Scotland Yard has confirmed it will not name anyone given a fixed penalty notice (FPN) as a result of its investigation into parties held in Downing Street during lockdown.
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson has also refused to guarantee No.10 would tell the public if fines were issued for breaches for the Covid rules.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said it “stinks of a cover-up by Number 10”.
It raises the possibility the public might never be told if the prime minister himself is found to have broken the law.
The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday afternoon it would be following the usual practise of not naming anyone issued with an FPN.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Johnson refused to say if he would resign should he be handed a fine by the police for breaching his own government’s rules.
Sue Gray’s report into partygate revealed police are investigating at least three gatherings where the prime minister was in attendance.
In total the Met is looking into 12 parties and examining around 300 photographs as part of the investigation.
Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, earlier today appeared to suggest that the results of the police investigation should be made public.
Speaking to the BBC, Raab said: “Justice must be done and seen to be done.”
Responding to the Met announcement, Ed Davey said: “Even Richard Nixon believed a country deserves to know whether their leader is a crook.
“Boris Johnson must come clean with the public and resign if he’s broken the rules and been fined by the police. We cannot allow justice delayed to become justice denied.”
Johnson’s position as party leader has been hanging in the balance amid anger on his backbenches at both the parties and his handling of the revelations.
But his position appears to be secure for now following a meeting with Tory MPs and peers on Monday night and his promise to make major changes to his Downing Street operation.