Sir Keir Starmer today accused Boris Johnson of ‘taking the British public for fools’ after the Prime Minister did not deny holding parties in Number 10 in the run up to last Christmas.
The Daily Mirror reported claims that the Prime Minister and his Downing Street staff broke Covid rules by holding two festive gatherings in Number 10 in 2020.
The newspaper said the PM gave a speech at a packed leaving do for a senior aide last November when the country was in the midst of the second lockdown.
Members of his Number 10 team apparently then held their own festive party days before Christmas, while London was subject to Tier 3 Covid restrictions.
In each case there were 40 or 50 people crammed ‘cheek by jowl’ into a medium sized room, it was claimed.
Sir Keir grilled Mr Johnson on the claims at PMQs at lunchtime as he asked if a party was held as described.
Mr Johnson dodged the question and told the Labour leader that ‘all guidance was followed completely’.
Sir Keir said the Covid rules at the time stated that ‘you must not have a work Christmas lunch or party’ as he added: ‘He is taking the British public for fools’.
Sir Keir Starmer today accused Boris Johnson of ‘taking the British public for fools’ after the Prime Minister did not deny holding parties in Number 10 in the run up to last Christmas
Mr Johnson said ‘all guidance was followed completely’ as he clashed with Sir Keir at PMQs this lunchtime
Sir Keir asked Mr Johnson at the start of PMQs: ‘As millions of people were locked down last year, was a Christmas party thrown in Downing Street for dozens of people on December 18?’
Mr Johnson replied: ‘What I can tell the right honourable gentleman is that all guidance was followed completely during Number 10.
‘Can I recommend to the right honourable gentleman that he does the same with his own Christmas party which he has advertised for December 15 to which unaccountably he has failed to invite the deputy leader.’
Sir Keir hit back and said: ‘Nice try but that won’t work. The defence seems to be no rules were broken. Well, I have got the rules that were in place at the time, Prime Minister, of this party.
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‘They are very clear: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party”.
‘Does the Prime Minister really expect the country to believe that while people were banned from seeing their loved ones at Christmas last year it was fine for him and his friends to throw a boozy party in Downing Street?’
Mr Johnson responded: ‘I have said what I have said about Number 10 and the events of 12 months ago.
‘But since he asks about what we are asking the country to do this year which I think is frankly a more relevant consideration, the important thing to do is not only to follow the guidance which we have set out but also when it comes to dealing with the Omicron variant to make sure that as we have said that you wear a mask on public transport and in shops.
‘And that you self-isolate if you come into contact with somebody who has Omicron and above all what we are doing is strengthening our measures at the borders.
‘But particularly, and I think this would be very valuable for everybody in here, get your booster.’
Sir Keir said that Mr Johnson had not denied that a party had taken place in Downing Street in the run up to Christmas last year.
The Labour leader told the House of Commons: ‘The Prime Minister says we should concentrate on what he is asking the country to do. We are asking the country to follow the rules.
‘Now, the Prime Minister doesn’t deny there was a Downing Street Christmas party last year. He has not denied it. He says no rules were broken.
‘Both of those things can’t be true Prime Minister. He is taking the British public for fools.’
Asked about the reports during a round of broadcast interviews this morning, the Health Secretary Sajid Javid insisted the coronavirus restrictions would have been adhered to in Downing Street.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid today denied claims that Boris Johnson and his Downing Street staff broke Covid rules by holding two parties in Number 10 in the run-up to last Christmas
‘Whatever happened in Number 10 throughout the pandemic, I am absolutely certain all the rules around the pandemic would have been followed,’ he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
‘Obviously I can’t tell you what’s going on on a daily basis in any building, but what I can tell you is if it’s Government, especially Number 10, all the rules would have been followed at all times.’
Pressed on the Mirror report, he said: ‘You’re assuming that the news report you’re referring to is accurate.
‘I’m sure you would have come across inaccurate news reports in the past.
‘All I can tell you is whatever happened in Number 10, all rules would have been followed at all times.’
A Downing Street spokeswoman said in response to the report: ‘Covid rules have been followed at all times.’
