number ten and it is not good news. our first report today comes from our political correspondent, ione wells. can the prime minister bounce back from this? reporter: are you going to have to resign? - for many tory mps, their answer depends on what s in sue gray s reports into parties that took place behind these doors, and across whitehall, during coronavirus restrictions. yesterday, confirmation some evidence she has found was enough to warrant a police investigation. i can confirm that the met is now investigating a number of events that took place at downing street and whitehall in the last two years. previously, the police had said they don t tend to use resources to investigate retrospective breaches of covid rules. so why now? cressida dick said there were three key factors. evidence those involved knew, or ought to have known, what they were doing was an offence. not investigating would significantly undermine the legitimacy of the law.
running. commissioner, you have . minutes. i am aware i have the clockl running. commissioner, you havejust set out running. commissioner, you havejust set out part running. commissioner, you havejust set out part of what was said in the 13th of set out part of what was said in the 13th ofjanuary statement by the met, 13th ofjanuary statement by the met, that you do not routinely investigate retrospective breaches of covid investigate retrospective breaches of covid laws, and that you used a four es of covid laws, and that you used a four es approach, which is to ehgage, four es approach, which is to engage, explain, encourage, enforce at the engage, explain, encourage, enforce at the time engage, explain, encourage, enforce at the time of breaches, and you might at the time of breaches, and you might review and consider significant evidence if becomes available. was there any attempt rnade available. was there any attempt rnade to available. was there any attempt ma
i can confirm that the met is now investigating a number of events that took place at downing street and whitehall in the last two years. previously, the police had said they don t tend to use resources to investigate retrospective breaches of covid rules. so why now? cressida dick said there were three key factors. evidence those involved knew, or ought to have known, what they were doing was an offence. not investigating would significantly undermine the legitimacy of the law. and where there was little ambiguity around the absence of any reasonable defence. the prime minister welcomed the police investigation. i believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters. but as a police investigation into government parties opens, the bbc understands the civil servant sue gray s is now complete. after it gets sent to number 10,
purpose. hence the four es approach. and of course we did issue tickets and we did enforce with some really flagrant breaches, but most people, as you all well though, responded very well to our engagement and changed their behaviour. we do have finite resources and even more so during the worst periods of the pandemic, when our officers fell ill as well as other people. and our view was and is that it would not normally be a proportionate, normally be a proportionate, normally be a proportionate, normally be a proportionate use of officers time to spend their time, bearing in mind the nature of the offences, after the fact investigating what could have been thousands of complaints. these are summary only offences. at the people who commit them to get a fixed
the metropolitan police put out a statement. it read: based on the absence of evidence and in line with our policy not to investigate retrospective breaches of such regulations, the met will not commence an investigation at this time. that was then this is now. ican i can confirm that the met is investigating a number of events that happened in whitehall over the past two that happened in whitehall over the past two years in relation to potential breaches of covid 19 regulations. so why the shift? here s the explanation. first we have the information provided first we have the information provided by the cabinet office and team provided by the cabinet office and team and provided by the cabinet office and team and second the offices on assessment. that s right. the police decided not to investigate. but after receiving information from an investigation by the civil servant sue gray now the police will investigate. and this is the prime minister s reaction. i welcome the