Londonâs Metropolitan Police are now investigating 12 of the 16 gatherings in the report for possible criminal violations, while Johnson faces heated criticism, including from within his own Conservative Party. The prime minister has been directly linked to at least six of the parties, according to British media.
Johnson said in Parliament on Tuesday that he would âof course comply with the law, but Iâve got to wait for the process to be concluded.â Hereâs a list of the gatherings in question.
Post-Christmas lockdown âprosecco-fuelledâ party
Grayâs report â which because of the ongoing police investigation included few details â revealed that an event took place inside 10 Downing Street on Jan. 14, 2021, âon the departure of two No 10 private secretaries.â
In a subsequent report, The Guardian dubbed it âa prosecco-fuelled leaving do" and said Johnson gave a speech and stayed for about five minutes. The event was held during Englandâs third lockdown, which confined citizens to their homes and prevented them from mixing with others.
Abba-themed Party at 11 Downing Street
British media reported Tuesday that Johnson was present at an Abba-themed party that took place at his Downing Street residence, where guests blasted âThe Winner Takes It All.â
The gathering was allegedly held by Johnsonâs wife, Carrie, and her friends to celebrate the departure of top adviser Dominic Cummings, the Telegraph reported. The gathering was held Nov. 13, 2020, the same day Cummings was nudged out of his government role. London was under Tier 3 restrictions at the time, preventing households from mixing indoors.
Asked last year if he would confirm a party on that date, Johnson told Parliament: âNo, but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.â
Cheese and wine in the garden
The Guardian published a photograph of a âwine-and-cheese partyâ that took place in the garden of Downing Street on May 15, 2020, when gatherings of more than two people were banned in outdoor public places. Visible in the picture are the prime minister, his wife, 17 staff members, and bottles of wine.
Downing Street said staffers were discussing work.
âBring your own boozeâ party
Johnsonâs private secretary, Martin Reynolds, sent an email to dozens of staffers, encouraging them to âbring your own boozeâ to a party on May 20, 2020 â at a time when the public was banned by law from meeting up with more than one person outside households.
Johnson admitted attending the outdoor gathering âfor 25 minutes.â
âIn hindsight, I should have sent everyone back inside, and I should have found some other way to thank them,â the prime minister said.
Johnsonâs birthday
ITV News reported that Johnsonâs wife, Carrie, helped organize an afternoon surprise party attended by about 30 people on June 19, 2020, for the prime ministerâs birthday. Guests reportedly sang âHappy Birthdayâ as Johnson was presented with a cake. That same evening, the broadcaster said, family and friends gathered inside the Johnson residence.
A Downing Street spokesperson told The Washington Post that staff members âgathered briefly in the Cabinet Room after a meeting to wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday. He was there for less than 10 minutes.â The spokesman said Johnson hosted a small number of family members outside that evening.
Impromptu drinks inside a government office
Staffers had drinks on Nov. 25, 2020, to celebrate Chancellor Rishi Sunakâs spending review. A spokesperson for the Treasury said a âsmall numberâ of staff members celebrated at their desks. Pubs in the city were closed at the time because of coronavirus regulations.
A leaving party
On Nov. 27, 2020, Johnson reportedly remarked on how crowded the room inside Downing Street was before giving a speech at what the Guardian described as an impromptu farewell celebration for aide Cleo Watson.
Drinks and canapés at the Education Department
The Department for Education admitted holding a Christmas party on Dec. 10, 2020, with staff members gathering over drinks and canapés inside the building after work â despite social mixing between households being barred.
âThe gathering was used to thank those staff for their efforts during the pandemic,â a spokeswoman said, adding that, in hindsight, it would have been âbetter not to have gathered in this way at that particular time.â
âWine time Fridaysâ
The Mirror reported that the Downing Street staff held recurring âwine time Fridaysâ throughout the pandemic, with staffers taking turns wheeling a suitcase to the supermarket to stock up. The tabloid published a photo of what it said was a 34-bottle wine fridge being delivered through the back door of the building on Dec. 11, 2020.
Party hats and alcohol at another Christmas celebration
Downing Street staffers were reportedly among the attendees at a Dec. 14, 2020, party at the headquarters of the Conservative Party. The party allegedly included dancing into the early hours, despite Tier 2 restrictions in London. Former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey apologized after a photo emerged and resigned as chair of the London Assemblyâs policing and crime committee.
A Christmas quiz
On Dec. 15, 2020, Downing Street hosted a Christmas quiz for staffers. A photo published by the Mirror showed the prime minister inside No. 10 reading out questions alongside one aide draped in tinsel and another wearing a Santa hat. At the time, social mixing among households was banned.
Downing Street said Johnson âbriefly took part virtuallyâ to thank staff members for their work during the health crisis.
Boozing and dancing at the Transport Department
Staff at the Department for Transport drank and danced after work on Dec. 16, 2020, as London was placed under âvery high alertâ and forced into Tier 3 restrictions. The department has apologized for the âinappropriateâ event and for its staffâs âerror of judgment.â
Cabinet staff parties
On Dec. 17, 2020, while England was in lockdown, staff members from the Cabinet Office gathered to say goodbye to Kate Josephs, a former senior civil servant who led the governmentâs coronavirus task force. Josephs has since apologized.
In a separate gathering on the same day, staffers for Cabinet Secretary Simon Case attended an event titled a âChristmas Party.â A government spokesperson said it was a âvirtual quizâ and that Case didnât take part but walked through the office. When reports of the gathering emerged, Case stepped down from leading an inquiry into the Downing Street parties.
The Gray report noted that police are investigating a gathering in Downing Street on Dec. 17, 2020, that reportedly was held to celebrate the departure of a government official.
Downing Street Christmas party
On Dec. 18, 2020, Downing Street staffers reportedly gathered to exchange gifts, sip wine and eat cheese in a rule-breaking event that was later joked about by Allegra Stratton, the prime ministerâs then-press secretary. Stratton tearfully resigned last month.
Goodbye party for a defense adviser
The Mirror claims Johnson gave a speech at a leaving event for his then-defense adviser, Steve Higham, just before Christmas 2020. Johnson was allegedly âthere for a few minutes to thank him for his service,â according to the report. The Ministry of Defense declined to comment.
Parties during mourning
On the eve of Prince Philipâs funeral, on April 16, staffers held two parties for departing colleagues at Downing Street. The next day, Queen Elizabeth II was photographed mourning her husband of seven decades by herself, because she was abiding by the coronavirus restrictions put in place by Johnsonâs government.
Downing Street apologized to Buckingham Palace for the âdeeply regrettableâ events that took place amid ânational mourningâ and during a time that indoor mixing was banned.
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