The government has hit back at Boris Johnson’s claim that he is the victim of a “political stitch-up” over fresh allegations that he broke Covid lockdown rules.
Cabinet Office officials referred the former prime minister to the police after “information came to light” as they made preparations for the public inquiry into the pandemic.
It relates to entries in the former prime minister’s official diary about visits to 10 Downing Street and Chequers by his friends and family during lockdown.
In a statement last night, Johnson’s office said: “The events in question were all within the rules either because they were held outdoors or came within another lawful exception. They include regular meetings with civil servants and advisers.
“It appears some within government have decided to make unfounded suggestions both to the police and to the privileges committee.
“Many will conclude that this has all the hallmarks of yet another politically motivated stitch up.”
HuffPost UK also understands that Johnson could sue the Cabinet Office for suggesting that he broke lockdown rules.
But in a statement issued today, the Cabinet Office rejected any suggestion of political interference in their decision.
A spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Office has not made any assessment or conducted any investigation of the material that has been passed to the police.
“Ministers played no role in deciding whether the information should be handed over to the police.
“The police were first contacted on 16th May prior to any minister being made aware.
“The decision to contact the police and the subsequent decision to share the information was not made by Ministers but by officials acting in line with the Civil Service Code.”
Both the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police confirmed they had received documents about “potential breaches of the Health Protection Regulations between June 2020 and May 2021”.