London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026

Partygate: No easy return for Boris Johnson after Easter break

Partygate: No easy return for Boris Johnson after Easter break

There will be no easing back into work for the prime minister after this Easter break.

On Tuesday he'll face MPs for the first time since he was fined for breaching Covid rules - and then address fellow Tory MPs in the evening.

It'll come a week after the prime minister, his wife and the chancellor received fines for attending a birthday gathering for the PM in No 10 in the Cabinet Room.

On Wednesday, he faces a Prime Minister's Questions from the opposition, after a weekend where the Sunday Times reported claims he was involved in "instigating" a leaving do in November 2020, which Downing Street deny.

All the while he will be hoping more fines don't land in his inbox from police investigating Covid breaches in government.

So, what's the plan? And where does more potential jeopardy lie?

No 10 sources stress he will apologise again to MPs for Covid breaches in Downing Street, and say he understands the strength of feeling around breaches of Covid restrictions at the heart of government.

Boris Johnson may want to focus on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

As one source put it, there is "quite a bit to update Parliament on".

But opposition parties will want to turn the attention to him becoming the first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

The timing of the fines came as a surprise, with the prime minister's director of communications coordinating the response while floating on a felucca boat down the Nile on holiday with no electricity and only a power bank.

Speaking after the fine - the prime minister said people "had the right to expect better" from him and it "did not occur" to him at the time that the "brief" gathering in the Cabinet Room to mark his birthday in June 2020 could be in contravention of Covid lockdown rules.

Opposition parties strongly believe the prime minister deliberately misled parliament by previously saying rules in No 10 were followed at all times - and are looking at various mechanisms to hold him to account about this. Labour sources say options under consideration include forcing a vote on whether he misled Parliament or referring him to a parliamentary committee to investigate.

There's no suggestion the prime minister would lose any vote against him, but opposition parties are likely to strongly criticise any Tory MPs who may be forced to publicly defend his actions.

After fresh allegations in the Sunday Times that at a leaving drinks for his director of communications, Lee Cain, in November 2020 the prime minister poured drinks at the gathering Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said - if the reports were true - then the prime minister had a "hand in instigating" at least one of the parties.

She added he had "deliberately misled the British people at every turn".

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has heavily criticised the PM's involvement in the parties


The newspaper cited a source claiming it was not a leaving do, but a press office Friday afternoon drinks, until the prime minister showed up.

No 10 have not denied that this event took place, but have strongly denied that the prime minister instigated it - with sources pointing to the reports that alcohol was already on the table when the prime minister showed up.

One individual present at the event told the BBC that people were instead having a drink at the office at the end of the day and the prime minister had popped in to say goodbye to Lee Cain.

Those close to him also stress he turned up at his own press office with people "by definition" allowed to be there on that day.

Some of those present at the gathering have also told the BBC they have not been questioned by the police about this specific gathering.

However, there is concern among some Tory MPs that further fines or bad headlines could be yet to come.

The gathering he has been fined for so far is considered by many as a more minor event - a gathering in the Cabinet Room ahead of a meeting on Covid where people wished him happy birthday.

While he paid the fine, No 10 insiders have said the prime minister did not believe it was wrong to step into this gathering to allow people who worked for him to say happy birthday, and that it "didn't feel like a party".

Police are still wading through evidence surrounding other events - such as two now infamous Downing Street garden drinks events.

The prime minister's defence in coming weeks is likely to focus on not being aware that turning up at these gatherings in a place, one source described "he was allowed to be" with "people who were allowed to be there" was disallowed.

But should further fines be issued, or more egregious breaches found, this argument could prove much harder to make both to the British public - but also to some of his own MPs.


Ros Atkins on… Boris Johnson’s lockdown party fine


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Launches Review of Voluntary National Insurance Contributions System
UK Planning Inspectorate Reports Key Infrastructure and Planning Milestones in Annual Review
UK Government Reviews Travel Expense Reimbursement Rates for Employers and Employees
Civil Nuclear Constabulary Launches National Digital Memorial for Officers Killed in Service
UK and US Expand Collaboration on Nuclear Fusion Research and Workforce Exchange
Environment Agency Secures £275,000 Enforcement Deal with Anglian Water Over Permit Breaches
Independent Inspector Flags Ongoing Failures in UK Home Office Border Case Management
UK Government Considers Zero VAT Rate on Land for Social Housing Development
Bank of England Reports Sharp Drop in Emissions and Warns on Climate-Driven Financial Risk
Consumer Confidence in the UK Falls at Fastest Quarterly Rate Since 2022
UK Borrowing Costs Rise Sharply on Gilt Markets Amid Fiscal and Political Concerns
UK Government Plans Legislation to Bring British Steel into Public Ownership
UK Government Secures £210 Million Nuclear Fuel Deal to Support Ukraine Energy Security
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Emergency Call Volume Amid Severe Heatwave
United Kingdom Faces Record June Heatwave as Temperatures Hit 36.7°C in Somerset
UK Financial Services Reform Debate Intensifies Over Ministerial Regulatory Powers
UK Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep Inflation Above Target Through 2026
UK Biohacking and AI Wellness Trends Drive Surge in Personal Health Monitoring
UK Social Care Sector Sees Workforce Shift as Overseas Recruitment Masks Domestic Labour Decline
Nuffield Trust Warns UK Health Budgets Remain Vulnerable Despite Record Spending Levels
UK Coal Pension Surplus Debate Returns to Parliament as Reform UK MP Seeks Clarity on Distribution
UK MPs Consider E-Petition Calling for NHS Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
UK Parliament Debates E-Petition Calling for Inquiry Into Pro-Israel Influence in Politics
UK Economy Grew 0.6 Percent in Q1 2026 but Business Sentiment Weakens Over Geopolitical Risks
UK Financial Services Bill Enters Lords Committee Stage With Expanded Ministerial Powers
UK Armed Forces Bill Advances With Plans for Defence Housing Service and Drone Defence Measures
UK Treasury Proposes Higher Electricity Generator Levy and Updated Mileage Allowance Rules
UK Parliament Debates Health Bill Amid Persistent GP Access and Patient Satisfaction Concerns
UK Financial Sanctions Regulator Signals Faster, Intelligence-Led Enforcement Strategy
British Chambers of Commerce Warns Business Confidence Crisis Is Dampening UK Investment
UK Parliament Debates Carbon Budget Order as Pressure Mounts on Net Zero Delivery
UK Energy Price Volatility Reinforces Pressure for Faster Electrification of Economy
UK Defence and Aerospace Strategy Gains Momentum as Keir Starmer Pushes Industrial Cooperation in Berlin
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Unveils £53 Million Investment in Farming Innovation
Foreign Secretary Announces Medical Evacuations and University Support for Palestinians in Gaza
Government-Commissioned Report Highlights Economic Exposure to Climate-Driven Fossil Fuel Price Shocks
Climate Change Committee Warns UK Is Off Track on Emissions Cuts and Calls for Faster Decarbonisation
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Calls for Deeper UK-EU Defence and Industrial Cooperation in Berlin Address
Met Office Issues Red Extreme Heat Warning as Temperatures Set to Surpass 37°C in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Outlook Remains Uncertain
UK Announces New Military Infrastructure at Catterick to Support Engineer Regiment Relocation
University of Reading Ranked Among Top 100 Globally for Sustainability Impact
UK Launches Counter-Fraud Taskforce to Investigate Covid Loan Scams
UK Government Introduces Customs and Tax Reforms to Support High Street Retailers
Jonathan Haskel Nominated as Chair of the UK Office for Budget Responsibility
UK Government Expands Powers to Recover Benefit Debt and Tackle Welfare Fraud
Labour Party Leadership Contest Intensifies as Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband Clash Over Economic Direction
Rail Operators Urge Essential Travel Only as Extreme Heat Threatens UK Network Stability
United Kingdom Issues Red Extreme Heat Warning as Temperatures Forecast to Reach 38°C
Keir Starmer Announces Resignation as UK Prime Minister Amid Deepening Political Instability
×