GARY Neville has attacked Boris Johnson and his “cronies” for partying on Downing Street last Christmas while the rest of the UK was under Covid restrictions.
No 10 is under growing pressure to explain what happened in late 2020, as the Metropolitan Police said it was considering complaints submitted by two Labour MPs.
The Daily Mirror reported two events took place in No 10 in the run-up to the festive season, including the Prime Minister giving a speech at a leaving do during November’s lockdown.
The other was said to be a staff party in December where party games were played, food and drinks were served, and revelries went on past midnight.
Neville, a high-profile football pundit, businessman and critic of the UK Government, tweeted: “Are we really going to let this Number 10 party go? No chance!
“Last Xmas was a misery. Listening to him standing up there telling us what we couldn’t do. Families not seeing each other, loved ones dying alone. Whilst him and his cronies party in a tax payer funded residence!”
Are we really going to let this Number 10 party go? No chance! Last Xmas was a misery . Listening to him standing up there telling us what we couldn’t do. Families not seeing each other , loved ones dying alone. Whilst him and his cronies party in a tax payer funded residence !
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 6, 2021
READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'taking people for mugs' in row over No10 Christmas parties
Earlier, Neville called on opposition parties to increase scrutiny on Downing Street.
Sending a message directly to Labour, the SNP and the LibDems, he tweeted: “Drop everything you’re doing and concentrate on accountability on this Party and the MP’s lying to defend him. Enough!”
Hi @UKLabour , @LibDems , @theSNP . Drop everything you’re doing and concentrate on accountability on this Party and the MP’s lying to defend him. Enough !
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 6, 2021
After Labour reported Johnson and his team to the Met, Ian Blackford told The National there had to be a “thorough” investigation, involving the police if necessary.
It came as the UK’s policing minister claimed he knows “nothing about” the Christmas parties, but insisted no rules were broken. Kit Malthouse said on Monday he would take Downing Street’s insistence that all regulations were complied with during the reported bash on December 18 at “face value”.
He also suggested there may have been circumstances such as distancing between attendees that would have permitted the gathering – despite London being in Tier 3 banning social mixing indoors at the time.
At the time, the Tier 3 rules in place in London explicitly banned work Christmas lunches and parties where it is “a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted”.
Malthouse told Sky News: “I know nothing about it – I’ve been assured by No 10 that no rules were broken if there was a gathering of any kind.
“No 10 are reassuring everybody that all rules were complied with during that period and I take that reassurance at face value, but no doubt if the police are alerted they will have a look and they will form a view and we’ll learn more about it in the days to come.
“The police should be investigating anything that is a historic crime to them.”
Sally Nugent - Would you support an official investigation into the party at No.10 that broke covid rules?
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) December 6, 2021
Kit Malthouse - I've been assured no rules were broken... I don't even know if an event took place, but if it did no rules were broken.. #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/DqD4qum7a6
WATCH: Dominic Raab's car crash Andrew Marr interview on Christmas parties at No 10
The Home Office minister conceded he is “not an investigator” when questioned on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme how the Christmas party could have been within the rules.
“I asked the question was all the regulations complied with, I was reassured they were, I have to take that at face value, that’s absolutely what I’m sure is the case, it’s for others if they want to decide to take it further,” he added.
“They reassured me that all the regulations were followed and, of course, I believe them.”
The Tory minister declined to say whether it would have been within the rules for BBC staff to have held a party with drinks, nibbles and party games.
But he added: “You’re asking me a hypothetical question, I don’t know what the circumstances might have been, how far people would’ve been apart, what size of space it was, there are all sorts of variations.”
Those remarks appeared to contradict deputy PM Dominic Raab, who admitted on Sunday that if a party took place it would have broken the rules.
Families who lost loved ones during the pandemic have said they were “sickened” by the reports, with the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group urging the Prime Minister to apologise.
The Metropolitan Police Service says it "is aware of widespread reporting and has received correspondence relating to alleged breaches of the health protection regulations at a Government building on two dates in November and December 2020".
The forced added: “It is our policy not to routinely investigate retrospective breaches of the Covid-19 regulations; we will however consider the correspondence received.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel