Downing Street party: What were the Covid rules at the time?

An investigation by the Cupboard Secretary will behold three allegations of gatherings closing Christmas – alongside side two in Downing Motorway – despite Covid principles banning them.

Mr Johnson says he modified into as soon as “many conditions assured that the foundations had been no longer broken”.

The Day-to-day Replicate first reported closing week that a celebration took station in Downing Motorway on 18 December closing one year.

Downing Motorway insisted no birthday party took station and that “Covid principles were followed in any admire conditions”. A series of ministers regarded on television and radio to repeat the denials.

But a source has confirmed to the BBC that there modified into as soon as a celebration, with “several dozen” of us in attendance.

A video – acquired by ITV Records – confirmed a recording of a rehearsal on 22 December for Downing Motorway’s proposed media briefings.

In the video, the prime minister’s then-press secretary Allegra Stratton is requested by colleagues about reviews of a celebration. She jokes: “This fictional birthday party modified into as soon as a change meeting and it modified into as soon as no longer socially distanced.”

Ms Stratton has resigned.

As successfully because the 18 December birthday party, there are multiple reviews that several assorted events that took station.

13 November: Sources urged the BBC that several Downing Motorway workers members attended a gathering with Carrie Johnson in the flat where the prime minister and his wife dwell. A source said music modified into as soon as blaring and ought to be heard in other areas in the building. But others said to be on the birthday party denied it took station, as did a spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson. It modified into as soon as the an analogous date that Dominic Cummings left as chief adviser to the PM.

27 November: Another No 10 aide, Cleo Watson, left Downing Motorway, marked by an occasion. Once more, sources said it modified into as soon as no longer formally organised, however of us had been having drinks and Mr Johnson made a speech.

10 December: The Department for Education has confirmed it had a gathering in the station of job to thank workers for their work staunch by means of the pandemic. Drinks and snacks had been brought by of us that attended and no exterior guests or strengthen workers had been invited.

14 December: The Conservatives have confirmed a picture in the Times that there modified into as soon as an “unauthorised social gathering” in the basement of their birthday party’s building, held by the group of workers of the London mayoral candidate on the time, Shaun Bailey. It modified into as soon as described as “raucous” and modified into as soon as attended by No 10 aides, with dancing and ingesting going on into the early hours.

December: Multiple sources have urged the BBC there modified into as soon as a Christmas quiz for No 10 workers in the Cupboard Office at some level in December. Invites had been sent out in accept procedure of email, telling of us to construct groups of six. Downing Motorway has said it modified into as soon as a “virtual gathering” however while some joined in that procedure, sources said there were groups in the room sat of their groups.

An investigation – led by Cupboard Secretary Simon Case – modified into as soon as announced by Mr Johnson on 8 December. This also can honest behold

The Cupboard Secretary will gaze on the motive of the events, who attended and whether principles had been followed.

No date has been given on when Mr Case’s picture shall be published.

On the time of the alleged gathering on 27 November, there modified into as soon as tranquil a nationwide lockdown in power and indoor gatherings had been no longer allowed.

Any birthday party at Downing Motorway on 18 December would have furthermore breached the authorities’s pointers on the time.

Its guidance for the Christmas duration particularly said: “Even supposing there are exemptions for work functions, that you simply can have got to no longer have a piece Christmas lunch or birthday party, where that’s a primarily social job and will not be always in every other case licensed by the foundations for your tier.”

This same line modified into as soon as furthermore tweeted out by the educated gov.uk fable on 17 December 2021 constant with a quiz about whether Christmas events had been allowed in the station of business.

There modified into as soon as furthermore a particular prohibition on organising an indoor gathering of larger than 30 of us.

But there also can honest have theoretically been a upright loophole for authorities structures take care of 10 Downing Motorway which ability that of the 1984 regulations previous to raise in the tier plot, constant with Adam Wagner – a barrister at Intrepid Motorway Chambers and an expert on Covid rules.

Another barrister, Charles Holland from Trinity Chambers, tweeted that there would have wished to be an agreement with Westminster Metropolis Council for the rules to apply in Downing Motorway.

We have requested Westminster Metropolis Council to substantiate whether this modified into as soon as the case, however they have but to acknowledge.

The Metropolitan Police says it’s no longer for the time being investigating the allegations.

“Per the absence of evidence and constant with our policy no longer to examine retrospective breaches of such rules, the Met is no longer going to begin an investigation at the moment,” it said.

The authorities has that the matter also can tranquil be referred to the police if the investigation uncovers any potential criminal offences.

Between March 2020 and January 2021: