Metropolitan Police Department makes no comment on Shaun Bailey's appearance at Tory lockdown event. Know why

It has been revealed that the Metropolitan Police took no action following an apparent Christmas party at Conservative London's headquarters during the lockdown in 2020, which was attended by Shaun Bailey, the party's candidate for London mayor at the time.

The police department stated in a statement that, despite a widely circulated photograph of Bailey among a crowd of apparent revelers, some clutching drinks and having to stand next to a buffet, there was insufficient evidence to "disprove the version of what happened made available by attendees."

The decision not to prosecute Bailey and the two dozen or so group staffers and accomplices seen in a house on Matthew Parker Street in central London, alongside a desk laden with trays of food, clears the way for the former candidate to become a peer.

What would have happened if Bailey had been fined?

He is one of several allies reportedly chosen by Boris Johnson to be included in a list of resignation honours sent to the Lords. If Bailey had still faced a fine for violating lockdown rules, this same House of Lords's appointment commission (Holac), which also screens new peers, could have obstructed the move.

FAQs:

1. Who is Shaun Bailey?
   Shaun Bailey is a former journalist and politician from the United Kingdom. Bailey, a Conservative Party member, has served in the London Assembly since 2016.
2. Why was Bailey under fire to step down?
   The Conservatives confirmed that an event organised by Mr. Bailey's mayoral campaign did take place on December 14, 2020, at the party's Westminster headquarters. London was under Tier 2 lockdown in December 2020.