Extensive alcohol consumption, karaoke singing and partygoers who regularly went out the back road from 10 Downing Street so as not to end up in the picture.
This is how the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff celebrated during the corona pandemic, according to a new report.
– Many of these incidents should not have been allowed, the investigator states.
Following Cabinet Secretary Sue Grays’ first report in January, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and 82 other government officials were fined for violating covid restrictions.
Sue Grays’ second report was published today Wednesday and contains extensive criticism of irregular meetings and parties in the Prime Minister’s office and residence at 10 Downing Street in 2020 and 2021, while the lockdown applied to everyone else and the British population was ordered to stay indoors.
Some examples:
• Ahead of a garden party on 10 Downing Street where alcohol was served on May 20, 2020, the Prime Minister’s personal secretary Martin Reynolds was urged to ensure that party participants “do not walk around waving wine bottles” while concluding a nearby press conference. The idea was that they would not end up in the press photographers’ pictures.
– I will do my best, Martin Reynolds replied.
After the party, which was visited by the Prime Minister and 200 employees, Reynolds wrote that “it seems that we managed”, as no media had reported on the party at the time.
“We’ll have some drinks, which are not drinks”
• During a party at the government office, with the address 70 Whitehall, on 18 June 2020, a karaoke machine was on site. According to Sue Gray’s report, “extensive alcohol consumption occurred among some individuals, one of whom became ill.” Ahead of the party, 10 Downing Street Communications Director Lee Cain answered a question from the Prime Minister’s Private Secretary Martin Reynolds about whether the party should be held:
– It’s your decision, my friend, not mine. But in terms of communication, this of course entails an extensive risk.
In another email before the party, an employee wrote:
-Martin Reynolds and Stuart Glassborow would like to give a speech tomorrow when we meet and have some drinks, which are not drinks. What time should the drinks be served?
• On June 19, 2020, Boris Johnson’s birthday was celebrated on 10 Downing Street. Even on this occasion, the covid rules were broken. The Prime Minister was on site for 20 minutes.
Red wine was spilled on copy paper
• On December 15, 2020, a party was held with a quiz at 10 Downing Street, in which Boris Johnson participated. A guard reported during the party that staff were drunk and urged people to leave the place behind, so that they would not be photographed by journalists who were outside.
• On December 18, 2020, it was time for “Wine Time Friday” at 10 Downing Street. According to Sue Gray’s report, “a large number of people” participated and some of the staff “drank a lot”. The party was “messy and loud”.
A cleaner noted the day after red wine had been spilled on a wall and on copy paper.
• On April 16, 2021, a number of people again drank large amounts of alcohol at a party on 10 Downing Street. This time, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was not present. The next day, it was discovered that some partygoers had destroyed a baby swing in the garden. The last party participant left the place at 04:20 in the morning.
Investigator Sue Gray notes:
– What happened at many of these meetings and the way they proceeded did not follow the prevailing covid rules.