Boris Johnson referred to police over contemporary claims of COVID lockdown rule breaking

Boris Johnson has been referred to the police by the Cabinet Office over new claims he broke COVID lockdown guidelines.

The former prime minister’s ministerial diary has revealed visits by mates to Chequers in the course of the pandemic.

The visits to the grace and favour residence had been highlighted throughout preparations for a public inquiry into COVID, in line with The Times which first reported on the story.

The Cabinet Office has handed issues to the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police.

The privileges committee, which is investigating claims that Mr Johnson misled parliament over partygate, has been knowledgeable.

A spokesperson for Mr Johnson stated: “Some abbreviated entries in Mr Johnson’s official diary were queried by Cabinet Office during preparation for the COVID Inquiry.

“Following an examination of the entries, Mr Johnson’s legal professionals wrote to the Cabinet Office and Privileges Committee explaining that the occasions had been lawful and weren’t breaches of any COVID Regulations.”

A press release from the Metropolitan Police stated: “We are in receipt of information from the Cabinet Office passed to us on 19 May 2023, which we are currently assessing. It relates to potential breaches of the Health Protection Regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street.”

Sources near Mr Johnson known as the referral “clearly politically motivated” and claimed the Cabinet Office didn’t give him any discover “so he could put forward the facts before the report was made”.