Boris Johnson is believed to have attended six of the 12 Downing Street parties being probed by Scotland Yard, it was revealed today.
The Prime Minister, who is understood to be pictured at some of the events, has now been linked to a boozy bash on January 14, 2021 – while the country was in the midst of the strict post-Christmas lockdown – where he is said to have given a short speech to say farewell to two Downing Street private secretaries.
Another leaving party was held on December 17, 2020, described in Sue Gray’s partygate report as a ‘gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official’.
The Telegraph reported the official was Captain Steve Higham, then a private secretary to the PM advising on defence and national security. Johnson attended the party and gave a speech, it is understood, but he left after a few minutes.
Today a witness has even claimed to have seen the Prime Minister arriving at the ‘Winner Takes It All’ Abba party thrown in his Downing Street flat to celebrate the fall of Dominic Cummings, hours after Mr Johnson’s chief aide and enemy of his wife Carrie left No 10 with his belongings in a box.
Three more parties in 2020 that the Prime Minister is said to have attended – including a surprise birthday party thrown by his wife Carrie where he was ‘ambushed’ with a cake – are being probed by the Met. Mr Johnson denies any wrongdoing – insisting they were work events or never happened. He is yet to speak to detectives.
Mr Cummings said last night: ‘Yes there are photos of the PM at parties under investigation. I’ve spoken to people who say they’ve seen photos of parties in the flat’.
Below is a breakdown of the events, attended by the PM, being investigated by the police after being handed 300 pictures and 500 documents by Sue Gray.
Boris Johnson is now believed to have attended six parties at No 10 Downing Street or in the garden that are now being looked at by the police
May 20, 2020: BYOB garden party
The Prime Minister’s principal private secretary Martin Reynolds invited more than 100 staff to bring their own drinks to No10’s lavish gardens on May 20, 2020 to ‘make the most of the lovely weather’
Around 40 people, including Boris and Carrie, were said to have taken up ‘Party Marty’ Reynolds’ invitation
The revelation came in an email, leaked to ITV, from senior civil servant Martin ‘Party Marty’ Reynolds to more than 100 Downing Street employees inviting them to ‘bring your own booze’ for an evening gathering.
The PM has admitted attending the gathering, but previously insisted he believed it was a work event which could ‘technically’ have been within the rules.
Carrie Johnson shared a drink with a close friend at the illegal Downing Street garden party where 40 people – including the Prime Minister – washed down sausage rolls and posh crisps with wine and gin while some guests feared being filmed breaking lockdown from the sky.
One person who attended told The Times that Mr Johnson was ‘wandering round gladhanding people’ on May 20, 2020, at the height of the first lockdown.
Oliver Dowden, then the culture secretary, used a Downing Street press conference that day to remind the public they could ‘meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor, public place provided that you stay two metres apart’.
Mr Reynolds’s email, which was leaked to ITV News, said: ‘Hi all, after what has been an incredibly busy period it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No10 garden this evening. Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!’.
Allegations of that gathering, said to have been attended by 40 people, emerged when Dominic Cummings said he had warned at the time the ‘socially distanced drinks’ would likely be against the rules and ‘should not happen’.
Afterwards Mr Johnson argued that he believed the drinks bash was a ‘work event’ – even though an invite had been sent out to 100 staff telling them to ‘bring your own booze’.
‘No 10 is a big department with a garden as an extension of the office which has been in constant use because of the role of fresh air in stopping the virus.
‘When I went into that garden just after six on May 20, 2020, to thank groups of staff before going back into my office 25 minutes later to continue working, I believed implicitly that this was a work event’, he said.
Who attended the event? ITV News reported that approximately 40 staff had gathered in the garden on that evening. Mr Johnson has admitted attending the gathering, but insisted he believed it was a work event which could ‘technically’ have been within the rules. ‘Party Marty’ Reynolds was also there.
What were the rules at the time? England was under tough coronavirus restrictions banning groups from meeting socially outdoors when the email was sent.
What has the Prime Minister or the Government said about it? Mr Johnson told MPs earlier this month that he had gone into the Number 10 garden on May 20 to ‘thank groups of staff before going back into my office 25 minutes later to continue working’ and he ‘believed implicitly that this was a work event’. He said that ‘with hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside’.
Pictured: Boris Johnson and staff pictured with wine in Downing Street garden on May 15 2020. This event is not being probed
– June 19, 2020: Birthday party for the PM
Boris Johnson in the Cabinet Room yesterday, where his wife threw him a birthday party now being probed by the police
A Downing Street spokesman admitted staff ‘gathered briefly’ in the Cabinet Room after a meeting. A report from ITV News suggested up to 30 people attended and the PM was presented with a cake.
Boris is said to have had a Union Jack cake (file picture) – his supporters called it an ‘ambush’
The broadcaster suggested the PM’s wife, Carrie Johnson, had organised the surprise get-together. Reports said 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.
It was claimed that the PM’s wife, Carrie Johnson, helped organise a surprise get-together for the premier in the afternoon in the Cabinet Room.
The PM was said to have been presented with an Union Jack cake, with Mrs Johnson leading staff in a chorus of happy birthday. Supporters of the PM said he had been ‘ambushed’.
The event is said to have lasted for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
Soane Britain, the luxury designer co-founded by Mrs Lytle, said she was ‘present in Downing Street on June 19 working on the refurbishment’.
‘Lulu was not invited to any birthday celebrations for the Prime Minister as a guest,’ a spokesman said, adding: ‘Lulu entered the Cabinet Room briefly as requested, while waiting to speak with the Prime Minister.’
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was also there – but insiders said that he was there at the end because he was arriving for a meeting in the Cabinet Room afterwards.
Who attended the event? Up to 30 people, according to ITV News, including Mr Johnson and his wife. Reports said 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. Rishi Sunak was also there.
What were the rules at the time? The nation was just emerging from lockdown. Rules were eased from June 15 to allow gatherings of up to six people outdoors only.
What has the Prime Minister or the Government said about it? The PM’s Official Spokesman said ‘a small number of staff briefly came into the Cabinet Room on the PM’s birthday’. Number 10 would not be drawn any further, pointing to Ms Gray’s ongoing investigation.
– November 13, 2020: Leaving party for senior aide
Downing Street’s director of communications Lee Cain left in November 2020. Boris is said to have attended
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.
Dominic Cummings said the leaving event – thought to have also involved his Vote Leave friend Cleo Watson – was merely someone ‘walking into the press office to say bye’ before the PM ‘bumbled in and started babbling’.
Who attended the event? Currently unclear beyond the reports of Mr Johnson and Mr Cain, as well as Ms Watson. It is not clear if Dominic Cummings was there. But it is likely to have included a large number of No 10 staff.
What were the rules at the time? England was in a second national lockdown from November 5 to December 2. Indoor mixing between households was banned.
What has the Prime Minister or the Government said about it? The Prime Minister has admitted attending – but denies it broke any rules.
– November 13, 2020: Johnsons’ flat party
Detectives are poring over a dossier of 300 Partygate photos with an alleged Abba bash in the No11 flat now one of 12 under investigation. Pictured: Mr Johnson and Carrie at the Eden Project in June 2021
Carrie and friends are alleged to have been belting out Abba’s ‘Winner Takes it All’ shortly after Mr Cummings left with his belongings (pictured)
There are allegations that the Prime Minister’s then fiancee hosted parties in their flat, with one such event said to have taken place on November 13 – the night Dominic Cummings departed Number 10.
A spokesman for Mrs Johnson has previously called the claim ‘total nonsense’.
A witness is said to have told Sue Gray that the Prime Minister went upstairs towards the ‘victory party’ held by Carrie Johnson and her friends on the night of November 13, 2020, after Mr Cummings had left No 10 with his belongings in a box.
Mr Johnson had previously denied a party to celebrate Mr Cummings’ exit ever took place. But yesterday, while in Ukraine, he refused to comment on if he was in the flat drinking with Carrie and her pals that night.
Police, who are already sifting through 300 photos – some said to include the PM – and 500 documents, would be able to confirm his attendance using CCTV and a keypad to the flat’s door, insiders have said.
Who attended the event? Currently unclear. If it took place it appears to be Carrie Johnson and her husband Boris and a small group of his wife’s ‘friends’.
What were the rules at the time? England was in a second national lockdown from November 5 to December 2. Indoor mixing between households was banned.
What has the Government said about it? Boris Johnson has denied it and a spokesman for Mrs Johnson has previously called the claim ‘total nonsense’. Downing Street has denied there was any rule-breaking.
– December 17, 2020: Number 10 leaving do
Boris is said to have given a speech to say farewell to Captain Steve Higham
The Sue Gray update said the police are also probing a gathering in Downing Street held to mark the departure of a Number 10 official on December 17.
The Telegraph reported the official was Captain Steve Higham, then a private secretary to the PM advising on defence and national security.
Johnson attended the party and gave a speech, it is understood, but he left after a few minutes.
The party came a day after tier three rules were implemented in London, meaning people could not mix inside with anyone not in their home or support bubble.
Who attended the event? Currently unclear other than Captain Higham. But The Mirror said Mr Johnson attended ‘for a few minutes’ and gave a speech to thank him for his service. A small number of Number 10 staff also ‘briefly’ said goodbye.
What were the rules at the time? England was subject to the tier system at the time. London entered tier three on December 16. That meant people were not allowed to meet socially indoors or in most outdoor settings with anyone they did not live with.
What has the Government said about it? Number 10 did not respond to a request for comment and the Ministry of Defence also declined.
– January 14, 2021: Number 10 leaving do for two staff members
A previously unreported gathering is being probed by the police. The Sue Gray update revealed an event in Downing Street for the departure of two Number 10 private secretaries is being looked at by the police.
The Guardian said Boris Johnson had been present at the leaving party of two private secretaries on January 14, 2021, when the country was in lockdown.
Prosecco was said to have been served at the event, which the PM reportedly attended for only five minutes. He gave a speech and went, an insider claimed.
Who attended the event? Boris Johnson is said to have been there and two private secretaries. Other No 10 staff would be there.
What were the rules at the time? Mr Johnson announced a new national lockdown at the start of January 2021. Under these restrictions, Britons couldn’t meet socially with anyone they didn’t live with or were in a support bubble with.
What has the Government said about it? It is a new claim so Number 10 is yet to comment on it.