The Prime Minister's interior designer was not invited the his alleged lockdown-busting birthday party and only 'happened to come by', Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said.
Reports emerged on Monday that the Prime Minister was treated to a birthday bash at Number 10 in June 2020 while the majority of the country remained under Covid restrictions.
Around 30 people reportedly gathered in the Cabinet Room on June 19, 2020 to celebrate Mr Johnson's 56th birthday, ITV reported last night.
At the time social mixing indoors was still banned.
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Interior designer Lulu Lytle, who oversaw the controversial refurbishment of the Downing Street flat, was also in attendance.
Ms Lytle has admitted attending but insisted she was only present 'briefly' while waiting to talk to Mr Johnson about the refurbishments she was carrying out.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Monday morning Grant Shapps said: "I've seen a statement she [Ms Lytle] put out that saying she was not invited to any such thing, she happened to come by at the end of it."
The Transport Secretary had earlier told told Sky News: "She was in the building, of course."
He added: "The Prime Minister clearly didn’t organise to be given a cake. Some people came forward and thought it would be appropriate for on his birthday.
"I do understand that Sue Gray was already aware of this particular incident, so she will be using that in her report and we’ll wait to see what she says."
Mr Shapps said he did not seek to defend the gathering and said he was 'furious' with anyone who had broken the rules.
He told Sky News: "It was his (Boris Johnson’s) birthday and these are people that he worked with all the time.
"As I said, I don’t seek to defend it. This is for Sue Gray to decide on whether this was appropriate, she'll make the recommendations.
"I think we can be pretty clear that the Prime Minister didn't present the cake to himself. This is somebody coming in with that cake and I've explained to you that I'm furious with everybody who broke the rules."
Mr Shapps said he still had confidence in Boris Johnson but said 'no one is perfect'.
The Transport Secretary told BBC Breakfast that the Prime Minister had got Brexit done, and referenced the economy and the vaccine rollout.
And he said these successes were 'because of the leadership of the Prime Minister'.
But he added: "No one is perfect."
He said it was right to wait for Sue Gray’s report rather than 'a sort of trial by media, drip drip'.
He said: "But I do think the Prime Minister has achieved remarkable things in a pandemic, when there’s no textbook for dealing with the pandemic, and led this country through it.".
