(Bloomberg) — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a birthday party at his Downing Street office with up to 30 guests during the first coronavirus lockdown when indoor gatherings were banned, ITV News reported.
The surprise event on the afternoon of June 19, 2020, was allegedly organized by Johnson’s wife Carrie and guests are said to have gathered in the Cabinet Room. A number of family friends later gathered upstairs in the premier’s residence in another apparent breach of the rules, ITV News reported.
A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg. The prime minister’s office told ITV that he only attended for less than 10 minutes and that he hosted a small number of family members outside in the evening.
The allegations emerged as senior civil servant Sue Gray finalizes her report into multiple claims of rule-breaking parties in Downing Street during the pandemic. Many Conservative Party lawmakers have been waiting for the outcome of her inquiry before deciding whether to join rebels in forcing a vote of confidence in Johnson’s leadership.
Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour party, said in an emailed statement: “This is yet more evidence that we have got a prime minister who believes that the rules that he made don’t apply to him.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries quickly defended Johnson on Twitter, saying the gathering was not a party.
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