The Metropolitan Police must “explain” why Boris Johnson was not fined for attending a boozy leaving party during the Covid lockdown, Sadiq Khan has said.
The London mayor spoke out after pictures emerged of the prime minister making a toast at the event in Number 10, which was held to mark the departure of his director of communications, Lee Cain.
Johnson’s ministerial red box is resting on a chair as he addresses staff members while holding a plastic glass in his hand.
The pictures were revealed as senior civil servant Sue Gray prepares to publish her report into partygate.
Cain’s leaving party was one of the gatherings investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
However, the PM was only fined for attending a surprise birthday party thrown for him in Number 10 in June, 2020.
On Radio Four’s Today programme, Khan - who is also police and crime commissioner for London - said: “I think it’s important, when it comes to trust and confidence, when it comes to policing by consent, when it comes to questions being asked about the integrity of an investigation that the police explain why they’ve reached the conclusions they have.
“And just like you I suspect, yesterday was the first time I saw the photograph of Boris Johnson raising a glass, clearly bottles of wine laying around, others with wine in their hand, on a day when he said in the Houses of Commons, and I speak as a former parliamentarian and I know the importance of not lying or misleading in the House of Commons, that there wasn’t a party.”
The pictures emerged as senior civil servant Sue Gray prepares to publish her full report into the affair.
HuffPost UK understands she is “likely” to hand it to Number 10 tomorrow.
Khan added: “So you know, of course, Sue Gray will publish her report this week and of course the Prime Minister will have to answer for himself, but I think the police should explain why they reached their conclusions and provide that clarity.”
Meanwhile, transport secretary Grant Shapps has insisted the pictures do not show Johnson attending a party.
He told Sky News: “Probably what what happened is he was at the end of a busy day, he walks down, he says cheers to somebody who’s worked there and walks out and to him that is not a party.”