Anger at Boris Johnson cools but Partygate is far from over

This latest update from the Metropolitan Police screams two things: sheer scale and the culture in government.

Covid-19 law breaking was happening, involving loads of people, for months on end, right at the heart of the government led by Boris Johnson.

There were few words from the police today. But a big number.

There was little that was isolated, ad hoc or uncharacteristic about this law-breaking.

Of the 12 gatherings the police are investigating, just four or so, we think, have led to fines so far - so there's plenty of potential for more to come, including for the prime minister.

Reading about all this might leave you feeling outraged. Or you might be indifferent to it, regarding it as trivial compared with the cost of living crunch or the war in Ukraine.

For what it's worth, I don't think this latest skip load of fines changes much politically.

Given just how much partying was going on around Westminster when it shouldn't have been, plenty more fines were expected.

Crucially, the prime minister hasn't been fined again. Perhaps not a surprise, given we think most of the newer fines came about because of a Christmas party in December 2020, which Mr Johnson wasn't at.

But there were other events the police are looking into which he was at.

So clearly, what could change is he gets another fine, or perhaps more.

And remember Conservative MPs have the power to kick him out if they so choose. But, right now, there seems to be little appetite for that from them.

The boiling anger of a few months ago has cooled, and I'm not sure it would change wildly if he picked up another fine.

If he could wallpaper the Cabinet Room with his Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and the total number of fines continues to balloon, maybe that would shift the mood.

Labour maintain the prime minister must resign, and do so now.

But the scale and volume of the party's critique of the government feels milder than before, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer under police investigation himself.

We already know the police in Durham have the fate of the Labour leader in their hands. And the police in London could yet shape the prime minister's.

Partygate is far from over, and the political ramifications far from certain.