Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor | George Grylls, Political Reporter
February 17 2022, The Times
The Cabinet Office has told the Metropolitan Police not to publish 300 photos linked to a criminal investigation into Downing Street parties.
Scotland Yard received the request after aides at No 10 expressed concern that publication of the images could harm their reputations, The Times understands.
It means that hundreds of photos of the Downing Street parties — some of which are believed to include Boris Johnson — are unlikely ever to be published. In one photo, the prime minister is said to be pictured holding a can of beer at his birthday party in the Cabinet Room in June 2020.
The Cabinet Office has issued civil servants with a Q&A sheet this week, assuring them that they will not be publicly named if they receive a fixed penalty notice for breaking lockdown rules. The police instead are expected to state the number of people who have been fined at each given event.
Sue Gray, the senior civil servant investigating the gatherings, has handed 300 photos of the alleged rule-breaking parties to the Met. In one, the prime minister is captured holding a can of Estrella while flanked by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, according to the Daily Mirror.
Gray has “no intention” of publishing the photos when she eventually publishes her full report, government sources close to her investigation have told The Times. She does not plan to identify anybody by name, although some senior staff may be referred to by their job title or description.
The Cabinet Office requested assurances from the Met about the publication of photos after individuals in Downing Street expressed concerns. A special pastoral care unit has been set up to give advice to civil servants caught up in the scandal.
Scotland Yard is in the process of sending 90 alleged attenders of lockdown parties questionnaires asking them to account for their actions.
Johnson has hired a private lawyer to help him to draft a response to the questions. The prime minister instructed the police to send the questionnaire directly to his legal team.
He is expected to argue that he attended six different events as part of his working day and will rely on diaries to prove he went to meetings afterwards.
Legal experts have questioned this argument, however, noting that the photos could amount to evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Adam Wagner, a barrister and expert on coronavirus regulations, said: “The key legal question is whether he ‘participated’ in an unlawful gathering. There is no definition of ‘participate’ in the regulations, so it just means what you would think it means. For example, being photographed with a bottle of beer at a birthday gathering which was arranged for you very strongly suggests ‘participation’.”
The Met has not yet responded to the demand, but Scotland Yard is expected to accede to the request. There is a possibility, however, that some photos could eventually emerge if cases end up in court after an appeal.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment.
Please don’t make us deal with the consequences of our actions
Don’t worry guys I’m something of a hacker myself wget [127.0.0.1](https://127.0.0.1) /photos/wheeeyyyyy/noplebzallowed/coke_&rum/*.jpeg
It’ll be on Dominic Cummings Onlyfans as soon as the investigation is over
To be fair it is not down to the police to release these as public information. However, the Gray report should be. Boris isn’t reneging on yet another promise if he does not release the Gray report in full.
No. Fuck right off with that. It’s shit enough already that the Met aren’t even going to tell us who gets fined, but this is absolute bollocks.
The Met is blatantly in Number 10’s pocket. They’re not fit for purpose.
This is why I hate the British Media.
It wasn’t No.10, it was the The Cabinet Office and its an important distinction.
By saying No.10 the implication is that it is a request by Boris.
The Cabinet Office is the Civil Service.
I’m not defending Boris who is lying sack of shit, however it’s very important distinctions like this makes the British Media impossible to trust.
Nezt point, Yes the Police shouldn’t release the photos to the public. If you had been involved would you want the Police to release photos to the public?
Of course you wouldn’t because you have a right to privacy.
I want 300 pics uploaded to some dodgy Facebook album where each picture has some
Emo lyrics as the caption
I’m thinking a crowd funded civil case against Johnson with the object of getting the truth put of the fat fucker. This government are shitting on us and we’re letting them. I don’t get it. If Patel gets her way there will be nothing we can do about anything and things will get far worse.
>A special pastoral care unit has been set up to give advice to civil servants caught up in the scandal.
That’s a pretty bizarre managerial decision if you ask me. Does an employer have a duty of care to help you through your legal troubles if you break the law?
They will get leaked after he pays a 50 pound fine and says sorry. Probably better off just not acknowledging the cunt full stop now. If the whole country breaks the law what they gonna do.
>Asks
It’s not a question when your boss tells you not to do something.
Nah, fuck that. Freedom of information request. It’s in the public’s best interest to know which elected officials were getting inebriated on public funds, in publicly owned buildings when it was against the law. Cunts.
It is important that they be released since an informed electorate is supposed to be a key part of a functional democracy.
Of course, we don’t live in one of those, but if they want to keep claiming it they need to let us see the evidence of the conduct of our elected representatives.
Glad it’s finally dawning on people that the police do not exist to help us.
Was Nancy Pelosy in attendance? Asking for the colonies.
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Article contents:
Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor | George Grylls, Political Reporter
February 17 2022, The Times
The Cabinet Office has told the Metropolitan Police not to publish 300 photos linked to a criminal investigation into Downing Street parties.
Scotland Yard received the request after aides at No 10 expressed concern that publication of the images could harm their reputations, The Times understands.
It means that hundreds of photos of the Downing Street parties — some of which are believed to include Boris Johnson — are unlikely ever to be published. In one photo, the prime minister is said to be pictured holding a can of beer at his birthday party in the Cabinet Room in June 2020.
The Cabinet Office has issued civil servants with a Q&A sheet this week, assuring them that they will not be publicly named if they receive a fixed penalty notice for breaking lockdown rules. The police instead are expected to state the number of people who have been fined at each given event.
Sue Gray, the senior civil servant investigating the gatherings, has handed 300 photos of the alleged rule-breaking parties to the Met. In one, the prime minister is captured holding a can of Estrella while flanked by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, according to the Daily Mirror.
Gray has “no intention” of publishing the photos when she eventually publishes her full report, government sources close to her investigation have told The Times. She does not plan to identify anybody by name, although some senior staff may be referred to by their job title or description.
The Cabinet Office requested assurances from the Met about the publication of photos after individuals in Downing Street expressed concerns. A special pastoral care unit has been set up to give advice to civil servants caught up in the scandal.
Scotland Yard is in the process of sending 90 alleged attenders of lockdown parties questionnaires asking them to account for their actions.
Johnson has hired a private lawyer to help him to draft a response to the questions. The prime minister instructed the police to send the questionnaire directly to his legal team.
He is expected to argue that he attended six different events as part of his working day and will rely on diaries to prove he went to meetings afterwards.
Legal experts have questioned this argument, however, noting that the photos could amount to evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Adam Wagner, a barrister and expert on coronavirus regulations, said: “The key legal question is whether he ‘participated’ in an unlawful gathering. There is no definition of ‘participate’ in the regulations, so it just means what you would think it means. For example, being photographed with a bottle of beer at a birthday gathering which was arranged for you very strongly suggests ‘participation’.”
The Met has not yet responded to the demand, but Scotland Yard is expected to accede to the request. There is a possibility, however, that some photos could eventually emerge if cases end up in court after an appeal.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment.
Please don’t make us deal with the consequences of our actions
Don’t worry guys I’m something of a hacker myself wget [127.0.0.1](https://127.0.0.1) /photos/wheeeyyyyy/noplebzallowed/coke_&rum/*.jpeg
It’ll be on Dominic Cummings Onlyfans as soon as the investigation is over
To be fair it is not down to the police to release these as public information. However, the Gray report should be. Boris isn’t reneging on yet another promise if he does not release the Gray report in full.
No. Fuck right off with that. It’s shit enough already that the Met aren’t even going to tell us who gets fined, but this is absolute bollocks.
The Met is blatantly in Number 10’s pocket. They’re not fit for purpose.
This is why I hate the British Media.
It wasn’t No.10, it was the The Cabinet Office and its an important distinction.
By saying No.10 the implication is that it is a request by Boris.
The Cabinet Office is the Civil Service.
I’m not defending Boris who is lying sack of shit, however it’s very important distinctions like this makes the British Media impossible to trust.
Nezt point, Yes the Police shouldn’t release the photos to the public. If you had been involved would you want the Police to release photos to the public?
Of course you wouldn’t because you have a right to privacy.
I want 300 pics uploaded to some dodgy Facebook album where each picture has some
Emo lyrics as the caption
I’m thinking a crowd funded civil case against Johnson with the object of getting the truth put of the fat fucker. This government are shitting on us and we’re letting them. I don’t get it. If Patel gets her way there will be nothing we can do about anything and things will get far worse.
>A special pastoral care unit has been set up to give advice to civil servants caught up in the scandal.
That’s a pretty bizarre managerial decision if you ask me. Does an employer have a duty of care to help you through your legal troubles if you break the law?
They will get leaked after he pays a 50 pound fine and says sorry. Probably better off just not acknowledging the cunt full stop now. If the whole country breaks the law what they gonna do.
>Asks
It’s not a question when your boss tells you not to do something.
Nah, fuck that. Freedom of information request. It’s in the public’s best interest to know which elected officials were getting inebriated on public funds, in publicly owned buildings when it was against the law. Cunts.
It is important that they be released since an informed electorate is supposed to be a key part of a functional democracy.
Of course, we don’t live in one of those, but if they want to keep claiming it they need to let us see the evidence of the conduct of our elected representatives.
Glad it’s finally dawning on people that the police do not exist to help us.
Was Nancy Pelosy in attendance? Asking for the colonies.