UK Politics

Boris Johnson should resign if it is shown he broke lockdown rules, the leader of Conservatives in Scotland has said.Douglas Ross said the prime minister should make clear immediately whether he attended a drinks event in the garden of 10 Downing Street on 20 May 2020, at a time when Britons were allowed to meet only one other person outdoors.Describing the situation as “a complete mess”, Mr Ross told Sky News: “This is a complete mess. It undermines everything that the government is doing.”“People are rightly furious about these revelations because they followed the rules, they sacrificed all these things back in May 2020 and it looks like some of the very top government didn’t.” Downing Street has insisted that it will not comment on allegations relating to the event while an inquiry is under way by Whitehall mandarin Sue Gray into a number of alleged parties.But Mr Ross said there was no need for the PM to wait for Ms Gray to report – or even to remain quiet until he faces MPs at prime minister’s questions in the Commons on Wednesday.“I’m furious, people across Scotland and across the United Kingdom are furious,” he told said.“I can understand that feeling of fury, anger and rage that people across the UK are feeling right now.”Mr Ross said there was no reason why the PM could not break his silence on whether he attended the 20 May party.“’It’s not pre-judging Sue Gray’s inquiry for the prime minister to come forward and say if he was at the party or not.“That’s a crucial question that won’t in any way undermine Sue Gray’s investigation. It will let the public know right now if he was there or not.“That’s a crucial question that shouldn’t have to wait for prime minister’s questions tomorrow. We should hear the answer right now.”Mr Ross added: “If he has breached his own guidance, if he has not been truthful, then that is an extremely important issue. And I’ve said previously, if the prime minister has misled parliament, then he must resign.“If there’s nothing to hide here, if there’s no issue, then just answer the question.“And if there is, then that is an acceptance that he himself breached the guidance that his government were putting in place – the guidance  that stopped people going to family members’ funerals, that stopped people grieving together.“Doctors and nurses were working flat out to get this virus under control, and people across the country were following some of the strictest guidance we’ve ever seen.“If the prime minister and others in No 10 breached that guidance, when earlier that afternoon a cabinet minister had told people what they’re expected to do, yet out the back of No 10 there were people enjoying the sunshine in the garden, I think that is utterly despicable.”Mr Ross said Mr Johnson could “absolutely not” stay on if he was found to have broken the law.“This is a law … that constituents up and down the country have suffered as a result of. They have been fined, they have been punished for breaking the rules that the UK government put in place.“If the UK government and the prime minister have broken those rules, then they must be punished too.” More

Allegations that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s staff held a “bring your own booze” garden party while Britain was in lockdown are just the latest claims of wrongdoing to rattle the leader.Cases of rule-bending and dishonesty have followed Johnson through his twin careers as journalist and politician. He was once fired from a newspaper for making up a quote, and later ousted from a Conservative Party post for lying about an extramarital affair. He has always bounced back. But now discontent is growing inside Johnson’s own Conservative Party over a leader often accused of acting as if rules don’t apply to him.Here’s a look at the scandals Johnson is currently facing.CASH FOR CURTAINSJohnson has faced months of allegations over refurbishment of the Downing Street apartment that prime ministers use as their official residence. Leaders are granted 30,000 pounds ($41,000) a year for upkeep, but after Johnson and his now-wife, Carrie, took up residence in 2019, they undertook a much more expensive overhaul, complete with designer wallpaper and pricey furniture.Johnson’s office initially said he had paid for the redecoration himself, but it was later disclosed that it had been funded by a wealthy Conservative Party donor, David Brownlow.Christopher Geidt, an ethics adviser appointed by Johnson, said the prime minister did not know where the money came from until the media reported it in early 2021, after which he paid it back.“I have covered the costs. I have met the requirements I am obliged to meet in full,” Johnson said in April.Geidt cleared the prime minister of wrongdoing in May.After the media published WhatsApp exchanges between Johnson and Brownlow suggesting the prime minister did know where the money came from, Geidt last week expressed “grave concern” that information had been withheld from him. But he did not overturn his earlier ruling.Separately, Britain’s political regulator, the Electoral Commission, fined the Conservative Party 17,800 pounds ($24,000) in December for failing properly to disclose details of the refurbishment money.___LAX LOBBYING RULESIn November, the House of Commons’ standards committee said Conservative lawmaker Owen Paterson should be suspended for a month after he was found to have broken lobbying rules by advocating on behalf of two companies that were paying him.Instead of backing the suspension — as has happened in all previous cases — Johnson’s government ordered Conservative lawmakers to block it and instead overhaul the entire standards procedure.That sparked a furious outcry — from Conservatives as well as the opposition — and the government reversed course the next day. Paterson resigned, and in a special election to replace him the Liberal Democrats ousted the Conservatives in a district that had long been a party stronghold.Johnson insisted at the time that “the U.K. is not remotely a corrupt country.” But the Paterson affair prompted calls to tighten Britain’s loose rules on lobbying and lawmakers’ second jobs. That effort gathered steam after the revelation that one legislator had earned 400,000 pounds ($545,000) a year as a lawyer while also serving as a member of Parliament. So far, no formal investigation into the rules has been called.___ILLICIT PARTIESAmong the most damaging allegations are that Johnson and his staff repeatedly flouted the strict restrictions the government imposed on the nation during the pandemic.It started with the revelation that Johnson’s then-top aide, Dominic Cummings, drove 250 miles (400 kilometers) across England to his parents’ house in March 2020 while the country was under a “stay-at-home” order.Johnson resisted calls to fire Cummings, but later fell out with his adviser, who left the government and has become a fierce critic. Cummings is among those alleging that government staff held a series of lockdown-breaching gatherings at the prime minister’s Downing Street office and residence, including Christmas parties in November and December 2020 and a garden party in May 2020 to which almost 100 people were invited. British media are reporting that the May party was attended by the prime minister and his wife.Johnson and his spokespeople have refused to comment on the latest party allegations, citing an ongoing inquiry by a senior civil servant — but he has previously said he broke no rules. Asked about the garden party on Monday, Johnson said: “All that, as you know, is the subject of a proper investigation by Sue Gray.”Gray is expected to report her findings by the end of the month. More

Two-thirds of voters believe Boris Johnson should resign as prime minister amid outcry over the latest reports of a rule-breaking drinks party in the No 10 rose garden.The survey will come as a blow to Mr Johnson as he faces growing questions over his own involvement in the gathering — after a leaked email showed over 100 Downing Street staff were invited to “bring your own booze” event on 20 May, 2020.At the time, England was still emerging from the first strict national lockdown to contain the spread of Covid, with members of the public banned from meeting more than one other person outdoors.According to the pollsters Savanta ComRes, a clear majority (66 per cent) said the prime minister should now resign, including 42 per cent of those who cast their vote for the Conservatives at the 2019 winter election.It represents a 12-point increase on a previous snap poll by the organisation in December in the wake of separate allegations of a party held at No 10 during the winter of 2020 when London faced tough Covid restrictions.Of the 1,040 UK adults surveyed, Savanta ComRes added that under a quarter (24 per cent) said the prime minister should not resign.When asked whether Mr Johnson was still an “asset” to the Tory party, those who voted for the party in 2019 were equally divided, with 45 per cent saying he was no longer an asset and 45 per cent suggesting he remained and asset.A further 65 per cent of those polled said Martin Reynolds, a senior civil servant and the prime minister’s principal private secretary who sent the email to No 10 staff ahead of the 20 May event, should also resign.Chris Hopkins, the political research director at Savanta ComRes, said: “A 12pt increase in those saying he should resign compared to Christmas party-gate is is significant, but ultimately it’s not the court of public opinion that Johnson will be tried in; it’s his own party”.He added: “If, as in December, the scandal leads to the Conservative vote share collapsing in the opinion polls, the doubts among among those who used to see Johnson’s electoral successes as his saving grace will no doubt increase, and the major difference between now and early December is that the Tories do not have a poll lead to act as a cushion to break the PM’s fall.“Increased Labour leads that point to Keir Starmer in No.10 really could see Tory backbenchers get tetchy, and they may start the wheels in motion to replace Johnson as prime minister.”The poll coincided with a separate survey from YouGov, which also found 56 per cent of people thought the prime minister should resign, with 27 per cent saying he should remain in post and 17 per cent saying they did not know.When a similar question about whether Mr Johnson should remain as leader of the Conservative Party was posed by YouGov on November 22, 48 per cent said he should stand down, piling pressure on the prime minister. More

An MP has broken down in tears while questioning a Tory minister about allegations of a lockdown-breaking Downing Street party.Northern Irish politician Jim Shannon struggled to contain his emotion as he revealed his mother-in-law died alone during the coronavirus pandemic.He told the Commons: “In Northern Ireland we reached the milestone of 3,000 deaths due to Covid just last week.“Including my mother-in-law, who died alone.”Mr Shannon, DUP MP for Strangford, paused to compose himself before trying to continue with his question, though visibly upset.Asking for “full and complete disclosure”, the MP asked whether the results of an inquiry into allegations a party was held at Number 10 during the height of the pandemic would be made public. He ended his remarks saying “sorry” to the Speaker.Paymaster general Michael Ellis said he was “very sorry” for Mr Shannon’s loss as he confirmed they would be made public. It comes after a leaked email revealed more than 100 Downing Street staff were invited to a party in the No 10 garden and told to “bring your own booze”.Follow our live UK politics blogBoris Johnson has refused to say whether he attended – but a source told The Independent the prime minister had “hung out” with staff for at least an hour as they knocked back drinks.The party took place on 20 May 2020, as England was still emerging from the strict first national lockdown and meetings with more than one other person outdoors were still banned.Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, demanded Mr Johnson respond to an urgent question in the Commons on Tuesday.But Mr Ellis was dispatched to answer questions from MPs instead, with the prime minister’s spokesperson insisting it was “not uncommon for government ministers to answer these sorts of questions”.The Liberal Democrats accused Mr Johnson of “running scared” and “hiding behind the smokescreen” of an inquiry spearheaded by senior civil servant Sue Gray, who has been tasked with investigating allegations of rule breaking in government buildings. More

Boris Johnson is facing intense scrutiny over further allegations of rule-busting gatherings in No 10 as the rest of the country was subject to strict lockdown measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.In the latest revelation, a leaked email showed over 100 No 10 staff were invited to “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden on 20 May 2020, including the prime minister and his wife, Carrie.Here The Independent looks at all the allegations of gatherings across government and at the Conservative headquarters throughout 2020.15 MayA joint investigation by The Independent and The Guardian revealed a wine and pizza gathering was held in the No 10 rose garden on 15 May 2020 — despite people from different households being restricted to one-on-one meetings with family members and friends outdoors.An image later published by The Guardian showed wine and cheese being consumed by the prime minister, his wife, Carrie, advisers including Dominic Cummings and Matt Hancock, the former health secretary. Mr Johnson has previously insisted “those people were at work, talking about work”.20 MayIn a blog just last week, Mr Cummings, the prime minister’s former chief adviser, dismissed the 15 May event showed an after-work party, insisting it was common practice at the time for meetings to be held in the garden due to the risk of Covid. However, he claimed that a “socially distanced drinks” event did take place on 20 May 2020, with a “senior No 10 official” inviting people.Last night, the row exploded as a leaked email sent from the prime minister’s private secretary showed over 100 No 10 staff were invited to the event, told to “bring your own booze” and “make the most of the lovely weather”.Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he attended, but a source told The Independent he had “hung out” with staff for at least an hour as they knocked back drinks.The event will be investigated by Sue Gray, the senior civil servant tasked with probing rule breaking allegations, and on Monday evening the Metropolitan Police said they were “in contact” with the Cabinet Office over alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations in No 10 on 20 May.13 NovemberAnother allegation made by Mr Cummings was of a “flat party” in Mr Johnson official residence with Carrie Johnson on 13 November 2020 — the same day the Vote Leave chief left Downing Street with immediate effect and just eight days after England’s second national lockdown was imposed. Last week, he claimed to have been told that staff in the press office “could hear the music playing loudly”.Asked at prime minister’s questions last month whether there was a No 10 party on 13 November, Mr Johnson said “no”, but added: “I’m sure that whatever happened the guidance was followed at all times”. 27 NovemberA leaving event was reported to have been held on 27 November for adviser Cleo Watson, with the prime minister personally delivering a speech while alcohol was consumed. Mr Cummings, a close ally of Ms Watson, has insisted there was no party on this date, but Ms Gray’s investigation into rule-breaking allegations is examining this event.10 DecemberIt has been confirmed that Ms Gray’s inquiry will include a social event at the London offices of the Department for Education (DfE) on 10 December 2020, instigated by the then-education secretary Gavin Williamson to thank his staff.At the time of the gathering, people in the capital were subject to Tier 2 restrictions, which banned mixing between households indoors while people were allowed to meet in groups of six outdoors.The department has admitted a “gathering of colleagues” took place on 10 December, with “drink ad snacks brought by those attending”, adding: “While this was work-related, looking back we accept it would have been better not have gathered in this way at that particular time”.14 DecemberFour days later, on 10 December, with Londoners still subject to Tier 2 restrictions, a party took place at the Conservative Party headquarters in Westminster. A spokesperson for the party has previously said the event was “unauthorised” and “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four CCHQ staff seconded to the then London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey’s campaign.The Mirror newspaper later published an image of the gathering — leading to the resignation of Mr Bailey from an official role at the London Assembly as chair of the police and crime committee. Given the event was held in the offices of a political party, it does not fall under the remit of Ms Gray’s probe, but the Metropolitan Police said it would contact two people who attended.15 DecemberThe following day, on 15 December 2020, No 10 staff were involved in a festive quiz, with reports suggesting invites were sent out in advance. An image later published by the Sunday Mirror showed the prime minister flanked by colleagues, with one draped in tinsel and another wearing a Santa hat.Downing Street said the prime minister had “briefly” attended the quiz — after the photographic evidence emerged — but insisted it was a virtual event and claimed he broke no rules.16 DecemberThe Mirror reported senior civil servants were “boozing and dancing” at the event, allegedly planned by staff from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ office.A DfT spokesman 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.”18 DecemberAllegations of a Christmas party held in No 10 on 18 December 2020 were the focus of much anger at the end of the last year when the reports first emerged in the Daily Mirror newspaper. The event happened while London was in strict Tier 3 measures, and just a day before Boris Johnson imposed an effective lockdown in the capital and vast swathes of the country.After initially stonewalling questions of the get-together, Mr Johnson was forced to address the issue in the Commons after the explosive leak of a video showing No 10 staff holding a mock press conference and making jokes about a Christmas party. It led to the resignation of government aide Allegra Stratton and the prime minister announcing a Whitehall investigation led by Sue Gray, claiming he was “shocked” but the video.“I apologise unreservedly for the offence that it has caused up and down the country, and apologise for the impression that it gives,” Mr Johnson told MPs. More

Boris Johnson is under fire again after it was reported he had attended another lockdown-breaking garden party at 10 Downing Street in the spring of 2020.ITV News said the prime minister’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, had invited over 100 people by email to a “bring your own booze” bash in the grounds of Mr Johnson’s Westminster residence on 20 May 2020, while the rest of the country was enduring tough social restrictions imposed in response to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.At the time of the alleged gathering, strict controls on social mixing were in place, prohibiting households from intermingling, schools were shut to most pupils and pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, sports stadia, cinemas and theatres were all closed.So strict were the rules at the time that police prosecuted people for having parties in their own homes, erected random checkpoints in some areas and, in Derbyshire, used drones to monitor beauty spots in the interest of shutting down illicit picnics.Police forces in England and Wales issued 14,244 fines for breaches of lockdown laws between 27 March and 11 May 2020, according to figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, also breaking up political demonstrations and social meet-ups in open areas like Hyde Park in central London in the interest of stopping the spread of the virus.An hour before the gathering in question is understood to have taken place, Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden had told members of the public via a live news conference about the Covid-19 outbreak: “You can meet one person outside your household in an outdoor, public place, provided that you stay two metres apart.”People would not be allowed to meet outside in groups of six until 1 June.Nevertheless, Mr Johnson and his then-partner (now wife) Carrie Johnson were among 30-40 people who allegedly attended the garden party in blithe indifference to the hardships the electorate were enduring, having responded to Mr Reynolds’ cheery invite email.According to ITV, to whom a copy was leaked, it read: “Hi all. After what has been an incredibly busy period it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening. Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!”A source told The Independent the prime minister had indeed “hung out” with staff for at least an hour as they knocked back drinks.Not all recipients were so keen to attend, however, with one staff member responding “Is this for real?” Another, according to the BBC, texted: “Um. Why is Martin [Reynolds] encouraging a mass gathering in the garden?”The bash was scheduled just five days after another cheese-and-wine social reportedly took place in the same venue, an event that is already the subject of an investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray (who replaced Cabinet secretary Simon Case after he was removed from the probe after it was revealed he had known about a festive quiz held within his own department), along with at least four more social events.A source also told The Independent there were “more parties” that would come to light if Ms Gray “gets the info she ought to get”.However, they added that it was “deeply wrong” that officials should “get the blame” when their actions were sanctioned by the prime minister.“He was there for [the parties],” they said. “He encouraged people to drink and drank himself. And it was a clear untruth for No 10 to suggest that there was nothing that could be described as [a party]. It was shocking that they even tried to claim that.”These events, both indoors and outdoors at No 10, took place on several occasions and were “most definitely not work meetings”, they added.Mr Johnson, who won a landslide victory in the December 2019 general election just prior to the onset of the pandemic, has faced intense scrutiny over the past six weeks after a video emerged showing his staff laughing and joking about having hosted a secret Christmas party during the 2020 winter lockdown, which prompted the tearful resignation of spokesperson Allegra Stratton last month.Subsequent allegations have followed concerning a string of parties that appear to have taken place in 2020, including the 15 May garden gathering, leaving do’s for seniors aides Lee Cain (13 November) and Cleo Watson (27 November) and a series of departmental Christmas parties in December, including one at which former Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey was pictured (14 December) and the virtual festive quiz in which the PM himself took part via Zoom (15 December).This serialised scandal – following on from Tory sleaze allegations, questions over the awarding of lucrative Covid contracts and inconsistencies in accounts of how the cost of the refurbishment of Mr Johnson’s own flat was met – has garnered popular derision, prompting ridicule from comedians and criticism by opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said Mr Johnson lacked the moral authority to lead the country.With Sir Keir currently sidelined in isolation with Covid, his deputy Angela Rayner said the latest revelations were “despicable” and that Mr Johnson had “consistently shown that he has no regard for the rules he puts in place for the rest of us”.“At the time this party took place, key workers on the front line were working around the clock to keep us all safe, people suffered loneliness and loss in unimaginably tough circumstances, and for the majority of the country our freedom was limited to a daily walk,” she added.Mr Johnson’s office has declined to comment so far, and been accused of “hiding behind inquiries” for its pains, but Edward Argar, a junior health minister, said he understood the hurt that media reports about the parties would give.“I can understand the hurt that these reports, these allegations, will have caused, particularly for those who’ve lost loved ones,” Mr Argar told Sky News on Tuesday morning.“It wouldn’t be appropriate… for me to comment on those ongoing conversations or her ongoing investigation. We’ve got to give a space to conclude that investigation.”Boris Johnson ‘beneath contempt’, says Bereaved Families for Justice spokespersonBut many will be understandably outraged by the latest development, particularly given the brazen contradictions between Mr Johnson’s apparent behaviour and what he had to say at the time.In another Downing Street press conference on the pandemic on 25 May 2020, just five days after the “bring your own booze” party, the prime minister answered a question from a member of the public by saying: “Feel free to speak to people to yourself if you feel that they are not obeying the rules. But the police will step in if necessary and encourage people to obey the law.”That is now happening in this case too, with the Metropolitan Police saying on Monday evening that it has contacted the Cabinet Office over “alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations at Downing Street on May 20 2020”.Additional reporting by agencies More

Unions, charities, think tanks and green campaign groups have urged Boris Johnson’s government to impose a windfall tax on oil and gas operators to ease the pressure on families facing rising fuel bills.Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have called for a tax on the North Sea giants’ profits in a bid to cut average household energy costs set to soar further in April.Several leading civil society organisations – including the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), Save the Children, Fuel Poverty Action and Greenpeace UK – have backed the idea, insisting ministers must take bold action to address the looming cost of living crisis.Calling on the government to “act now”, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady told The Independent: “North Sea oil and gas companies have seen profits soar while millions of low-income households struggle to stay warm this winter.”The union leader added: “Using a windfall tax on profits would help address the cost-of-living crisis and alleviate domestic gas bills. And it would help fund development of low carbon energy sources such as new nuclear and renewables, supporting and creating good jobs.”Labour’s plan to tax oil and gas producers’ profits would be forced to contribute £1.2bn to help fund extra support through a year-long 10 per cent increase to their corporation tax.Sir Keir Starmer’s party say the move – along with removing VAT on domestic energy bills for a whole year – would help reduce the average household energy bill by £200.The Lib Dems, meanwhile, estimate that a one-year windfall tax on oil and gas operators would generate between £5bn and £7bn, and be enough money to cut seven million households’ heating bills by £300.Dr Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: “Labour and the Lib Dems agree it makes total sense to introduce a windfall tax on those profiting from the high gas price. This government must back a windfall tax to support people now … or voters and the planet won’t forgive them.”Mr Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak are under increasing pressure to act, with experts predicting a 50 per cent hike to bills when the energy price cap is pushed up in April – meaning an average household paying around £700 more per year.Save the Children wants the government to consider ways a windfall tax could be used to help families “suffering because of soaring household bills”.Fuel Poverty Action called for revenue raised from a windfall tax to be spent on better insulation for the poorest households and a huge expansion of the warm homes discount, which offers a £140 discount to the most vulnerable. Only around two million people in the UK are thought to be currently eligible.“It’s way past time for the government to impose a windfall tax on oil and gas operators,” said Fuel Poverty Action campaigner Ruth London. “The money must be used to help relieve the crisis faced by people who are struggling with their energy bills. Fossil fuel corporations have been setting the terms for too long.”Unison, the Green Alliance, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank and 38 Degrees activist group have also backed the idea of a windfall tax on North Sea producers recording huge profits. Shell and BP made £10.2bn in just three months last year from profits, dividends and buybacks.Luke Murphy, associate director at IPPR, said: “We welcome Labour’s proposals to prevent this from turning into a cost of living crunch by providing short term measures such as expanding and increasing the warm homes discount paid for by a one-off windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers.”Unison’s national energy officer Matt Lay added: “There’s no quick fix, but a windfall tax would be a start. However, it would need to be carefully managed to stop the oil giants affected simply whacking up their wholesale prices to compensate.”Downing Street refused to comment on “speculation” about whether VAT could be cut from energy bills – a move Labour and Tory backbenchers have been calling for. The government is reportedly considering extending the warm homes discount to more people.A government spokesperson said: “We recognise people are facing pressures with the cost of living, which is why we are taking action worth more than £4.2bn, and supporting vulnerable households through initiatives such as the £500m Household Support Fund, Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.The spokesperson added: “We’ll continue to listen to consumers and businesses on how to manage the costs of energy.” More

Boris Johnson retains “full confidence” in the senior civil servant who issued an invitation for 100 staff to attend a Downing Street drinks event during lockdown, No 10 has said.Martin Reynolds remains in post as the prime minister’s principal private secretary, one of the most crucial roles in No 10, said Mr Johnson’s official spokesman.There has been speculation that Mr Reynolds might be forced out of his post after ITV News obtained an email in which he invited No 10 staff to a “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden on 20 May 2020.The email read: “Hi all,“After what has been an incredibly busy period we thought it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No10 garden this evening.“Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!”It has been claimed that around 40 people took part in the event, eating picnic food and drinking wine around a long table set out in the No 10 garden.Crucially, Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie are said to have been present for at least part of the evening.One former government special adviser said that a private secretary like Mr Reynolds was unlikely to have organised such a drinks unless “the instruction came from the top”.“The private secretary works on behalf of the PM in this case,” Claire Pearsall told Sky News.But Mr Johnson’s spokesperson declined to say whether the PM was aware of Mr Reynolds’ invitation or had instructed him to send it out.Under sustained questioning about the party from journalists at a daily Westminster media briefing, the spokesperson repeatedly said that he was unable to comment ahead of the completion of an inquiry by senior mandarin Sue Gray.“An independent investigation is ongoing,” said the spokesperson. “I can’t comment on reports and claims. It wouldn’t be appropriate to do so.”He refused to say whether the “we” referred to in Mr Reynolds’ email included the prime minister or any other member of the Downing Street team.Mr Reynolds is a career civil servant and diplomat, who served as principal private secretary at the Foreign Office between 2014-18, working closely with Johnson in that post during his time as foreign secretary from 2016-18.In 2019, he was appointed UK ambassador to Libya, but was recalled to London to join Mr Johnson in Number 10 in September, shortly after his arrival in office.The principal private secretary runs the PM’s private office, giving him or her a key role as “gatekeeper” to the prime minister.Mr Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings has described the PPS as the official with the greatest formal powers over what happens inside No 10.“The PPS exercises farmore influence and actual power over many issues than cabinet ministers,” said Mr Cummings.“He can nudge policy, he can nudge vital appointments (real power). He can and does walk into the PM’s office and exclude all political people ‘on security grounds’.” More