Senior Conservative peer Ruth Davidson has attacked the “absolutely fanciful” government claim that ordinary people do not care about Downing Street parties during the pandemic.
It follows a claim by cabinet minister Mark Spencer, moved from chief whip to Commons leader, that people in the “real world” don’t care about Boris Johnson’s Partygate scandal.
Baroness Davidson said many people perceive Mr Johnson to have been “laughing” at their sacrifices by appearing to break Covid rules – claiming No 10 still “don’t understand”.
“The idea is absolutely fanciful that people don’t care about this,” Ms Davidson told ITV’s Peston. “This is exactly about their lives, because it’s what they gave up because they thought they were doing the right thing.”
The former Scottish Tory leader said: “They didn’t go and visit their mum in the care home, they didn’t go and sit by a dying friend or loved one, and they didn’t get to go to a funeral of someone they’ve known their whole life.
She added: “And people feel guilty about the fact they didn’t do these things, but they didn’t do it for the right reasons.”
The PM is under more pressure after the Metropolitan Police said inquiries would be widened to cover a No 10 quiz night, after a photo emerged of Mr Johnson and colleagues near a bottle of bubbly.
Ms Davidson said the public “see what they think is the prime minister and the people around him laughing at them and breaking the rules”, adding: “Now they’re wondering about the decisions that they made and that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.”
The Tory peer, who has called on Mr Johnson to resign, added: “I think there’s where Downing Street don’t understand. This isn’t something you can just time out, kick the can down the road and people will forget about it.”
Treasury minister Simon Clarke said on Peston that Mr Spencer had only been suggesting that “there are many things which matter much more in the real world”.
Meanwhile, defence secretary Ben Wallace has suggested that Mr Johnson’s enemies are plotting to bring him down with a “constant” leak of Downing Street party photos.
“The constant leaking is clearly designed for a purpose,” Mr Wallace told Times Radio, suggesting some were conspiring against Mr Johnson by sharing photos.
He said: “Yes, there could be a photograph tomorrow, the next day or the day after – that’s clearly what’s behind some of the people’s motives.”
