Partygate: Johnson avoids more fines as probe ends

Bloomberg

Boris Johnson won’t be fined again for breaking coronavirus regulations after UK police concluded a probe into rule-breaking gatherings during lockdown, a major boost for the prime minister after months of turmoil.
London’s Metropolitan Police said it has made a total of 126 referrals for fines as part of its investigation into the “partygate” allegations that have dogged the prime minister and his government. Johnson, who received a fine last month, has been told he won’t receive another, his spokesman Max Blain told reporters.
The pressure on Johnson from within his ruling Conservative Party has eased considerably in recent weeks due to the crisis in Ukraine, which shifted the focus of would-be Tory rebels seeking to oust him. But the police probe was still hanging over him, and there was still the potential that further fines or damaging details could spur his critics to try again to remove him.
The police statement removes one of the key risks facing Johnson. While the expected publication of an internal civil service report on the allegations next week could yet undermine him, Johnson now looks more likely to lead the Tories into the next general election, due by 2024 at the latest.