One of the Prime Minister's most senior officials messaged a colleague to say they had "got away" with a party in Downing Street at the height of the first lockdown. The message from Martin Reynolds, who was Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, has emerged in Sue Gray's report into the lockdown parties. See the latest updates from that here.
Mr Reynolds was the civil servant who organised the now notorious Downing Street garden drinks for No 10 staff during the first Covid lockdown on May 2020. In the message, he told the fellow No 10 staffer that the press were more interested in a "non story".
Ms Gray’s report details now how on May 20 at 6pm, some 30 to 40 people gathered in the garden of Downing Street for drinks. It shows that the Prime Minister initially attended the gathering but then went back in for a meeting at 6.30pm with senior civil servant Martin Reynolds, who had reportedly organised the drinks. Mr Reynolds then returned to the party outside while the Prime Minister stayed inside, the reports reads.
On the following day a Downing Street special adviser emailed Mr Reynolds, writing: “Hi Martin, thank you so much for organising these drinks and for providing the wine! A very kind thing to do and I know everyone really appreciated it.” Mr Reynolds replied: “Thanks - it was lots of fun and nice to chat with everyone.”
This event was also referenced in a later message on Whatsapp by Mr Reynolds, who wrote to a special adviser: “Best of luck - a complete non story but better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with).”
Ms Gray's report has the details of seven gatherings. The report details how people did not leave some of the gatherings until after 3am or 4am in the morning. Ms Gray describes "excessive alcohol consumption" at one event and "one individual was sick". At another event, a number of individuals gathered near a child's swing which was damaged by them playing on it. The last did not leave after that gathering until 4.20am.
