A Tory MP has defended Boris Johnson’s lockdown-flouting birthday party and said the Prime Minister was ‘ambushed with cake’.
Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns told Channel 4 news that the birthday celebration for Johnson was not “premeditated”.
The minister for Northern Ireland tried to mount a defence of the PM after ITV reported the party.
It was reportedly celebrated on June 19 2020, when indoor social gatherings were banned.
Johnson shared cake with up to 30 people in the Cabinet Room, including his wife Carrie and interior designer Lulu Lytle.
Interviewer Cathy Newman pointed out that invitations had been reportedly sent out ahead of the event.
In response Burns said: “You can characterise these things in different ways.
“My understanding of that, from what I know, and I know as much as you or your viewers at home know.
“The Prime Minister was out on visits he came back, he was working in the Cabinet Room, people came in presented him with a cake on his birthday, they sang happy birthday, he was there for about 10 minutes.
“It was not a “premeditated, organised party in that sense, in that the Prime Minister himself decided to have sent out.
“He was ambushed with a cake.
“They came to his office with a cake and sang happy birthday to him. I don’t think most people looking at that at home would characterise that as a party.”
“The public ultimately will judge.”
A YouGuv poll showed the majority of people want Johnson out, they found 62 per cent of adults surveyed answered the PM should resign.
This party, the latest in a longline dubbed ‘partygate’ was first reported by ITV and now, like them all, is being investigated by top civil servant Sue Gray as well as the Met police.
Met police chief Cressida Dick announced that the force would look into “a number of events” in No10 and Whitehall during the pandemic after they received information from Ms Gray.
Due to the police investigation, when Ms Gray’s report will be published has be thrown into doubt, however it has been reported her report is finished.
This comes as yet another blow to a politician fighting for his political life.
