Four photographs of Prime Minister Boris Johnson drinking at a Downing Street gathering when the U.K. was under lockdown have emerged just as his government braces for the release of a report into the so-called partygate scandal.
The photos, published by ITV News, show Johnson proposing a toast with a group of at least nine people next to a table with several bottles of alcohol and party food. The pictures were taken at an event for Johnson’s former communications chief Lee Cain on Nov. 13, 2020, ITV said. The No. 10 press office wasn’t immediately able to comment on the images when contacted by Bloomberg.
While Johnson wasn’t fined for this particular event, it adds to a long-running scandal that’s overshadowed his administration for months and almost ended his political career. Civil servant Sue Gray, who led an internal probe into the events, is due to hand her full findings to Johnson for publication this week.
