Former prime minister Boris Johnson’s diaries have revealed 16 other gatherings he was involved in which may have broken lockdown rules.
The gatherings were held at 10 Downing Street and Chequers. UK Government lawyers reported “potentially problematic” diary entries suggesting proper guidance may not have been adhered to.
The Privileges Committee received the evidence last month. The committee previously investigated whether Mr Johnson misled MPs over Partygate. In a damning report, the committee said the former PM had committed repeated offences with his Partygate denials and should have been suspended.
The suspension would have potentially triggered a by-election to replace him, had Mr Johnson not already stood down last week after seeing the findings. He called their conclusions "deranged", reports the Mirror.
Discussing the new evidence from the diary entries, a statement by the UK Government said: “As part of their work preparing Boris Johnson’s witness statement for the Covid Inquiry, the counsel team supporting Mr Johnson identified a number of diary entries as potentially problematic.
“These entries are based on an assessment by Government Legal Department as to events/activities which could reasonably be considered to constitute breaches of Covid Regulations.”
Mr Johnson insisted that the gatherings referred to in the diary entries did not break lockdown rules. He is the first former UK prime minister to have been found to have misled Parliament.
In a statement the Privileges Committee, his lawyers said: “None of the events referred to in the documents constitute breaches of Covid Regulations and nobody has ever raised any concerns whatsoever with Mr Johnson about them.”
It is claimed that “each event was lawful” as it was either for work purposes, was allowed under the rule of six, took place outside, or was permitted under rules for those who were pregnant or needed help with childcare.
The Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police have been provided with the evidence from the diaries, along with the Privileges Committee and the Cabinet Office.
The “Bring Your Own Booze” party in the garden in Downing Street took place in May 2020. It was one six initially investigated by the Privileges Committee.
There were around 200 people invited, despite concerns from officials that the event during the first lockdown was “madness”.
Mr Johnson was fined by the Metropolitan Police for a June 2020 gathering in the Cabinet Room to mark his 56th birthday, where cake and alcohol were served. At least 17 others were in attendance, including current PM Rishi Sunak.
The committee concluded it was “unlikely” Mr Johnson would not have known about a Christmas party in December 2020 which went on into “the early hours”.
The former PM did not attend but the staircase to his flat is right next to the doorway to the press office in the property, where the party took place.
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