Downing Street has dodged questions over Boris Johnson's decision to travel back and forth between his country retreat and No 10 at the start of the Covid pandemic.
The Prime Minister's spokesman admitted he commuted in late March 2020 between Downing Street and Chequers, his grace and favour mansion in Buckinghamshire, where his heavily pregnant partner Carrie was staying.
He also admitted the PM then moved back to London because "there was changing guidance and changing legislation coming into force, which necessitated the Prime Minister coming back to Downing Street so he could work from there".
But the PM's official spokesman refused to give several further details - including whether they had visitors, whether Carrie threw a party, and when exactly they arrived and left.
Mr Johnson told the nation to end all non-essential contact and travel on March 16 2020, before announcing lockdown on March 23.
On March 22, the government explicitly announced: “Essential travel does not include visits to second homes... whether for isolation purposes or holidays. People should remain in their primary residence.
"Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk."
People were then banned by law from leaving "the place where they are living" without reasonable excuse from 1pm on March 26.
Reports emerged on Friday that Mr Johnson commuted between No 10 and Chequers between March 16 and March 27. Tortoise Media revealed the commuting after Downing Street stonewalled on the questions for more than a year.
It comes as Boris Johnson was battling to save his premiership after a slew of damaging stories about lockdown parties in Downing Street, including a BYOB garden party in May 2020 that he admitted attending briefly.
Today, the PM's official spokesman admitted the couple were at Chequers, and so were staff working at the manor - but refused to give further details.
The spokesman said: "At the time, as you know, Mrs Johnson was heavily pregnant and had been placed in a vulnerable category and advised to minimise social contacts.
"So in line with the clinical guidance and to minimise risk to her they were based at Chequers during that period, with the Prime Minister commuting to Downing Street to work."
Quizzed by journalists, the PM's spokesman added: “There would have been staff at Chequers during that period as I understand it, yes.”
Mrs Johnson gave birth to the couple's son Wilf on April 29 2020.
He was given the middle name Nicholas after the medics who saved the PM's life when he was hospitalised with Covid.
Asked why the Johnsons went to Chequers, the PM's spokesman said pregnant women were strongly advised to minimise their social contact at the time.
It is understood that the fact Downing Street is a busy workplace played a role in the decision.
The spokesman pointed out explicit guidance on not travelling to second homes did not come in until March 22, "at which point the Prime Minister and his wife were already based in Chequers, acting in line with clinical guidance".
Yet he did not mention this came after days of public debate at the time, about whether decamping to a second home broke the rules.
Asked why the PM went back and forth when his wife was potentially at heightened risk, the spokesman said: "As you'll appreciate the PM was leading the coronavirus response, the pandemic response, and in line with a number of individuals who were still required to be in work, that's why the PM was still coming to No 10."
The PM's spokesman refused to comment further on their movements, including when they returned to Downing Street.
Pressed on whether the PM rushed back because lockdown laws were coming into force at 1pm on March 26, the spokesman refused to answer.
Instead he said: "They acted in accordance with both the guidance and subsequent legislation at all times."
The spokesman said he was not aware of reports Mrs Johnson threw a hen do around that time and said they followed the guidance at all times when asked if they had any guests at Chequers. Reports had emerged of a baby shower earlier in March, days before people were told to cut social contact.
