London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Sort it out or step aside, Tory donor tells Boris Johnson

Sort it out or step aside, Tory donor tells Boris Johnson

A major Conservative donor has issued an ultimatum to Boris Johnson over revelations about lockdown parties in Downing Street.

John Caudwell said: "Sort it out, Boris, or step aside and let someone else sort it out so that the Tories aren't wiped out at the next election."

The Phones4U founder donated £500,000 to the Conservatives ahead of the 2019 general election.

He criticised the government's perceived "arrogance and hypocrisy".

Mr Caudwell was one of the Conservative Party's biggest individual donors at the last general election, and has previously given money to pro-Brexit Tory MP Sir Bill Cash.

He told BBC News: "Although I have always obeyed the rules I have never been puritanical about lockdown restrictions so I find it difficult to personally get excited about an outdoor drinks party. But it's the perceived arrogance, hypocrisy and rule breaking that is impossible to justify.

"While the rest of us were striving to follow the ever-changing rules - including myself, even when I deemed them to be excessive at best, nonsensical at worst - those who were setting those rules were, apparently freely and frequently, disregarding them.

"Each one of these new revelations gives greater force to the accusation that areas of the government think it's 'one rule for them, one rule for the rest of us'.

"This is disastrous."

'Socially distanced drinks'


He added that he was not a "dyed-in-the-wool Tory" and had been critical of the government's economic recovery plans, urging more investment in apprenticeships and renewable energy.

But he added: "I do think the Conservatives are the best party to govern this country, particularly as we look to navigate opportunities post-Brexit.

"Sort it out, Boris, or step aside and let someone else sort it out so that the Tories aren't wiped out at the next election."

Alasdair Locke, who has donated £280,000 to the Conservative Party since Mr Johnson came to power, said the lockdown parties were "something the media is making a great deal of" and voters would be concerned with "serious stuff" at the next election.

"I really don't think a leadership change, or challenge, is needed at this stage. A bit more grip would help but that will probably come."

The prime minister is under growing pressure from Labour - and anger from some Conservatives - over his alleged attendance at a previously unreported Downing Street party.

It comes after ITV published a leaked email from the PM's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting 100 staff to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" on 20 May 2020.

The invitation for the event, which was organised when strict lockdown rules were still in place, encouraged people to "bring your own booze" and "make the most of the lovely weather".

Witnesses told the BBC the PM and his wife had been among about 30 people who attended the gathering.

But Mr Johnson has declined to say whether he was one of them.

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

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is investigating lockdown parties in Downing Street, including the event on 20 May 2020, and is expected to report shortly.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×