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Check out Paul Brand’s exclusive report on partygate photos showing the Prime Minister drinking with other people at number 10 during a strict blockade
Photographs obtained by ITV News called into question the Prime Minister’s claims that he was unaware of the breach of the rules on Downing Street during the pandemic.
The four images show the Prime Minister raising a glass at an outing party on November 13, 2020, with bottles of alcohol and party food on the table in front of him.
They were taken at a meeting in honor of then-Downing Street Communications Director Lee Cain, with eight people in the photo together, as well as the photographer.
ITV News understands that there were also other offside participants at the party, which a source has dubbed “Fizzgate”, although the rules at the time only allowed two people from different households to sweep inside.
In several of the photographs, it appears that Boris Johnson is making a speech and raising a toast, with half a glass of gas in his hands.
In a chair he sits his red box, and on the table beside him are two bottles of champagne or cava, four bottles of wine, and half a bottle of gin.
Images also show party cups, cookies, chips and other foods.
At that time, parties with people outside your home were forbidden. Eight days earlier, England had been returned to a strict blockade due to the increase in Covid cases.
ITV News decided that it was in the public interest to publish the photographs, although it was not possible to reveal the identities of all participants.
The latest revelation raises further questions about why the Metropolitan Police did not fine the Prime Minister for attending the party, while the others present did receive a fixed penalty notice.
But he also questions Boris Johnson’s repeated claims made in the House of Commons and elsewhere that all the rules were followed in No. 10 and that he knew of no law-breaking party.
“For the first time we are seeing the scandal through the eyes of the prime minister.” Paul Brand explains the importance of the new photos while Robert Peston talks about what Conservative MPs are doing in the latest revelation
On December 1, 2021, he told lawmakers that “all guidelines were fully followed at number 10.”
And on Dec. 8, he told lawmakers again, “Since these allegations arose, I have been repeatedly assured that there was no party and that no Covid rule had been breached,” before claiming at a conference. Downing Street press later that day that “all the evidence I have You can see that the people in this building have stayed within the rules.”
Still, the photographs show Boris Johnson standing next to the aides, looking at them and smiling as they hold glasses of alcohol, with the Prime Minister himself raising his glass in what appears to be a toast.
Parliament’s Privileges Committee must launch an inquiry into whether it deliberately deceived MPs by denying any knowledge of the parties. Doing so would break the ministerial code and would normally be a matter of resignation.
The photos also come as official Sue Gray finalizes her internal report on party culture at issue 10. It is believed she may also post pictures of various events when the report goes public as early as this week.
Callum Harrison was fined for a party of a similar size on October 30, 2020, before England entered even stricter blocking restrictions. He and his eight roommates invited two people who were not from his home and all ten were fined £ 100 each.
Reacting to photographs of the Prime Minister drinking at the event two weeks later – for which Boris Johnson was not fined – Callum told us he was “ashamed” to be fined while the Prime Minister was not.
“I should have left office a long, long time ago, too.”
“We only had two people with less strict rules, apparently he had six people in his house, partying, socializing, so much more severe than we were doing,” he said.
“At that time I took it as it was, but now looking back, when they have had so many more parties compared to us, I think it is a shame that we have had to pay this fine and he has not paid in full.
“He should also have left the post a long, long time ago for what he has done.”
In response, the No. 10 spokesman said, “The Met’s Cabinet Office and Police have had access to all the information relevant to their investigation, including the photographs. The Met has completed its investigation and Sue Gray he will publish his report in the coming days, at which time the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full. “
Met police told ITV News last week after completing its investigation into breaches of Covid regulations in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Last Thursday, Acting Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball of the Met said: “Our investigation was thorough and impartial and was completed as soon as we could, given the amount of information that needed to be reviewed and the importance of ensuring that we had solid tests for each FPN reference.
“This investigation is over.”
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