At least three employees have confirmed to the BBC that there was during the pandemic numerous “chaotic and massive” parties in Downing Street where the regulations against covid were not respected and for which often came the prime minister, Boris Johnsonwho, in his opinion, in this way gave his implicit approval.
These revelations come after the ITV channel released new photographs on Monday in which Johnson appears toasting at the farewell ceremony on November 13, 2020 of his Director of Communication Lee Cain, to which the 57-year-old politician He denied having attended an intervention before Parliament.
The Johnson’s lax attitudewho wanted to “like” the staff -according to sources-, is revealed the day before the official Sue Gray publishes an internal report on the scandal of the celebrations, where it is expected to include more data than those already investigated by the Police .
Scotland Yard fined the Conservative leader – as well as his wife, Carrie, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak – for taking part in a surprise birthday party on June 19, 2020, but instead did not do so for his presence at the act of November 13 and others, which has generated doubts about the police investigationwhich resulted in 126 sanctions.
BBC insiders say that some government officials who have been fined are uncomfortable with Johnson’s misrepresentations and say that especially young people at the time they didn’t feel they were breaking the rulessince the head of government himself and other high-ranking officials were implicated.
A source explains that they assumed Johnson approved of social events because “he was there himself.” “He was maybe passing by on the way to his apartment,” but he “didn’t say ‘this shouldn’t be happening,'” he told the BBC. “He didn’t say ‘go home’ or ‘keep your social distance’ or ‘put on your mask’. She didn’t say that. She would grab a glass and pour herself a drink,” she says.
These Downing Street employees -where the Prime Minister’s residence and office are located- explain that the press office organized the ‘Friday Wine Hour’ every week (at 4 p.m.) and there were also events on other days. Crowds, people shoulder to shoulder, music, dancing and debris the next day were common scenes, detail these sources, which ensure that there were people who even stayed there to sleep.
An informant tells the BBC that she witnessed at least twice taunting the vigilantes when they tried to put an end to the sprees.
The sources, who now consider that what happened “is unforgivable”They assure that even then there were employees who questioned the official attitude -especially that of Johnson’s assistant and main promoter of the meetings, Martin Reynolds, resigned on February 3-, but they argue that it was “very difficult” for them to express their disagreement . They maintain that Downing Street during the pandemic was “like a bubble”, where the rules against covid, such as social distance or the mask, did not apply.