Forum Topic

Met advantaging a political party?

Guardian today:-"Met police says it will suspend further Partygate fine announcements ahead of local electionsThe Metropolitan police has said that it will not make any further announcements about people being fined for lockdown breaches at No 10 ahead of the May local elections, the BBC reports.Fines could still be issued, but there won’t be announcements about them.A Met spokesperson said:Whilst the investigation will continue during the pre-election period, due to the restrictions around communicating before the May local elections, we will not provide further updates until after 5 May.This is in line with the “purdah” convention that government should not make announcements likely to advantage a political party ahead of an election. It is a convention that normally applies to spending decisions - not police inquiries."NOT to police inquiries.Surely this decision will advantage a political party ahead of an election? Won't the Tories gain from it?

David Ainsworth ● 1151d2 Comments

"the Met have departed from normal procedure by making announcements about these FPNs."So the Met, running scared, depart from normal procedure and set up a new normal, from which, running scared, they then depart.

David Ainsworth ● 1151d

That the purdah convention applies here is transparent nonsense but the Met have departed from normal procedure by making announcements about these FPNs. The PM has committed to declare if he has receives FPNs therefore it shouldn't matter that the Met don't make an announcement. Then again perhaps he wasn't telling us the truth.

David Parker ● 1151d