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Boris Johnson says he was ‘at work’ during No 10 garden gathering
The Cabinet Office inquiry into alleged lockdown-breaching government parties could well be expanded after an image was published showing Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and up to 17 staff in the Downing Street garden in May 2020.
Explanations for the gathering have so far been confused, with deputy PM Dominic Raab claiming on Monday it was a post-work drinks event while Downing Street and the PM insisted: “Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work.”
Top civil servant Sue Gray is leading the investigation into the potentially illegal festive parties after cabinet secretary Simon Case quit his role at the helm of the probe after it was revealed that his department’s office held its own gathering on 17 December last year.
Pressure continues to mount on Mr Johnson and some of his cabinet ministers – particularly the chancellor Rishi Sunak – as reaction to last year’s rule-breaking intensifies amid further Covid restrictions in England. Last night, at the World Darts Championship, hosted at Alexandra Palace in London, chants of “Stand up if you hate Boris” could be heard.
Recommended Liz Truss: UK’s new Brexit negotiator said leaving EU would spell economic disaster Boris Johnson accused of ‘dither’ after delaying Covid restrictions Dominic Raab undermines claim that Boris Johnson was working while drinking wine with staff during lockdown
Key points Lockdown party probe ‘could cover No 10 garden event' PM accused of ‘dither’ after delaying further Covid restrictions
Show latest update 1640077027 Darts fans chant ‘Stand up if you hate Boris’ at world championship
Following my earlier post (8.21am), here’s Adam Forrest with some more detail on the vitriol aimed at Boris Johnson at last night’s darts event.
The rowdy crowd at the World Darts Championship in London’s Alexandra Palace chanted: “Stand up if you hate Boris!”
Mr Johnson is facing growing frustration at the uncertainty over restrictions this Christmas, and mounting anger at revelations about government gatherings held during Covid curbs last year.
One member of the darts championship audience was seen holding up a sign with a picture of some cheese and wine which stated: “This is a business meeting.”
Darts fans chant ‘Stand up if you hate Boris’ Audience members hold signs mocking cheese and wine gathering at No 10
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:57
1640076490 ‘We will miss Lord Frost,’ says cabinet minister
The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has said Lord Frost, the former Brexit minister, who resigned on Monday “will be missed”.
“I think Lord Frost has achieved a huge amount during his time in government,” Steve Barclay told LBC this morning, adding: “I think that the issue is we got Brexit done, we delivered on that. Obviously there were concerns in terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol, concerns I share with Lord Frost.
“I know that Liz Truss who will be taking this work forward will be working hard to make those points to our colleagues in Europe.”
He later said: “We will miss Lord Frost, he was an extremely valued colleague. He played a very significant part in our EU exit.”
It comes amid some criticism that Lord Frost likely left his role due to as-yet unsuccessful negotiations to sort out the NI Protocol issues, as opposed to what he himself said was the reason: the possibility of harsher Covid measures coming into force.
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:48
1640075707 ICYMI: Watch lawyer claim No 10 garden gathering likely broke Covid rules
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No 10 garden gathering likely broke Covid rules, says legal expert
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:35
1640074880 ‘Stand up if you hate Boris’: Dart fans chant about PM
After weeks of embarrassing headlines about lockdown gatherings, Boris Johnson found himself the target of some other negative publicity. Chants of “Stand up if you hate Boris” could be heard as spectators packed Alexandra Palace in London for the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship on Monday.
As The Telegraph’s Christopher Hope reported late last night:
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:21
1640074306 Don’t rush decision on curbs, says IDS
Our politics reporter Adam Forrest has the following:
Iain Duncan Smith warned Boris Johnson against making “rushed decisions” on restrictions after Christmas when so much is unknown about omicron.
“We must not let lacking evidence become the enemy of normal life,” the former Tory leader told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “For the cabinet to make a decision they must have wider range of information on the effect of lockdown.”
The lockdown sceptic added: “If the hospitality sector is going to be dramatically effected by what the government is doing then the government will have to give them assistance.”
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:11
1640074242 PM accused of ‘dither’ after delaying Covid restrictions
More trouble for the prime minister after Boris Johnson delayed the introduction of new Covid restrictions in England on Monday, despite warnings from scientific advisers of a coming wave of infection threatening to overwhelm the NHS.
Scientists warned that “dither” in imposing curbs on social gatherings and travel ahead of the Christmas weekend will allow the highly contagious Omicron variant to spread more fiercely, with one member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), Professor Andrew Hayward, warning of “tens of millions” of infections this winter.
Labour said the PM was “too weak to stand up to his own backbenchers” following the rebellion of 99 Tory MPs against limited plan B restrictions last week, making him “unfit to lead” during the coronavirus crisis.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock and science correspondent Samuel Lovett report:
Boris Johnson accused of ‘dither’ after delaying Covid restrictions Boris Johnson has delayed the introduction of new Covid restrictions in England, despite warnings from scientific advisers of a coming wave of infection threatening to overwhelm the NHS.
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:10
1640074117 Lockdown party probe ‘could cover No 10 garden event'
The inquiry into alleged government parties in breach of Covid rules could be expanded after the Guardian published an image showing Boris Johnson alongside his wife and up to 17 staff in the Downing Street garden in May 2020.
Public reaction to the photograph has seen the PM become even more unpopular then he has been in recent weeks, especially considering government figures seem to have differing versions of events about what the event was.
Mr Johnson said resolutely on Monday afternoon: “Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work.” However, Labour dismissed Downing Street’s explanation and said it amounted to evidence of law-breaking.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said the lack of any signs of work, with red wine and a cheeseboard visible rather than laptops or pens, showed the PM “presided over a culture of believing that the rules applied only to other people”.
Meanwhile, deputy PM Dominic Raab told the BBC earlier on Monday that Mr Johnson and his staff were “were having a drink after the formal business had been done” and that this was common practice among other workplaces that had remained open during the lockdown.
Top civil servant Sue Gray is yet to confirm if the garden gathering will be included in the ongoing probe into the alleged parties, however it is strongly believed this will be necessary to help remedy current public perception of the government.
So far, the government has been unable to persuasively explain why there are groups of people standing in the garden at a ‘business meeting’ involving wine and cheese
(Guardian/eyevine)
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 08:08
1640073374 Good morning
Hello, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling politics coverage.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from Westminster and beyond on yet another tough day for Boris Johnson.
Sam Hancock 21 December 2021 07:56
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