Boris Johnson could get three more fines over Partygate, say insiders

Boris Johnson is facing another three potential fines for lockdown breaches, according to senior sources, as he suffered his first ministerial resignation over the Partygate scandal.

Key insiders said they believed Johnson was likely to receive at least three more fines for events that have not yet been fully investigated by police.

No 10 sources said the prime minister had attended the birthday gathering in the cabinet room in June 2020 for less than 10 minutes, eating salad from a plastic bowl and declining any alcohol or party food.

One policing source said an assessment by Met detectives that the PM breached the rules more than once would increase future fines. The level of fine would go up each time Johnson was found to have, or accepted that he had, breached the rules he had introduced.

Though three MPs who have previously called for Johnson to go said the war in Ukraine meant they did not believe it was the right moment for a contest, others stood by their letters of no confidence on Thursday, including Gary Streeter, Caroline Nokes, Anthony Mangnall and Tobias Ellwood.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has also apologised for breaching the rules, having received a fixed-penalty notice for attending the gathering, after a seven-hour deliberation during which he is reported to have been considering his position.