- A former Whitehall ethics chief is among the first to be fined for her involvement in partygate.
- Helen MacNamara supplied the karaoke machine for a June 2020 leaving party, The Telegraph reported.
- The machine was first brought to the Cabinet Office under the tenure of Sue Gray, according to Politico
Whitehall's former ethics chief is among the first to have been fined by the Metropolitan Police for her involvement in the partygate scandal, it has been reported.
Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara received a £50 fine after the investigation into Covid-busting gatherings found she had attended a "raucous" party, according to The Telegraph.
The fine is related to a leaving party thrown for Downing Street aide Hannah Young, who was moving to New York to join the staff at the British Consulate General, the newspaper reported.
No ministers are believed to have been in attendance at the event which took place in June 2020. However, former cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and Boris Johnson's ex-chief of staff Dominic Cummings are reported to have briefly attended.
According to The Telegraph, MacNamara supplied a karaoke machine used at the gathering by party-goers until the early hours.
Following up the story, Politico reports the "well-used machine" was first brought into the Cabinet Office under the tenure of Sue Gray, the senior official investigating the allegations of multiple breaches separately to the police probe.
Three sources also told The Guardian that there was a drunken brawl at the event.
At the time of the event, MacNamara was serving as deputy cabinet secretary after spending two years in the civil service. Her role was to ensure the highest standards of propriety, integrity, and governance within government.
She has since left to work for the Premier League as director of policy and corporate affairs.
Meanwhile, police also handed out fines to some of those who attended the now-infamous "suitcase of wine" party that took place the night before Prince Philip's funeral, on April 16, 2021, the Guardian reports.
The event, which took place when indoor socializing was banned, was in stark contrast with the Queen's adherence to social distancing rules, which led to her sitting alone at the funeral of her husband of 73 years.
The Metropolitan Police said last Tuesday that investigators were referring 20 notices to the ACRO Criminal Records Office, which is responsible for issuing the penalties. More fines are expected, but the force will not confirm the recipients' identities.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to say whether he now believes the law was broken, having previously insisted Covid rules had been followed at all times.