Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Matthew Dresch & Lizzy Buchan

All 12 Downing Street and Whitehall parties being investigated by Met Police

Top civil servant Sue Gray is investigating 16 lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall - with 12 being looked at by the police.

The Whitehall enforcer published a short update on her partygate probe, which was heavily watered down due to an ongoing police investigation.

Ms Gray found "failures of leadership and judgement" over the lockdown parties that "should not have been allowed".

Scotland Yard has been been handed 300 pictures and 500 pieces of paper for its inquiry, which could see Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie quizzed by police.

The PM may have attended as many as six events that are being looked into by police, including an event in his own Downing Street flat.

Boris Johnson and Carrie Johnson (Michael Mayhew/Allstar)

Here are the 16 events investigated by Ms Gray, including the 12 being probed by police (marked with asterisks):

  • 15 May 2020: a photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of No10 Downing Street;
  • 20 May 2020: a gathering in the garden of No 10 Downing Street for No 10 staff*
  • 18 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a No 10 private secretary*
  • 19 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet room in No 10 Downing Street on the Prime Minister’s birthday*
  • 13 November 2020: a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat;*
  • 13 November 2020: and a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser*
  • 27 November 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser
  • 10 December 2020: a gathering in the Department for Education ahead of the Christmas break
  • 15 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street for an online Christmas quiz
  • 17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office;*
  • 17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official;*
  • 17 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official;*
  • 18 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street ahead of the Christmas break;*
  • 14 January 2021: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 private secretaries;*
  • 16 April 2021: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a senior No 10 official;*
  • 16 April 2021: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of another No 10 official.*
Sue Gray's report looked into 16 parties, including 12 investigated by police (Parliament TV)

Only four events do not meet Scotland Yard's threshold for investigation, including a gathering in the Downing Street garden on May 15 2020 where the PM and staff were pictured enjoying cheese and wine.

A leaving do on November 27 2020 for special adviser Cleo Watson, a Christmas drinks at the Department for Education on 10 December 2020 and a No10 Christmas quiz on 15 December 2020 will also be left out of the police inquiry.

Ms Gray unearthed several new gatherings including a leaving do in the Cabinet Office on June 18, 2020, another No 10 farewell bash on December 17, 2020 - on top of two already reported - and a prosecco-fuelled leaving do on January 14, 2021.

Gatherings at the Treasury on November 25, 2020 and drinks at the Department for Transport on December 16, 2020 were not included.

More than 16 parties have been uncovered across Downing Street, Whitehall and Tory HQ during lockdown rules since the Mirror first revealed that lockdown-flouting parties had taken place.

Mr Johnson is believed to have attended as many as six of the gatherings police are looking at.

These include reports of a party in the flat he shares with his wife Carrie on November 13 2020 - the night Dominic Cummings resigned.

The Mirror reported that aides “drank their socks off" and staff reported hearing "loud music pumping out of the flat" late into the night.

Downing Street and the PM have explicitly denied this event took place - but several reports have emerged that Abba's "The Winner Takes it All' was blasted so loud it could be heard in nearby St James' Park.

Police are examining allegations that lockdown party look place in the Downing Street flat Mr Johnson shares with his wife Carrie (Getty Images)

A separate leaving do for Mr Johnson's spin doctor Lee Cain on the same night is being examined by cops.

Scotland Yard are also examining a birthday gathering on 19 June 2020 in the Cabinet room, where Mrs Johnson is said to have led staff in a chorus of "Happy Birthday".

A BYOB bash in the Downing Street garden on May 20 2020, which the Prime Minister has admitted to attending briefly, is also in their sights.

Police are also looking at a Cabinet Office leaving do on June 18 2020, said to be for former home affairs policy adviser Hannah Young, who left Downing Street to take up the role of deputy consul general in New York.

Police are also considering three events on December 17 - a Christmas quiz in Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, a send off for Kate Josephs, the former Director General of the Covid Taskforce, and another gathering for the departure of a No 10 official which has never been reported.

The Downing Street Christmas bash on December 18, first revealed by the Mirror, is being probed.

A new allegation about a leaving do for two No 10 private secretary on January 14 2021 is being considered.

And two boozy Downing Street leaving drinks on the eve on the Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021 are being probed.

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
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.