Boris Johnson, pictured running this morning, is taking out his notebook to win mutinous MPs. This comes amid concerns that the Sue Gray investigation into Partygate could be more damaging than thought.
It was claimed that a raucous party in Downing Street last night just before the funeral of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh lasted seven hours, but didn’t end until after 1am today.
Boris Johnson already made an apology to Queen Elizabeth for her staff indiscretions hours before the queen observed Covid rules to stand alone and bid farewell.
Now, however, details are available about how bacchanalian these were during April’s ban on indoor gatherings.
There are also photos to support the claims. These could be given to Sue Gray, Partygate Inquisitor.
Telegraph says that text messages reveal staff had started to drink at 6pm, and they were continuing drinking well after midnight.
There were many drinks spilled on office equipment and pizzas brought in. Loud music was also played.
Also, the paper describes employees playing on a slide at No10 Garden belonging to Boris Johnson’s son Wilf.
Hours later the Queen cut a lonely figure as she said goodbye to her husband of more than 70 years, having rejected an offer of a Covid rule exemption because she wanted to set an example to the nation.
According to reports, Number 10 contacted Buckingham Palace following the death of the Duke on April 9, in order to offer the service. On the 7th day of the funeral, Downing Street hosted two events.
The latest revelations come as Mr Johnson prepared to woo mutinous MPs from Chequers amid fears the Sue Gray report into Partygate will be worse than thought.
The PM has been spending this weekend in his country retreat, having fended off an initial coup bid by plotters calling themselves ‘Pork Pie’. But even supporters know that his fate is dependent on the conclusion of the top civil servant, which will be announced next week.
After the Downing Street parties ended, the Queen was a solemn figure. She said farewell to her husband of over 70 years.
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister (left), turned the tables this morning and accused Mr Johnson of lifting Covid restrictions in an attempt to remove the scandal from the media. Liz Truss, right however, said that Mr Johnson was doing an “excellent job”.
Kwasi Kwarteng (Business Secretary) said that Johnson’s departure was not inevitable.
Allies believe that Ms Gray won’t condemn Mr Johnson, even though he attended the Downing Street Garden ‘BYOB” bash in May 2020. As Ms Gray collects more evidence, it is clear that Whitehall mood music has been ‘darkening’.
He will be having more discussions with the restive backbenchers while he braces himself for the next phase in his survival battle from Chequers. It isn’t clear whether any of them have been invited.
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, turned the screws this morning and accused Mr Johnson of lifting Covid limitations to make the scandal disappear.
The Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has backed the premier and insists that he does an ‘excellent job. Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, said that he doesn’t believe Johnson will resign.
In the meantime, rebel Tories on one side are said to be contemplating publishing a secret recording of messages and recordings from government whips as a support to allegations that they used intimidation techniques to inflict brutality.
When questioned by journalists, Ms Truss dismissed any possibility of Mr Johnson quitting while she is on an Australian visit.
Her reply was: “The Prime Minister has 100 percent support. He does an admirable job. The Covid vaccine was first introduced in Britain by the British government.
“We have had an extremely successful booster program. Now we can open our economy in Britain again and have one of the fastest growing economies in G7.
“And our reason we’re here is because we work with very close partners to improve freedom and democracy in the world and protect Australia.
I want to see the Prime minister continue in his current job. He does a great job. He is doing a great job.
Asked if the PM would be meeting rebel backbenchers at the weekend, a No10 spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister will be at Chequers this weekend…
“As you all know, the Prime Minister engages regularly with MPs.
England was currently in the second step of Johnson’s lockdown exit plan at the time the funeral.
This allowed funerals to hold up to 30 people, while wakes could only have 15.
The ban was placed on socializing indoors by non-household members, while outdoor events were subject to the six rule.
On April 16, 2021 there were two parties at Number 10, as the country was still in mourning following the death of the Duke.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister was present at Chequers during the party and he apologised for the incident to the Queen.
Whitehall sources claim that the Prime minister had to take out his notebook to meet with struggling MPs before the Gray report was due to be published next week.
Some MPs may be seen individually, while others might be asked for their views in smaller groups.
Sources say that similar meetings held this week may have helped disarm the threat from the Red Wall MPs’ ‘Pork Pie Plot ‘coup.
Johnson will ask MPs for a broader view, emphasizing the importance of Johnson’s strategies to deal with Omicron. This strategy is helping the UK get out of Covid more rapidly than many other European countries.
However, a senior Tory claimed that earlier sessions weren’t a complete success. The PM wasn’t willing to promise any more harmful revelations.
Cabinet ministers branded the Tory rebels as ‘attention-seeking schoolchildren’ after failing to collect enough confidence letters to allow them to vote on Mr Johnson’s future. (Pictured by Dehenna Davieson, alleged ringleader)
Chief whip Mark Spencer (pictured) is accused of intimidating rebel MPs into supporting the PM
Picture of Mr Johnson with his wife Carrie at the residence of PM’s Chequers before Christmas
Is Partygate a way to divide the United Kingdom? Survey shows growing support for Scottish independence
Today’s fears are that Partygate may be fuelling Nicola Sturgeon’s efforts to divide the UK.
According to polls, more than half of Scots think that the story about Boris Johnson is hurting the Union’s case.
78% believe that the PM should step down due to the lockdown violations in Downing Street.
This has led to a rise in support for independence to over 50%, even though the country remains divided as to whether or not to be an independent nation.
Asked how they would vote if a referendum on Scottish independence was held tomorrow, 50 per cent said they would vote yes – two points higher than in October
While Ms. Sturgeon pledged that she will do “everything within my power” to have a referendum next, Mr Johnson claims he won’t.
Savanta ComRes Research for the Scotsman shows grim news for No10 as Johnson attempts to stop a coup attempt from his own benches.
Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross has been among the people who demanded that the PM resign after admitting to attending a “BYOB” bash during lockdown’s height in May 2020. He insists that he did not think it was work, but he said so.
According to a source, Mr Johnson had asked Lee Anderson (MP for Ashfield, Nottinghamshire) to retract the letter of no confidence sent by Sir Graham Brady to Tory shop steward, but Anderson refused.
After failing to get enough confidence letters to allow Mr Johnson to be voted on, cabinet ministers called the Tory rebels “attention-seeking schoolchildren”.
They have been dubbed the ‘Pork Pie plotters, as a key meeting took place in the office of Alice Kearns, MP for Melton Mowbray.
However, the government is now facing an angry backlash against alleged dirty tricks of the whips. There are claims that MPs were threatened by losing their funding.
Johnson’s associates have been also accused of spreading lies about rebels through unsubstantiated claims in the media regarding their drinking habits, personal lives and other matters. No 10 has denied the claims.
The Times reports that the Tory rebels met last night to plan their next steps.
A source close to the group stated that they were discussing how to publish texts from the whips and comparing notes.
“One member recorded heated conversations that they had with chief whip.”
The material could be released to the press or the public in a move that could humiliate the PM after he denied that any of the rebels had been ‘blackmailed’ into supporting him.
Telegraph: One rebel said that they wanted the head of the Chief Whip on a stick.
However, a source involved in the whipping operation told the same paper that claims of threats and blackmail were ‘complete bull****’.
According to the source, he said: “Ask them for one shred evidence.”
This morning Mr Kwarteng stated that he doesn’t believe the accusations of blackmail against Tory whips in a series of interviews.
Sky News interviewer Mr Kwarteng stated that he has been an MP 12 years and had never heard of such allegations.
“Blackmail” is the belief that some money has been withheld from the communities who are in need of it, based on the actions of MPs. This idea, which I haven’t heard of, seems to be a form of blackmail.
“It’s strange that the whip’s office does not have power to spend in this way,” said a Whip.
He stated that the Government would investigate the claims’seriously’ and would look into the root of the matter, but added that he didn’t believe this was happening.
Mr Kwarteng said he had never been bullied by the whips, but suggested it might be because he was tall.
LBC was told by him that his whips were generally shorter than mine over the years.
He also swung at Mr Wakeford’s ‘turncoat’ status, noting that it’s now his responsibility destabilize the government.
Christian said that he would need to be asked why he left, why he changed his political affiliations, and why he did so.
“I do not know his motives, but as you will see, he is a Labour MP and part of his job it is to discredit the government.
It comes after the rebels were urged to report the blackmail claims to the authorities by William Wragg, chairman of the public administration committee and one of seven Tory MPs who submitted a letter of no confidence in the PM.
He stated that intimidation against a politician is serious.
“Moreover, I am aware of reports which would suggest that they are blackmail.
“As such, I would advise my colleagues to report the matter to the Speaker of House of Commons as well to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.”
Recalling a heated moment with a party whip after voting against the Government last year, another rebel alleged: ‘They pulled me over and I told them I was voting against them.
“They got up right in my face. They told me that if you think you’re getting a single f***ing penny, forget it.
Don’t think that a minister is going to visit your place. You’re done.’
William Wragg (chair of the Commons Public Administration Committee) said that he was told about ‘pressures, intimidation,’ which were used against politicians
According to a poll, Mr Johnson’s popularity ratings are now at the same level of Jeremy Corbyn just before the 2019 general election. Rishi is being seen as more favorably.
As Mr Johnson’s enemies seized on his woes, Labour’s Welsh First Minister jibed that he had ‘long since abandoned’ science when making Covid decisions.
BBC Breakfast: Mr Drakeford, who was heavily criticised in the past for placing excessive restrictions on Wales, said that he didn’t believe there was any question at all that the UK Government had long lost any sense of following science.
“It is a government in deep trouble, which is why it constantly searches for headlines to distract attention from its terrible situation.”
He was asked whether he thought the restrictions that exist in Wales would pose a problem for people living there. His answer: “People have to deal with those differences right through the pandemic.”
Dr Drakeford said, “My job as well as the job of my Cabinet is to receive the scientific and medical advice. We have to make decisions to keep Wales safe.”
The MP for Bury South Christian Wakeford defected to Labour Wednesday. He was among several MPs who were warned by whips about the possibility of boundary changes in their constituencies resulting in them being pushed out at next election.
Since Mr Wakeford sensationally crossed the aisle yesterday, other blackmail allegations have been made.
BBC North West asked him about his previous plans to vote against government. He was told that no high school will be built in the constituency he represents.
He stated, “I was threatened I wouldn’t get the school at Radcliffe if my vote wasn’t in one specific way,”
“This town has not been home to a high school in the past ten years. What would you think if you were holding back the regeneration of your town in order to allow for a voter’s vote? It wasn’t a comfortable fit.
Some believe Mr Wakeford was driven ‘over-the edge’ to deceive when he was taken in. He was threatened with having the boundary of his seat changed if he opposed the PM.
However, Johnson stated to reporters during a Taunton visit that he hadn’t seen any evidence to back up the claims.
“What I am focusing on, is how we deal with the #1 priority of British citizens, which is Covid.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said Mr Wragg – who has been heavily critical of Mr Johnson and previously called for him to quit – had highlighted ‘grave and shocking accusations of bullying, blackmail, and misuse of public money’ that ‘must be investigated thoroughly’.
In the Commons Chamber, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle stated that although he wasn’t aware of all details, his “general observation” was that government officials were not above the criminal law and that trying to intimidate an MP would constitute contempt of Parliament.
One spokesperson from No. 10 stated that they did not have any evidence in support of the clear allegations.
“If any evidence supports these claims, then we’d look into it.
Dehenna Davison with rescued puppy ‘Carter’ pictured next to Carrie Johnson with dog Dilyn and Rishi Sunak, canvasing in Bishop Auckland. It is believed she was one of the ringleaders.
Some of the backbench Tory planners include Alicia Kearns, who represents Melton Mowbray (left), and Gary Sambrook (right), from Birmingham Northfield
Sir Keir Starmer, his party leader, welcomed Mr Wakeford to his parliamentary office.
Partygate: The Whitehall ethics chief Sue Gray will lead the official inquiry. It is due to publish next week.