Politics

Boris Johnson knew about Downing Street drinks party and ‘lied to Parliament’, Dominic Cummings claims



The former chief adviser said on Monday Mr Johnson “waved it aside” when he raised concerns over principal private secretary Martin Reynolds inviting more than 100 people to a “bring your own booze” event in the garden at Downing Street during lockdown.

Mr Cummings said regarding that day in 2020 alone, “never mind the string of other events”, the Prime Minister “lied to Parliament about parties” by insisting he had been assured no events had taken place that would have broken coronavirus rules.

“Not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time would swear under oath this is what happened,” he said.

In the blog-post, Mr Cummings said he had warned Mr Reynolds that his emailed invite to staff “broke the rules”.

“Amid discussion over the future of the Cabinet Secretary and PPS himself, which had been going on for days, I said to the PM something like: ‘Martin’s invited the building to a drinks party, this is what I’m talking about, you’ve got to grip this madhouse’,” the former adviser wrote.

“The PM waved it aside.The events of 20 May alone, never mind the string of other events, mean the PM lied to Parliament about parties.

“Not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time would swear under oath this is what happened.”

The Prime Minister has faced calls to resign over the Partygate scandal that saw Mr Johnson forced to apologise and admit he attended the event at PMQs last week with anger growing among grassroots Conservatives.

He has argued he believed it was a work event that could “technically” have been within the rules.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is investigating a number of possibly rule-breaking events and has questioned Mr Johnson, according to reports.



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