Good Morning Britain presenter Adil Ray said no ministers have currently shown up on Wednesday’s show as the Prime Minister’s political future hangs in the balance.
This comes after claims the Prime Minister was thrown a surprise birthday party during the first coronavirus lockdown despite indoor social events being banned.
On Wednesday’s ITV show presenter Adil Ray sat alongside co-host Susanna Reid and told viewers no government minister had booked to appear on the programme to address the birthday party controversy - despite Foreign Secretary Liz Truss having given media interviews elsewhere this morning.
GMB presenter Susanna slammed the accusations during Tuesday’s show, which claimed Mrs Johnson led the staff in a chorus of happy birthday while the PM was presented with a cake, before tucking into picnic food from M&S.
Downing Street conceded that staff ‘gathered briefly’ in the Cabinet Room following a meeting, while a minister jumped in to defend Mr Johnson by saying that he was ‘ambushed with cake’.
This comes as Sue Gray’s report into No 10 lockdown bashes may be published as early as this morning and reportedly contains “damaging” findings for Boris Johnson.
After discussing the issue of rising coronavirus cases among school pupils, the ITV morning show showed the empty government minister chair in the studio.
Host Susanna said: “We would like to talk to a government minister about it this morning, but unfortunately we can’t. We’ll keep you updated on that situation. The chair is empty.”
Adil weighed in, joking: “If any government ministers are around, we do have some cake over here if you’d like to come in. We can ambush you with a slice of cake.
Some cheese and wine are around as well, so lots of reasons for you to perhaps pop in if you would like to.”
Earlier in the programme, Susanna joked: “We will find out which fridge they're in and get back to you.”
Boris Johnson could now face police questioning over ’party-gate’ after Scotland Yard caved into public pressure to launch an investigation.
Met Police chief Dame Cressida Dick confirmed officers will look into “a number of events” where Covid lockdown rules were said to have been broken in Whitehall.
When Adil and Susanna opened today’s GMB, the former called party-gate “the worst possible situation”, saying: “You couldn’t make this up.”
He added: “You have one job in the middle of a pandemic as a leader. You don’t know much about the science – follow the science, explain the rules, and follow the rules.
“His own personal advisor broke the rules, he has to get rid of him. His health secretary broke the rules, he had to get rid of him. And now he himself at the centre of a criminal police investigation – you couldn’t make this up! It’s the worst possible situation.”
