The prime minister's wife Carrie Johnson has confirmed she was fined for an event on 19 June 2020.

This was Boris Johnson’s birthday, and according to ITV News, up to 30 people gathered in the Cabinet Room at No 10 to present the prime minister with a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday.

No 10 has previously said staff “gathered briefly" to "wish the prime minister a happy birthday", adding he was there "for less than 10 minutes”.

The restrictions in place banned most indoor gatherings involving more than two people.

Labour leader Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have dishonoured their office and repeats calls for them to resign.

Speaking in Preston, he says the fines mark the first time in the history of the country a prime minister has been found to be in breach of the law, adding "Britain deserves better" after the PM "repeatedly" lied to the public.

The politician adds his thoughts are with people who "did the right thing" over Covid-19 restrictions, who the fines represent a "real slap in the face" for.

Starmer says: "They made the most unimaginable, heart-wrenching sacrifices, and many were overcome by guilt.

"Guilt at not seeing elderly relatives, not going to funerals or weddings, or even seeing the birth of their own children.

"But the guilty men are the prime minister and the chancellor. They've dishonoured all of that sacrifice, they've dishonoured their office."

A former cabinet minister has told the BBC: “I’m surprised that they both got fined.

"Hugely disappointed that we’re in this mess. Boris will brazenly continue. Rishi probably, but not certainly."

The former minister, who asked not to be named, added: "Without Rishi my main concern would be who would be leader were we to have a contest.

"I’m not at all comfortable with the obvious candidates left which makes me, like many, hesitate about change - against my better judgement.”

Image source, Getty Images

A spokesperson for the PM's wife Carrie Johnson says: “Mrs Johnson has paid a fixed penalty notice relating to a gathering on the afternoon of 19 June 2020.

"Whilst she believed that she was acting in accordance with the rules at the time, Mrs Johnson accepts the Metropolitan Police’s findings and apologises unreservedly.”

Opposition parties have issued calls for Boris Johnson to recall Parliament as soon as possible to respond to the fines in the House of Commons.

The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford says he has written to the PM demanding he appear before fellow MPs on Thursday.

Parliament is currently in recess for the Easter holidays, with politicians due to return on 19 April, next Tuesday.

Only the government has the power to recall parliament during a scheduled break.

Blackford says the public need to "see the prime minister accepting responsibility" and calls for Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak to resign as soon as the Commons does return.

Labour has also backed calls for MPs to return early in light of the fines, noting the PM has previously promised he would give a statement to the House of Commons should he be fined.

A party spokesperson says: "So we want to hear from the prime minister at the earliest possible opportunity to give him the chance to correct his lies and tender his resignation."

The Liberal Democrats are also calling for an early recall.

Image source, Getty Images

Junior minister Amanda Milling has tweeted her support for Boris Johnson.

"The PM won us a massive majority in 2019, the PM is the only person that got Brexit done," she says.

"The PM is the right person to lead the country and focus on getting on with the job of delivering for the British people and protecting Ukraine from the tyranny of Russia."

Reality Check

We now know Johnson's fine stems from his birthday party in June 2020 but it has not yet been confirmed which event led to Sunak's fine.

During the pandemic, a mixture of Covid regulations - enforceable through fines and prosecution - and guidance was in place. The regulations included restrictions over where people could go and who they could meet - and how many people.

Police investigated three 2020 gatherings where the prime minister was present: on 20 May, 19 June and 13 November.

At the time of the PM's birthday party gatherings of more than two people indoors were banned by law, unless it "was reasonably necessary" for work purposes.

Read more: What Covid rules were broken?

Andrew Bridgen is one of the Conservative MPs who earlier this year called for Boris Johnson to resign over the Partygate row.

Here is what he is saying now: "I am pleased that the police have investigated this matter thoroughly, but very disappointed that so many in No 10 including the PM were found to have breached the rules they set for the rest of us."

Another MP, a Conservative backbencher from the Midlands, has told the BBC: “My initial sense is the PM is in trouble with this.

"I think it potentially is a resignation issue, however, I think unlikely to be done at the moment.

"That said I think he’s unlikely to lead us into next election now. Think many would be uncomfortable with that."

Are Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak finished?published at 16:42 British Summer Time 12 April 2022

16:42 BST 12 April 2022

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

Image source, PA

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are to be fined by the Metropolitan Police over lockdown parties in Downing Street.

When "Partygate" dominated the headlines, many observers believed it was only a matter of time before Tory MPs triggered a vote of no confidence in the PM.

But that sense of momentum has evaporated to some extent.

Could Conservative MPs, talking to voters ahead of next month's local elections, encounter a tidal wave of anger from constituents that makes them think again about the prime minister's future?

What might the chancellor choose to do? After his recent travails, could this provide an additional temptation to resign? And where would that leave the prime minister?

Read more from Chris here.

Image source, No 10

Downing Street has confirmed Boris Johnson's fine was in relation to an event he attended on 19 June 2020 to celebrate his birthday.

A No 10 spokesperson says: “The Met Police have now explained that the FPN [fixed penalty notice] issued to the PM will be in relation to the following incident: On 19 June 2020 at the Cabinet Room 10 Downing Street between 14:00 and 15:00 you participated in a gathering of two or more people indoors in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street.”

According to an ITV report, the prime minister was presented with a birthday cake while people sang Happy Birthday to him.

At the time No 10 said staff had “gathered briefly" to "wish the prime minister a happy birthday", adding he had been there "for less than 10 minutes”.

Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross has previously been one of Boris Johnson's most outspoken critics over the parties at the heart of government.

But he says it would be wrong to remove the prime minister during the war in Ukraine.

In a statement, he acknowledges the public are "rightly furious" over the revelations.

However, Ross says amid evidence of Russian war crimes it wouldn't be right to oust Johnson at this time, given the UK is one of Ukraine's staunchest allies over the invasion.

He adds: "It would destabilise the UK government when we need to be united in the face of Russian aggression and the murdering of innocent Ukrainians."

In March, Ross withdrew a call he made in January for the PM to resign, arguing any possible leadership contest should be paused while the war was ongoing.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner accuses Downing Street of "widespread criminality" and rule breaking on a "record-breaking scale".

She poses the question of whether there was a place, other than Downing Street, where more Covid fines were issued.

Rayner tweets: "The prime minster's defence has been blown out of the water.

"He told the country all the rules were followed in Downing Street - but that was a lie.

"Widespread criminality took place at the heart of government."

Struggling to remember how exactly the Metropolitan Police got involved and what they've been investigating?

Don't worry if so, as our reporter Tim Muffett has a helpful summary of how and why officers launched their investigation of 12 different gatherings across government, as well as what we know about what they're looking into.

Watch Tim's report below:

Image source, Reuters

"The PM has got to think hard, and he has got to apologise," says Conservative MP Michael Fabricant.

But he adds he doesn't think Boris Johnson "at any time thought he was breaking the law".

Fabricant argues the prime minister was "just like many teachers and nurses who after a very, very long shift would tend to go back to the staff room and have a quiet drink".

He adds that socialising with people he was already working with wouldn't have spread coronavirus.

The Lichfield MP says he doesn't think the prime minister should step down, arguing: "We've got to carry on governing."

He says some MPs will try to get rid of Johnson because they "despise him for delivering Brexit".

Image source, Guardian / Eyevine

Alison is a lawyer and a supporter of Boris Johnson, and says the fines are an example of a “witch hunt”.

Speaking to Radio 5 Live, she says the police have “made an example of him… a lot of people did a lot worse than that”.

“I’m sure they have applied the law correctly, however I think for lots of other members of the public, they’ve given a warning or turned a blind eye to it,” she says.

“Boris Johnson was there all day, every day working long hours, if he had a little drink with his colleagues in the evening I really don’t see the problem with that at all.”

But another caller, Clare, has 22 years experience as a senior crown prosecutor, and says it’s “hard to believe” the Metropolitan Police are making an example of the prime minister.

“Can you imagine how much scrutiny this decision will be held up to?” she asks.

“It’s going to be a talking point for weeks, months, years to come, books will be written about it – that’s why they’ve taken this long to make the decision… they wouldn’t want to get a decision like this wrong.”

Image source, PA Media

Christian Wakeford - a Labour MP who defected from the Conservative in the midst of the 'Partygate' saga - says "the prime minister has lied to the general public and Parliament".

"The ministerial code is explicit - that would normally be a resignation matter," he says.

"We have a criminal prime minister who is not respecting Parliament, and not respecting his own party.

"He is running out of road pretty quickly."

Fixed penalty notices for breaching Covid regulations, while being issued for breaches of laws, do not lead to a criminal record.

Will Boris Johnson have to resign?published at 15:33 British Summer Time 12 April 2022

15:33 BST 12 April 2022

Jonathan Blake
BBC political correspondent

Fines for the prime minister and the chancellor for breaking the rules their government set - case closed?

As far as the police are concerned, yes.

As far as opposition parties are concerned, yes.

But whether Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will resign or ride this out is less clear.

If their instinct is to find a way through, they'll be helped by the fact Parliament isn't sitting and Conservative MPs are less likely to get together and decide it's time for change at the top.

Both may choose to wait for Sue Gray to publish the findings of her report in full for the final word on the Partygate saga.

They may also appeal against their fines or simply calculate that they can take the political hit and survive.

It's a time for cool heads and calculations in numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street - a day when reputations, already damaged, may be defined.

One of the earliest and most prominent revelations of the ongoing controversy around parties in government was the emergence of this clip of No 10 staff at a mock press conference.

The video, obtained by ITV News in December last year, shows Allegra Stratton - a former media adviser to Boris Johnson - discussing how best to respond to then-fictional revelations about a Christmas party in 2020.

The clip was from a rehearsal for planned government press briefings, which never started, with Stratton laughing while responding to practice questioning about a cheese and wine party in Downing Street.

The controversy around the video caused the former journalist to offer an emotional public resignation over appearing to make light of the rules.

Wales's First Minister Mark Drakeford also says he doesn't see how Boris Johnson can carry on as prime minister after being fined.

"I've always said throughout the whole 'Partygate' business that you cannot be a law maker and a law breaker at the same time," the Welsh Labour leader - who was responsible for setting Covid rules in Wales - tells the BBC.

"And if the prime minister has been fined, then I'm afraid all those things that he said, time and time and time again, on the floor of the House of Commons, that nothing had ever gone wrong inside Downing Street - for which he is responsible - well all of that can no longer be sustained and I don't see how he thinks he can carry on."

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister of Scotland is calling on Boris Johnson to resign.

Nicola Sturgeon accuses the prime minister of "repeatedly lying" to Parliament over the Downing Street parties.

The SNP leader tweets: "Boris Johnson must resign. He broke the law and repeatedly lied to Parliament about it.

"The basic values of integrity and decency - essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy - demand that he go.

"And he should take his out of touch Chancellor with him."