The review is being conducted by the Good Law Project, which has a history of challenging government decisions in the courts, and Brian Paddick, a Liberal Democrat peer and former senior police officer. Johnson faces a further threat to the Partygate scandal as the Privileges Committee, chaired by Harriet Harman, called for evidence of what the prime minister knew about the parties as part of its inquiry into whether he had misled parliament. The Good Law Project, a non-profit campaign group, first launched lawsuits against the Met in January. The force announced immediately after that it would investigate. Johnson was fined only for attending a foreclosure rally in June 2020 – a party in the cabinet hall for his birthday, which was also attended by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Johnson was not fined in relation to other rallies where he is believed to have been present in November and December 2020 and January 2021. However, some civil servants who attended the same rallies received questionnaires and fines in connection with these rallies. The Good Law Project said it filed the case because it believed the public had a right to know the truth about Partygate’s investigation and because Johnson’s actions in relation to certain mergers did not attract a questionnaire. Paddick said: “Members of the public will have seen Boris Johnson raise a glass at a party for which he has apparently not been questioned. I thought: if it was me, I would be fine. We are determined that the prime minister should be kept to the same standards as the rest of us. “ Jo Maugham, director of the Good Law Project, said: “We need the Met to be transparent about its actions and this challenge is based on a single, simple idea: for law to have any meaning, it must apply equally to us. . all. The Met must explain their apparent lack of action on this issue. We will not stop until the full story is revealed. “ A Met spokesman said: “We know that a request has been made and we will respond to this request in due course.” The Privileges Committee, meanwhile, said it was now receiving information about Johnson’s knowledge of operations on Downing Street 10 and the Cabinet under Covid regulations. At the end of her investigation she will determine if the prime minister has misled parliament, which could potentially be a resignation if proven. The committee said it was seeking any information or inquiry from Johnson about the rallies, which have been investigated in the past by police and senior civil servant Sue Gray. He said written evidence could be submitted by anonymous witnesses or anonymously by July 29th. Oral proof sessions are expected to begin in the fall. It is not clear whether they will take place publicly or privately. A former judge, Sir Ernest Ryder, has been appointed advisor to the committee. Separately, Kate Joseph, a former Covid team leader who was fined for leaving Downing Street during the lockdown, said she was returning to her job as Sheffield City Council executive. She was suspended from the role and investigated, receiving a written warning because she had not revealed it earlier to her current employer. In a statement, she said: “I have made mistakes that I deeply regret. “I intend to learn from these mistakes and continue to work hard to become the best CEO I can be for our city.”
