There were ‘two Downing Street celebrations’ for Boris Johnson’s 2020 birthday – 19 gifted responses
In a revelation that will suprise precisely nobody, Downing Street admits there was at least one celebration inside No. 10 on Boris Johnson’s birthday, the 19th of June, 2020, when indoor socialising was forbidden.
EXCLUSIVE: Boris Johnson had a birthday party during lockdown in June 2020 despite rules forbidding social gatherings indoors, ITV News has learnt.
Up to 30 staff celebrated in the cabinet room where Carrie Johnson surprised him with a cake, we're told.https://t.co/2IEwZpjHR7
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) January 24, 2022
Barrister Adam Wagner commented on the scoop.
If the facts of this are accurate then I can't see how it could have been lawful
19 June 2020 – indoor gatherings of 2 or more were banned unless it fell within a list of exceptions. Birthday parties (or any social gatherings) were not an exceptionhttps://t.co/Qq2S9DLmhM https://t.co/6i7Xc9PB2U pic.twitter.com/o56QjqRlOJ
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 24, 2022
That assessment was confirmed by none other than the government itself.
the killer tweet that appears to end the debate pic.twitter.com/K8sPzeAyyd
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) January 24, 2022
According to ITV, the party was just 20 or 30 minutes and was followed in the evening by a gathering of family friends in the Johnsons’ Downing Street flat, which the PM strongly denies, insisting that the second celebration was in the garden.
There’s always a tweet.
Josephine sets a great example to us all by postponing her birthday party until we have sent coronavirus packing.
Together we can beat this. In the meantime let's all wish her happy birthday (twice) whilst washing our hands. #BeLikeJosephine #StayHomeSaveLives https://t.co/xmDOw60hhV pic.twitter.com/yl7uxe9lhh
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 21, 2020
At least Josephine acted responsibly.
Remarkably, considering the sheer volume of party revelations, it trended on Twitter due to a massive number of reactions, some angry, some funny, some incredibly sad.
1.
At no point did any of the people eating Colin The Caterpillar birthday cake and singing 'Happy Birthday' tell me that it was a party.#PartyGate
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) January 24, 2022
2.
Oh my god. Carrie literally organised him an entirely illegal surprise(!) birthday party in the actual cabinet room. Must admit, Carrie being behind the plot to destroy her own husband is not the twist I expected. https://t.co/UvURsmmpyO
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) January 24, 2022
3.
Is this what they meant when they said sing Happy Birthday twice? https://t.co/SiFe8fNtVY
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) January 24, 2022
4.
I thought the 'Carrie Antoinette' stuff was a bit unfair but actual cake…
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) January 24, 2022
5.
"I walked into the room & noticed a fire hazard.
I immediately rushed over & blew the candles on the cake out.
The random 30 people who were also present were so grateful for my heroic deed they placed a party hat on my head & made me drink 14 glasses of champagne" pic.twitter.com/xh7LX1SECi— joe heenan (@joeheenan) January 24, 2022
6.
sweet irony if the thing that finally did for having your cake and eat it Boris Johnson was a bit of cake 🤤
— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) January 24, 2022
7.
I can explain: I thought it was a business cake
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) January 24, 2022
8.
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) January 24, 2022
9.
The Met Police can't say this was a retrospective crime as we all know birthday parties are about the present. https://t.co/NcEv5oFy7P
— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) January 24, 2022