Boris Johnson It faces new allegations of breaching coronavirus rules after Downing Street admitted it held a birthday celebration inside Number 10 during the first shutdown.
Street-recognized employees ‘briefly gathered’ in the cabinet room after a meeting after 30 people were said to have attended and shared a cake despite a ban on social mixing indoors.
ITV News reported that the British Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, organized a surprise meeting with the ‘Happy Birthday’ choir on the afternoon of June 19, 2020.
Interior designer Lulu Little acknowledged the audience but insisted she was there «briefly» while waiting to speak to Mr Johnson about the lavish renovations she was making to the couple’s apartment above No. 11.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: «A group of employees working at Number 10 that day gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room after a meeting to wish the Prime Minister a Merry Christmas. He was there for less than 10 minutes.»
ITV news later reported that friends of the family were hosted upstairs to celebrate the Prime Minister’s 56th birthday at his official residence.
No. 10 said: «This is absolutely not true. In keeping with the rules at the time the Prime Minister hosted a few family members outside that evening.»
The allegations capped another hot day for Johnson after Lord Agnew largely resigned from his position as Dispatch Fund minister over the «schoolboy»‘s handling of fraudulent Covid business loans.
Johnson was earlier forced to open an investigation at the Cabinet Office into allegations Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani that a government whip linked her «Islamization» to her dismissal as minister in 2020.
Sir Keir Starmer said what has been revealed is «more evidence that we have a Prime Minister who believes the rules he has set do not apply to him».
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«The prime minister is a national distraction and he has to go,» the Labor leader added.
Soane Britain, the luxury designer co-founded by Ms Lytle, said she was in Downing Street that day «working on renovations», which has been the subject of multiple investigations into its financing.
«Lulu has not been invited to any celebration of the Prime Minister’s birthday as a guest,» the spokeswoman said.
“Lulu entered the Cabinet Room for a brief period as he requested, while waiting to speak with the Prime Minister.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was understood to have briefly attended as the gathering was exploding as he entered the room for a Covid strategy meeting.
It was understood Sue Gray was already aware of the Christmas party allegations, so her appearance would not further delay the publication of her investigation, which is still expected this week.
The senior civil servant has been investigating a series of allegations of rule-breaking parties in 10th place as Johnson faces calls to resign as prime minister, including from some Conservative MPs.
Earlier on June 19, 2020, Mr Johnson visited a school in Hertfordshire where pupils sang to him Happy Birthday as he stood socially apart with them.
ITV News reported that M&S picnic food was eaten during an afternoon gathering that starts after 2pm and lasts up to 30 minutes, while Ms Johnson and Ms Lytle served a cake to the PM.
Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s chief private secretary under fire, was also said to have attended, as were No. 10 communications director Jack Doyle and chief operating officer Shelley Williams Walker.
Social gatherings indoors were banned under lockdown laws at the time, with regulations allowing gatherings of up to six people outside to be relaxed.
Joe Goodman, co-founder of the Covid-19 campaign for Bereaved Families for Justice, said: “It is absolutely disheartening that the PM spent the evening sharing a cake with 30 friends inside, and while we are not surprised anymore, it still brings We have a new pain.
«While dozens sang to him happy birthday, families couldn’t even sing at the funerals of their loved ones.»
Culture Minister Nadine Doris, a staunch ally of Johnson, wondered if the meeting would violate the rules in place at the time.
“So when people in the office buy a cake in the middle of the afternoon for someone else they work with in the office and stop for ten minutes to sing happy birthday and then go back to their desks, is that now called a party?” she tweeted.
Environment Minister George Eustice told reporters: «What really happened here was that a small group of employees who were working closely with the Prime Minister brought out a birthday cake at the end of the day and there were 10 minutes about sharing a piece of the cake.
«I don’t think this really constitutes a party in the way that it might constitute some of the more serious allegations that are being investigated.»
But human rights lawyer Adam Wagner, an expert on Covid regulations, said he «couldn’t see how legal it would have been» if the reports were accurate.
«It’s clearly not within the rules and no one from the government at the time would have said for a moment that it was,» he said.