An old tweet posted by Shaun Bailey about complying with Covid restrictions last year has come back to bite him in the bum now it has been revealed – with photographic evidence – that he and his team had a party while London was in tier 2 last December.
Writing on Twitter on 20 December, days after Boris Johnson told the country that Christmas as we know it was effectively cancelled, the former Conservative mayoral candidate commiserated with Londoners about how “tough” it was, writing:
Tier 4 is tough on every Londoner. My family has had to cancel plans and I’m sure yours has too.
— Shaun Bailey (@ShaunBaileyUK) December 20, 2020
It’s also tough on the businesses that have had to close yet again. I’ll be doing what I can to secure more support for London’s businesses and help them through this difficult time.
But we now know that, six days earlier, 24 people attended a party at the Tory headquarters, organised by his campaign, with catered food and drink, prompting many to now think his tweet was pretty devoid of sincerity.
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This you? https://t.co/wF5bCTOSpI pic.twitter.com/5gRtfFeeMx
— Labour to Win (@labtowin) December 14, 2021
To be fair, he only said his *family* had to cancel plans. pic.twitter.com/nUc9HwwGzB
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) December 14, 2021
Alexa, show me a tweet that hasn't aged well. https://t.co/d3UPZdOmEm
— Gary Callachan (@gary_callachan) December 15, 2021
There is always a tweet. https://t.co/Gr3fry43UB
— AVagabond (@AVagabond_) December 15, 2021
Was this you, same week as your tweet? pic.twitter.com/FcEiC9icUs
— Paul Day (@PaulDayMK) December 14, 2021
Started Went#Shaunbailey pic.twitter.com/4p5zSoHXqF
— Otto English (@Otto_English) December 14, 2021
What Shaun Bailey said
— UK is with EU (@ukiswitheu) December 14, 2021
What Shaun Bailey did pic.twitter.com/ZOeelr8CIG
Last week, a Tory spokesman admitted the party took place and told the Times: “Senior CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of December 14.
“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.”
Upon the Mirror yesterday publishing photos of the soiree, Bailey has now also reportedly resigned from his role as chair of the London Assembly police and crime committee but people are still furious at the breach and other Christmas parties that reportedly took place last year while the rest of the country obeyed strict coronavirus rules.
He has also apologised “unreservedly” for attending the “gathering”.
I want to apologise unreservedly for attending a gathering held by some of my staff in my campaign office last December. 1/3
— Shaun Bailey (@ShaunBaileyUK) December 15, 2021
The fallout from the festivities continues.
