London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Top UK civil servant investigating Downing Street parties attended impromptu Christmas drinks

Top UK civil servant investigating Downing Street parties attended impromptu Christmas drinks

The U.K.’s most senior civil servant attended an impromptu Christmas drinks gathering in his government office last year in an apparent breach of COVID rules, according to multiple Whitehall officials.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who has been tasked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson with investigating whether a series of alleged Christmas parties broke COVID restrictions in place in late 2020, shared drinks with a group of 15 to 20 staff at his office and in the waiting room outside at 70 Whitehall in mid-December 2020, two officials present told POLITICO and the Independent.

A third official, who did not attend, said the event was discussed the following week and they were asked whether they attended “waiting room drinks.”

In response to a series of questions about the officials’ accounts, the Cabinet Office said in a brief statement: “These allegations are categorically untrue.”

At the time, London was in Tier 2 restrictions, meaning people were not allowed to socialize indoors and were told to work from home where possible.

Several bottles of wine and Prosecco were poured in the office, the two officials present say, and in the waiting room of the cabinet secretary. Case carried a glass through the fray as he greeted staff who gathered for what one official characterized as “last-minute” drinks organized by WhatsApp, including civil servants from other departments.

Case was described as “in and out” of the gathering, drinking with colleagues. Crisps were also served and there were Christmas decorations on the tables, one of those present recalled. The same official said it was “a fairly regular occurrence” for civil servants to drink at their desks during this time but that the gathering in Case’s office was “a piss-up” including his team and members of other departments.

The Whitehall employees who spoke to POLITICO and the Independent questioned the suitability of Case and Darren Tierney, the director general of propriety and ethics, to lead the inquiry into Downing Street parties.

One said: “It would have been better for the civil service to bring in someone from the outside [to investigate] especially as other parties involved [special advisers] who are temporary civil servants.” Another said it was a “joke” that they were leading the inquiry.

Tierney is not alleged to have been at the drinks gathering but is said to have been aware that it took place.

Boris Johnson has faced sustained questions about staff Christmas parties since the Mirror reported that officials drank wine and exchanged gifts via a Secret Santa on December 18, 2020. The prime minister announced last week he was putting Case in charge of an inquiry into the claims, a probe that has since expanded to include other gatherings alleged to have taken place on November 27 and December 10.

Johnson has also apologized “unreservedly” for video footage published by ITV News that shows members of the prime minister’s staff joking about the alleged celebration. Allegra Stratton, Johnson’s former spokeswoman, resigned over the video, saying she would “regret those words for the rest of my days.”

The prime minister said last week he had asked the cabinet secretary to “establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible.” Findings had been widely expected this week. Johnson pledged: “It goes without saying that if those rules were broken, there will be disciplinary action for all those involved.”

Johnson is experiencing one of his toughest weeks since becoming prime minister, and overnight saw his party lose a by-election in a seat that the Tories had held for almost 200 years. Earlier this week, Johnson suffered his biggest rebellion in the House of Commons to date over new COVID restrictions, with many insiders saying his credibility has been seriously dented.

Stories about Christmas parties keep coming, with the Mirror on Tuesday publishing fresh details of a Zoom quiz hosted by the prime minister, as well as an image of a separate party held in Conservative Campaign Headquarters by former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey. The Independent reported Thursday that the prime minister joined officials for drinks in Downing Street during the first coronavirus lockdown in May 2020.

Case was made the U.K.’s top civil servant in September 2020 — the youngest person ever recruited to the role — after he helped shape the U.K.’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

He was previously director general at the now-defunct Department for Exiting the EU, where he worked on Irish border negotiations under Theresa May, and has served as private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, as well as advising David Cameron and directing strategy at intelligence agency GCHQ.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×