Wife of senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin being probed for lockdown-busting birthday party is accused of joking they would get their fixed penalty notices ‘framed’ if fined – weeks after her husband’s key role in bringing down Boris Johnson over Partygate

• Witnesses say they overheard Anne Jenkin joking at Westminster last week
• She was referring to police fining her over ‘birthday drinks’ in December 2020
• Sir Bernard Jenkin is on the Privileges Committee which rebuked Boris Johnson

The wife of a senior Tory MP probed by police over her alleged lockdown-busting birthday party has been accused of making light of their potential fines.

Witnesses say they overheard Anne Jenkin – a baroness and wife of MP Sir Bernard Jenkin – joking at Westminster last week about the possibility of police fining her and other attendees of her ‘birthday drinks’ in December 2020.

One source told The Mail on Sunday that the Tory peer laughed as she said: ‘Looking forward to framing our FPNs [fixed penalty notices].’

Last night, critics reproached Lady Jenkin for apparently finding it amusing that she and other politicians allegedly at the event in the Commons – including her husband – could now be fined for flouting Covid rules. 

A fine would be particularly embarrassing for Tory MP Sir Bernard, as he is on the Privileges Committee which effectively ended Boris Johnson’s Westminster career over No 10 lockdown parties.

Witnesses claim Anne Jenkin – a baroness and wife of MP Sir Bernard Jenkin – joked last week about the police fining her and other attendees of her ‘birthday drinks’ in December 2020

One Conservative MP, who is an ally of Mr Johnson, said: ‘Lady Jenkin may appear to find breaking Covid rules a laughing matter but that’s not how Sir Bernard seemed to regard it when he was giving Boris a grilling over Partygate on the Privileges Committee.

‘But then, unlike Bernard, as she’s a member of the House of Lords, the baroness doesn’t have to answer to the voters for her behaviour at every election.’

The former PM has already said that Sir Bernard would be guilty of ‘flagrant and monstrous hypocrisy’ if he had sat in judgment on Mr Johnson while knowing that he himself had attended a party that broke lockdown rules.

There have also been claims that Sir Bernard being fined by the Metropolitan Police would undermine the verdict of the Privileges Committee inquiry which condemned Mr Johnson for knowingly misleading the Commons over lockdown-breaking events at No 10 – a claim the ex-PM has strongly denied.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Sir Bernard would be guilty of ‘flagrant and monstrous hypocrisy’ if he had attended a party that broke lockdown rules

Scotland Yard is holding a formal inquiry into the party, which was held in the conference room of Deputy Speaker Same Eleanor Laing

Scotland Yard announced earlier this month that it was holding a formal inquiry into the birthday party, held in the conference room of Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, after this newspaper published Lady Jenkin’s WhatsApp invitation to a joint birthday party for her and Tory MP Virginia Crosbie, which was sent to ‘a few of [their] favourite people’.

Dame Eleanor had initially said it was a ‘business meeting’, while Sir Bernard has said he did not attend any drinks parties during lockdown. 

His allies say he had gone there to collect his wife. However, a witness at the party said that he was there throughout and was drinking.

At the time of the event, indoor social gatherings went against the Covid regulations in London.

Ynys Mon MP Ms Crosbie has already apologised for being at the gathering but said that she was there only briefly.

Lady Jenkin was approached for comment.

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