LONDON—British police Tuesday announced an investigation into parties that took place in Downing Street during lockdowns, raising pressure on Prime Minister
whose popularity has fallen sharply in the wake of the revelations.
Mr. Johnson has said he attended an event billed as a “bring your own booze” gathering in the Downing Street garden, at a time when lockdown rules said that Britons could only meet one person outdoors. The prime minister has apologized and said he thought it was a work event.
The government has also acknowledged that staffers held a party the night before the funeral of Prince Philip in spring 2021. At the time, only several dozen mourners were allowed to attend under lockdown rules.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Cressida Dick
said Tuesday there was evidence that those who were involved in the parties during lockdown “knew, or ought to have known, what they were doing was an offense.”
The police probe is looking at a number of events that took place in the past two years in relation to breaches of Covid-19 regulations, she said.
Downing Street didn’t immediately comment.
Write to Max Colchester at max.colchester@wsj.com
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