BORIS Johnson was last night branded a “lucky general” after he avoided any further Partygate fines.
Cops called time on their probe yesterday and revealed they issued 126 penalties to ministers and aides.
A staggering 83 people were stung — making Whitehall the country’s most fined workplace.
But the PM and his wife Carrie walked away with just the one penalty they had already received — despite being at a string of the lockdown-busting gatherings.
As the news swept through Westminster, several Tory rebels laid down their weapons and declared Mr Johnson was now safe in No10.
At least one MP is understood to have withdrawn their letter of no confidence in the PM.
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It was also confirmed Chancellor Rishi Sunak, fined last month for singing Happy Birthday at the PM’s event, would face no further action.
Meanwhile, former critic Sir Charles Walker compared “extra-ordinary” Mr Johnson to a written-off cricket star who defies his critics to “smash 100”.
But others warned the PM is not out of the woods yet as he is set to get roasted by Whitehall sleaze-buster Sue Gray in her long-awaited report next week.
Mr Johnson did not comment on the end of the probe, although he is expected to issue a grovelling apology to Parliament next week.
The PM’s spokesman said: “He is focused on issues that affect the public. This morning he was speaking to [Ukraine] President Zelensky, this afternoon he will hold meetings on the global cost-of-living challenge.”
Costing nearly half a million pounds, the Met Police Partygate inquiry saw 12 coppers spend four months combing through hundreds of photos, diary entries and witness statements.
They issued 126 fines to Whitehall insiders for booze-fuelled lockdown-breaking bashes across eight dates during the pandemic.
The PM, Carrie and Chancellor were all stung for the infamous birthday party where Mr Johnson was “ambushed by cake”.
After months of open warfare in his party and plots to oust him from the top job, the PM appears safe as he escaped a second fine, potentially a final nail in the coffin.
Sir Keir Starmer repeated his call for him to quit over “industrial scale law-breaking” in No10.
But facing his own probe for allegations he broke lockdown with Currygate, he fell short of ordering a full onslaught on the PM.
Kit Malthouse, Cabinet Minister for Policing, said: “I’m pleased that it’s done, thankful to the police for conducting themselves efficiently.
“The PM has apologised for the cake incident, and I hope now we can now move on to the really pressing issues.”
It is believed Mr Johnson avoided getting multiple fines because Downing Street is both his workplace and his home.
Tory rebels last night admitted he looks safer in his job than he has for months.
