Photos emerge of Boris Johnson drinking at a No 10 party during lockdown – 27 responses worth toasting
Having so far survived everything Partygate has had to throw at him, pictures emerged today of Boris Johnson drinking at a No 10 party during lockdown in November 2020.
The photos obtained by ITV News show the prime minister raising a glass in front of a table covered with bottles at a leaving do for a Downing Street aide on 13 November.
And it’s surely a development we can all raise a glass to.
EXCL: @ITVNews has obtained pictures of Boris Johnson drinking at a No10 party during lockdown in November 2020.
The photos cast fresh doubt on the PM’s repeated claims he was unaware of rule-breaking in No10 during the pandemic.
See all images here:https://t.co/sUJiWpxqmm pic.twitter.com/iXopuPIQu7
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) May 23, 2022
At the time of the photos only 2 people were allowed to meet indoors – it was the second full lockdown.
Boris Johnson told Parliament on 1st Dec 2021, “all guidance was followed completely in No 10.”
Questions now are:
1) did he mislead MPs?
2) Why didn’t police fine him?— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) May 23, 2022
Helpfully for everyone involved, Johnson was has already been asked in the Commons about a party in Downing Street specifically on that date.
And this is what he had to say.
A reminder of what the PM said when he was previously specifically asked in Parliament about the party on 13th Nov 2020. https://t.co/MOzgfYxsRX
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) May 23, 2022
No more questions, your honour.
There he is! https://t.co/vJxVEWX3iJ
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) May 23, 2022
The pictures prompted another wave of outrage and condemnation, and here are our pick of the funniest and most furious tweets (and occasionally both).
1.
"There was no party" – Boris Johnson to the House of Commons, December 8th, 2021. pic.twitter.com/3uycTM6qa6
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) May 23, 2022
2.
If you've spent your entire adult life lying to wives, mistresses, employers, interviewers, colleagues & voters, lying to Parliament is unlikely to trouble your conscience.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) May 23, 2022
3.
Think of how many thousands of people desperately wanted to “just” raise a glass to loved ones they had lost; loved ones who had died alone.
But they didn’t. Because @BorisJohnson told them they couldn’t.
And they followed his rules.
— The Secret Barrister (@BarristerSecret) May 23, 2022
4.
the photo of Boris Johnson with several colleagues and empty wine bottles during lockdown raises serious questions for Keir Starmer
— Henry Mance (@henrymance) May 23, 2022
5.
Ambushed by cake, crept up on by seven bottles of wine and a cheeky bottle of vodka. The man can’t have two minutes peace without a party hat scaling the wall and jumping onto his honest little head.
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 23, 2022
6.
How unlucky can Boris get? The only person to be shot in focus… https://t.co/wbVEzE74eK
— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) May 23, 2022
7.
'How drunk were you last night?'
'Mate, I got absolutely pixelated' pic.twitter.com/j6gBGVhsWB— Andrew Hunter Murray (@andrewhunterm) May 23, 2022
8.
Boris Johnson appears to have a Dishoom takeaway on the table, so actually currygate is about him pic.twitter.com/zsmpMBW94G
— Alexander Brown (@AlexofBrown) May 23, 2022
9.
Why are we not talking more about how the red BUDGET BOX attended the party pic.twitter.com/JCGJPtUjAr
— Rosie Holt (@RosieisaHolt) May 23, 2022
10.
The PM could be photographed on a rocking horse, dressed as Stalin, drinking neat gin from a glass sculpture of a food bank and Michael Fabricant will say 'I know some teachers who did that' and that will be that because nothing matters.
— Michael Spicer (@MrMichaelSpicer) May 23, 2022
11.
Junior ministers being lined up to do the rounds of the breakfast shows tomorrow to defend Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/YXuxVg04ur
— Tom Jamieson (@jamiesont) May 23, 2022
12.
Can we stop calling it #Partygate now? LyingBastardGate seems nearer the mark. pic.twitter.com/trfVrUNE49
— Count Binface (@CountBinface) May 23, 2022