Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has blasted Prime Minister Boris Johnson during an urgent question to Parliament over allegations Downing Street played host to a garden party for staff in May last year during the UK's first coronavirus lockdown. Ms Rayner warned the Prime Minister "can run but can't hide," noting his absence from the chamber.

       Mr Rayner told Parliament: "It is incredibly disappointing, but not unsurprising that the Prime Minister, I asked this question is not here today, despite not having any official engagements.

       "And I think Mr Speaker, his absence speaks volumes as does his smirks on the media.

       "The public have already drawn their own conclusions.

       "He can run but he can't hide."

       Ms Rayner continued: "That day, the House heard from the Prime Minister himself that 181 NHS workers and 131 social care staff had died, many people made huge personal sacrifices and the minister, quite frankly, hides behind the Gray investigation.

       "There's no need for an investigation into the simple central question today: did the Prime Minister attend the event in the Downing Street garden on the 20 May 2020? It won't wash to blame this on a few junior civil servants, the Prime Minister sets the tone.

       "If the Prime Minister was there, surely he knew. The invitation was sent to 100 staff, many of them his own most personal senior appointees, this was organised in advance, so did the Prime Minister know about the event beforehand and did he give his permission for it go ahead?

       "And if so, did he believe this event was (in) keeping with the restrictions at the time and the guidelines, and was the chief medical officer consulted before it went ahead?"

       Downing Street said it was "not uncommon" for Government ministers to answer questions in the Commons after paymaster general Michael Ellis was dispatched to face an urgent question on Downing Street parties.

       The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Ellis would respond on behalf of the Government after Ms Rayner was granted an urgent question in the Commons on the row over the May 20, 2020 Downing Street party.

       Asked what the Prime Minister was doing rather than responding himself, the spokesman said: "I don't have the full diary in front of me at the moment but it's not uncommon, obviously, for Government ministers to answer these sorts of questions."

       He said the next time the public was likely to see Boris Johnson was at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

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       It comes after a screenshot surfaced showing an email from a senior aide to the Prime Minister inviting staff to party in the garden behind No 10 during England's first lockdown in May 2020.

       Martin Reynolds, the Prime Minister's principal private secretary, sent the email to more than 100 Downing Street employees inviting them to "make the most of the lovely weather" in the garden.

       England was under tough coronavirus restrictions banning groups from meeting socially outdoors when the message was sent.

       Mr Johnson refused to say whether he was at the event when questioned by reporters on Monday.