Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
indy100
indy100
National
Kate Plummer

26 stunned reactions to yet another Downing St lockdown party, the day before Prince Philip’s funeral

A police officer stands at the door of the Prime Minister’s official residence in Downing Street, Westminster, London, as public anger continues following the leak on Monday of an email from Boris Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting 100 Downing Street staff to a “bring your own booze” party in the garden behind No 10 during England’s first lockdown on May 20, 2020. Picture date: Wednesday January 12, 2022. (Picture: PA Wire)

Two more Downing Street parties took place while the country - including the Queen no less - endured strict lockdown restrictions, it has been revealed.

The Telegraph reports that two leaving parties took place on 16th April 2021, the night before Prince Philip’s socially distanced funeral, and when the country was in step two of the lockdown roadmap - meaning no indoor mixing, and rule of six outside.

One of the parties was for James Slack, Johnson’s director of communications, while the other was for a photographer. Around 30 people attended the combined events, which merged during the night, and Johnson was not at Downing Street at the time, according to reports.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Meanwhile, there was music, alcohol and a source claims a member of staff even broke Wilf Johnson’s swing. The next day, a photo of the Queen sitting alone at her husband’s funeral, due to the rules in place at the time, tugged on the nation’s heartstrings.

As yet another allegation of rule-breaking hit the internet last night, here’s what people had to say about it.

A No 10 spokesperson commented on Slack’s leaving party and told the Telegraph: “On this individual’s last day he gave a farewell speech to thank each team for the work they had done to support him, both those who had to be in the office for work and on a screen for those working from home.”

Meanwhile, Slack apologised for the event:

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said Downing Street had said sorry to the Palace following the reports.

The spokesman said: “It is deeply regrettable that this took place at a time of national mourning and No 10 has apologised to the Palace.

“You heard from the PM this week, he’s recognised No 10 should be held to the highest standards and take responsibility for things we did not get right.”

Asked why No 10 had apologised rather than Boris Johnson himself, the spokesman said: “Well, again, the Prime Minister said earlier misjudgments have been made and it’s right people apologise, as the PM did earlier this week.

“It remains the case that I can’t prejudge the inquiry, which you know is ongoing, which has been led by Sue Gray, but we acknowledge the significant public anger, it was regrettable this took place a time of national mourning.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Coachella 2025 has unveiled its full lineup with Post Malone, Green Day and Lady Gaga
Green Day, Post Malone and Lady Gaga have been announced as headliners for Coachella 2025.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
People around world associate rolled R with a jagged line, study finds
Speakers of 28 languages linked sound and shape at least 88% of the time, in ‘strongest case of sound symbolism to date’
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
8 revelations from Cher's memoir
Cher details some of the famous people she grew up with and the desperation she felt being married to Sonny Bono
Salon
Salon
Trump's Grammatical Time Machine
The president-elect uses conditional grammar to craft self-fulfilling speculative historical fiction.
Reason
Reason
Duct-taped banana artwork sells at auction for almost £5m to crypto entrepreneur
Justin Sun purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives him the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it “Comedian.”
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Banana Taped To A Wall Sells For $6.2 Mn In New York
A fresh banana taped to a wall -- a provocative work of conceptual art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan -- was bought for $6.2 million on Wednesday by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur at a New York auction, Sotheby's announced in a statement.
International Business Times
International Business Times
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play