UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended a going-away party for a No 10 aide during the post-Christmas coronavirus lockdown; the event is now being probed by the police, according to The Guardian.
The outlet outlined that, while the findings by senior civil servant Sue Gray on the "partygate" allegations revealed additional events at Downing Street that hadn't been previously reported, it did not provide any details.
Among the events mentioned by Gray was a gathering prompted by "the departure of two No 10 private secretaries" that took place on 14 January 2021. The Guardian cited sources as saying the party was also held to celebrate the departure of a senior policy adviser who is now a top civil servant working in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
During the event, the staff reportedly drank Prosecco, while Prime Minister Johnson delivered a speech thanking the official for their work and stayed for "around five minutes".
The gathering took place just a week after England entered its third national coronavirus lockdown that banned people from leaving their home except for when it was not possible to work remotely.
It would be another party that Johnson allegedly attended out of a slew of events that are now said to have taken place in Downing Street while strict coronavirus restrictions were in place. On 31 January, a report by Sue Gray on the allegations was rolled out, listing over ten gatherings that took place at No 10 between May 2020 and April 2021.
However, speculations have emerged that all the "interesting" details have been redacted, even though Gray still accused Downing Street of serious failures of "leadership and judgement", noting "excessive quantities" of alcohol consumed at some of the gatherings.
Previously, Johnson was said to have attended a "bring your own booze" party on 20 May 2020, along with a 56th birthday celebration in June later in the year. Additionally, it is not clear whether the PM took part in two alleged Downing Street gatherings on 13 November when his aide Dominic Cummings quit. The Daily Telegraph has alleged in a report that Johnson was seen going up to the flat where one of the parties was held. No 10 has not denied this report.
The "partygate" scandal has been sweeping UK headlines for several weeks, drawing a massive public outcry and calls for Johnson to step down. Speculations have emerged that a confidence vote on Johnson might be triggered by the Conservatives. Other reports, however, say that the prime minister was "reassured" he would not be ousted by his lawmakers over the "partygate" allegations.
No 10 has been reluctant to comment on the "partygate" developments as the police investigation is still ongoing, saying comments would not be appropriate until the probe is wrapped up.