report, how did whitehall get itself into a position where it was deeming itself to be so outside the rules that applied to everybody else. it seems a mentality took hold that these parties, these gatherings, were 0k. that these parties, these gatherings, were ok. we heard the party for which there were fines
0ffice, facing fines is unprecedented. this story is like a serial whodunnit where we find out more each week about who has been fined by the met. in more each week about who has been fined by the met. fined by the met. in that sense it s uuite fined by the met. in that sense it s quite limiting fined by the met. in that sense it s quite limiting for fined by the met. in that sense it s quite limiting for the fined by the met. in that sense it s quite limiting for the government, | quite limiting for the government, the drip, drip. quite damaging for the government. the met are not saying this is the end of the process. i saying this is the end of the rocess. ., ~ , process. i don t think it is the end because we process. i don t think it is the end because we assume process. i don t think it is the end because we assume there - process. i don t think it is the end because we assume there are - process. i don t think it is the end i because we assume there are more peop
occasions. 0ur political correspondent david wallace lockhart is at westminster. david, you were telling victoria that there was very little warning that there was very little warning that there was very little warning that the announcement was coming but we knew that there were further fines and it looks like the number involved here is quite extensive. 0ver involved here is quite extensive. over 50 finds now the met police haveissued over 50 finds now the met police have issued related to the events taking place in downing street and other government buildings while covid regulations were in place. important to stress that doesn t necessarily mean 50 individuals. people can be getting more than one fine. the events are not specified that the fines relate to. the two people of significant interest to have received a fine of the prime minister himself and the second most prominent government person, rishi sunak. hugely politically