Summary
Here a summary of the latest key developments:
- Boris Johnson is under fire again after it emerged that his then fiancée Carrie threw him a surprise lockdown birthday party in Downing Street in June 2020.
- The event, which involved cake and party food and has not been denied by Downing Street, is said to have been attended by up to 30 people, including the interior designer Lulu Lytle.
- This would constitute a breach of the social distancing rules that were in place at the time: Gatherings were permitted for up to six people outdoors, but not indoors. It was not until more than two weeks later, on 4 July, that indoor gatherings between two households were permitted.
- The number of suspect government events that allegedly took place in contravention of the rules has now grown to 15.
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The revelation has been widely condemned, including by
Ruth Davidson, the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, and former Tory party chair Baroness Warsi, who said that “anybody who was at a party where rules were broken, whether that’s the prime minister, ministers, special advisers, or civil servants, should resign.” - Sir Keir Starmer and various Labour MPs have called for Boris Johnson’s resignation.
That’s all from me, this blog will now close, goodnight.
Scotland Yard has reiterated its previous statement, saying if Sue Gray’s inquiry finds evidence of a potential criminal offence with regard to the birthday gathering for the PM then officers will make a “further consideration” on whether to investigate, PA reports.
