Photographs obtained by ITV News cast fresh doubt on the Prime Minister’s claims that he was unaware of rule-breaking in Downing Street during the pandemic. The four images show the Prime Minister raising a glass at a leaving party on 13th November 2020, with bottles of alcohol and party food on the table in front of him. They were taken at a gathering in honour of the Downing Street’s then Director of Communications Lee Cain, with eight people pictured standing closely together, as well as the photographer.
ITV News understands there were also other participants out of shot at the party, which one source has dubbed “Fizzgate”, despite the rules at the time only allowing two people from different households to mix indoors.
In several of the photographs, Boris Johnson appears to be making a speech and raising a toast, with half a glass of fizz in his hands. On a chair sits his red box, and on the table next to him are two bottles of champagne or cava, four bottles of wine and half a bottle of gin. The images also show party cups, biscuits, crisps and other food.
The latest revelation raises further questions about why the Metropolitan Police did not fine the Prime Minister for attending the party, while others present did receive a Fixed Penalty Notice. But it also casts doubt on Boris Johnson’s repeated claims made in the House of Commons and elsewhere that all rules were followed in No 10 and that he had been unaware of any law-breaking parties.
On 1st December 2021, he told MPs “all guidance was followed completely in No 10.” And on 8th December, he again told MPs “I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”, before stating in a Downing Street press conference later that day that “all the evidence I can see is that people in this building have stayed within the rules.”
Yet the photographs show Boris Johnson standing next to aides, looking and smiling at them while they hold glasses of alcohol, with the Prime Minister himself raising his glass in what appears to be a toast.
I’m listening to Iain Dale on LBC and he did an hour on the pictures and the cost of living crisis and to his amazement, but not to mine, not one person called in regarding the pictures they all wanted to discuss the cost of living crisis.
‘Met Police may’ve not wanted to upset No 10 amid partygate’
On LBC radio, Lord Paddick told presenter Andrew Marr: “I think that [the Met] may not have investigated this as thoroughly as they could have done because they didn’t want to upset Number 10.”
He’s not a Tory and if he was what has that got to do with anything. He was expecting loads of people to call in slamming Boris, but they didn’t. He didn’t get one call regarding the pictures, but got loads regarding the cost of living crisis.
I think majority of people are bored with partygate now. It’s like a broken record.
In May 2005, Dale stood in the general election as the Conservative candidate for North Norfolk, losing to the Liberal Democrat incumbent, Norman Lamb. Subsequently, Dale acted as the chief of staff to the losing leadership candidate David Davis in the run-up to the 2005 Conservative Party leadership campaign.
In August 2006, it was confirmed that Dale had been added to the Conservative A-List of candidates to fight the next general election. He unsuccessfully applied for the Conservative candidacy for the safe seat Maidstone and The Weald.
In October 2009, Dale ran for selection for the Conservative safe seat of Bracknell[12] in order to succeed Andrew MacKay, who stepped down at the 2010 general election. Dale came third in the run-off ballot behind Rory Stewart and the eventual winner Philip Lee.
Dale writes a weekly diary column for the website ConservativeHome.
Britain’s leading Conservative blog for news, comment, analysis and campaigns, edited by Paul Goodman. We are independent of the Conservative Party but supportive of it.
Have you actually listened to Iain Dale lately. And there’s loads of people who write for Conservative Home and not all of them are Tories, so that doesn’t mean a thing.
And as I said, so what if he is a Tory, that wouldn’t influence the people calling in.
Mr Shapps told Sky News: “The question is, was he down there partying? No, clearly not - he’d gone by to say thanks and raise a glass to a colleague who was leaving.”
The rules at the time
A second national lockdown was in force.
The rules prohibited indoor gatherings of two or more people. The police have confirmed that the fines handed out over this event were for breaching this restriction. An exception was allowed if the gathering “was reasonably necessary” for work purposes.
Neither the prime minister nor Mrs Johnson were fined in relation to events on this date.
The “working safely during coronavirus” guidance at the time said only “absolutely necessary participants should attend meetings and should maintain 2m separation throughout”.
There is nothing in the guidelines that would suggest that drinking, socialising or other types of work event along these lines would have been allowed.
BJ may not have been “partying” but he participated in an illegal “gathering”, thereby condoning it, breaking his own law on two counts.
Do you and others seriously believe that callers are not sieved by the program editors etc before being allowed to get on-air or that the tone of the program is not decided by the whole lot of them included by those who decided that Dale would be the guy on the microphone?
