London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

PM facing growing anger over Downing Street drinks party

PM facing growing anger over Downing Street drinks party

Labour and some Tory MPs are demanding immediate answers on whether Boris Johnson attended a drinks event in the Downing Street garden during lockdown.

In heated scenes in the Commons, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said the PM "can run, but can't hide" from scrutiny over the May 2020 gathering.

And Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Mr Johnson must quit if found to have broken Covid rules.

The PM has declined to say whether he went to the drinks.

He will face MPs for what is likely to be a volatile session of Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

On Monday, ITV published a leaked email from Mr Johnson's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting 100 staff to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" on 20 May 2020 - when lockdown rules in England banned large outdoor gatherings.

The invitation encouraged people to "bring your own booze" and "make the most of the lovely weather".

Witnesses have told the BBC the prime minister and his wife Carrie were among about 30 people who attended the drinks.

An inquiry - led by senior civil servant Sue Gray - is under way into this event and other gatherings that took place on government premises during 2020.


"We should get rid of him…. We should own the situation. We are the Tory party. We are not delivering good governance."

That stinging verdict from a Conservative MP does not, at least not yet, seem to represent the consensus among the party's ranks on what to do about the current situation in Downing Street.

But the goodwill-to-all-men moment the Christmas holidays promised is very much over.

The subject of conversation among Tories on Tuesday was not the government's planned menu of policy fare for the week, but whether or not the moment had arrived when Boris Johnson, election-winner, had become Boris Johnson, discredited liability.

Standing in for Mr Johnson in the Commons on Tuesday, minister Michael Ellis said he expected Ms Gray's work to be "swift".

But he warned it could be "paused" if the Metropolitan Police - which says it is in contact with the government over reports of alleged breaches of Covid rules - decided to carry out its own investigation.

Mr Ellis added that it was not for him to "pass judgement or to pass sentence" before Ms Gray's findings were known.

But Labour MPs lined up to recount stories of constituents who had suffered during the pandemic and to accuse the government of hypocrisy.

Ms Rayner said it was disappointing that Mr Johnson was not there in person to respond, adding: "But his absence speaks volumes, as do his smirks on the media.

"The public has already drawn its own conclusions. He can run, but he can't hide."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asked: "Will the minister set out what he thinks should happen if a Conservative MP is found to have flouted and broken a Covid law?"

And DUP MP Jim Shannon was brought to tears when speaking of the death of his mother-in-law during the pandemic.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called on Conservative MPs to "force [the PM] from office" if he did not "do the decent thing" and resign.

Few Tory MPs turned up in the Commons to support Mr Johnson, but one who did, Suzanne Webb, said: "The time of the House is better spent at this moment in time, as we recover from this pandemic... debating how we can build back better and level up."

But Scottish leader Douglas Ross told the BBC he felt "fury" over what had happened, adding that Mr Johnson should resign if he "broke the law".

"People gave up so much and they're now seeing at the exact same time, potentially, those at the top in No 10 were enjoying the weather and having a drink in the garden," he said.

"I can't answer the question 'was the prime minister there?' He can, and the public deserve that answer."

Boris and Carrie Johnson are alleged to have attended the lockdown drinks gathering in the Downing Street garden


Tory MP Nigel Mills told the BBC: "The idea that during the worst lockdown - when you could only see one other person - that the people organising the rules were having a party is just unacceptable. It's indefensible."

"I think if [Mr Johnson] knowingly attended what he knew to be party, then he can't survive that."

Conservative former minister Johnny Mercer tweeted about the drinks gathering: "It's humiliating, and does not reflect the majority of my colleagues who 'at least try' and lead by example."

Another ex-minister told the BBC that Mr Johnson "tries to lie his way out of everything", while another said: "Boris is finished."

The PM's official spokesman refused to comment on claims surrounding the drinks event while the investigation was taking place, but he added that the prime minister retained full confidence in Mr Reynolds.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is expected to attend Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, having missed last week's session because of a positive Covid test.


Watch: Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner tells the Commons that Boris Johnson can run but he can't hide

A DUP MP cries while questioning the government over claims it broke lockdown rules


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
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
×