Bailey quits chair of police and crime committee

A former Conservative mayoral candidate who breached Covid regulation by attending a Christmas party, has quit as chair of a police and crime committee.

When London was under Tier 2 restrictions banning household mixing, Shaun Bailey's team had organised a gathering at the Conservative Campaign headquarters on 14 December 2020.

However, he remains a member of the committee and the London Assembly. Bailey is yet to make a comment.

Bailey, who came second to Labour's Sadiq Khan in May's London mayoral election, is now facing calls to quit after a launch of probe into three government parties.

A photograph of the party appeared in the Daily Mirror on Tuesday (14).

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has criticised the event and has said: "That scene is absolutely unacceptable.

"It is unacceptable for people to be breaking the rules. That was not authorised by the Conservative Party," Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Those Conservatives who were on secondment from the party have already been disciplined and whatever further action needs to be taken will be taken."

It has emerged that four members of Bailey's campaign team had been disciplined over the party at the Conservatives' Westminster office.

Reports suggest, Bailey had briefly stayed to give a speech thanking the group.

Born in North Kensington to a British-Jamaican family, Bailey has been a member of the London Assembly since 2016.