Friday January 14th 2022
Prime Minister Johnson under pressure
Downing Street celebrated ahead of Philip’s funeral
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure over suspected lockdown parties at Downing Street. Now a newspaper reports that his employees popped the corks the night before Prince Philip’s funeral. Strict distance rules prevailed at the time.
Dozens of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s staff reportedly held lockdown parties in Downing Street on the eve of Queen consort Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. The newspaper “Daily Telegraph” reported on Thursday evening, citing eyewitnesses, that it was about the farewell of two confidants of the head of government. Johnson himself was therefore not present. The newspaper wrote that Downing Street had not denied the reports.
Strict distance rules were in force in mid-April 2021, members of different households were not allowed to meet in closed rooms. The newspaper emphasized that Queen Elizabeth II had to sit all alone in the chapel at her husband’s funeral the next day because of the Corona rules. A lot of alcohol was drunk and people danced at the parties, the Telegraph reported. An advisor to Johnson was temporarily responsible for the music.
Alcoholic supplies were brought in a suitcase from a nearby supermarket. A participant used his son’s swing in the garden of Johnson’s official residence and broke it. A total of around 30 people are said to have taken part in the two initially separate events, which would have mixed up around midnight.
Johnson has been heavily criticized for multiple alleged lockdown parties at Downing Street in May and December 2020. The opposition and some Tory MPs are calling for his resignation. The prime minister only apologized on Wednesday. This is now the first known incident from 2021. Commentators pointed out that the funeral of the Queen consort was so close in time. Johnson had asked to await the outcome of an ongoing internal investigation.