Unpublished WhatsApp messages reveal Downing Street aides planned “a bit of a party” in No10 during a supposedly virtual Christmas quiz.
The Sunday Mirror can reveal WhatsApp messages not included in Sue Gray’s report show aides planning to take part in the quiz in person almost a month ahead of time - and referring to it explicitly as a “party”.
In a staff WhatsApp chat on 15 November 2020 just 10 days into the second national lockdown, an aide asked if colleagues wanted to set up a team for the quiz, saying: “We can dial in from press office, make it a bit of a party.”
Another aide replied: “V up for this.”
The Mirror revealed in January that dozens of political staff and civil servants took part in the quiz on 15 December 2020 in person.
Boris Johnson himself hosted a round of questions at the quiz from a No10 office, flanked by aides draped in tinsel and with a bottle of fizz visible on the desk in front of him.
And Sue Gray’s report confirmed further Sunday Mirror’s reports that there was “drunkenness” at the event, with a senior member of staff warning colleagues to leave through Downing Street’s back gate to avoid being seen by journalists.
The Met said in February they were "reviewing" their decision not to investigate the party, based on pictures published by the Mirror.
But the Sue Gray report confirmed it was not investigated, because officers did not believe it reached "the threshold for criminal investigation."
It comes as junior No10 staff were left in “raging apoplexy” after carrying the can for Partygate, while senior colleagues got away scott free.
Sources told the Mirror junior civil servants had been “open and honest” with Sue Gray’s probe - and were fined after she passed their files to Scotland Yard.
But they believe some senior staff had been “more circumspect” with their evidence to Ms Gray, and escaped fines from the Met as a result.
Met acting chief Sir Stephen House insisted they weren’t “put off” by members of staff not being forthcoming or returning police questionnaires.
He told the London assembly on Thursday: “I'd say that was a spur for more work, not less. I think the vast majority did return questionnaires and the vast majority of people have paid the fixed penalty notice.”
But one source said there was still seething anger among civil servants.
“Most people were not involved, most people were not getting drunk,” they told the Mirror. “We’re all tainted by this even if we did nothing wrong.”
Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings revealed for the first time that he did not receive a fixed penalty notice for his time at No10 - and was not contacted by the police.
The former top aide said the Met “didn’t even send a questionnaire or email asking for evidence.”
A No10 spokesperson said: “As part of their independent investigation the Cabinet Office team were able to speak to No 10 staff to establish the facts on what happened during this period.
"Both they and the Metropolitan Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations.
"This has now completed and Sue Gray's report has been published establishing the facts."
