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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Damon Wilkinson

The full list of Number 10's 'lockdown-breaking parties'... as it gets even longer

From 'BYOB' to cheese and wine in the No 10 garden, the list of alleged government lockdown-busting parties continues to grow.

Today Boris Johnson is facing fresh allegations over a birthday party attended by 30 staff during the first lockdown in June 2020, despite Covid rules banning indoor social gatherings.

Here's a full list of all the alleged social gathering reported so far - and what the Government said about them.

May 15, 2020: 'Cheese and wine' in the No 10 garden

Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie, former chief adviser Dominic Cummings, and Mr Johnson's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, were all pictured, in a photograph leaked to The Guardian, sitting around a table in the No 10 garden, with wine and cheese in front of them.

Some 15 other people were also in the photograph, but the Prime Minister has insisted this was a work meeting, saying: "Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work."

May 20, 2020: BYOB garden party

The revelation came in an email, leaked to ITV, from Mr Reynolds to more than 100 Downing Street employees inviting them to 'bring your own booze' for an evening gathering.

A witness said: "There were 40 people in the garden, including Boris and Carrie.

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"There were long tables laden with drink, crisps, sausage rolls and other picnic food. It was a proper booze-up."

The Prime Minister admitted attending the gathering, but insisted he believed it was a work event which could 'technically' have been within the rules.

June 19, 2020: Alleged birthday party for Boris Johnson

A Downing Street spokesperson admitted staff 'gathered briefly' in the Cabinet Room after a meeting, following a report from ITV News which suggested up to 30 people attended.

The broadcaster suggested the Prime Minister's wife, Carrie Johnson, had organised the surprise get-together at which she 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.

The PA news agency was told Lulu Lytle, the interior designer behind lavish renovations of Mr and Mrs Johnson’s No 10 flat, briefly attended while undertaking work in Downing Street.

No 10 did not deny the event took place, but claimed the Prime Minister only attended briefly.

A No 10 spokesman said: "A group of staff working in No 10 that day gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room after a meeting to wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday.

"He was there for less than 10 minutes.

November 13, 2020: Leaving party for senior aide

According to reports at the time, Mr Johnson gave a leaving speech for Lee Cain, his departing director of communications and a close ally of Mr Cummings.

It was alleged loud music and sounds of a party were heard coming from the flat occupied by Johnson and his wife – though Downing Street denies there was any rule-breaking.

November 13, 2020: Flat party on night Cummings quit

Sources told the Mirror No10 aides 'drank their socks off' at an alleged gathering in Boris and Carrie Johnson’s flat above 11 Downing Street.

Staff reported hearing "loud music pumping out of the flat" late into the night after Dominic Cummings quit that night in a blaze of publicity.

The Mail on Sunday even described it at the time as a 'victory party' celebrating the departure of Mr Cummings - a rival of Carrie Johnson.

Mr Cummings has claimed there was a party in the flat on November 13 and 'other flat parties' that should be investigated.

A spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson dismissed the claims as 'total nonsense', adding: "Mrs Johnson has followed coronavirus rules at all times and it is categorically untrue to suggest otherwise."

November 25, 2020: Treasury drinks

A Treasury spokesman told The Times that a number of staff had gone into the office to work on the Spending Review.

He said: "We have been made aware that a small number of those staff had impromptu drinks around their desks after the event."

November 27, 2020: Second staff leaving do

The Mirror reported that the Prime Minister gave a farewell speech to an aide at the end of November while the lockdown in England was still in place.

Other reports have said the leaving do was for Cleo Watson, a senior Downing Street aide and ally of Mr Cummings.

December 10, 2020: Department for Education party

The DfE confirmed a social event had happened after The Mirror reported that former education secretary Gavin Williamson threw a party and delivered a short speech at an event organised at his department’s Whitehall headquarters.

London was in Tier 2 – which banned any social mixing between households - at the time.

A spokesman acknowledged that 'it would have been better not to have gathered in this way at that particular time'.

December 11, 2020: Wine fridge delivered to Downing Street for staff’s 'wine-time Fridays'

A fridge with the capacity for 34 wine bottles was delivered through the back door of No 10.

According to sources cited by The Mirror, the fridge became necessary for staff’s 'wine-time Fridays' which were held throughout lockdown, with the Prime Minister allegedly encouraging the parties to help aides 'let off steam'.

The regular social gatherings were reported to be particularly popular among staff between autumn 2020 and spring 2020 when staff were 'fatigued' with tough Covid restrictions that banned socialising.

Mr Johnson was said to have attended a 'handful' of these gatherings.

December 14, 2020: Party featuring Tory London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and staff

Shaun Bailey apologised 'unreservedly' for attending the gathering at Conservative Campaign Headquarters organised by staff on his campaign team.

He quit his role chairing the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee after The Mirror published a picture showing him at the gathering.

It shows 24 people crowded together in a room in the party’s Westminster HQ.

Some of the group are shown wearing paper hats while one is sporting a House of Commons Christmas jumper and a spread of food sits on the side.

'It was a serious error of judgement at a time when Londoners were making immense sacrifices to keep us all safe and I regret it wholeheartedly,' Mr Bailey tweeted.

December 15, 2020: Downing Street quiz

The Prime Minister appeared on contestants' screens at the quiz but insisted he broke no rules.

An image published by the Sunday Mirror showed Mr Johnson flanked by colleagues, one draped in tinsel and another wearing a Santa hat, in No 10.

Downing Street admitted Mr Johnson 'briefly' attended the quiz after the photographic evidence emerged but insisted it was a virtual event.

December 16, 2020: Department for Transport party

The Mirror reported that senior civil servants were 'boozing and dancing' at the event, allegedly planned by staff from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps' office.

A DfT spokesman said: "Fewer than a dozen staff who were working in the office had a low-key, socially distanced gathering in the large open-plan office after work on December 16, where food and drink was consumed.

"We recognise this was inappropriate and apologise for the error of judgement."

December 17, 2020: Cabinet Office 'Christmas party'

A number of outlets reported that a gathering was held in the Cabinet Office on December 17.

The Times reported that Cabinet Secretary Simon Case attended the party in room 103 of the Cabinet Office, that it had been organised by a private secretary in Mr Case’s team, and that it was included in digital calendars as 'Christmas party!'.

The Cabinet Office confirmed a quiz took place, but a spokesman said: "The Cabinet Secretary played no part in the event, but walked through the team’s office on the way to his own office."

December 17, 2020: Leaving drinks for former Covid Taskforce head

The former director-general of the Government's Covid Taskforce said she was 'truly sorry' over an evening gathering in the Cabinet Office for her leaving drinks during coronavirus restrictions days before Christmas in 2020.

Kate Josephs, who is now chief executive of Sheffield City Council, said she gathered with colleagues who were in the office that day and added that she is co-operating with the probe by senior civil servant Sue Gray.

December 18, 2020: Christmas party at Downing Street

The PM's press secretary Allegra Stratton quit after being filmed joking about the alleged party on December 18 (ITV)

The claim which kicked off the rule-breaking allegations is that a party was held for Downing Street staff on December 18.

Officials and advisers reportedly made speeches, enjoyed a cheese board, drank together and exchanged Secret Santa gifts, although the Prime Minister is not thought to have attended.

Mr Johnson’s spokeswoman, Allegra Stratton, quit after being filmed joking about it with fellow aides at a mock press conference.

Run up to Christmas 2020

The Daily Mirror reported that Mr Johnson attended a leaving do for defence adviser Captain Steve Higham before Christmas 2020.

The newspaper alleged the Prime Minister made a speech but No 10 did not respond to a request for comment and the Ministry of Defence declined.

April 16, 2021: Drinks and dancing the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral

The Telegraph reported that advisers and civil servants gathered after work for two separate events on the Friday night.

They were to mark the departure of James Slack, Mr Johnson'[s former director of communications, and one of the Prime Minister's personal photographers.

Mr Slack, who left his No 10 role to become deputy editor-in-chief of The Sun newspaper, said he was sorry for the 'anger and hurt' caused by his leaving do, while Downing Street apologised to the Queen.

The Telegraph quoted a No 10 spokesman as saying Mr Johnson was not in Downing Street that day and is said to have been at Chequers.

The newspaper reported accounts from witnesses who said alcohol was drunk and guests danced to music, adding that it had been told that around 30 people attended both events combined.

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