Downing Street insiders say Boris Johnson condoned parties by 'grabbing glass for himself' and reveal 'wine time Fridays'
24.05.2022 - 23:41
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Downing Street insiders have described chaotic mid-lockdown parties in No 10 they felt were condoned by Boris Johnson - as he 'was grabbing a glass for himself'. Three anonymous individuals have told BBC Panorama in detail what they witnessed at regular rule-breaking events during coronavirus restrictions.
Amid claims of 'wine time Fridays', one said: "There were bottles, empties, rubbish - in the bin, but overflowing - or indeed sometimes left on the table." Their evidence will heap further pressure on the Prime Minister ahead of the publication of the Sue Gray inquiry into “partygate”, which No 10 expects on Wednesday.
Party debris was left overnight for people arriving at work the next day to discover after staff crowded together and sat on each other’s laps at parties, according to the attendees.
One said they felt they had the permission of the Prime Minister as he was not telling them to break up the scenes when returning to his flat. “No, he wasn’t telling anybody that. He was grabbing a glass for himself,” they said.
Mr Johnson was already under renewed pressure after images obtained by ITV News showed him raising a glass while surrounded by colleagues and bottles of wine. Days after ordering England’s second national lockdown, the pictures showed the Prime Minister giving a toast for departing communications chief Lee Cain on November 13 2020.
One witness described the party that night: “There were about 30 people, if not more, in a room. Everyone was stood shoulder to shoulder, some people on each other’s laps … one or two people. Unforgivable” scenes were described at the party on April 16 last year, which was the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
They described a “lively event… a general party with