Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid has grilled Transport Secretary Grant Shapps over the fresh allegations that No 10 held a birthday bash for Boris Johnson in 2020.
The MP appeared on ITV ’s morning show on the heels of claims the Prime Minister was thrown a surprise birthday party by wife Carrie Johnson during the first Covid lockdown despite indoor social events being banned.
GMB presenter Susanna slammed the fresh accusations, which claim Mrs Johnson led the staff in a chorus of happy birthday while the PM was presented with a cake, before tucking into picnic food from M&S.
On Tuesday, Susanna and co-host Ed Balls questioned Mr Shapps on the alleged gathering reported by ITV News.
Susanna said: “You were allowed to have gatherings which were work events.
“You were not allowed to have gatherings which were social events and by any measure a gathering to celebrate somebody’s party with party food and a birthday cake and singing happy birthday is clearly a birthday party.”
Mr Shapps replied by stressing that the Prime Minister was not involved in the organisation of the surprise party.
He said: “It clearly shouldn’t have happened, but Sue Gray will get to the bottom of that.”
Sue Gray's investigation into the ongoing list of parties at No 10 during the pandemic, while the country was in lockdown or facing huge restrictions, is hotly anticipated.
Mr Shapps continued: “The Prime Minister has already said there will be consequences falling out from the Sue Gray report and my hope is that we can get to see that very quickly.”
He then went on to stress that he booked to appear on Good Morning Britain to discuss changes to the travel restrictions for the public, not to talk about “this particular subject”.
He said: “I came on to talk about how people will be able to travel possibly to see loved ones who they may not have seen because of the additional expense of testing and quarantining.”
However, Susanna ignored the attempted topic change and responded by saying: “Mr Shapps, do you think people should take any notice of the rules if the Prime Minister doesn’t take any notice of them?”
Mr Shapps replied: “I do. One of the things we need to establish here is how did this come about? I think it's very important that process is in place.”
Susanna responded saying: “It came about - I would suggest - because it was a place people knew they could hold social events, because the person at the top was not giving an indication that that was not okay.
“The rest of us all knew that if we breached the rules there would be serious consequences and that came from the top.”
Co-host Ed Balls went on to express his sympathy for Grant Shapps ’s position, describing it as a “nightmare”.
This came after the ITV show played a clip of a December interview gave the programme, in which he said he had “no sympathy” for those who held parties as No 10 denied they had happened at the time.
In the interview, the Tory MP also spoke about his own family's experience with the virus and his father caught coronavirus while in hospital for another reason.
Ed said: “In good faith he came on this programme in December having been told by No 10 there were no parties.
“That’s what he told us. That’s what the Prime Minister told the House of Commons. As a cabinet minister you have to rely on what you’re told by No 10 when you go out to do a media interview or it’s impossible to do the job. I’m feeling your pain.”
Mr Shapps replied with a chuckle saying: “It’s kind of you to put my perspective, Ed. But in my own words, I already said what I said in December, which I stand by today, because I think the hurt from people who experienced what I did is very real.
“The Prime Minister has already apologised and said there will be consequences. There is no textbook for leading a country through a pandemic.”
