It’s six months since the Mirror’s Pippa Crerar revealed brazen boozing during lockdown at the heart of government.
Now a 37-page report by Whitehall ethics investigator Sue Gray has proven much of our reporting was spot-on - and demanded Boris Johnson “bear responsibility”.
There was wine on the walls, vomiting, a fight, a “back exit” cover-up, prior planning of parties, and a “lack of respect” for cleaners and security staff.
Boris Johnson today claimed he’d been “vindicated” by the report and said it was time to “move on” after he only got one fine from police.
But Keir Starmer said: "They set the bar for his conduct lower than a snake's belly and now they expect us to congratulate him as he stumbles over it”.
It’s true that many of the worst examples are from staff, not the PM personally. But the report highlights a culture in which junior staff felt “permitted” to party by their boss.
Here are some of the worst examples in the Partygate report.
Staff brazenly discussed parties and bragged ‘we got away with it’
The report is stuffed with examples of staff openly discussing events that appeared to be against Covid rules.
The most brazen, an e-mail from top aide Martin Reynolds inviting people a 20 May 2020 ‘bring your own booze’ garden party, went to 200 staff - not 100 as previously reported.
Six days before the bash, staff said a No10 official “will go out and get the booze”, to which a colleague replied: “Sounds like lots of fun… That’s fine.”
A No10 special advisor even messaged Boris Johnson’s top aide Martin Reynolds beforehand to “flag” that the Covid press conference would finish around the same time.
“Helpful if people can be mindful of that as speakers and cameras are leaving, not walking around waving bottles of wine etc,” the Spad wrote.
At that press conference, Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden told citizens to “limit contact” adding: “You can meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor, public place - provided that you stay two metres apart".
A public place did not include a private garden under the law. At a later date Mr Reynolds boasted about the media: “Better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with)”.
Lobby Akinnola of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said: "When they were texting colleagues about getting away with it, we were having to text our families telling them they couldn't come to their loved ones' funerals.”
It wasn’t the only brazen exchange. The 18 December 2020 Christmas party was billed “wine & cheese evening” in an e-mail invite, while staff organised who’d provide which type of cheese over WhatsApp.
Cleaners and security staff were treated shamefully
One of Sue Gray’s most damning findings was about No10 security and cleaners - who were reportedly teased for raising concerns over the parties.
She wrote: "I found that some staff had witnessed or been subjected to behaviours at work which they had felt concerned about but at times felt unable to raise properly.
"I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable."
Custodians - as security staff are known - observed a “crowded and noisy” bash on 18 December 2020 while cleaners had to wipe wine off the walls afterwards. The Mirror revealed custodians sent an e-mail warning.
Boris Johnson today apologised to security and cleaning staff for their appalling treatment but insisted he had “no knowledge” of it and was “surprised and disappointed”.
Boris Johnson attended EIGHT of the 16 gatherings
The report is littered with examples of Boris Johnson’s personal involvement in lockdown parties.
It highlights his attendance at eight out of the 16 gatherings, including one in the No10 garden on 15 May 2020 where he personally brought cheese and wine from his flat.
He attended the infamous BYOB bash in the garden on 20 May 2020 and his own birthday celebration on 19 June 2020, though he did not know about the birthday do beforehand.
He also attended and gave speeches at a leaving do for aide Lee Cain on 13 November 2020, and a gathering (described as a “meeting” but not fully investigated) in the No10 flat on the same date.
And he gave speeches on 27 November 2020 at a leaving do for No10 aide Cleo Watson, on 17 December 2020 at a leaving do for two officials, and on 14 January 2021 at another leaving do for two officials.
While the PM was not personally accused of drunk or rowdy behaviour, the report said: "Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen… some of the more junior civil servants believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders.
"The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture."
Insiders knew they should be worried - and mounted a ‘back exit’ cover-up
The report shows insiders - most often ex-No10 Director of Communications and former Mirror Chicken Lee Cain - were worried about the gatherings.
Yet the parties went ahead anyway - and there are examples of staff then trying to hide the nature of them from the press.
Before the BYOB party in May 2020, Lee Cain e-mailed Martin Reynolds saying: “I'm sure it'll be fine - and I applaud the gesture.
“But a 200 odd person invitation for drinks in the garden of no 10 is somewhat of a comms risk in the current environment.”
He said he warned Mr Reynolds to cancel the event, which Mr Reynolds did not recall. Sue Gray notes drily: “ Dominic Cummings has also said that he too raised concerns, in writing. We have not found any documentary evidence of this.”
On June 12, before another event, Mr Cain told Mr Reynolds he couldn’t have a “party” for a leaving official and to do so had “rather substantial comms risks”.
After a 15 December 2020 Christmas quiz where “some staff drank alcohol”, a No10 official sent a message referring to “drunkenness” and advising staff to leave via the back exit - to avoid them being photographed by the press.
‘Crowded and noisy’ Christmas party left red wine on the walls
The 18 December 2020 Christmas party was the first event revealed by the Mirror. Sue Gray’s report confirms much of our reporting and adds more.
It says 20 to 45 people attended with a Secret Santa, awards ceremony, alcohol and food. A staff member accidentally triggered a panic button which led to No10 security and a police officer turning up.
“There was food and alcohol available which had been bought and brought in by staff. Some members of staff drank excessively,” said Ms Gray.
“The event was crowded and noisy, such that some people working elsewhere in the No 10 building that evening heard significant levels of noise coming from what they characterised as a party in the Press Office.
“A cleaner who attended the room the next morning noted that there had been red wine spilled on one wall and on a number of boxes of photocopier paper.”
Another party had vomiting and a fight
A riotous do was held in the first lockdown on 18 June 2020 for the departure of No10 official Hannah Young.
Some brought pizza and Prosecco and Helen MacNamara - who was government ethics chief after Sue Gray - attended with a karaoke machine which was set up and used.
The report found “one individual was sick” and there was a "minor altercation between two other individuals" - something others have reported as a brawl.
The report said: “The event lasted for a number of hours. There was excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals.”
There was a 4.20am finish on day of Philip’s funeral
The report notes several events that finished not in the early hours - especially one on 16 April 2021, the night before Prince Philip ’s Covid-secure funeral.
“A number of individuals gathered near a child's swing/slide in the garden, damaging it by leaning on and playing with it,” Sue Gray confirmed.
“This was noticed the next morning and reported to No 10 staff.” The last staff member left at 4.20am on the day of the funeral where the Queen sat alone. At the time, flags were at half-mast over No10.
There were also drinks, pizza and an 11pm finish after the May 20 BYOB party, Sue Gray found.
And after the 18 June 2020 leaving do, staff only started leaving at 9pm with the latest staying until 3.13am.
For the 18 December 2020 Christmas party, “No10 exit logs show a number of members of staff remaining in the office until after midnight.”
Photo evidence of party the PM denied happened
The nine photos published in the report are from two dates.
They show the 19 June 2020 birthday party, where top civil servant Simon Case is laughing and Boris Johnson is holding a can of Estrella.
More importantly, they also show the PM raising fizz at aide Lee Cain's leaving do on 13 November 2020 - the date he explicitly said no party took place, leading to claims he lied to Parliament.
The report found Mr Cain’s leaving was “not pre-planned” - no surprise, as it happened suddenly after No10 infighting - but “did occur at around the time that 'Wine Time Friday' would normally be taking place”.
“The Prime Minister attended on his way to his Downing Street flat, having left his office at 19.17. He went to the Press Office area, joined the gathering and made a leaving speech for Lee Cain.
“Wine had been provided and those attending, including the Prime Minister, were drinking alcohol. There are a number of photographs of the event.”
Sue Gray gave up investigating Downing Street ‘flat party’
One of the great mysteries is over the so-called ‘ABBA’ party in the No10 flat on 13 November 2020.
It was claimed at the time that Carrie Johnson was playing out the Swedes while celebrating the departure of her bitter rival Dominic Cummings. She has always denied having a party.
Ms Gray confirmed a "meeting" - with food and alcohol - was held in the Downing Street flat on 13 November 2020 to discuss Mr Cummings’ departure.
But Ms Gray discontinued her probe into the event after Scotland Yard didn't issue a fine, so it may remain a mystery forever.
Ms Gray wrote: "I have taken the view that it would not be necessary, appropriate or proportionate to undertake any further investigation work following the conclusion of the work of the Metropolitan Police.
"Following the Metropolitan Police announcement on 19 May 2022 I considered whether or not to conduct any further investigation into this event but concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate to do so."
