MPs say they have not been fined over lockdown event

Two MPs say they have been told by police they will not be fined over an event held at Parliament while Covid restrictions were in place.

The Guido Fawkes website reported deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing and Tory MP Virginia Crosbie attended a drinks party in the Commons in December 2020.

The Metropolitan Police said its investigation was ongoing.

It comes as the MPs' standards watchdog announced he was investigating whether the pair broke Commons rules.

Parliamentary commissioner for standards Daniel Greenberg said his investigation related to allegations of "actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its Members generally".

However, he has not provided any further details.

The event on 8 December 2020 was held to celebrate the birthday of Ms Crosbie, the MP for Ynys Mon, and Conservative peer Baroness Anne Jenkin, according to Guido Fawkes.

At the time indoor social mixing outside households or support bubbles was banned in London.

Ms Crosbie said she would cooperate fully with the investigation by Mr Greenberg.

She added that she was contacted by the Metropolitan Police in October and was told that she would not receive a fixed penalty notice in relation to allegations Covid regulations were breached at the event.

In June, Ms Crosbie apologised for attending the event, saying in a statement: "The invitation for this event was not sent out by me. I attended the event briefly, I did not drink and I did not celebrate my birthday. I went home shortly after to be with my family.

"I apologise unreservedly for a momentary error of judgment in attending the event."

A spokeswoman for the Speaker's Office said: "Dame Eleanor was informed by the Met Police that there will be no fixed penalty notice."

Dame Eleanor, who is the Tory MP for Epping Forest, previously told the Guido Fawkes website she held a "business meeting" that evening, adding: "At the beginning of the pandemic I took advice on how many could be present in a room, I had the room measured and I kept a two-metre ruler so that I could always verify that nobody who was working here was put at risk."

The Met Police has previously said it was assessing a report it received on 15 June "regarding media reporting of alleged breaches in Parliament on December 8 2020 in the Houses of Parliament".

The event came under the spotlight when former Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticised the Privileges Committee ahead of its damning Partygate report and accused Sir Bernard Jenkin, a member of the committee, of "monstrous hypocrisy" for allegedly attending the event with his wife, Baroness Jenkin.

Sir Bernard previously denied attending any drinks parties during lockdown. When he was asked by a Guido Fawkes reporter whether he had a drink at the celebration of his wife's birthday that evening, he was quoted as saying "I don't recall".

Sir Bernard and Baroness Jenkin have been approached for comment.