Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will be fined by the police for breaking lockdown laws.
The PM’s wife, Carrie Johnson, will also be given a fixed penalty notice.
Officials confirmed the three had received notification of the fines from the Met, following an investigation into illegal parties in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns.
Spokespeople for the Johnsons and Mr Sunak said they had not been told which event the fines were linked to.
However, the three were reported to be at the same gathering for the PM’s birthday in June 2020.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak must resign.
And the Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said there was “simply no way either the prime minister or chancellor can continue”.
The Met is investigating alleged Covid law-breaking at 12 gatherings in Whitehall and Downing Street.
So far, more than 50 fines have been handed out.
A spokeswoman for the Covid Bereaved Families, Lobby Akinnola, said it was “unbelievably painful” to know such senior members of government attended parties while they were unable to be with their dying loved ones.
He added: “The fact that the prime minister and his chancellor then lied about it, and would have continued to do so if the police hadn’t intervened, is truly shameless.
“They broke the law. But even worse, they took us all for mugs.”
Labour’s Sir Keir said the fines for the PM and chancellor showed the Conservatives were “totally unfit to govern”, adding: “Britain deserves better.
“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.”
The Green Party echoed the call, with co-leader Adrian Ramsay saying the fines were “a damning indictment of the reckless culture of a Conservative Party and prime minister that consider themselves untouchable”.
And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for Parliament – which is currently on its Easter recess – to be recalled to hold a no confidence vote in the prime minister.
Allegations
Reports of parties being held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 first emerged in December last year.
Mr Johnson initially insisted that “guidelines were followed at all times”.
But as more and more gatherings were revealed, he faced further questions about his involvement.
The PM later apologised for attending a drinks party in the Downing Street garden, but told Parliament he believed he had been attending a work event.
Mr Sunak was also asked in the Commons December if he attended Christmas parties said to have taken place in 2020.
He replied: “No, I did not attend any parties.”
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Mr Johnson ordered an inquiry into the allegations of rule-breaking, led by senior civil servant Sue Gray.
The Met initially said it would not investigate the allegations but changed its mind when Ms Gray passed information to officers.
Ms Gray released an interim report, stating there had been a “failure of leadership” in Downing Street.
But her full report will not be released until the Met have concluded their inquiries.
Will the PM and chancellor resign?
Fines for the prime minister and the chancellor for breaking the rules their government set – case closed?
As far as the police are concerned, yes.
As far as opposition parties are concerned, yes.
But whether Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will resign or ride this out is less clear.
If their instinct is to find a way through, they’ll be helped by the fact that Parliament isn’t sitting and Conservative MPs are less likely to get together and decide it’s time for change at the top.
Both may choose to wait for Sue Gray to publish the findings of her report in full for the final word on the “partygate” saga.
They may also appeal against their fines or simply calculate that they can take the political hit and survive.
It’s a time for cool heads and calculations in No 10 and 11 Downing Street – a day when reputations, already damaged, may be defined.
Among those already issued fines is the government’s former head of ethics Helen MacNamara, who received a fixed-penalty notice for attending a leaving party in the Cabinet Office in June 2020.
Ms MacNamara – who is now the Premier League’s director of policy – said she apologised for “the error of judgement I have shown”.
Sources have told the BBC that some fines had been given to people who attended a leaving party in Downing Street on 16 April 2021 – the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral.
Those who receive fines can either pay within 28 days or contest the police decision.
If they contest the fine, police will review the case and then either withdraw the penalty or take the matter to court.
Sue Gray’s record of the gatherings
The government has faced intense pressure over gatherings held in and around Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. Senior civil servant Sue Gray has said that many of them “should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.” Here is what we know about them and the restrictions in place at the time:
A photo from May 2020 showed the prime minister and his staff with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard in the Downing Street garden. When asked about it, Boris Johnson said “those people were at work talking about work”.
The rules:
Legal restrictions at the time said you could not leave your house without a reasonable excuse and government guidance was that you could meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor setting while exercising.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
About 100 people were invited by email to “socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening”. Witnesses told the BBC the PM and his wife were among about 30 people who attended. Boris Johnson has declined to say whether he was among those there.
This event is being investigated by the police.
A gathering took place in the Cabinet Office to mark the departure of a No 10 private secretary.
This event is being investigated by the police.
On Boris Johnson’s birthday, up to 30 people gathered in the Cabinet Room at No 10 to present the prime minister with a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday, according to a report by ITV News.
No 10 said staff had “gathered briefly” to “wish the prime minister a happy birthday”, adding that he had been there “for less than 10 minutes”.
The rules:
Restrictions at the time banned most indoor gatherings involving more than two people.
This event is being investigated by the police.
Sources told the BBC that Downing Street staff members attended a gathering with Carrie Johnson in the flat where she and the prime minister live. A spokesman for Mrs Johnson denies the party took place. There was a separate gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the same day to mark the departure of a special adviser.
The rules:
Eight days earlier Boris Johnson had announced a new lockdown in England. Indoor gatherings with other households were banned, unless they were for work purposes.
These events are being investigated by the police.
A leaving event was held for No 10 aide, Cleo Watson, where people were drinking, and Mr Johnson made a speech, according to sources.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
The Department for Education has confirmed it had an office gathering to thank staff for their work during the pandemic. It says drinks and snacks were brought by those who attended and no outside guests or support staff were invited.
The rules:
Eight days earlier, London had been placed in restrictions which banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless “reasonably necessary” for work purposes.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
The Conservative Party has admitted that an “unauthorised gathering” took place at its HQ in Westminster. It was held by the team of the party’s London-mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, who has since stepped down as chair of the London Assembly police and crime committee. The Metropolitan Police is to speak to two people who attended the party.
This event was not included in Sue Gray’s report.
Multiple sources have told the BBC there was a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff last year. A photo – published by the Sunday Mirror – shows Boris Johnson taking part and sitting between two colleagues in No 10. Mr Johnson has denied any wrongdoing.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
The Department for Transport has apologised after confirming reports of a party in its offices, calling it “inappropriate” and an “error of judgment” by staff.
The rules:
London moved into the highest tier of restrictions and Matt Hancock, who was health secretary at the time, said it was important “everyone is cautious” ahead of the festive period.
This event was not included in Sue Gray’s report.
A leaving party was held at the Cabinet Office for the outgoing head of the civil service Covid taskforce – the team responsible for drawing up coronavirus restrictions.
Kate Josephs, now chief executive of Sheffield City Council, apologised for the event, saying she was “truly sorry that I did this and for the anger that people will feel as a result”.
A second gathering was held in the Cabinet Office to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office.
A third gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of a No 10 official
These events are being investigated by the police.
Downing Street originally denied a report by the Daily Mirror that a party took place in Downing Street. However, a video obtained by ITV News showed the prime minister’s then-press secretary Allegra Stratton, joking about reports of an event, saying: “This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced.”
This event is being investigated by the police.
A gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of two private secretaries.
This event is being investigated by the police.
Two parties were held by Downing Street staff at No 10, the night before Prince Philip’s funeral.
One of the events was a leaving party for the PM’s then director of communications James Slack, who has apologised for the event and acknowledged it “should not have happened at the time that it did”.
Boris Johnson was not at either party.
The rules
The rules had been eased in England on 12 April, but working from home continued to be recommended and socialising indoors with people from other households was not allowed. Meeting others outdoors was limited to groups of six people or two households.
These events are being investigated by the police.