Penalty decision.

Last night it emerged that the Metropolitan Police were going to issue the first tranche of 20 Fixed Penalty Notices for the events called "partygate".

These are not fines.

These are penalty notices where the threshold for the POlice believing the law was broken has been met.

20 people, inside Downing Street broke the law and will be punished according the the laws and tier guidance at the time of the offence(s).

The fine(s) could be from £100 to £10000, with multiple breached doubling from £100 to £6400.

Oddly, the Police will not release the name of those issued with the FPN, unlike for other members of the public and some media figures who were named.

This means that inside Downing Street, parties took place, against the laws and regulations those taking part had written.

So, Mr Johnson, we have gone from all guidance was followed to FPNs issued, in three months.

He mislead Parliament, lied to the public, he oversaw lawbreaking in the very seat of Government. Tell me why he should not resign, now?

Meanwhile.

Council for the Home Office, in the High Court yesterday, made the following statement:

"My instructions are that the SSHD has received no paperwork in this case since October 2021. I know that this is incorrect because I have evidence from after that date [provided by the SSHD] but those are my instructions."

In other words, The HOme Office instructed its lawyers to say something, in court, that was untrue. The council, erring to the higher standards that their profession requires, made the statement instead.

This, without doubt, should be a resignation matter for Ms Patel, but it barely gets a mention in the media.

The Government is broken.

The country is broken.