UK Cabinet Secretary Simon Case Fears He Won't Escape Fine Over Partygate Scandal, Report Says

The conservative government faced a serious backlash after reports suggested that mass events were held at Downing Street during the pandemic, when social gatherings were severely restricted. The opposition urged Boris Johnson to resign, but the prime minister refused to step down amid the scandal.

The head of the UK civil service, Simon Case, expressed fears he will face a fine over the partygate saga, which, according to an unnamed source, would make his job "untenable", the Financial Times reported.

Case was present at multiple events, including the infamous surprise birthday party for Boris Johnson in June 2020, which occurred amid the harshest restrictions on social gatherings. This event resulted in Met police fining BoJo, as well as his wife Carrie Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak for their attendance.

The cabinet secretary was not fined over the event, however, Case told the colleagues he is expecting to receive one, according to the Financial Times.

"The fact Rishi [Sunak] was in that situation and has been fined, lots of people are asking ‘why hasn’t Simon been fined?’ He was in exactly the same place", an anonymous civil servant told the newspaper. "Everyone is braced for Simon potentially being fined".

Britain's Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Simon Case arrives to attend a Cabinet away day at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, central England, on May 12, 2022.

© OLI SCARFF

"If he stays, it would be dependent on the cabinet not baying for his blood", another source said.

However, the report suggested, that if BoJo is forced out of office, Case would likely to seek holding his position in order to ensure a smooth transfer of power.

"There have been discussions in 70 Whitehall [home of the cabinet office] that if the PM had to go, there is a strong argument that Simon would stay for a period to oversee a handover to another PM before placing his future in the hands of the new PM", one of senior officials told the newspaper.

The report of Case's concerns come after the Metropolital Police issued 50 fines - in addition to the previous round of penalties - to those who breached COVID regulations by attending Downing Street parties. The names of those fined were not revealed, but No 10 confirmed that the prime minister is not among them this time.

Previously, Johnson has already paid a £50 ($66) fine, becoming the first British PM to have broken the law while in office. The politician apologised for his mistakes, but insisted he had not knowingly breach the lockdown rules.