Boris Johnson is dragged deeper into Partygate scandal

New image of Boris Johnson ‘at Downing Street Christmas Zoom quiz’ shows PM taking off his tie next to a bottle of champagne and crisps – amid calls for Met Police to reverse decision NOT to include bash in Partygate criminal probe

  • New image said to show PM taking part in Downing Street ‘virtual’ quiz has emerged
  • Picture shows PM and two aides with what appears to be bottle of champagne
  • The December 15, 2020, Downing Street quiz is not being probed by the police 

Boris Johnson was today dragged deeper into the Partygate scandal after a new picture emerged of him allegedly attending a Downing Street Christmas quiz. 

The photograph showed Mr Johnson alongside three aides, one draped in tinsel, with what appears to be an open bottle of champagne on the table. 

The PM appears to be taking his tie off in the image which also shows a large open packet of crisps on the table. 

The Mirror reported that the picture was taken during the December 15, 2020, Christmas quiz in Number 10 which Downing Street has previously insisted was a ‘virtual’ event. 

The December 15 event is not one of the 12 Whitehall gatherings being probed by the Metropolitan Police but the emergence of the latest picture is likely to lead to calls for the force to reconsider. 

Mr Johnson said at Prime Minister’s Questions that the December 15 event ‘already has been submitted for investigation’. 

Mr Johnson’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings responded to the picture by tweeting: ‘there’s waaaaay better pics than that floating around, incl in the flat’. 

Boris Johnson was today dragged deeper into the Partygate scandal after a new picture emerged of him allegedly attending a Downing Street Christmas quiz

 The photograph showed Mr Johnson alongside three aides, one draped in tinsel, with what appears to be an open bottle of champagne on the table

Mr Johnson’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings responded to the picture by tweeting: ‘there’s waaaaay better pics than that floating around, incl in the flat’

London was subject to Tier Two coronavirus restrictions at the time of the December 15 event which meant there was a ban on social mixing between two or more people from different households. 

Work Christmas lunches and parties were also expressly forbidden under the Covid guidance in place at the time. 

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton raised the photo in the House of Commons at PMQs at lunchtime as he highlighted the case of a person from his constituency who received hospital treatment during lockdown but was unable to be visited by their family because they stuck to the rules.

He said: ‘In the last few minutes a photo has emerged of the Prime Minister in Downing Street on the 15th of December 2020 surrounded by alcohol, food and people wearing tinsel.

‘It looks a lot like one of the Christmas parties he told us never happened, so for the sake of my constituent and the sacrifices she made, will the Prime Minister be referring this party to the police as it is not one of the ones already being investigated?’

Mr Johnson replied: ‘First of all, I am very sorry about his constituent and for the difficulties that she has been through and I understand very much her feelings.

‘But in what he has just said I am afraid he is completely in error.’

Labour MP Gerald Jones raised the photo again and asked: ‘I would like to refer to the Prime Minister’s answer to my honourable friend, the member for Leeds North East (Mr Hamilton).

‘The photograph referred to is all over social media, everybody can see the photo, the Prime Minister is in the photo.

‘So can I ask him again, will he refer the matter to the police because this is not one of the parties already being investigated by the Metropolitan Police?’

Mr Johnson replied: ‘That is precisely the point, it already has been. That event already has been submitted for investigation.’

An initial image of the quiz emerged in December last year, showing Mr Johnson flanked by two aides.

The Prime Minister appeared on contestants’ screens during the event but has insisted he broke no rules.

Downing Street previously admitted Mr Johnson ‘briefly’ attended the quiz after the photographic evidence emerged but insisted it was a virtual event.   

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton raised the photo in the House of Commons at PMQs at lunchtime

The December 15 online quiz in Downing Street was looked at by Sue Gray as part of her investigation into potentially rule-busting gatherings. 

But the ‘update’ published by Ms Gray at the end of January revealed that it is not one of the 12 gatherings now subject to Met Police investigations. 

December 15 was one of four events which the police opted not to investigate. 

Ms Gray’s update said: ‘The police have confirmed that on the basis of the information available the gatherings on these four dates are not considered to have reached the threshold for criminal investigation.’ 

The Liberal Democrats said the new image confirms ‘what we already know – Boris Johnson is not fit to be Prime Minister’. 

The party’s home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: ‘These new images confirm what we already know – Boris Johnson is not fit to be Prime Minister.

‘The Met Police must add this to the long list of rule-breaking parties to investigate without delay.

‘Conservative MPs must also look themselves in the mirror and do the patriotic thing by calling on Boris Johnson to resign. Everyday the Prime Minister stays in office is an insult to those who endured such hardship during the pandemic.’

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