By Police and Crime Committee chairman quits after Christmas party scandal
A former London mayoral candidate who attended a government Christmas party last year has quit as chair of a police and crime committee.
Shaun Bailey’s team organised the gathering at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters on 14 December 2020 when London was under Tier 2 restrictions, banning household mixing.
Mr Bailey has now stepped down from the role but remains a member of the committee and the London Assembly.
On Tuesday night, a photograph emerged in the Daily Mirror of the party showing Mr Bailey in attendance.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps condemned the event, telling BBC Radio Four’s Today Programme: “That scene is absolutely unacceptable.
“It is unacceptable for people to be breaking the rules. That was not authorised by the Conservative Party,”
“Those Conservatives who were on secondment from the party have already been disciplined and whatever further action needs to be taken will be taken.”
Four staff members have been disciplined over the gathering, in which a door was reported to have been damaged.
Mr Bailey, who came second to Labour’s Sadiq Khan in May’s London mayoral election, faced calls to quit following the official probe into three government parties.
