Anatomy Of a scandal

HOW MIRROR LED WAY

Iwas in the Downing Street briefing room at the morning lobby on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. Government scientist Dr Jenny Harries had just been on the radio, saying people should “be careful, not socialising when we don’t particularly need to” in the weeks ahead.

The PM’S official spokesman didn’t seem to agree, telling us Dr Harries “gives advice to the Government, she is not the Government”.

I had been working on the No10 party story for about six weeks, but immediately knew now was the moment to get it over the line.

Covid was making headlines again, and we were in the run-up to Christmas.

The next morning, we ran our front-page story with the headlines “Boris party broke Covid rules” and “No10 hosted boozy bashes while millions endured strict lockdown”.

We reported on two parties – one was the Christmas do on December, 18, 2020, at which up to 40 staff crammed “cheek by jowl” into a small room with wine and cheese, party games and a Secret Santa. The second was a leaving do at which the PM made a speech and staff knocked back glasses of fizz.

Sources told me they were just two of “many gatherings” and there were “always parties” in the flat Boris Johnson shares with his wife, adding: “Carrie’s addicted to them”. Those claims were denied by Mrs Johnson. No10 didn’t deny our other claims, just insisted no rules were broken.

There’s always a moment when you publish a story you think has the potential to have impact when you feel slightly sick.

Some Westminster insiders were sceptical. “It’s a bubble story,” one told me. “It was a year ago. Not sure it goes anywhere,” another added.

At PMQS, I sat in the press gallery as Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the PM of “taking the British public for fools”.

Downing Street aides tied themselves in knots. Yet one by one Government insiders came to me, saying there was more to uncover.

After a week, the story exploded when ITV got hold of footage of Boris Johnson’s own team joking about the No10 staff Christmas party. It led to senior aide Allegra Stratton tearfully quitting. The PM – who said he was “sickened” by the video – was forced to announce an inquiry by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

We kept plugging away – revealing two gatherings in Downing Street and one at the DFE. Others were to follow. These included pictures of the PM with booze on his desk at a “virtual” quiz (most participants were in the building).

We also published an image of a Christmas bash at CCHQ. All while the rest of us were following lockdown rules. The public hates double standards – and the PM’S ratings started to plummet. The next week I was glued to my phone just after 4am as the results of the North Shropshire by-election rolled in. The Lib Dems took the once true blue seat.

My phone started pinging with Tory contacts saying Mr Johnson had lost his way and their opponents saying partygate had “cut through”.

More revelations followed – the PM had attended a May 2020 gathering in the Downing Street garden and there was a party in Case’s office, rendering his role overseeing the inquiry untenable. Sue Gray took over, leaving some in

No10 quaking in their boots. Although Mirror colleagues joke I’m never going to get invited to another party again, I love a knees-up. But we were concerned about Omicron ruining Christmas so cancelled our social lives, worked from home and tested for Covid daily.

The caution paid off and my family was able to head to Lancashire, then Scotland.

After Christmas, the list of rule-busting lockdown parties continued to grow. The PM’S former top aide Dominic Cummings claimed in a blog post the PM and dozens of staff held a BYOB party in the No10 garden.

Days later an email sent by the PM’S top civil

servant aide, which invited 200 staff to “make the most of the lovely weather”, leaked out. Tables were laden with booze and snacks as Mr Johnson, Carrie and around 30 aides partied.

We also broke stories about “Wine Time Fridays”, No10 staff buying suitcases of booze. There were shock revelations aides drank at two leaving dos the night before the Queen sat alone at Prince Philip’s funeral.

It didn’t stop there. A tale about a lockdown birthday party organised by Carrie in the Cabinet room descended into a bizarre row about being ambushed by a cake.

We later revealed there were pictures of the

PM toasting with a can of beer – taken by the taxpayer-funded No10 photographer. Mr Johnson’s responses developed, from “all guidance was followed” to “I broke no rules”.

Rebellious Tories, under pressure from angry voters plotted his end, submitting letters of no confidence to try to trigger a leadership contest.

But the “Pork Pie Plot” fizzled out after No10 sent out the PM’S enforcers.

A week later, the Met Police announced it would investigate Downing Street lockdown breaches. They asked Ms Gray to put her inquiry on hold – but not before she put out a devastating interim report. She revealed she was looking at a dozen events – including six the PM attended. The delay gave the PM time to shore up his position and war in Ukraine left many feeling now was not the time to oust him.

Scotland Yard issued their first fixed penalty notices in late March – eventually reaching a total of 126 fines issued for 83 people at events on eight days. Mr Johnson received just one – to the surprise of many – for his surprise No10 birthday party. Chancellor Rishi Sunak was also fined ending his dreams of taking over at No10.

Eventually, Scotland Yard announced the inquiry was over. The “greased piglet” – so-called because of his ability to wriggle out of trouble

– had escaped again. But the damage to Mr Johnson’s reputation was done. His MPS remain jittery. The Commons privileges committee still has to investigate whether he deliberately misled Parliament. Polls show the majority of voters believe that he lied.

When the PM addressed Tory MPS last night, he told them the scandal had been like “having a mirror held up to the inner workings of No10”, which he added was “always a bit painful”.

He can rest assured, this Mirror will continue to reflect what is going on behind the black door of Downing Street – painful for the PM or not.

pippa.crerar@mirror.co.uk