Downing St drinks: Three bashes probed
THe Downing Street party probe was widened last night to cover a series of alleged Covid rulebusting gatherings.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case will investigate at least three events it is claimed took place in the run-up to last Christmas.
But claims that there was a party in Boris and Carrie Johnson’s no11 flat on november 13 – the night the Prime Minister’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings departed – are not currently included in the scope of the review.
However, Cabinet Office minister Lord True yesterday suggested ‘credible allegations’ of socialising could still be probed, keeping the door open for the flat claims to be potentially investigated.
Sources have alleged that as many as seven parties took place in Whitehall in november and December last year.
Mr Case’s inquiry was set up to look
‘Expected to co-operate’
into the now notorious no10 Christmas bash on December 18. As many as 40 people attended the boozy gathering.
He will also include in his review a gathering hosted by Gavin Williamson at the Department for education on December 10 last year, and a reported leaving event for a no 10 aide – allegedly attended by Mr Johnson – on november 27.
The two December dates coincide with when mixing between households in London was restricted, with england in a month-long lockdown during november.
Both the PM and Health Secretary had suggested Mr Case could choose to extend his investigation – a move he has decided to make – beyond the main allegation about the Downing Street gathering on
December 18, just 24 hours before the Government announced Christmas was cancelled.
Answering an urgent question in the Commons, Paymaster General Michael ellis said yesterday: ‘The primary purpose of the Cabinet Secretary’s investigation will be to establish swiftly a general understanding of the nature of the gatherings, including attendance, the setting and the purpose, and with reference to adherence to the guidance in place at the time.
‘If required, the investigation will establish whether individual disciplinary action is warranted.’
He said any evidence of potentially criminal behaviour ‘will be referred to the police and the Cabinet Office’s work may be paused’.
Ministers, special advisers and civil servants will be ‘expected to co-operate with this investigation’, said Mr ellis, who added that it would be for Mr Case to determine how long his inquiry lasts.
MPs were told the Cabinet Secretary was ‘not at any relevant gathering’ included in the review.
Fleur Anderson, Labour’s Cabinet Office spokesman, who asked the urgent question, called for the Government to ‘be straight with the British people’.
Mr Case’s inquiry was ordered by the PM after a leaked video showed Downing Street aides laughing about a ‘fictional’ party at no 10 in December 2020.
Asked how long the Prime Minister stayed at the leaving party held on november 27 for aide Cleo Watson, his official spokesman said: ‘There is an ongoing piece of work by the Cabinet Secretary, I’m not going to comment on specific allegations while that’s ongoing.’