Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Johnson
(Picture: PA Archive)Downing Street has denied Boris Johnson broke rules by commuting between his country mansion and No 10 during the first Covid lockdown.
News website Tortoise alleged Mr Johnson had travelled from his country residence in Buckinghamshire to No 10 between March 16 and 27 2020, when guidance said people should not travel for non-essential reasons.
Mr Johnson had called for an end to non-essential travel on March 16 and then announced a full lockdown a week later.
But Downing Street denied Mr Johnson had broken regulations by commuting because his then fiancée Carrie Symonds was heavily pregnant and had been advised to minimise social contact.
The PM’s spokesman said: “At the time Mrs Johnson was heavily pregnant and had been placed in a vulnerable category and advised to minimise social contacts.
“In line with clinical guidance and to minimise the risk to her they were based at Chequers during that period, with the Prime Minister commuting to Downing Street to work.”
The spokesman added that there would have been staff at Chequers with the couple.
He said the guidance on not travelling to second homes did not come in until March 22, “at which point the Prime Minister and his wife were already based in Chequers, acting in line with clinical guidance”.
Asked if the PM was therefore putting his wife at risk by commuting during the period, the spokesman added: “The Prime Minister was leading the coronavirus response, the pandemic response, and in line with a number of individuals who were required to still be in work. That’s why the Prime Minister was coming to No 10 for necessary work meetings.”
