Seven times No. 10 denied breaking Covid rules

Oh dear. It seems the great government post-Christmas reset isn’t going all too well after last night’s revelation that Downing Street staff were invited to a drinks party in the No. 10 garden during the first national lockdown. Martin Reynolds, the PM’s Principal Private Secretary, sent an email on 20 May 2020 to more than 100 people asking them to come and ‘make the most of the lovely weather’ and to ‘bring your own booze!’ Not Sir Humphrey’s finest hour…

Boris and Carrie Johnson are alleged to have attended the garden party too, which, er, makes something of a mockery of the Prime Minister’s insistent denials that he knew of no such parties being held throughout the pandemic. Steerpike has rounded up just five examples of the Johnsons and their acolytes denying any such impropriety had taken place.

After the Guardian revealed pictures of people, including the PM, at No. 10 drinks in the garden on 15 May 2020, Johnson said: ‘Those were people at work, talking about work.