Iain Dale tears into 'utterly ridiculous' Met partygate investigation

29 January 2022, 08:30 | Updated: 29 January 2022, 08:40

Iain Dale tears into 'utterly ridiculous' Met investigation

By Seán Hickey

'Is it yet again the Metropolitan Police that we think is rotting from the head down?' Iain Dale asks amid heightened controversy over partygate.

Loading audio...

The Met's decision to investigate potential lockdown rule-breaking at Downing Street during the pandemic has led to the delay of the release of Sue Gray's long awaited report into partygate, leaving the public bewildered.

Ms Gray, a top civil servant, was set to publish the findings of her investigation earlier in the week, before Dame Cressida Dick announced a police investigation, raising questions over whether there were serious criminal breaches at No. 10.

"Why announce a police investigation on the very day that Sue Gray is dotting the i's, crossing the t's on her report?" Iain Dale wondered, drawing on suspicion over the timing of the investigation.

"They're investigating whether to issue fixed penalty notices – the equivalent of a parking fine. Can you believe it."

Former Met Supt dives into partygate investigation

Iain offered a solution to ease pressure on the Met: "Why not just stop this investigation, issue the fixed penalty notices and allow Sue Gray to issue her report in full, unredacted, warts and all?

"Isn't that what we should be talking about his morning – the report, rather than this utterly ridiculous investigation?"

Iain once again drew on suspicions over the decision: "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark, isn't there?"

"Is it the Metropolitan Police that yet again, we think is rotting from the head down?"