The revelation came after Dominic Cummings claimed that there were confinement parties at Checkers and that Carrie Johnson was accused of fighting with a staff member there, who later resigned.
Mr Cummings, Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser, said both Sue Gray and the Metropolitan Police had not investigated allegations that the meetings took place in the prime minister’s house of grace and favor.
In an interview with the Unherd website on Tuesday, he criticized Ms Johnson at length and suggested that she had organized parties at No. 10 attended by Westminster journalists.
“Carrie is friends with many of them and it was persistently stated that they were with her and him,” he said. “But obviously the police and Sue Gray decided not to investigate this, or to investigate Checkers as well.”
Asked if there were parties in the manor house, he replied, “That’s what people say.”
A source on Downing Street during the pandemic told The Telegraph that there was “talk and general concern” from officials and special advisers at Mr Johnson’s private office because the rules were being broken at Checkers, and he went add: “I know there were meetings.”
A second source said there had been “rumors” of non-compliance with the number 10 property during the pandemic.
On Tuesday night, Downing Street did not directly deny that the events had taken place, but noted that Mr. Cummings had been encouraged to deliver any evidence of the parties to both Ms. Gray and the Met, who investigated. relevant clues.
Ms Gray has said she will not reopen her investigation if more facts come out, but has admitted that “it is possible that non-investigative events may have taken place”.
He has already faced criticism for his decision not to examine allegations that a party took place in Mr and Mrs Johnson’s private flat in November 2020, in breach of the blocking rules.
In his report, published last week, he said he had not further investigated the incident after Met police opened an official investigation and that, although he “considered the possibility of conducting further investigation into this event “, he had” concluded that it was not appropriate or proportionate to do so “.