UK Politics

Downing Street’s own staff criticised the garden party hosted at No.10 in the height of the Covid-19 lockdown, leaked messages show.One staff member asked “Is this for real?” after getting a message from Boris Johnson’s principal private secretary Martin Reynolds inviting them to “bring your own booze”.Another said: “Um. Why is Martin [Reynolds] encouraging a mass gathering in the garden?”, according to the texts reported by the BBC.The prime minister and his wife were said to have attended the event of around 40 people, which has been added to the list of bashes investigated by senior civil servant Sue Gray.It comes after the Metropolitan Police contacted the Cabinet Office over “alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations at Downing Street on May 20 2020″. Boris Johnson yesterday refused to answer questions about whether he and his wife Carrie were at the party, which took place when social gatherings were strictly limited.Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband told BBC News on Tuesday morning: “He’s got to come clean, he’s got to explain himself and not hide behind inquiries. I do say this though: I think his position is going to be very, very difficult if it gets to the position where he has broken the rules and potentially broken the law on this incredibly serious matter so flagrantly.”Let’s take this one step at a time but I think we should be in no doubt about how grave the situation is in relation to the integrity of the person who’s leading the country.”Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition party, said Boris Johnson’s “deflections and distractions are no longer tenable”.”The truth is out now. Not only did Boris Johnson know about the parties, he attended them and he lied.“It’s time for the Prime Minister to stop hiding behind Whitehall inquiries and finally come clean.”The leaked email invite from Mr Reynolds for the May 20 gathering, which was obtained by ITV News says: “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!”That event came just five days after another gathering in No.10’s garden where Mr Johnson and wife Carrie Johnson were pictured having cheese and wine. The events are separate from the various lockdown-breaking Christmas parties and leaving drinks which took place at the address. More

The Met Police is in contact with the Cabinet Office after explosive revelations about a reported drinks party at Downing Street during the country’s first Covid lockdown.In a leaked email the prime minister’s private secretary, Martin Reynolds, invited more than 100 Downing Street employees to “bring your own booze”.Mr Reynolds said they should “make the most of the lovely weather”, despite England being under tough Covid-19 restrictions in May 2020.The revelations have piled further pressure on Boris Johnson, with the Met confirming on Monday evening it has contacted the Cabinet Office over “alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations at Downing Street on May 20 2020.”Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said Mr Johnson “should be ashamed” and described further claims of rule-breaking at No 10 as “despicable”.The party on May 20 comes just five days after another gathering that took place in the garden of No10 where Mr Johnson and wife Carrie Johnson were pictured having wine and cheese.The leaked email was sent by Mr Reynolds who has worked in Mr Johnson’s private office since October 2019, as reported by ITV News.The full email says: “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!”According to the broadcaster around 40 people are said to have attended the party, including the prime minister and his partner.Mr Johnson has not said if he attended the gathering on May 20, 2020, but a source told The Independent he had “hung out” with staff for at least an hour as they knocked back drinks.Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, is already investigating allegations of other lockdown-breaking gatherings in government.A Cabinet official has already confirmed she is investigating the May 20 event as part of her inquiry, along with the separate May 15 2020 garden gathering.On May 20 2020 when Mr Reynolds sent his email the country was slowly making its way out of the first Covid lockdown. All non-essential shops were shut, hospitality remained closed and there was no mixing indoors.Just days earlier Mr Johnson had slightly relaxed the harsh restrictions and allowed people to meet outside from different households if social distancing was maintained.The Met Police had tweeted out a warning encouraging the public to adhere to the continued strict Covid rules as the sun began to shine in Spring.Hannah Brady, a spokeswoman for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said it made her “sick” to think No 10 staff “partied” in the days after her father’s death.“My Dad died just four days before this email was sent out, he was only 55 and was a fit and healthy key worker,” she said in a statement.“Those days will stay with me for the rest of my life – just like the families of the 353 people that died that day, my family couldn’t even get a hug from our friends.“To think that whilst it was happening Boris Johnson was making the ‘most of the weather’ and throwing a party for 100 people is truly beyond belief.”A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “The Metropolitan Police Service is aware of widespread reporting relating to alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations at Downing Street on May 20 2020 and is in contact with the Cabinet Office.”No 10 said it would not be commenting on the allegations while Ms Gray’s probe is under way. More

More than 100 Downing Street staff were invited to a lockdown-breaking party in the No 10 garden and told to “bring your own booze”, a leaked email shows.The revelation heaps fresh pressure on Boris Johnson, who refused to say whether he had attended, but a source told The Independent he 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 Covid lockdown and meetings with more than one other person outdoors were still banned.On Monday evening the Metropolitan Police said they were “in contact” with the Cabinet Office relating to alleged breaches of the Health Protection Regulations in No 10 on 20 May.It also came five days after another party, where the prime minister and his wife were pictured with officials having wine and cheese in the garden, as reported by The Independent.Sources told The Independent there had been further No 10 gatherings during lockdown that had yet to come to light. An investigation into the events is being carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray.According to ITV News, the leaked email was sent by Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, to over 100 employees in Downing Street.The email stated: “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!”Around 30-40 staff attended, the broadcaster said, including Mr Johnson and his wife, Carrie.An hour before the gathering, cabinet minister Oliver Dowden had told members of the public at a live news conference: “You can meet one person outside your household in an outdoor, public place, provided that you stay two metres apart.”On the same day, the Metropolitan Police also reminded members of the public on its social media feed that they were permitted to enjoy the weather, but that they must do so “on your own”, “with people you live with”, or “just you and one other person”.Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s former chief adviser, had already urged a senior civil servant to investigate the gathering.Asked about the event – following Mr Cummings’s allegations last week – Mr Johnson refused to say whether he had attended the 20 May party, insisting that Sue Gray, the senior official charged with investigating rule breaking on various occasions, was looking into the matter.“All that, as you know, is the subject of a proper investigation by Sue Gray,” he said. Pressed on the subject, he repeated: “All that is a subject for investigation by Sue Gray.” No 10 also denied reports that Mr Reynolds would be moved from his current role.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 would “get the blame” when their actions were sanctioned by the prime minister.“He was there for [the parties]. 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],” they said. “It was shocking that they even tried to claim that.”These events, indoors and outdoors at No 10, were on several occasions “most definitely not work meetings”, they added.The events – most of which were smaller than the 20 May gathering – often included drinks in the garden, but would shift inside for snacks and pizza as it got cold, sources said.Writing on his Substack blog last week, Mr Cummings said: “On Wednesday 20 May … a senior No 10 official invited people to ‘socially distanced drinks’ in the garden.”Alongside one other No 10 special adviser, the former No 10 adviser claimed he had said that the event “seemed to be against the rules and should not happen”.He added: “We were ignored. I was ill and went home to bed early that afternoon but am told this event definitely happened. In my opinion the official who organised this should anyway have been removed that summer because of his failures over Covid. I said this repeatedly to the PM.”Reacting, Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said Mr Johnson had “consistently shown that he has no regard for the rules he puts in place for the rest of us”.“He is trying to get officials to take the fall for his own mistakes, but he sets the tone for the way Downing Street and the rest of government operates,” she said.“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.“Labour has welcomed Sue Gray’s inquiry, but we need confirmation that this latest revelation, and any other parties not yet revealed by press investigations, will be covered by her probe.”The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, said Monday’s leaked email was “yet more evidence that while the vast majority of people were sticking to the rules, those in No 10 were breaking them”, and demanded that Mr Johnson be interviewed by Ms Gray.“It is a kick in the teeth for everyone who has sacrificed so much during the pandemic, from those who weren’t able to visit loved ones in hospital to nurses left wearing binbags as PPE,” he added.Downing Street has been contacted for comment. More

Boris Johnson has admitted he must do more to protect families from a £600 energy bill hike but is scrambling for a solution just weeks before the crisis is set to strike.The prime minister revealed he has taken personal control of the controversy, as he was accused of a “vacuum of leadership” by Labour, which has put forward a plan to hold down costs.Ministers have focused on boosting the £140-a-year warm homes discount for the poorest households when the energy price cap soars in April, but Mr Johnson has now appeared to acknowledge that will not be enough.“We’ve got to help people, particularly people on low incomes. We’ve got to help people with the cost of their fuel and that’s what we going to do,” he said.But a government source admitted ministers are not close to deciding on a rescue package to hold down bills, calling progress “exceptionally slow-burning”.“At this stage, I can’t say where we will land,” the source said on the options that have been discussed in talks between ministers and the energy industry for several weeks now.Mr Johnson has ruled out removing VAT from all bills while a cabinet minister also ridiculed Labour’s plan for a windfall tax on bumper oil and gas profits – even though former Conservative chancellor Norman Lamont suggested it could work.Anxious Tory backbenchers are questioning why the government is dragging its heels with the new, higher price cap – tipped to soar from £1,277 a year to at least £1,865 – to be announced on 7 February.Keir Starmer attacked the delay, setting out how would save most households at least £200 and slash the bills of low and middle-earners and pensioners by up to £600.“Energy bills are going through the roof. That particularly impacts the elderly and the vulnerable and the government is doing absolutely nothing about it. They are asleep at the wheel,” the Labour leader said.Bills are set to rise in April because of unprecedented wholesale energy costs, combined with rising inflation, stagnant wages and tax hikes to create a cost-of-living crisis weeks before crucial local elections.The number of UK households living in fuel poverty is on course to hit 6 million this spring, up from the current 4 million. It would be the highest level since records began in 1996.Mr Johnson, distracted by the Omicron crisis, finally met Rishi Sunak on Sunday evening to discuss a way out of the crisis.On a visit to a vaccine centre, he admitted rising prices are “making life very tough”, adding: “I understand how difficult it is for people; I understand the pressures that people are facing on household finances.”When it was put to him that “targeted support” would not be enough when most households are going to be hit by the squeeze, the prime minister agreed the government must “help people with the cost of their fuel”.Ministers are continuing to hold talks with energy bosses, but are sceptical about an industry plan for a £20bn loan scheme to help defer massive price rises.They say the energy companies have not been specific about government involvement – or whether the money would be borrowed privately – and that not all firms back the idea anyway.On Sunday, education secretary Nadhim Zahawi claimed Labour’s plan “doesn’t add up”, saying: “A windfall tax on oil and gas companies that are already struggling in the North Sea is never going to cut it.”But Labour says 9.3 million working families would save £600 by extending the warm homes discount to all those with children and claiming universal credit – instead of only those with incomes below £16,190, with a child who is under five or disabled. The party would raise £6.6bn to fund it, from a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas profits (£1.2bn), oil and gas receipts (£2.3bn) and higher than expected VAT receipts (£3.1bn). More

The government has claimed a Brexit victory after one mobile phone network firm declined to impose new roaming charges on travel to the EU.The charges were abolished by the EU in 2017, but Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal failed to maintain the perk of membership. Some Brexiteers said there was no prospect of the charges returning, but most networks have re-imposed them.The exceptions are O2 and Virgin Media, which are both owned by the same company and say they do not intend to reimpose the charges. Other networks had said the same but have since reversed course.The government, which has struggled to present many concrete benefits from its Brexit policy, seized on the news as a victory.Boris Johnson said on Monday: “I welcome the decision by Virgin Media and O2 to keep roaming free, meaning UK citizens can still use their mobile data, calls and texts across Europe with no extra charges.”Culture secretary Nadine Dorries, an ardent Brexiteer, offered her “respect” to the two companies.She added: “We proposed to the European Commission that maintaining surcharge free mobile roaming be part of Brexit negotiations. They rejected that.”But Steve Peers, a professor of of European Law at the University of Essex, said the claim was an “overstatement”. Citing UK government draft negotiating documents from February 2020, he pointed out that “the UK proposed merely to discuss roaming charges three years later” after the deal came into force. More

Michael Gove misses BBC interview slot after getting stuck in liftBoris Johnson will not face further inquiry into over controversial flat refurbishment, Downing Street said.In a letter, Kathryn Stone, who oversees the code of conduct and rules for MPs, told the prime minister she will not launch a fresh inquiry into the refurbishment, which cost approximately £112,000, paid in part by donations from Lord Brownlow.It is believed that she agrees with No 10’s view that the declaration of the funding arrangements for the refurbishment fall under the ministerial code – and not Mr Johnson’s declarations to parliament.Meanwhile, the PM has also refused to say whether he attended an alleged drinking session in Downing Street’s garden during the first Covid lockdown.According to The Sunday Times, the prime minister and his wife Carrie were among those who attended a ‘bring your own bottle’ bash on 20 May 2020.Asked on Monday if he and Carrie attended, Mr Johnson said: “All that, as you know, is the subject of a proper investigation by Sue Gray.”Show latest update

1641825648Ben Houchen: PM’s woes ‘recoverable’Boris Johnson can recover from a number of recent scandals that have seen his and his party’s ratings tumble, Ben Houchen believes.The Tees Valley mayor told Times Radio he thinks the prime minister can claw back ground in red wall seats if he is seen to be delivering on levelling up.”They need something tangible to be able to point to to say that it was right decision to go against the generational kind of Labour vote we have, particularly in the north,” he said, when asked if Labour voters in his region who switched to the Tories in 2019 were likely to back Mr Johnson again at a future general election.”So it’s doable, because all people need to see is a signifier or an indication towards it [levelling up]. It doesn’t need to be complete – they just need to see progress is being made.”Matt Mathers10 January 2022 14:401641824459Full report: Johnson refuses to say if he attended No 10 lockdown party as new claim emergesBoris Johnson has refused to say whether he attended a lockdown breaking party at Downing Street, after new claims emerged.The prime minister on Monday morning dodged questioning about whether he and his wife Carrie attended the gathering in May 2020.The get-together was allegedly organised by Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary Martin Reynolds – who it was reported on Sunday might be lined up to be the “fall guy” for the episode.Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the full story: Matt Mathers10 January 2022 14:201641822856No 10 urges ‘restraint’ over potential MP pay rise in AprilDowning Street has urged “restraint” over any pay rise proposed for MPs this year.MPs are currently paid £81,932 and usually see their pay rise annually in line with average public sector salary increases.Last year, the rise was suspended due to the economic impact of the pandemic, and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) – which sets the level of pay – stopped what would have been a £3,300 hike after coming under pressure from MPs.This year, if the rise goes ahead, MPs would enjoy a 2. 7 per cent increase of more than £2,000.The PM’s official spokesman said Ipsa was “independent of government and they haven’t set out any proposals yet which I’ve seen”.But he added: “I would say we would expect restraint on matters like this given the current circumstances, but beyond that I think it’s right that we let Ipsa set out their proposals as an independent body.”Labour leader Keir Starmer said he is against any pay rise: “I think that MPs do not need a pay rise and we should all be saying that we don’t need that pay rise and it shouldn’t go ahead.”The mechanism is independent but I think it’s for me, as Leader of the Opposition, to say that I do not think we should have that pay rise.”Matt Mathers10 January 2022 13:541641821442Keir Starmer says action on cladding is ‘welcome’ but ‘very late’Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer has welcomed the latest action on the cladding scandal but said it was “very late”.He also called for legislation in place of “more promises”.He said: “Anything that helps the people who are in this awful position in relation to cladding is welcome.“It’s very late – it’s four years or more since the Grenfell disaster, there have been many, many broken promises along the way.“So anything now that moves this forward is welcome, of course it is.“I would prefer there was a plan rather than just a promise, because the terms of what’s going to happen are still very vague.”Ella Glover10 January 2022 13:301641821101Spokesman ‘doesn’t recognise characterisation’ of Dan Rosenfield Downing Street today faced questions about the alleged behaviour of the prime minister’s chief of staff who was reported by The Sunday Times to have driven various female staff to quit.Dan Rosenfield, who was appointed by Mr Johnson, allegedly ordered the women buy sandwiches for his lunch, to collect his dry-cleaning and to buy presents for him. Asked if the report was true, the spokesman said: “I absolutely don’t recognise that characterisation” – a form of words chosen that stops short of calling the claims untrue.Ella Glover10 January 2022 13:251641820837Students want to be Covid-safe but the government keeps letting them downIt would be inexcusable to allow Covid to run wild on campuses once again. Students, staff and all other members of university communities deserve better, writes Matt Western MPRead Matt’s full piece below: Matt Mathers10 January 2022 13:201641820501Johnson hopes to see evidence for cutting isolation period ‘soon,’ a spokesman saidMr Johnson hopes to see the scientific evidence that would allow the government to cut the Covid isolation period from 7 days to 5 days “soon,” a spokesman said.“If it is possible to go further, we would want to act quickly,” he told journalists.“But it needs to be based on the latest evidence and that work is still ongoing. We certainly have not received any further updated advice.”Ella Glover10 January 2022 13:151641820016What does the PM think of Novak Djokovic?What does the prime minister think of the behaviour of Novak Djokovic, still locked in a battle to enter Australia to defend his tennis title because of his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid?His spokesman said he would not “comment on individuals” – but went on to make No 10’s view of a top sports star holding out against the jab pretty clear, nonetheless.“It is important to note that those individuals that are refusing to get vaccinated are putting themselves at risk. We have the hard data to back that up – and they’re putting others at risk as well,” he said.Ella Glover10 January 2022 13:061641819937If you’re young and in the northeast, wealth inequality bites hardA typical family in the southeast of England is halfway towards achieving millionaire status. In the northeast, by contrast, median household wealth is £168,500, writes Hamish McRae.Read his full piece here: Matt Mathers10 January 2022 13:051641819011PM won’t face further inquiry over luxury flat refurbBoris Johnson has been spared further investigation into his controversial flat refurbishment.The PM spent at least £112,000 on the refurbishment of the private flat above No 1, despite receiving an an annual public grant of only £30,000 to spend on his living quarters. According to Downing Street, Kathryn Stone, who oversees the code of conduct and rules for MPs, told the prime minister she will not launch a fresh inquiry in a letter at the end of last week.It is believed that she agrees with No 10’s view that the declaration of the funding arrangements for the refurbishment fall under the ministerial code – and not Mr Johnson’s declarations to parliament.Ashley Cowburn has the full story:Ella Glover10 January 2022 12:50 More

Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he attended a lockdown breaking party at Downing Street, after new claims emerged.The prime minister on Monday morning dodged questioning about whether he and his wife Carrie attended the gathering in May 2020.The get-together was allegedly organised by Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary Martin Reynolds – who it was reported on Sunday might be lined up to be the “fall guy” for the episode.Labour leader Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson would have “serious questions to answer” if found to have attended the party.The Sunday Times alleged the Prime Minister attended the event in the No 10 garden with Mrs Johnson, citing three sources who referred to an email from Mr Reynolds which say “BYOB”, meaning “bring your own bottle”.Asked if he attended, the Prime Minister told reporters: “All that, as you know, is the subject of a proper investigation by Sue Gray.”Pressed on the subject he added: “All that is a subject for investigation by Sue Gray.” No.10 also denied reports Mr Reynonds would be moved from his current role.A spokesperson gave a similar response when asked about Mr Johnson’s attendance, adding: “There is an independent process going on to look into this, led by Sue Gray, and I can’t comment further while that is taking place.”Opposition chief Sir Keir was asked on Monday morning whether Mr Johnson would have to resign if found to have attended the bash, and added: “We need to let the inquiry take its course, see what the findings are.”The prime minister has insisted he broke no rules so if the finding is that he did then he will obviously have very serious questions to answer.”Let’s let the inquiry play out, let’s see what the findings are and then go from there.”The Labour chief added: “The Prime Minister has lost huge authority with the public because of these allegations of parties in Downing Street.”To stand at a press conference, instructing the country to comply with restrictions – which really impacted families across the country – whilst at the same time there’s emerging evidence of parties in Downing Street does diminish his authority, his moral authority, to ask others to comply with those rules.”That’s why it’s so damaging – it’s not just a matter of history, it’s a matter of the here and now.” More

The government is considering reducing the self-isolation period for fully vaccinated people who test positive for Covid, Boris Johnson has said.Under proposals being considered by the Cabinet those who had been double jabbed would only have to self-isolate for five days. It comes amid highly elevated case levels thanks to the spread of the Omicron variant, and a shortage of lateral flow tests – which are required under the current rules to leave isolation early. The United States cut its isolation period to five days from 10 days last month, with people coming out of isolation asked to take extra precautions such as wearing a mask.At the time the UK government denied it was looking at such an approach – but a shortage of staff being forced to self-isolate with mild cases of Covid is putting significant pressure on services. “There’s a similar argument to be had about the quarantine period – whether to come down from seven days to five days,” the prime minister said on Monday on a visit to vaccination centre in his home constituency of Uxbridge. “The thing to do is to look at the science. We are looking at that and we will act according to the science.”Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday that cutting the self-isolation period to five days would “certainly help” with staffing shortages. As education secretary Mr Zahawi is grappling with a shortage of teachers and support staff in schools, which are struggling to stay open.Under the current rules in England people have to self-isolate for 10 days, but can cut this to seven days in most cases if they test negative on a lateral flow test.Later, Downing Street said it hopes to see the scientific evidence that would allow the isolation period to be cut from 7 days to 5 days “soon”.“If it is possible to go further, we would want to act quickly,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.“But it needs to be based on the latest evidence and that work is still ongoing. We certainly have not received any further updated advice.” More