London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Boris Johnson: I broke no rules over Christmas parties

Boris Johnson: I broke no rules over Christmas parties

Boris Johnson has said he "certainly broke no rules" as questions continue to plague the government over parties during lockdown last Christmas.

A picture published in the Sunday Mirror showed the PM at a virtual quiz in Downing Street, appearing on screen alongside two colleagues.

But sources have told the BBC other No 10 staff members sat in groups of six in a room in Cabinet Office.

Mr Johnson denied any wrongdoing but said the event would be investigated.

The prime minister's spokesman confirmed senior civil servant Simon Case, who was tasked with the probe into government parties last week, was now investigating the quiz.

It means he is looking into four events in total.

The PM said Mr Case would report back "as soon as we reasonably can".

The government has been under increasing pressure over lockdown gatherings after the news broke of a party in Downing Street on 18 December 2020 - when London was under Tier 3 restrictions and the announcement of a new country-wide lockdown was looming.

Mr Johnson said he had been assured all rules were followed, but a leaked video of No 10 staffers joking about the event led to one of them resigning and the PM asking the Cabinet Office to launch an investigation.

Other allegations about parties across government departments began to emerge, including several sources telling the BBC about a quiz on 15 December, organised in advance by No 10 staff, with groups of employees gathered in a policy unit room to take part.

On Sunday, a picture of Mr Johnson taking part in the event - when the capital was under Tier 2 restrictions - was published by the Sunday Mirror, which claimed he hosted a round of the quiz alongside colleagues, who were wearing tinsel and a Santa hat.

The picture published by the Sunday Mirror showed Boris Johnson in the No 10 library under a picture of Margaret Thatcher


A Downing Street spokesman said the PM "briefly took part virtually" to thank staff for their work during the pandemic.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it appeared Mr Johnson had breached Covid laws in place at the time, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the event had created "fury" and that trust in the prime minister was at an "all-time low".

Asked about the allegations on Monday, the prime minister told reporters: "I can tell you once again that I certainly broke no rules. All that is being looked into.

"Of course all that must be properly got into and you will be hearing from the cabinet secretary about it all."

When asked to confirm Mr Case's investigation would look into his actions, Mr Johnson said: "He's looking at all these things.

"We will report back on all that. I certainly broke no rules and [we will report back] as soon as we reasonably can."

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said they would not be commenting further, but the terms of reference for the investigation said: "Where there are credible allegations relating to other gatherings, these may be investigated."

What parties took place and when?


13 November 2020: Sources have told the BBC there were impromptu drinks to mark the exit of the former director of communications at No 10, Lee Cain - but it was staff having drinks at their desks and was over by 20:30 GMT.

13 November 2020: Also the date Dominic Cummings left as chief adviser to the PM. Sources told the BBC that several Downing Street staff members attended a gathering with Carrie Johnson in the flat where the prime minister and his wife live above No 11 after exits. A source said music was blaring and could be heard elsewhere in the building. But others said to be at the party denied it took place, as did a spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson.

25 November 2020: The Times reported Treasury officials held a drinks party in their office to celebrate Rishi Sunak's spending review during the lockdown. The newspaper said two dozen civil servants were understood to have attended the event. But a spokesman for the department insisted it was an "impromptu" event, with a "small number" of staff who celebrated around their desks.

27 November 2020: Another No 10 aide, Cleo Watson, left Downing Street marked by an event. Again, sources said it was not formally organised, but people were having drinks and Mr Johnson made a speech.

December 10 2020: The Department for Education has confirmed it had a gathering in the office to thank staff for their work during the pandemic. Drinks and snacks were brought by those who attended and no outside guests or support staff were invited.

14 December 2020: The Conservatives have confirmed a report in the Times that there was an "unauthorised social gathering" in the basement of their party's building, held by the team of the London mayoral candidate at the time, Shaun Bailey. It was described as "raucous", with No 10 aides

15 December 2020: Multiple sources told the BBC there was a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff in the Cabinet Office, with invites sent out in advance via email, telling people to form teams of six. Downing Street have said it was a "virtual gathering" but while some joined in that way, sources said there were groups in the room sat in their teams. This is the event the Sunday Mirror released a picture of the PM attending virtually.

18 December 2020: A Downing Street Christmas party took place on this date, as first reported by the Mirror. A source told the BBC there was food, drinks and games at the gathering that went on past midnight.

DWP gatherings: The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed a "core team" of staff drank alcohol and ate takeaways "on a number of occasions" whilst working late in the office while Covid restrictions were in place. It followed a report in the Sunday Mirror alleging political staff and officials working for minister Therese Coffey frequently drank after work until the early hours of the morning.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
Explosive Email Shows Sarah Ferguson Begged Forgiveness from Jeffrey Epstein After Taking His Money
Corrupt UK Politician Ed Davey Demands Elon Musk’s Arrest for Supporting Democracy
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Alibaba Debuts Open-Source Deep Research Agent with Benchmarks Rivaling OpenAI
Marcos Faces Legacy-Defining Crisis as Flood Projects Scandal Sparks Massive Tide of Protests
China’s Micro-Drama Boom Turns Stalled Real Estate Projects into Lavish Film Sets
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
'Company Got 5,189 H-1B Visas, Then Laid Off 16,000 Americans': US Defends New $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Golf legend tells Omar she should be 'sent back to Somalia' after her Kirk comments
EU Set to Bar Big Tech from New Financial Data Access Scheme
China Bans Livestreaming and AI in Religion Amid Crackdown on Shaolin Temple Scandal
×