Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Timeline: UK government’s alleged COVID rule-breaking parties

Timeline: UK government’s alleged COVID rule-breaking parties

Al Jazeera tracks what happened where and when as UK officials face pressure over litany of controversial gatherings.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to resign after admitting he attended a garden party at his Downing Street residence in May 2020, in breach of his government’s coronavirus lockdown rules.

Johnson’s admission and apology on Wednesday marked the latest and most-high profile scandal yet in a string of controversies over allegedly rule-breaking gatherings involving the Conservative Party leader, his staff and other senior figures since the pandemic began.

Several such events were allegedly held throughout 2020 while the UK struggled to confront a soaring virus caseload that caused tens of thousands of deaths and precipitated a historic economic downturn as well as widespread gloom amid the strict curbs imposed on Britons’ daily lives.

The alleged parties, all of which took place at various locations in the capital, London, have only recently come to light amid a flurry of reporting on them from British media outlets since the beginning of last month.

They are now being investigated by senior civil servant Sue Gray, who has been tasked by Johnson’s government with leading an inquiry into whether gatherings were held in contravention of COVID-19 restrictions.

Here’s a timeline of the parties alleged to have taken place:

May 15, 2020


A photo appears to show Johnson, his wife Carrie, then-Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings and Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds sitting around a table in the Downing Street garden sharing cheese and wine.

The picture, which emerged last month, also shows four other people gathered around a nearby table, drinking, and a separate, larger group standing a short distance away.

Johnson has dismissed speculation the image is documentation of an event held in breach of COVID-19 restrictions, insisting those seen gathered within it were “people at work talking about work”.

At the time, the UK was still under its first nationwide lockdown. Schools were shut to most pupils, pubs and restaurants were closed, and there were strict controls on social mixing.

Two people from different households were allowed to meet outdoors but only if they maintained a distance of two metres (6.5 feet). Guidance issued for workplaces said in-person meetings should only involve “absolutely necessary participants”.


May 20, 2020


About 40 people, including Johnson and his wife, reportedly attend a “bring your own booze” party in the Downing Street garden.

As revealed earlier this week, an invitation to the event had previously been sent out via email to some 100 members of the prime minister’s staff by Reynolds.

Johnson told the UK’s Parliament on Wednesday that he had been present at the gathering, which he claimed to have thought at the time was a work event.

The prime minister said he had entered the Downing Street garden to thank members of his staff for their work during the pandemic before returning to his office 25 minutes later.

He said that in hindsight, he should have stopped the event from continuing.

The same lockdown rules were in place at the time as those which applied five days earlier, on May 15.

November 13, 2020


Johnson reportedly gives a leaving speech to a departing member of his staff at an event attended by a small number of people and allegedly attends a party in his private Downing Street residence, in London.

Unnamed sources told the BBC that several staff members attended the gathering in his flat, along with Johnson’s wife. The broadcaster quoted a spokeswoman for the latter as denying the party took place.

November 25, 2020


About two dozen civil servants stage an impromptu drinks party in the Treasury, weeks after a second national coronavirus lockdown came into force, according to media reports citing unnamed government sources.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who had delivered his Autumn Budget and Spending Review earlier in the day, was reportedly not among the attendees and was allegedly unaware of the event prior to it taking place.

A spokesperson for the department later insisted it was a “small number” of staff who had attended the gathering.

At the time, people were banned from socialising indoors with members of another household. Pubs, restaurants and shops were closed and people were told to remain at home unless there was a specific reason to leave, such as for work or education.


November 27, 2020


Johnson allegedly delivers another farewell speech for an aide leaving Downing Street at a crowded leaving party.

UK newspaper The Guardian reported that the prime minister mentioned how busy the event was while delivering his remarks, citing an unnamed source.

The same lockdown rules were in place at the time as those which applied two days earlier, on November 25.

December 10, 2020


The Department for Education allegedly stages an office gathering in London to thank staff for their work during the pandemic.

About two dozen people reportedly attended the event, which was held in the department’s canteen, with drinks and snacks supplied.

A senior civil servant later said the party had been instigated by then-Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Though the second national coronavirus lockdown had been officially lifted by the time of the event, coming to an end on December 2, social mixing indoors between members of different households was still banned in London and many other parts of England as Johnson’s government pursued a regionalised approach to continued virus restrictions.

December 14, 2020


A high-profile Conservative Party figure stages a gathering at the party’s headquarters in Westminster, London.

The event was organised by campaign staff of the Conservatives’ then-London-mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, who was pictured at the party alongside more than 20 other people.

Bailey, who went on to lose in his bid to take over from incumbent London Mayor Sadiq Khan, later resigned from two London Assembly committees after news of the gathering emerged.

The event took place on the same day it was announced tougher restrictions on socialising would be imposed on London from December 17 as it moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3 under the government’s regionalised approach to virus measures. Social mixing indoors between members of different households was still banned.


December 15, 2020


Johnson reportedly takes part in an online Christmas quiz organised for his Downing Street staff, apparently violating social distancing rules as he does so.

A picture published by UK newspaper the Sunday Mirror last month appeared to show the prime minister taking part in the event while sitting in the Downing Street library, flanked by two members of his team. Johnson subsequently denied any wrongdoing.

Virus restrictions in place for London at the time meant social mixing indoors between members of different households was banned.

December 16, 2020


Staff at the Department for Transport stage a party in its offices in London, on the same day that the capital enters Tier 3 restrictions.

UK newspaper the Daily Mirror reported last month that nearly a dozen people were present at the event and that attendees were drinking and dancing.

Transport Minister Grant Shapps was not among those gathered, and later said he had “no idea” about the party until after it took place.

December 18, 2020


A Downing Street Christmas party takes place, reportedly featuring between 40 to 50 people.

Officials and political staff allegedly ate cheese, drank wine and swapped presents at the event, which went on late into the evening.

Johnson’s office initially denied the party had taken place, but a video obtained by UK broadcaster ITV News subsequently showed the prime minister’s then-press secretary Allegra Stratton joking about reports of a gathering.

“This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced,” Stratton, who has since resigned, was recorded as saying.

The Christmas party took place when London was still under Tier 3 restrictions, meaning indoor gatherings of two or more people from different households were banned. Work parties were also prohibited at the time.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
×