Matt Hancock and his lover Gina Coladangelo have been dragged into Downing Street’s ‘partygate’ row after it emerged they were at a ‘cheese and wine’ gathering with Boris Johnson during the first national lockdown.
Sue Gray is the top civil servant investigating whether Covid restrictions in Covid were violated by members of Government at various alleged parties. Mr Hancock was the Health Secretary then. Ms. Coladangelo said that she would also be available for interview in the course of the inquiry.
The event was photographed in No. 10’s garden, on May 15, 2020. It appears that Mr Hancock is seen talking with Ms Coladangelo in one of these pictures.
Matt Hancock (pictured left) and Gina Coladangelo (pictured right) were dragged into the scandalous ‘cheese-and wine’ gathering that took place at Number 10 Downing Street’s garden on May 15, 2020.
Matt Hancock was present in Downing Street’s garden for the Number 10 “cheese & wine” gathering. However, he cannot say whether he is in a leaked photo which shows his aides having a chat.
According to Ms Coladangelo and Mr Hancock, they are said to be with the people standing at the end of the garden. Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie, and Dominic Cummings (his former aide) were photographed together at a dinner table, with several glasses, wine, and some cheese.
It is now up for grabs to find the “snappy-rat”. Angrily, the Treasury denied that they were responsible. A source stated: “It wasn’t anybody in the No11 team. This room can be accessed by anyone who works in Downing Street.
People were not allowed to meet outside and had to stay apart. There were thousands of people who couldn’t see their loved ones dying in the hospital and care homes.
Earlier on May 15 at a press conference, Mr Hancock ordered the public: ‘You can meet one other person from outside your household in an outdoor, public place. But please keep two metres apart.’
Ms. Coladangelo worked as an advisor to Mr Hancock (married with three children) at the Health Department. Their closer relationship was revealed 13 months later by CCTV footage of them kissing that was published in the newspapers.
Last night, a source close to Mr Hancock said the garden event was held ‘a long time before anything happened between’ Mr Hancock and Ms Coladangelo, and that she had attended along with other advisers after debriefing the Prime Minister’.
The source added: ‘It’s impossible to say with any certainty who the blurred figures in the photo are. However, we know that Ms. Coladangelo was a Health Secretary adviser at the time. She also accompanied Mr Hancock that day to the Downing Street Press Conference. After the press conference finished at 5.53pm, Mr Hancock’s team went to the Downing Street garden to debrief the Prime Minister.
‘Ms Coladangelo left with Mr Hancock and other members of his team at 6.32pm. Although there is no evidence that Ms Coladangelo and Mr Hancock committed any wrongdoing, both are willing to assist with any investigations. Ms Coladangelo – like the rest of Mr Hancock’s team – was doing her job, helping vital public health communications in the teeth of a global pandemic’.
This leaked photo shows Johnson, his then fiancée Carrie Symonds and Dominic Cummings sitting around a table of cheese and wine. The background shows 17 people huddled together in small groups.
Mr Johnson defended the event by saying: ‘This is where I live, this is where I work. Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work.’ But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘To suggest that it is a work meeting is a bit of a stretch by anybody’s analysis.’ Twitter users contrasted the photo with their own stories of being separated from loved ones at the time.
The event is one of several that have been reported to be held throughout Whitehall in spite of Covid restrictions. Another was at No 10 on December 18, 2020 and featured prizes, music and cheese as well as wine and wine. The event wasn’t a Christmas party, according to No 10.
In an email to more than 12 people about the event, Ms Gray created tremors at No 10, and elsewhere. After it was revealed that Simon Case had held a Christmas party in his office, during lockdown, she took control of the investigation.
Mr Hancock, who has been tipped by some senior Tories for an unlikely political comeback by running for leader if Mr Johnson resigns or is ousted by party rebels, is said by friends to be ‘very happily’ building a new life with Ms Coladangelo.
Is the Downing Street lockdown party ‘party’ photo taken from the No. 11 balcony? Claims photograph was taken in rooms not used by Treasury staff. Raab states that it was taken by someone with an ‘animus’ towards PM
MailOnline: Rory Tingle and James Gant
It was claimed that a photograph showing Boris Johnson and his wife, as well as his assistants, at the Lockdown-busting Downing Street event last summer, was taken in a Rishi Sunak’s room.
Sources claim that the image of the party was taken in the vicinity of one of the state rooms where the Chancellor and his staffers are based.
Ed Balls, a former shadow chancellor, claimed that the photo was taken from “the first floor balcony of 11 Downing Street”, which is believed to have been outside Mr Sunak’s office.
It comes as names for some of those at the event – where guests drank wine and dined out on a cheeseboard – were put forward.
The revellers apparently included some of Mr Johnson’s top team – such as his principal private secretary, his private secretary and his political secretary.
Dominic Raab, who was defending the Government after last night’s picture of the “party” during the initial national lockdown, spoke out today.
The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the garden is a place of work and staff might have a drink after a hard day.
According to the Guardian, the photo showed Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie in the garden with bottles of wine, a cheeseboard, and the PM.
The PM and his wife – apparently holding their newborn baby Wilf – were seen sitting at a table with two people, while another four were pictured with bottles of alcohol at a nearby table and the rest on the lawn.
Two people could socialise outdoors at that time, Friday 15th May 2020. That angered both anti-lockdown political figures and Britons suffering under strict restrictions.
Sources claim that the image was taken in an area used by Sunak and his staff.
MailOnline received a reply from one of the witnesses that the photograph was taken near the state rooms in which the Chancellor, and his entourage were engaged for ceremonial duties.
Ed Balls (ex-shadow chancellor of exchequer, economic secretary for the Treasury) tweeted that he is ‘pretty certain’ the photo was taken from the first floor balcony at No 11.
Boris’ Red Wall could be toppled by Partygate As support plummets for Downing Street’s ‘rule-breaking,’ Tory MPs panic – and voters lose faith in the PM – Rishi Sunak is backed to assume control
GLENN OWEN
The mid-term crash in support for the Conservatives in the 57 seats Boris Johnson gained in 2019 has led to panic among MPs who fear that they are doomed to sit in the Commons for only one term.
The results of today’s Mail on Sunday poll are likely to fan the frenzy of bitching and back- stabbing that dominates messaging sites used by the MPs as they speculate about which of them would be most likely to lose if an Election were held tomorrow – and debate whether to submit letters of no-confidence in the Prime Minister.
Our Deltapoll survey backs up anecdotal evidence from the MPs – dominated by the so-called Red Wallers who seized former Labour strongholds – that Mr Johnson has become a drag on their fortunes.
One told this newspaper: ‘I keep hearing the same line on the doorstep – ‘I’d support you if you got rid of your boss’.’
Asking voters if Johnson was doing well, 34% said they thought so, with 62% saying otherwise, giving a net score of minus28. Comparatively, Labour leader Sir KeirStarmer has a score of minus 6.
On 38%, Sir Keir is rated the best Prime Minister, and Mr Johnson on 33%. By 40 percent to 33 percent, the Labour double act of Starmer & Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves are also preferable to Mr Johnson & Chancellor Rishi Sonak.
Sir Keir gets 38% of the vote for best prime minister, while Mr Johnson receives 33%. By 40 percent to 33%, the Labour double act of Starmer & Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves are also preferable to Mr Johnson & Chancellor Rishi Sonak.
The results of today’s Mail on Sunday poll are likely to fan the frenzy of bitching and back- stabbing that dominates messaging sites used by the MPs as they speculate about which of them would be most likely to lose if an Election were held tomorrow – and debate whether to submit letters of no-confidence in the Prime Minister
The poll found that nearly six in ten of swing voters – 58 per cent – do not expect Mr Johnson to be Prime Minister this time next year. New Tory MPs claim that rising living costs, fueled by higher fuel and energy bills, are reducing support for Conservatives in swing seats.
It appears that the rows about claims that parties were held at Downing Street without Covid rules seem to have “cut through” to voters in critical seats. Mr Johnson was personally involved in public outrage over this issue.
Only 16 per cent of voters in the seats think Mr Johnson obeyed the rules, while 72 per cent think he did not – and 65 per cent think he should resign if the Cabinet Office’s investigation into the events during lockdown concludes that he broke the rules.
The poll found that nearly six in ten of swing voters – 58 per cent – do not expect Mr Johnson to be Prime Minister this time next year. New Tory MPs claim that rising living costs, fueled by higher fuel and energy bills, are reducing support for Conservatives in swing seats.
40% say they are worse off than before Mr Johnson took office, while only 12% feel better. 41% fear that their finances will worsen this year, which is more concerning for the party.
‘Trust’ is a theme which runs through the poll – a majority, 53 per cent, don’t trust Mr Johnson to grow the economy; 67 per cent don’t trust him to ‘level up’ income differences around the country; 68 per cent don’t trust Boris to help the poorest and 74 per cent don’t trust him to tell the truth.
The most frequent complaint of disgruntled Tory lawmakers is that No10 focuses on issues of marginal concern to voters, like the environment.
Lee Anderson, Tory MP from Ashfield writes in Sunday’s Mail on Sunday that the Government’s successes, including its investment in NHS, are being outweighed by the huge increases in living costs, as a result of higher energy bills. This is something my voters care more about than platitudes about the COP26 green agenda made by wealthy individuals who flew in private aircrafts to attend the summit.
He adds: ‘I know from conversations with the Prime Minister that he gets it – but I am not convinced everyone in his inner circle does. If we deliver on people’s priorities – rather than what we think are people’s priorities – then there is no reason why we cannot make further gains in the next Election’.
Lee Anderson, Tory MP from Ashfield writes in Sunday’s Mail on Sunday that the Government’s successes, including its investment in NHS, are being overshadowed by rising costs of living, as evidenced in higher energy bills.
His assertion seems to be supported by the poll, which shows that the environment ranks sixth in voters’ priority list, after Covid and supporting the NHS.
If Mr Johnson does leave No10, Red Wall voters have a clear successor in mind. On 18%, Mr Sunak leads Sajid Javid who is joint second with his predecessor Jeremy Hunt. Party members love Liz Truss as Foreign Secretary. She is tied for fifth at 3% with Matt Hancock and Deputy PM Dominic Raab.
Joe Twyman is the co-founder of Deltapoll and its director. He said that “The Conservative victory in 2019 was not only due to winning over voters who were previously unsuccessful for their party.” However, the data show that Boris Johnson must hold onto the 2019 seats.
“With the recent controversy still fresh in voters’ minds and many important issues to resolve, it is possible that the New Year may not be happy for the Prime Minister.”
From December 23rd to December 30, the firm polled 1,567 people online, including 612 of seats won by the Tories in 2019. The firm came up with a figure of 57 constituencies, based on the Tories’ 58 seats in 2019. This excludes the former Speaker John Bercow who resigned. The party saw a net gain in 48 seats, while losing ten. All data were weighted so that they represented the entire adult population.
Boris Johnson is 16 points behind Labour’s Red Wall seats, which he must retain in order to win next Election. Bombshell Poll reveals
Boris Johnson starts the New Year with 16 points less than Labour, according to a Mail on Sun poll. This is despite him having retained the necessary seats to win the next Election.
According to the Deltapoll survey, Labour is at 49% and Conservatives are at 33% in respect of the 57 seats they won.
This poll shows Sir Keir’s party leading in national voter intention. Labour is at 40%, and the Tories are at 35%.
If the results were repeated in a General Election it could lead to the loss of more than 100 Tory seats – enough to put Sir Keir in No10, although without a clear majority.
Boris Johnson is 16 points behind Labour as a result of a Mail on Sunday survey about the seats that he must retain in order to win next Election.
This comes as Tory backbenchers start to think about whether to send letters asking for Sir Graham Brady’s vote, chairman of Conservatives’ 1922 Committee.
Red Wall seat MPs from Labour heartlands dominate the “Tory gain” seats. This is the first time that the Tories have won the Red Wall seats.
Ashfield’s Lee Anderson writes in Sunday’s Mail on Sunday that Johnson is beginning to be doubtful about his Tory vote because of ‘the massive rises of the cost of life coming down, through higher electricity bills which my voters much more than the platitudes spouted by the rich elite who flew in private planes into the COP26 summit’.
Red Wall voters gave Sir Keir 38 percent to Mr Johnson’s 33 percent. The results indicate that Tories are now in a worse position in this swing seat because of the disputes over Downing Street’s parties, which appears to have violated Covid rules.
Just 16 percent of those who voted in the seats believed Johnson had followed the rules. However, 72 per cent said he didn’t.
The mistakes made by No10 that led to Lord Frost’s resignation as Brexit Minister have fueled speculation about whether the MPs will be able to force a no confidence vote and contest for the leadership.
Sir Graham needs to receive 54 letters to trigger a vote – but guards the number sent in.
Despite his reputation for discretion, it has been claimed to The Mail on Sunday that an ally of Mr Johnson’s on the committee has tried to dissuade MPs from submitting letters by telling them they ‘can’t trust Graham to keep their identities secret’ – a claim Sir Graham described as ‘odd’.
The Prime Minister wants to calm the unrest by launching a reboot’ of his government this month. This includes shake ups at No10, and the late launch of his ‘levelling-up’ manifesto.
The plans were thwarted by the opposition from Chancellor Rishi, who wanted to increase spending and support the economy with hundreds of billions more.
According to a poll conducted among 1,567 British adults, Mr Sunak is the favorite candidate to replace Mr Johnson in the Red Wall and national samples.
Deltapoll’s five-point lead in the national vote for Labour was the biggest since the General Election.
If the results of its polls were repeated at a General Election then the Tories might lose more than 100 seats (including potentially 50 of those that they gained in 2019).
If the results were repeated in a General Election it could lead to the loss of more than 100 Tory seats – enough to put Sir Keir in No10, although without a clear majority.
Deltapoll derived its figure for 57 constituencies from the Tories’ 58, with the exception of the former Speaker John Bercow who resigned.
In 2019, the party saw a net gain in 48 seats, while losing ten.
Yesterday night Sir John Redwood, Tory MP and ex-Minister in the Cabinet, urged Johnson to cancel the April rise in National Insurance or face a defeat in local elections.
On Mail Online, he wrote: “Sandbagging an economy with a tax job will slow growth rate and make getting down the deficit more difficult.”