Boris Johnson continues to face intense scrutiny over allegations concerning a string of rule-busting gatherings in No 10 while the rest of the country was subject to strict lockdown measures implemented by his government to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Whitehall mandarin Sue Gray last week delivered her long-delayed report on the parties to the prime minister and a version of it was released, albeit heavily-redacted at the request of the Metropolitan Police, now carrying out an investigation of its own.
Since then, detectives have sent more than 50 people questionnaires over the Downing Street parties - with No 10 confirming on Friday night that Mr Johnson had received one. A spokesperson said: “He will respond as required.”
Ms Gray’s 12-page “update” on the “Partygate” scandal blasted “failures of leadership and judgement” in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, describing the behaviour of some personnel as “difficult to justify”.
In a scathing comment on the culture at No 10 under Mr Johnson’s leadership, the senior civil servant wrote: “Some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time.”
Her report also revealed that the PM’s birthday celebration is among a dozen gatherings being investigated by Scotland Yard, as is an alleged party in the prime minister’s private flat.
Having initially said in December he was “sickened” at the prospect of Downing Street employees ignoring social restrictions, Mr Johnson found himself forced to admit that he too had attended an event on 20 May 2020 after an explosive leaked email provided evidence that over 100 staff were invited to attend the bash and “bring your own booze”.
Since then, more and more damning details have appeared in the press about further parties allegedly held behind the scenes in Westminster during lockdown, making his position less and less stable. Earlier this week, a photo leaked of him at a No 10 Christmas quiz next to a bottle of sparkling wine.
Here The Independent looks at all the allegations of gatherings across No 10, government and at the Conservative Party headquarters.
15 May 2020
A joint investigation by The Independent and The Guardian revealed a wine and pizza gathering was held in the No 10 rose garden on 15 May 2020 - despite people from different households being restricted to one-on-one meetings with family members and friends outdoors.
An image later published by The Guardian showed wine and cheese being consumed by the prime minister, Ms Johnson, advisers including Dominic Cummings and Matt Hancock, the former health secretary.
Mr Johnson has previously insisted “those people were at work, talking about work”.
At the time, Covid laws banned gatherings of more than two people unless they met specific exemptions, such as being “for work purposes”.
The law had recently been eased to allow “open-air recreation”, but only between households or with one member of another household. The default fine for breaches was £100.
20 May 2020
In a blog post, Mr Cummings, the prime minister’s former chief adviser, dismissed the suggestion that the 15 May photograph depicted an after-work party, insisting it was common practice at the time for meetings to be held in the open air of the garden due to the risk of Covid. However, he claimed that a “socially distanced drinks” event did take place on 20 May 2020, with a “senior No 10 official” inviting people.
The row exploded as a leaked email sent from the prime minister’s private secretary showed over 100 No 10 staff were invited to the event, told to “bring your own booze” and “make the most of the lovely weather”.
Mr Johnson subsequently apologised to the House of Commons, confirming that he attended the event for around 25 minutes but assumed it was “a work event”, an execuse that drew laughs of incredulity from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and much of Parliament, not to mention social media.
The Metropolitan Police said when the story broke that it was “in contact” with the Cabinet Office over alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations in No 10 on 20 May.
The same laws as the 15 May 2020 gathering were in place, making large social events illegal.
19 June 2020
Downing Street staff allegedly held an afternoon birthday party for Mr Johnson at No 10, with up to 30 people, three months into the first lockdown when indoor socialising was banned.
His wife, Carrie Johnson, led the surprise gathering where there was cake, a singing of happy birthday, and picnic food from M&S, ITV News reported.
A No 10 spokeswoman confirmed that a group of staff had “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room “to wish the prime minister a happy birthday”, adding: “He was there for less than 10 minutes.”
But No 10 denies a claim that Mr Johnson’s family friends were hosted upstairs in his flat for an event later that evening, with a spokeswoman saying: “This is totally untrue.
“In line with the rules at the time, the prime minister hosted a small number of family members outside that evening.”
Covid laws had been eased to allow “linked households” to socialise, but complex rules meant that individual households could not be linked with multiple others.
17 September 2020
In a photograph obtained by The Daily Telegraph, Ms Johnson is seen attending an engagement celebration for an old school friend, Anna Pinder, on the roof terrace of The Conduit club in Covent Garden in London’s West End.
Just nine days earlier, her husband had told the British public: “If we are to beat the virus then everyone, at all times, should limit social contact as much as possible and minimise interactions with other households. It is safer to meet outdoors and you should keep your distance from anyone you don’t live with, even if they are close friends or family.”
Ms Johnson subsequently apologised for a “lapse of judgement”.
13 November 2020
Another allegation made by Mr Cummings was of a “flat party” in Mr Johnson’s official residence with Ms Johnson on 13 November 2020 — the same day the Vote Leave chief left Downing Street with immediate effect and just eight days after England’s second national lockdown was imposed.
Mr Cummings claimed to have been told that staff in the press office “could hear the music playing loudly”.
Reports also alleged a leaving do was held for Mr Cummings’ ally Lee Cain, departing Downing Street director of communincations, on the same date.
Asked at Prime Minister’s Questions in December whether there had been a No 10 party on 13 November 2020, Mr Johnson said “no” but added: “I’m sure that whatever happened the guidance was followed at all times.”
New lockdown laws, imposed on 5 November 2020, had once again banned gatherings and leaving home “without reasonable excuse”.
Indoor gatherings were allowed in some circumstances, such as for work and if the “required precautions” such as masks and social distancing were undertaken and they were organised by public bodies, political bodies or businesses and charities.
The default fine for breaching the lockdown was £200 but anyone found to have organised a large gathering of over 30 people could be fined £10,000.
27 November 2020
Another leaving event was reported to have been held two weeks later- when the lockdown remained in place - for adviser Cleo Watson, with the prime minister personally delivering a speech while alcohol was consumed.
10 December 2020
Also under scrutiny is a social event reportedly held at the London offices of the Department for Education on 10 December 2020, instigated by the then-education secretary Gavin Williamson to thank his staff.
The department has admitted a “gathering of colleagues” took place on 10 December, with “drink and snacks brought by those attending”, adding: “While this was work-related, looking back we accept it would have been better not have gathered in this way at that particular time”.
The law had changed again, including different levels of restrictions for different areas according to Covid rates. London was in Tier 2, which banned indoor social gatherings unless specific exemptions applied. Default fines were £200, with £10,000 penalties for organisers of large parties.
14 December 2020
Four days later, with Londoners still subject to Tier 2 restrictions, a party took place at the Conservative Party headquarters in Westminster.
A spokesperson for the party has previously said the event was “unauthorised” and “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four CCHQ staff seconded to the then London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey’s campaign.
The Mirror newspaper later published an image of the gathering — which feature grinning staffers and a catered buffet — leading to the resignation of Mr Bailey from an official role at the London Assembly as chair of the police and crime committee.
Given the event was held in the offices of a political party, it did not fall under the remit of Ms Gray’s probe, but the Metropolitan Police said it would contact two people who attended.
15 December 2020
The following day, No 10 staff were involved in a festive quiz, with reports suggesting invites were sent out in advance. An image later published by The Sunday Mirror showed the prime minister flanked by colleagues, with one draped in tinsel and another wearing a Santa hat.
Downing Street said the prime minister had “briefly” attended the quiz — after the photographic evidence emerged — but insisted it was a virtual event and claimed he broke no rules. Tier 2 laws remained in force.
16 December 2020
The Mirror reported senior civil servants were “boozing and dancing” at yet another event, this one allegedly planned by staff from transport secretary Grant Shapps’ office.
A departmental spokesman said: “Fewer than a dozen staff who were working in the office had a low-key, socially distanced gathering in the large open-plan office after work on 16 December, where food and drink was consumed. We recognise this was inappropriate and apologise for the error of judgement.”
At midnight, London had been moved into tougher Tier 3 restrictions and indoor gatherings remained banned.
18 December 2020
Allegations of a Christmas party held in No 10 on 18 December 2020 were the focus of much anger at the end of the last year when the reports first emerged in The Daily Mirror newspaper.
The event happened while London remained in strict Tier 3 measures and just a day before Mr Johnson imposed an effective lockdown in the capital and vast swathes of the country.
After initially stonewalling questions of the get-together, Mr Johnson was forced to address the issue in the Commons after the explosive leak of a video showing No 10 staff holding a mock press conference and making jokes about a Christmas party.
It led to the resignation of government aide Allegra Stratton and the prime minister announcing Ms Gray’s investigation, claiming he was “shocked” by the video.
“I apologise unreservedly for the offence that it has caused up and down the country, and apologise for the impression that it gives,” Mr Johnson told MPs.
16 April 2021
The most recent reports of gatherings at No 10 appeared in The Daily Telegraph, the prime minister’s former employer, alleging that two parties took place on the evening of Friday 16 April 2021 – when England was under Step 2 Covid restrictions that banned indoor mixing.
They also occurred on the evening before Prince Philip’s funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor that saw the Queen sit alone, wearing a face mask, at a socially-distanced ceremony to bid farewell to her husband of 73 years.
According to the newspaper, witnesses said that “excessive alcohol” was drunk, attendees danced to music DJ’d by a special adviser and at one point a staffer was allegedly sent to a local Co-op supermarket with a suitcase that they filled with bottles of wine before returning to the party.
Both events were said to be leaving parties for staff working in the prime minister’s inner team. One was held for James Slack, the then-director of communications at No 10, who now works as deputy editor-in-chef at The Sun newspaper, and the other for Mr Johnson’s personal photographer.
In a statement, Mr Slack said: “I wish to apologise unreservedly for the anger and hurt caused. This event should not have happened at the time that it did. I am deeply sorry, and take full responsibility”.
However, Mr Slack said he could not comment further on as the matter had been referred to Ms Gray.
Under the law at the time, people attending small illegal gatherings could be fined £200 but a larger penalty of £800 - targeting house parties - had been introduced for people attending gatherings of over 15 people.
The organisers of illegal events of 30 people or more could still be fined £10,000, unless they were “reasonably necessary for work purposes” or were covered by another exemption.
