https://sputnikglobe.com/20220524/its-not-a-party-no-10-in-crisis-mode-as-pic-of-bojo-raising-a-toast-at-lockdown-gathering-leaked-1095732667.html
‘It’s Not a Party’: No 10 in Crisis Mode as Pic of BoJo Raising a Toast at Lockdown Gathering Leaked
‘It’s Not a Party’: No 10 in Crisis Mode as Pic of BoJo Raising a Toast at Lockdown Gathering Leaked
Sputnik International
The leaked pictures have emerged amid tumult in the UK government over the imminent publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s final report into the... 24.05.2022, Sputnik International
2022-05-24T06:03+0000
2022-05-24T06:03+0000
2023-05-28T15:19+0000
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Downing Street has rushed to uphold Prime Minister Boris Johnson after new images obtained by ITV News showed him drinking at a Whitehall gathering allegedly during the UK’s second lockdown in 2020, the Daily Mail reports.In the four photos, BoJo is seen raising a glass and appearing to give a toast to a room of people during what looks like the 13 November 2020 leaving-do to honour Downing Street's then-Director of Communications Lee Cain, according to ITV News.The Daily Mail has meanwhile cited an unnamed government source as saying that the “brief” gathering did not amount to a party.Another insider pointed the finger at Johnson’s former senior aide Dominic Cummings, who has repeatedly called for “regime change” and who made it clear that more photos of events in No 10 would emerge to coincide with the upcoming publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report into the “Partygate” scandal, related to a raft of Downing Street parties held between 2020 and 2021, which breached COVID lockdown rules.Downing Street earlier refused to comment on the new photos, with a spokesperson only noting in a statement that "the Cabinet Office and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs”.“The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which point the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full,” the spokesperson added.The new images have already prompted outrage from the opposition, with Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner telling reporters that “Boris Johnson said repeatedly that he knew nothing about law-breaking – there’s no doubt now, he lied”.Rayner was echoed by the Liberal Democrats, who urged Conservative Party members to "do their duty and sack this law-breaking Prime Minister".Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, for her part, has written to Michael Lockwood, director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), urging them to investigate why Boris Johnson was not fined by the London Metropolitan (Met) Police for the 13 November 2020 event, even though other attendees reportedly received Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) from Scotland Yard.The developments come amid the war of words between Johnson’s allies and Sue Gray’s team over a recent “secret meeting” between the two as Downing Street awaits the publication of the senior civil servant’s final report into the “Partygate” row. Gray’s team rejects allegations that she initiated the meeting, instead pointing the finger at the UK prime minister. An unnamed senior Whitehall source, however, told The Mail that it was “not true” that BoJo had sought the meeting with Gray to discuss her “Partygate” report.In December 2021 and in light of accusations of rule-breaking, Johnson assured the UK House of Commons that "all guidance was followed completely in No 10". Later in April, the prime minister offered his "wholehearted apology" to parliament after the Met fined him for participating in his birthday gathering in Downing Street during lockdown. Johnson was also accused of being involved in many more parties.Sue Gray's 'Partygate' Report The Met confirmed last week that they had wrapped up their probe into COVID lockdown-busting parties at Downing Street, clearing the way for Gray’s report into the matter to be published in full.In an interim report released in early February, the senior civil servant emphasised that the incidents under investigation were “difficult to justify”, and there had been “failures of leadership and judgement by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times”. The full-fledged report is expected on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to media reports.Last month, Johnson, his wife Carrie, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak were fined by the Met over a birthday party for the PM in the Cabinet Room in June 2020 that was ruled to have breached COVID lockdown restrictions. Although BoJo apologised in Parliament for the social gathering, he argued that it had not occurred to him that the event in question was a breach of coronavirus rules.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220422/gigs-up-senior-tory-members-make-new-calls-for-bojo-to-resign-over-partygate-row-1094957877.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220421/bojo-scraps-efforts-to-block-possible-parliamentary-probe-into-partygate-1094931643.html
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‘It’s Not a Party’: No 10 in Crisis Mode as Pic of BoJo Raising a Toast at Lockdown Gathering Leaked
06:03 GMT 24.05.2022 (Updated: 15:19 GMT 28.05.2023) The leaked pictures have emerged amid tumult in the UK government over the imminent publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s final report into the “Partygate” scandal related to a spate of Downing Street parties held between 2020 and 2021, which breached COVID-19 lockdown rules.
Downing Street has rushed to uphold
Prime Minister Boris Johnson after new images obtained by
ITV News showed him drinking at a Whitehall gathering allegedly during the UK’s second lockdown in 2020, the Daily Mail reports.
In the four photos, BoJo is seen raising a glass and appearing to give a toast to a room of people during what looks like the 13 November 2020 leaving-do to honour Downing Street's then-Director of Communications Lee Cain, according to ITV News.
The Daily Mail has meanwhile cited an unnamed government source as saying that the “brief” gathering did not amount to a party.
“He's in a suit, he's got his [ministerial] red box with him – he's at work – he's just dropped in to say goodbye to a long-serving staff member as any boss would. It's not a party,” the source asserted.
Another insider pointed the finger at Johnson’s former senior aide Dominic Cummings, who has repeatedly called for “regime change” and who made it clear that more photos of events in No 10 would emerge to coincide with the upcoming publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report into the “Partygate” scandal, related to a raft of Downing Street parties held between 2020 and 2021, which breached COVID lockdown rules.
“This has got Dom's fingerprints all over it,” the insider told the Mail, referring to the release of the new images showing BoJo drinking during am alleged lockdown-busting party.
Downing Street earlier refused to comment on the new photos, with a spokesperson only noting in a statement that "the Cabinet Office and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs”.
“The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which point the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full,” the spokesperson added.
The new images have already prompted outrage from the opposition, with Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner telling reporters that “Boris Johnson said repeatedly that he knew nothing about law-breaking – there’s no doubt now, he lied”.
“Boris Johnson made the rules, and then broke them. The Prime Minister has demeaned his office. The British people deserve better,” she said.
Rayner was echoed by the Liberal Democrats, who urged Conservative Party members to "do their duty and sack this law-breaking Prime Minister".
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, for her part, has written to Michael Lockwood, director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), urging them to investigate why Boris Johnson was not fined by the London Metropolitan (Met) Police for the 13 November 2020 event, even though other attendees reportedly received Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) from Scotland Yard.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who previously called on Johnson to resign, said that the new pictures would “rightly make people across the country very angry”. According to Ross, “the Prime Minister must outline why he believes this behaviour was acceptable. To most, these pictures seem unjustifiable and wrong”.
The developments come amid the war of words between Johnson’s allies and Sue Gray’s team over a recent “secret meeting” between the two as Downing Street awaits the publication of the senior civil servant’s final report into the “Partygate” row. Gray’s team rejects allegations that she initiated the meeting, instead pointing the finger at the UK prime minister. An unnamed senior Whitehall source, however, told The Mail that it was “not true” that BoJo had sought the meeting with Gray to discuss her “Partygate” report.
In December 2021 and in light of accusations of rule-breaking, Johnson assured the UK House of Commons that "all guidance was followed completely in No 10". Later in April, the prime minister offered his "wholehearted apology" to parliament after the Met fined him for participating in his birthday gathering in Downing Street during lockdown. Johnson was also accused of being involved in many more parties.
Sue Gray's 'Partygate' Report
The Met confirmed last week that they had wrapped up their probe into COVID lockdown-busting parties at Downing Street, clearing the way for
Gray’s report into the matter to be published in full.
In an interim report released in early February, the senior civil servant emphasised that the incidents under investigation were “difficult to justify”, and there had been “failures of leadership and judgement by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times”. The full-fledged report is expected on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to media reports.
Last month, Johnson, his wife Carrie, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak were fined by the Met over a birthday party for the PM in the Cabinet Room in June 2020 that was ruled to have breached COVID lockdown restrictions. Although BoJo apologised in Parliament for the social gathering, he argued that it had not occurred to him that the event in question was a breach of coronavirus rules.
