The first fines over the alleged Downing Street lockdown parties are set to be issued, police have announced.
Here is a reminder of all the parties that are alleged to have taken place while the public remained under strict lockdown rules.
How many alleged parties have there been at Number 10 during Covid restrictions?
May 15 2020: Downing Street garden party
Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie, former chief adviser Dominic Cummings, and Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, were all pictured, in a photograph leaked to The Guardian, sitting around a table in the No 10 garden, with wine and cheese in front of them.
There were also 15 others in the photograph, but the Prime Minister has insisted this was a work meeting, saying: “Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work.”
The Guardian has a photo of Boris Johnson and staff drinking wine in the Downing Street garden in May 2020, when outdoor household mixing was limited to two people.
— Harry Horton (@harry_horton) December 19, 2021
Downing Street say this is a work meeting and no rules were broken.https://t.co/bUF7ftHOLK pic.twitter.com/LacnyEDouJ
May 20 2020: BYOB garden party
ITV News revealed that more than 100 Downing Street employees received an email inviting them to “bring your own booze” for an evening gathering.
The Prime Minister admitted attending the gathering, but insisted he believed it was a work event and therefore “technically” within the rules.
June 19 2020: Alleged birthday party for Boris Johnson
ITV News also published allegations of a birthday party for the Prime Minister which was organised by Carrie Johnson and attended by some 30 people.
Number 10 has denied any wrongdoing.
Some interesting points tonight:
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) January 24, 2022
- For first time No 10 not denying there was a party inside Downing Street
- No real claim this was a “work event” this time either
- If work event, why was PM’s wife and interior designer there anyway?
November 13 2020: Leaving party for senior aide
Reports suggest a leaving party for Lee Cain was attended by Johnson and he made a speech.
November 13 2020: Johnsons’ flat party
It is claimed that Carrie Johnson, who was then engaged to the PM, held parties at their Downing Street flat, including one on the night of Dominic Cummings's departure.
A spokesperson for Johnson has called the claim “total nonsense”.
November 25 2020: Treasury drinks
It is claimed that a number of people had gone into the office for the Spending Review.
A Treasury spokesperson said to The Times: “We have been made aware that a small number of those staff had impromptu drinks around their desks after the event.”
November 27 2020: Second staff leaving do
The Mirror reported that the Prime Minister gave a farewell speech to an aide at the end of November while the lockdown in England was still in place.
Other reports have said the leaving do was for Cleo Watson, a senior Downing Street aide and ally of Cummings.
December 10 2020: Department for Education party
It emerged that the Department for Education held a social event in Whitehall, attended by former education secretary Gavin Williamson, where he gave a short speech.
A spokesperson acknowledged that “it would have been better not to have gathered in this way at that particular time”.
December 11 2020: Wine fridge delivered to Downing Street for staff’s ‘wine-time Fridays’
A fridge with the capacity for 34 wine bottles was delivered through the back door of No 10.
According to sources cited by The Mirror, the fridge became necessary for staff’s “wine-time Fridays” which were held throughout lockdown, with the Prime Minister allegedly encouraging the parties to help aides “let off steam”.
The regular social gatherings were reported to be particularly popular among staff between autumn 2020 and spring 2020 when staff were “fatigued” with tough Covid restrictions that banned socialising.
Johnson was said to have attended a “handful” of these gatherings.
December 14 2020: Party featuring Tory London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and staff
Shaun Bailey (above) apologised “unreservedly” for attending the gathering at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) organised by staff on his campaign team.
“It was a serious error of judgment at a time when Londoners were making immense sacrifices to keep us all safe and I regret it wholeheartedly,” he tweeted.
He quit his role chairing the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee after The Mirror published a picture showing him at the gathering.
December 15 2020: Downing Street quiz
A picture published by the Sunday Mirror showed Johnson attending a virtual quiz, wearing a Santa hat and tinsel.
Downing Street insists no rules were broken.
Transport Secretary @grantshapps is challenged about the reports that an email was sent to people attending the Downing Street quiz telling them that they should leave by the back exit.
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 15, 2021
Watch GMB 👉 https://t.co/6iQ6ebeOEQ pic.twitter.com/M6JYG184FF
December 16 2020: Department for Transport party
The Mirror reported that senior civil servants were “boozing and dancing” at a party planned by staff from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’s office.
A DfT spokesperson 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 December 16, where food and drink was consumed.
“We recognise this was inappropriate and apologise for the error of judgment.”
December 17 2020: Cabinet Office “Christmas party”
The Times reported that Cabinet Secretary Simon Case attended a Christmas party in room 103 of the Cabinet Office, that it had been organised by a private secretary in Case’s team, and that it was included in digital calendars as “Christmas party!”.
The Cabinet Office confirmed a quiz took place, but a spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Secretary played no part in the event, but walked through the team’s office on the way to his own office.”
December 17 2020: Leaving drinks for former Covid Taskforce head
The former director-general of the Government’s Covid Taskforce said she was “truly sorry” over an evening gathering in the Cabinet Office for her leaving drinks during coronavirus restrictions days before Christmas in 2020.
Kate Josephs, who is now chief executive of Sheffield City Council, confirmed she gathered with colleagues and is co-operating with Sue Gray's inquiry.
December 18 2020: Christmas party at Downing Street
This is the first allegation that came to light of a party at Number 10, where officials and advisers enjoyed cheeseboards, drinks and exchanged gifts.
Johnson’s former spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, quit after being filmed joking about it with fellow aides at a mock press conference.
Run up to Christmas 2020
The Daily Mirror said that Johnson attended a leaving do for defence adviser Captain Steve Higham before Christmas 2020.
The newspaper alleged the Prime Minister made a speech but No 10 did not respond to approaches and the Ministry of Defence also declined to comment.
April 16 2021: Drinks and dancing the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral
On the evening before The Queen buried her husband while sat alone, The Telegraph reported that there were two events held by advisers and civil servants.
The events were held to mark departure of James Slack, Johnson’s former director of communications, and one of the Prime Minister’s personal photographers.
Johnson is thought to have been at Chequers.
Slack, who left his No 10 role to become deputy editor-in-chief of The Sun newspaper, said he was sorry for the “anger and hurt” caused by his leaving do, while Downing Street apologised to the Queen.
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