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“I welcome the Met’s decision to conduct its own investigation because I believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters,” Mr. Johnson said in Parliament on Tuesday.

His official spokesman said the prime minister did not believe he had broken the law. No mention of the police investigation was made during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, although Mr. Johnson was informed about it before the meeting.

While the latest development could give Mr. Johnson space to breathe as the police investigation unfolds, it banishes any hope that Ms. Gray’s investigations would clear Downing Street of misbehavior and allow it to quickly move beyond the scandal.

It raises the prospect that Ms. Gray has uncovered information not in the public domain, and the possible delay caused by the police investigation means that more leaks could emerge to keep the issue at the top of the news agenda.

Were Mr. Johnson to be questioned himself by the police, it would not be the first time for a prime minister in recent decades. In 2006 and 2007, toward the end of his tenure as prime minister, Tony Blair was questioned twice by the police over allegations that honors had been given to business leaders in exchange for donations.

Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Mr. Blair, said that investigation was an extreme distraction for the prime minister and his government, even though prosecutors ultimately decided not to bring charges against anyone.

Similarly, the crisis over parties in Downing Street, which has dominated the news for nearly two months, now looks likely to paralyze the government and continue dragging down the Conservative Party in the polls for a while longer.