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Priti Patel said that a Conservative MP who allegedly attended a Christmas dinner with 27 guests was a flagrant violation of COVID-19 guidelines.
Tobias Ellwood gave a speech for an event at the Cavalry and Guards Club in Piccadilly, London on Tuesday.
When asked by ITV News if Ellwood’s actions were a flagrant violation of the rules, the Home Secretary said, “Of course, it’s exactly that … Dining outside the rules with large numbers of people is a violation of the regulations. ”
When asked if Mr. Ellwood should face a fine, Ms. Patel said: “There are fixed penalty notices.
“I do not know the details about where this happened or the location, but I am sure it is a violation that will be followed up.”
Patel said he didn’t know enough about the meeting to speculate whether Ellwood could face disciplinary action from the Conservative Party.
“That’s something I’m not going to go into because I just don’t know all the details,” he said.
Ellwood, who chairs the Commons defense committee, reportedly told the Daily Mail that it was a “business meeting” allowed under Tier two guidelines, which applied in London at the time.
The Bournemouth East MP had warned the House of Commons that relaxing Covid restrictions for five days over Christmas could lead to another spike in infections, the day before attending dinner.
