The Metropolitan Police announced on Thursday that they will not provide any updates on its investigation into possible violations of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions at gatherings and parties in Downing Street until after next month’s local elections.
On May 5, large portions of the United Kingdom will vote in local and regional authority elections, which will be seen as a gauge of the damage done to Johnson’s Conservative leadership by the ‘partygate’ affair.
“Whilst the investigation will continue during the pre-election period, due to the restrictions around communicating before the May local elections, we will not provide further updates until after 5 May,” a spokesperson for the force said in an e-mailed statement.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised to lawmakers on Tuesday after he receiving a fine for attending a gathering on his birthday during the pandemic. He could yet receive further fines for other gatherings.