‘We got away with it’: the parties and how aides kept them secret
Gray report details how officials tried to cover up events where booze flowed freely and revellers stayed up until the small hours
BORIS JOHNSON’S principal private secretary boasted that they had “got away with” partygate rule breaking in a message to a Downing Street special adviser.
Martin Reynolds, who was responsible for running the Prime Minister’s office, sent the message in the wake of a “bring your own booze” invite circulated to 200 staff.
Mr Reynolds, who was subsequently moved out of Downing Street and is now tipped for promotion as the next UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said in the Whatsapp message to an unnamed adviser: “Best of luck – a complete nonstory but better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with).”
It is unclear which “complete nonstory” Mr Reynolds was referring to, but the Whitehall mandarin was all too aware of the problems presented by the “BYOB” garden party on May 20 2020.
The Sue Gray report details a series of occasions when officials seemingly tried to cover their tracks over parties, subsequently investigated by police for breaking Covid lockdown laws.
In advance of the same BYOB party, a No10 special adviser, not named in the report, sent a message to Mr Reynolds in which he was warned that the drinks were scheduled to begin just as a Downing Street press conference on the pandemic was due to end. The special adviser wrote: “Just to flag that the press conference will probably be finishing around that time, so helpful if people can be mindful of that as speakers and cameras are leaving, not walking around waving bottles of wine etc.” Mr Reynolds replied: “Will do my best!…”
The report discloses that staff knew their behaviour was inappropriate. Ahead of a leaving do for a No10 official held on June 18 2020 at which pizza and prosecco were served and a karaoke machine brought along, one official wrote to another: “Hi Martin [Reynolds] and Stuart [Glassborow] would like to do speeches tomorrow, when we have our drinks which aren’t drinks.” Mr Glassborow was Mr Johnson’s deputy principal private secretary at the time.
Ms Gray investigated 16 events in Whitehall during the pandemic. “Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen,” she wrote. Below The Daily Telegraph lists those events and Ms Gray’s findings:
The wine and cheese party May 15 2020, Downing Street garden
This event was made famous by a photograph previously leaked to The Guardian showing groups gathered in the garden. Boris Johnson sat at a table on the terrace with Mr Reynolds and Dominic Cummings, his senior adviser. According to the Gray report they were “continuing a lengthy meeting” that had begun in the PM’S office before moving outside at 6pm. “The Prime Minister brought cheese and wine from his flat,” says Ms Gray, adding that the “outdoor part of the meeting” lasted for “40 minutes to an hour” and that the three men “were briefly joined” by Carrie Johnson, his wife, “during which time the photograph was taken”.
The PM remained in the garden until 7.20pm. The largest group in the garden included Matt Hancock, the then health secretary, who would later be forced to resign over his own lockdown breach involving his aide turned mistress. At another table on the terrace sat four individuals who Ms Gray, despite her best endeavours, said it had “not been possible to identify”.
“Bring your own booze” party May 20 2020, No10 garden
With the forecast set for “nice weather”, officials began planning the “bring your own booze” event a week in advance as a “morale booster”.
Initially only No10 staff were to be invited, but the party extended to the Cabinet Office. Ms Gray reports that this was an event “planned in advance and attended by a significant number of people”, adding: “Some concerns were expressed about whether it was appropriate to hold the event.”
The Downing Street garden was booked by the internal events team and two officials nominated to “go out and get the booze”.
On the morning of the drinks, Martin Reynolds sent out an email, declaring: “Hi all, after what has been an incredibly busy period we thought it would be nice to make the most of this lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the garden this evening. Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze! Martin.” In total, the invitation went to 200 staff across No 10. Not everyone was as excited as Mr Reynolds.
According to the report: “A No10 director declined the invitation and told the investigation that they had raised with either Martin Reynolds or his office that it was not a good idea.”
Lee Cain, the then director of communications, told Mr Reynolds in an email: “I’m sure it will be fine – and I applaud the gesture – but a 200 odd person invitation for drinks in the garden of No 10 is somewhat of a comms risk in the current environment.”
The event attracted 30 to 40 attendees including a 30-minute appearance by Mr Johnson at 6pm. Mr Johnson and Mr Reynolds then held a private meeting indoors after which Mr Reynolds returned to the event. It ended at 11pm with pizza provided along with drinks.
Mr Reynolds would later write to an official that “we seem to have got away with” the drinks.
A karaoke machine, vomit and a fight June 18 2020, Cabinet Office
This one was a raucous affair. The official who was leaving was not named in the Gray report but has previously been identified by The Telegraph as Hannah Young. It was a party of two halves: the first was a formal event that lasted an hour in the Cabinet Room with speeches, while the second was in the Cabinet Secretary’s rooms and involved food, drink and music.
Mr Cain again had reservations. On June 12, six days before the party, he wrote to Mr Reynolds on Whatsapp: “I’m not sure it works at all to be honest, which would be a shame. I don’t see how we can have some kind of party though.” He went on: “I think it’s your decision my friend, not mind [sic]! But it obviously comes with rather substantial comms risks.” On the night Helen Macnamara, the Deputy Cabinet Secretary in charge of Whitehall ethics, brought along a karaoke machine.
The last person left the party at 3.13am. At some point in the proceedings a “minor altercation”, in the civil servant’s own words, took place. Most people would call this a fight.
The report states that in the early part of the evening more than 25 people, including Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, and Dominic Cummings, then Mr Johnson’s special adviser, gathered in the Cabinet Room for speeches.
At about 7.40pm, guests went through an adjoining door between No10 and 70 Whitehall, with a message sent to a Whatsapp group stating: “Where is everyone?...the pizzas are here.” Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, then arrived having returned from a meeting and stayed for a while.
Ms Gray’s report went on: “The event lasted for a number of hours. There was excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. One individual was sick. There was a minor altercation between two other individuals.”
Boris’s birthday bash June 19 2020, No 10 Cabinet Room
Also known as “the one where Boris Johnson received his fixed penalty notice”, the Gray report contains the first photographs made public of the event. One of the four images shows the PM hoisting into the air a can of beer.
Cleo Watson, a special adviser, had been asked to organise the event including sandwiches and cake at 1pm.
Ms Gray writes: “The Prime Minister was not aware of this event in advance and it did not form part of his official diary for the day.”
He was ushered into the Cabinet Room at 2.20pm where Simon Case, the then permanent secretary for Covid and pandemic response, attended for “a short period” along with Rishi Sunak who had arrived early for a meeting in the room.
Mr Sunak will feel himself unlucky to have received a police fine, having “had no advance knowledge about what had been planned”. The birthday party lasted 20 minutes. Carrie Johnson also attended and was also fined.
A farewell to Lee Cain – part one Nov 13 2020, Downing St press office
Photographs leaked two days ago showed a mass of alcohol – bottles of wine, fizz and a half-empty gin bottle – along with food, plates and paper cups on a table, and Mr Johnson drinking a toast and giving a leaving speech.
The report found that the event was not “pre-planned”, Mr Cain having announced his resignation shortly beforehand. Ms Gray states: “It did occur at around the time that ‘Wine Time Friday’ would normally be taking place.”
“The Prime Minister attended on his way to his Downing Street flat, having left his office at 7.17pm. He went to the press office area, joined the gathering and made a leaving speech for Mr Cain.
“Wine had been provided and those attending, including the Prime Minister, were drinking alcohol.”
A farewell to Lee Cain – part two Nov 13 2020, Downing St flat
There have been claims that Carrie Johnson, having fallen out with Mr Cain and Mr Cummings, had thrown a “Winner Takes It All” party, playing Abba songs in the Johnsons’ Downing Street flat. The claim has been strenuously denied.
The Gray report says a gathering did take place after 6pm attended by five special advisers to discuss the departure of Mr Cain and Mr Cummings.
Mr Johnson joined the meeting at 8pm and food and alcohol was served. The Gray report admits: “The information collected on this gathering is limited as the process of obtaining evidence had only just been commenced when the Metropolitan Police announced their own investigations …. At this point I stopped my investigation, given the need to avoid any prejudice to the police investigation.”
When the police inquiry ended, Ms Gray “concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate to” carry out her own fresh inquiry.
Another special adviser goes Nov 27 2020, No10
At 6pm, a leaving do attended by 15 to 20 people began in the press office at No10, “some of whom were drinking alcohol”.
Mr Johnson arrived at 6.19pm having ended a meeting to “say goodbye”. The Prime Minister “remained for a short time, saying a few words of thanks”
‘I’m sure it will be fine but a 200-odd person invitation for drinks in the garden of No10 is somewhat of a comms risk’
before returning to his office for his next meeting at 6.45pm. The special adviser left the building by 7pm.
Christmas party at DFE Dec 10 2020, Dept for Education
Gavin Williamson, the then education secretary, wanted to thank staff for their work during the year, and organised a gathering for around an hour in the department in December 2020.
Staff had wine and mince pies but were advised to maintain social distancing. About 20 to 30 people attended in the department canteen.
The Christmas quiz – part one Dec 15 2020, Downing Street
No10 staff attended a virtual quiz to celebrate Christmas, with most dialling in from home. Some in Downing Street also joined the call, and ate food and drank alcohol they had provided themselves. Mr Johnson read questions for one of the rounds, and staff stayed for about three and a half hours. One No10 official, wary of “drunkenness”, advised staff to leave by the back entrance.
The Christmas quiz – part two Dec 17 2020, Cabinet Office
Twelve Cabinet Office staff attended an online Christmas quiz in lieu of a party, but five staff joined from the office. They drank alcohol and ate snacks until 10pm. The quiz was over in an hour followed by an online game of Articulate.
Double leaving do Dec 17 2020, Downing Street
The second event investigated on Dec 17 by Ms Gray was a leaving do for two officials, that included a speech by Mr Johnson, at a gathering attended by about 20 people and held in the Pillared Room. Alcohol was served. Most left the event by 8.45pm, but three or four carried on drinking until about 1am.
Covid taskforce chief’s leaving party Dec 17 2020, Cabinet Office
Another party on that night was for Kate Josephs, a director general in the Covid taskforce, and responsible for writing the lockdown rules.
Another official was also leaving on the same night. Drinking began at 7pm with more than 20 staff attending. “The intention was to follow the social distancing guidance by observing a oneway system” writes Ms Gray, adding: “This did not happen.”
Ms Josephs stayed behind until after midnight to tidy up.
‘Wine on the Wall’ Christmas party Dec 18 2020, Downing Street
London was in Tier 3 lockdown, but Downing Street was determined to enjoy Christmas. Wine would be spilt on the wall, and a “panic alarm button accidentally triggered” prompting the arrival of Downing Street’s on duty custodians and a police officer.
What they found was “a large number of people in the area outside of the main press office and one individual giving a speech”. Meanwhile, inside the press office were a further 15 to 20 people. Jack Doyle, who at the time headed up the press operation, handed out awards and there was even a secret Santa. Staff had discussed a whip-round to buy a fridge to keep drinks chilled.
Evidence uncovered by Ms Gray shows the event was originally named a “wine and cheese evening” but was later renamed to “end of year meeting with wine and cheese”.
It adds: “A cleaner who attended the room the next morning noted that there had been red wine spilt on one wall and on a number of boxes of photocopier paper.”
Another double leaving do Jan 14 2021, No 10
A “virtual leaving presentation” for two No10 staff was also attended in person by some staff in the Pillared Room in Downing Street.
Ms Gray’s report said about 15 people attended the event in person, and Mr Johnson gave a speech. Staff stayed in the room until after 11pm.
Parties on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral April 16 2021, No 10
One night: two parties. And both the night before the funeral of Prince Philip. Also known as “the one where a child’s swing (presumably that of Wilfred Johnson) was broken”. One event was a leaving party for James Slack, Mr Johnson’s departing director of communications, and the other a gathering of the digital team in the No10 basement although there was “significant overlap” between the two.
Mr Slack’s leaving do began at 6.30pm, lasted an hour and was attended by 45 people.
The building was being locked down and partygoers moved to the Downing Street garden.
Meanwhile, staff in the basement drank and “music was played from a laptop on top of a printer”, while a “number of those present drank excessively”. The event was smaller than the one upstairs, but merged outside in the garden.
Ms Gray noted: “A number of individuals gathered near a child’s swing/slide in the garden, damaging it by leaning on and playing with it. This was noticed the next morning and reported to No10 staff.”
Entry/exit logs show drinking carried on “until the early hours”.