Boris Johnson was the host of a Downing Street Christmas Quiz last year. It has now been disclosed.
London was not under any mixing guidance at the time, so this quiz occurred on December 15, three days ahead of No. The 10th Christmas Party is currently being investigated.
According to Mirror, 70 employees attended Downing Street even though invitations were sent out via a virtual quiz.
While they were discussing the answers to their questions on computers, teams met up at a Tesco nearby and enjoyed beer and wine.
Picture shows the Prime Minister making an appearance on screen as the ‘quizmaster” for one round, flanked with staff in Santa hats and tinsel.
This quiz night was one of six held in Whitehall between November and December 2013, when the government ordered the public not to leave the country, but to protect the NHS.
Pictured: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks past the Christmas treet in front of 10 Downing Street after a Cabinet meeting, December 15, 2020. He is rumored to have held a trivia night in No10 on that day.
According to an insider, there were six members in each team.
Leaked photos show the PM seated under Margaret Thatcher’s portrait, flanked at his side by two top members of his team.
Pippa Crar (Political Editor at the Daily Mirror) reported that 70 people stayed in No10 for the Quiz, which was originally supposed to be online.
London was then subject to Tier 2 Covid-19 regulations, which prohibited any social mixing between homes. Johnson is seen mixing with his assistants in The Mirror photographs.
The official guidance was that you could not host a Christmas party or lunch at work unless it is socially acceptable.
According to official data, 459 deaths occurred from coronavirus on December 15. Another 33,828 people became infected.
These latest revelations also question Downing Street’s claim last week that No10 had hosted Christmas parties last year.
Speaking last week, the Prime Minister said: ‘I can tell you guidelines were followed at all times. I can assure you that these guidelines have been followed.
The Mirror reported that employees were invited to participate in the virtual quiz that was held to raise funds for charity. It said that the invites had been sent out a few weeks before.
The newspaper cited their source and stated that many people had signed up for the party online but, at 6.30pm, staff decided to stay at No10.
There were three teams that participated: the private PM’s office, the press officer and the policy unit. The questions ranged from Downing Street’s history to the lyrics to Christmas songs.
Staff were surprised when the Prime Minister made an appearance onscreen to serve as quiz-master during the halfway point. The round lasted approximately 10-15 minutes. Photographs taken by the newspaper appear to show it.
It was just part and parcel of culture. He turned his blind eye. According to Mirror sources, he seemed completely at ease with social gatherings.
Johnson was criticized for a variety of reasons in recent weeks. He has been criticized over the financing of the Downing Street apartment refurbishment and a claim that Johnson intervened to help evacuate the pets from Kabul after the Western withdrawal.
Picture of the Prime minister in Number 10 during the quiz is said to have taken place on December 15, three day before another Downing Street party which caused an uproar following its revelation.
Pictured: Boris Johnson is seen on Saturday arriving at a central London hospital after his wife, Carrie Johnson gave birth to a baby girl earlier this week
However, the worst is the report that Downing Street held a party in 2020 during Christmas lockdown. A video emerged this week showing staff laughing and having a good time.
After video of Prime Minister David Cameron’s staff laughing about having such an event last year, despite multiple official denials, the minister accepted an apology.
Last week, the Daily Mirror reported that No. 10 hosted a Christmas party on December 18, last year. London was still under Tier 3 restrictions.
These measures specifically prohibited Christmas parties or lunches where they were ‘a principally social activity,’ as the Government Twitter account explained to the public one day earlier.
Additional sources confirm that there was a party. Staff were seen wearing Christmas jumpers, alcohol and secret Santa gifts.
Downing Street flatly refuted the claims, with official statements insisting there wasn’t a Christmas party or that rules were violated.
Johnson stated to reporters Tuesday that he was satisfied with the way that guidelines had been followed.
ITV News released damning footage hours after Prime Minister attempted to discredit allegations of wrongdoing.
Video of a fake press conference between Downing Street staff and Allegra Ston (then Mr Johnson’s press secretary) was leaked. It took place on 22 December.
Bombshell video: A No. 10 assistant asks about Friday’s Downing Street Christmas party. Allegra Stratton laughs and replies, ‘I went back home. Downing Street
The rehearsal for televised shortings was cut. They talked about a supposed ‘fictional Downing Street party’ on Friday (December 18).
Johnson issued a warning after the video was posted. He warned that there would be “disciplinary action” against any staff members who break the rules. However, the incident was not about attendance at any parties.
Outside of her London home, Ms Stratton broke down in tears and apologized for remarks she made that’seemed lighthearted about the rules’.
“To all those who have lost loved ones or suffered from intolerable loneliness, and to all who are struggling with their businesses, I’m truly sorry. This afternoon, I offer my resignation as Prime Minister,” she said.