Carrie Johnson was mentioned just once in the Gray report
–
Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, has been told of previously unseen messages suggesting that Carrie Johnson held a law-breaking gathering in the No 10 flat.
The head of the civil service has been sent a letter indicating that there was another event in the Downing Street flat that has not been made public.
The disclosure, just days [after the publication of the Sue Gray report](https://archive.ph/91rQ3), threatens to reignite the partygate scandal. Boris Johnson has spent much of the past week trying to draw a line under it and shore up his leadership with an extensive economic package.
Messages sent by the prime minister’s wife on June 19, 2020, appear to show that she was in the flat with several friends on the evening of her husband’s 56th birthday.
They also suggest that the prime minister went up to the flat, at a time when events of two or more people indoors were banned except for work purposes.
The messages were sent several hours after Johnson attended a staff gathering in the cabinet room to mark his birthday — the event for which he received a fine. At some point that evening he also held a gathering outside with members of his family, in line with the rule of six at the time.
The messages flagged up to Case show that at 6.15pm, a Downing Street aide told the prime minister’s wife that her husband was on his way up to the flat. She replied that she was already there and suggested that she was with an unspecified number of male friends.
The Gray inquiry was told in January this year by the aide that these texts existed. The aide claimed to have told Gray’s investigators that while they did not want to forward the messages, they were prepared to come into the Cabinet Office to show the messages to inquiry officials in person. The aide also agreed to supply them to the Metropolitan police’s inquiry.
However, the aide claimed that Gray’s investigation team failed to follow up on the offer. Two weeks ago, once the Met inquiry had finished, the aide renewed the offer to the Gray team but this went unheeded.
It is the second gathering that the prime minister’s wife is alleged to have hosted in the flat while Covid restrictions were in place, although the other one — the so-called Abba party on November 13, 2020 — was cleared by both Gray and the Met.
Last night the Cabinet Office said Gray disputed that her team had been offered the opportunity to view the messages in January, and that the aide had been told they needed to submit copies of the messages as evidence, but had refused.
By the time the second offer was made in May, the Gray investigation had already concluded, a spokesman said.
The suggestion that the inquiry had failed to look into crucial evidence was strongly disputed and the spokesman said the exchanges with the aide had been passed to the Met. Following the publication of Gray’s report on Wednesday, which made only one passing reference to Carrie Johnson, the aide has written to Case offering to share the messages with him.
In the letter, the aide said they had decided to come forward after reading reports questioning the “integrity” of both Gray and the Met’s investigations, “particularly in relation to an alleged event in the prime minister’s flat on November 13, 2020”.
The aide wanted to raise with Case “some evidence I provided to the Gray report and the Met that I feel is important”, which related to the cabinet room gathering the evening of June 19.
The aide went on to attach excerpts of written evidence provided to Gray in January in an email, including a passage stating that they had “messages that indicate there was a social gathering in the PM’s flat on that evening”.
Last night a spokeswoman for Carrie Johnson said: “Sue Gray was aware of these exchanges as part of her exhaustive inquiry into alleged breaches.
“Staff were given ample opportunity to present evidence including these messages and all relevant information was passed to the Metropolitan Police for investigation.
“The lunchtime gathering in the cabinet room on 19 June 2020 was subsequently found to be in breach and a fixed penalty notice was issued to Mrs Johnson among others for which she apologised unreservedly and promptly paid the fine.”
No 10 did not deny that Carrie Johnson had a gathering or that the prime minister had entered the flat. However, a spokesman said that any relevant findings would have been covered in Gray’s final report.
The two friends believed to have been in the flat did not respond to requests for comment.
*Harry Yorke, Deputy Political Editor*
Sunday May 29 2022, 12.01am BST,
I love how these stories are being slowly leaked. Just when Boris thinks he’s in the clear, a new controversy shifts partygate back in to focus. The man has no shame, first he denied any parties took place, then he is fined for it. Any decent human being would have resigned, but this guy isn’t normal and his fan base will support him no matter what. This is what happens when we are led by donkeys.
He genuinely doesn’t think he has done anything wrong does he. He really did/does think that the rules don’t apply or that he is somehow exempt from it all.
Would it be easier to just record the dates there weren’t parties?
Drip drip, slowly, not only does Boris trash his own reputation, but he cares so little he will take down everything and everyone, as for all he is concerned, it’s his right to be PM, and rules don’t apply to him
Boris’ wants us move on.
….unfortunately for him, public opinion wants him to move on.
Ignoring the pandemic entirely, do they do anything besides partying?
Can we submit a freedom of information request to see how much was spent on alcohol and events over the past decade?
>Cabinet secretary Simon Case has been sent a letter unveiling the messages, which suggest that Carrie Johnson organised the law-breaking event in Number 10, according to The Times.
What a weird situation we’re in now, Tory cabinet ministers are getting told of events, which are then getting leaked to the press.
Pretty sure his birthday party was mentioned before. But I suppose there wasn’t enough evidence for it.
This is getting ridiculous. We can’t just sit on social media and take this shit.
I mean, it was inside one of the most secure places in the country. I cant help but feel that *someone* must have seen it. I imagine the guests saw something resembling a party, at the very least.
Don’t allow the imperial system or the Jubilee to cover this up. Keep releasing these stories!
Further reminder that anyone who lets Johnson get close to them is also an amoral psychopath.
can we change the Dictionary from “Commit a crime” to “Do a Boris Johnson” now?
He’s consistent I’ll give him that
To be fair, being married to Boris is always a party best left unseen.
Which wife?!
I know, I’m shocked too. More than one woman chose to marry him.
And i was smashing a fwb every other week the entire time. Fuck your lockdowns, they were actively harmful in the long run
I wonder what actual impartial, full in depth investigation would reveal. Photos, texts, absolutely everything. We all know it would be damning but they’re allowed to just investigate themselves and find nothing wrong
Another inquiry?
The only problem I have with it is they should never have set the rules in the first place
I can’t help but laugh at the bit that says his wife was in the apartment with an “unspecified number” of male friends.
What exactly were they getting up to?
Please keep this going. Don’t let them get away with anything too long have they been taking the piss out of the public.
People keep requesting he resign so imagine he does which delightful Tory would you prefer ?
26 comments
Is this a second Birthday Party for PM that evening in his flat?
Is that like a silent disco and everyone had to wear blindfolds?
The Sunday Times: [Unseen text messages hint at Carrie Johnson’s second party at No 10](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/unseen-text-messages-hint-at-carrie-johnsons-second-party-at-no-10-6rgthhcvl)
Carrie Johnson was mentioned just once in the Gray report
–
Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, has been told of previously unseen messages suggesting that Carrie Johnson held a law-breaking gathering in the No 10 flat.
The head of the civil service has been sent a letter indicating that there was another event in the Downing Street flat that has not been made public.
The disclosure, just days [after the publication of the Sue Gray report](https://archive.ph/91rQ3), threatens to reignite the partygate scandal. Boris Johnson has spent much of the past week trying to draw a line under it and shore up his leadership with an extensive economic package.
Messages sent by the prime minister’s wife on June 19, 2020, appear to show that she was in the flat with several friends on the evening of her husband’s 56th birthday.
They also suggest that the prime minister went up to the flat, at a time when events of two or more people indoors were banned except for work purposes.
The messages were sent several hours after Johnson attended a staff gathering in the cabinet room to mark his birthday — the event for which he received a fine. At some point that evening he also held a gathering outside with members of his family, in line with the rule of six at the time.
The messages flagged up to Case show that at 6.15pm, a Downing Street aide told the prime minister’s wife that her husband was on his way up to the flat. She replied that she was already there and suggested that she was with an unspecified number of male friends.
The Gray inquiry was told in January this year by the aide that these texts existed. The aide claimed to have told Gray’s investigators that while they did not want to forward the messages, they were prepared to come into the Cabinet Office to show the messages to inquiry officials in person. The aide also agreed to supply them to the Metropolitan police’s inquiry.
However, the aide claimed that Gray’s investigation team failed to follow up on the offer. Two weeks ago, once the Met inquiry had finished, the aide renewed the offer to the Gray team but this went unheeded.
It is the second gathering that the prime minister’s wife is alleged to have hosted in the flat while Covid restrictions were in place, although the other one — the so-called Abba party on November 13, 2020 — was cleared by both Gray and the Met.
Last night the Cabinet Office said Gray disputed that her team had been offered the opportunity to view the messages in January, and that the aide had been told they needed to submit copies of the messages as evidence, but had refused.
By the time the second offer was made in May, the Gray investigation had already concluded, a spokesman said.
The suggestion that the inquiry had failed to look into crucial evidence was strongly disputed and the spokesman said the exchanges with the aide had been passed to the Met. Following the publication of Gray’s report on Wednesday, which made only one passing reference to Carrie Johnson, the aide has written to Case offering to share the messages with him.
In the letter, the aide said they had decided to come forward after reading reports questioning the “integrity” of both Gray and the Met’s investigations, “particularly in relation to an alleged event in the prime minister’s flat on November 13, 2020”.
The aide wanted to raise with Case “some evidence I provided to the Gray report and the Met that I feel is important”, which related to the cabinet room gathering the evening of June 19.
The aide went on to attach excerpts of written evidence provided to Gray in January in an email, including a passage stating that they had “messages that indicate there was a social gathering in the PM’s flat on that evening”.
Last night a spokeswoman for Carrie Johnson said: “Sue Gray was aware of these exchanges as part of her exhaustive inquiry into alleged breaches.
“Staff were given ample opportunity to present evidence including these messages and all relevant information was passed to the Metropolitan Police for investigation.
“The lunchtime gathering in the cabinet room on 19 June 2020 was subsequently found to be in breach and a fixed penalty notice was issued to Mrs Johnson among others for which she apologised unreservedly and promptly paid the fine.”
No 10 did not deny that Carrie Johnson had a gathering or that the prime minister had entered the flat. However, a spokesman said that any relevant findings would have been covered in Gray’s final report.
The two friends believed to have been in the flat did not respond to requests for comment.
*Harry Yorke, Deputy Political Editor*
Sunday May 29 2022, 12.01am BST,
I love how these stories are being slowly leaked. Just when Boris thinks he’s in the clear, a new controversy shifts partygate back in to focus. The man has no shame, first he denied any parties took place, then he is fined for it. Any decent human being would have resigned, but this guy isn’t normal and his fan base will support him no matter what. This is what happens when we are led by donkeys.
He genuinely doesn’t think he has done anything wrong does he. He really did/does think that the rules don’t apply or that he is somehow exempt from it all.
Would it be easier to just record the dates there weren’t parties?
Drip drip, slowly, not only does Boris trash his own reputation, but he cares so little he will take down everything and everyone, as for all he is concerned, it’s his right to be PM, and rules don’t apply to him
Boris’ wants us move on.
….unfortunately for him, public opinion wants him to move on.
Ignoring the pandemic entirely, do they do anything besides partying?
Can we submit a freedom of information request to see how much was spent on alcohol and events over the past decade?
>Cabinet secretary Simon Case has been sent a letter unveiling the messages, which suggest that Carrie Johnson organised the law-breaking event in Number 10, according to The Times.
What a weird situation we’re in now, Tory cabinet ministers are getting told of events, which are then getting leaked to the press.
Pretty sure his birthday party was mentioned before. But I suppose there wasn’t enough evidence for it.
This is getting ridiculous. We can’t just sit on social media and take this shit.
I mean, it was inside one of the most secure places in the country. I cant help but feel that *someone* must have seen it. I imagine the guests saw something resembling a party, at the very least.
Don’t allow the imperial system or the Jubilee to cover this up. Keep releasing these stories!
Further reminder that anyone who lets Johnson get close to them is also an amoral psychopath.
can we change the Dictionary from “Commit a crime” to “Do a Boris Johnson” now?
He’s consistent I’ll give him that
To be fair, being married to Boris is always a party best left unseen.
Which wife?!
I know, I’m shocked too. More than one woman chose to marry him.
And i was smashing a fwb every other week the entire time. Fuck your lockdowns, they were actively harmful in the long run
I wonder what actual impartial, full in depth investigation would reveal. Photos, texts, absolutely everything. We all know it would be damning but they’re allowed to just investigate themselves and find nothing wrong
Another inquiry?
The only problem I have with it is they should never have set the rules in the first place
I can’t help but laugh at the bit that says his wife was in the apartment with an “unspecified number” of male friends.
What exactly were they getting up to?
Please keep this going. Don’t let them get away with anything too long have they been taking the piss out of the public.
People keep requesting he resign so imagine he does which delightful Tory would you prefer ?