Boris Johnson has privately admitted he was in his flat during a lockdown ‘party’ - but insists he was doing a job interview, it was claimed today.
The Prime Minister has insisted he did not break the law despite being in his residence above 11 Downing Street during a gathering on 13 November 2020, the Times reported.
It’s been claimed Abba music could be heard blaring from the flat on the night Dominic Cummings - a rival of the PM’s wife Carrie - was forced out of Downing Street.
Mrs Johnson vehemently denied the “total nonsense” claims - but Sue Gray has probed what she called “a gathering in the flat” and handed her findings to the Met Police.
Now a government source has told The Times Mr Johnson has admitted being in the flat at the time.
But he has claimed he was interviewing one of his wife’s allies for a job in another part of the four-bed official residence, it is alleged.
Henry Newman, who flanked Mrs Johnson for her only speech at last year’s Tory conference, went to work for Michael Gove before being hired by No10 the following year.
He returned to work for Mr Gove earlier this year at the same time as a clearcut of Downing Street.
No10 refused to comment while a police investigation was ongoing.
Boris Johnson and his wife had previously flatly denied a party took place in the Downing Street flat.
However, it was named as one of more than a dozen gatherings by Whitehall ethics enforcer Sue Gray, who will produce a fuller report later this year once all police fines have been handed out.
Sources told the Mirror that No10 aides “drank their socks off" at an alleged gathering on November 13 - the night Mr Cummings left.
Staff reported hearing "loud music pumping out of the flat" late into the night, which could reportedly be heard from nearby St James' Park.
The Mail on Sunday even described it at the time as a “victory party” celebrating the departure of Mr Cummings and said Abba's 'The Winner Takes it All' could be heard playing.
Mr Cummings has claimed there was a party in the flat on November 13 and “other flat parties” that should be investigated.
A spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson dismissed the claims as "total nonsense”, adding: "Mrs Johnson has followed coronavirus rules at all times and it is categorically untrue to suggest otherwise.”
England was in a national lockdown and that day the UK recorded 436 Covid deaths - the second-highest daily total since May.
