A Cabinet minister has defended leaked images of Boris Johnson hosting a Christmas Quiz in Downing Street during lockdown– arguing that it was within the rules.
Nazhim Zahawi, who was vaccines minister at the time of the event, said the gathering could not have been a party because no alcohol was present.
In images reported by the Daily Mirror the prime minister can be seek flanked by colleagues covered in tinsel – but Mr Zahawi claimed the gathering broke no rules because “they work with him”.
“What do we see in that picture? We see a prime minister on a virtual quiz night for 10 to 15 minutes, to thank his staff – who by the way had no choice but to come in every single day,” Mr Zahawi told Sky News.
“Sitting in his office with the two people who are closest working with him, no alcohol on the table, not drinking – on a zoom call or teams call, virtual call – respecting the lockdown rules.
“Many people would have had similar zoom quiz nights around the country. They are in his office, they work with him.”
Asked why the colleagues were dressed in Christmas garb, Mr Zahawi told the BBC: “I don’t think there’s a rule against recognising Christmas with tinsel or a hat.”
Social events outside household bubbles were banned under government rules at the time, including with colleagues who might otherwise have been working together.
Official guidance stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”
It comes after over a week of anger about a separate party held at Downing Street, which is now the subject of an investigation by the Cabinet Secretary.
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have tanked in the polls ahead of a key by-election test on Thursday, with speculation that rivals in the party could be eyeing his job.
[some twitter feeds here]
The prime minister’s political opponents rounded on the latest revelations. Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “This slew of rule-breaking revelations leaves Boris Johnson with nowhere left to hide.
“The British public did what they were asked, often at huge personal cost, but over the last year, it seems that Johnson and his cronies flouted rules, laughed about it, and are now desperately trying to cover it up.
“Johnson is destroying public trust at every turn. For every day he remains in No 10, he undermines the national effort to accelerate the booster programme and hold the line against Omicron. Johnson just needs to go.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer told the BBC: “I do think that new allegations is very serious. The reason it’s serious is because at the time the public was asking people not to see loved ones, and many of them didn’t see loved ones. That’s why this has created such fury.
“I remember it was only Wednesday that the prime minister stood up in parliament and said he was furious that he’d just found out there were breaches of the rules.”
Asked whether the prime minister was breaking the law, Sir Keir said: “It looks as though he was … it’s very hard to see how that’s compliant with the rules.”
But Sir Keir declined to call for Mr Johnson to resign. Pressed on whether the PM should go, he said: “We need to look at the allegations. It’s only one of the allegations and establish the facts.”
Now I have to re-evaluate all the birthday parties I went to as a kid. We weren’t downing shots or sipping prosecco so I guess they… weren’t parties?
Even if there was alcohol. it would have been in a very specific and limited way.
Nazhim Zahawi is a prize bell end of the highest order. Utterly vile man.
TIL it’s impossible to have a party in Saudi Arabia and other countries where alcohol is forbidden.
Oh! So that’s why the police found so much cocaine ‘nearby’
I thought there was cheese and wine. They’re a couple days away of arguing about the meaning of “was”, aren’t they?
All these ministers coming to his defense don’t seem to realise he would discard them at the drop of a hat if needed
Everyone knows COVID can’t spread if booze isn’t served…
They are lucky they aren’t pulled out into the streets.
I see I didn’t realise I could have saw my family last year if I didn’t have any alcohol
Everyone knows it’s only a party if you’ve downed a crate of Stella, at least one person has been physically, mentally or sexually assaulted and the rozzers have paid a visit.
… Oh and if no Tory ministers are in attendance.
To be fair to the Tories it is dangerous to mix alcohol with copious amounts of cocaine.
I’m just waiting for Gobshite MckLeakey to publish a photo of an aid entering 10 downing Street on the night of the party carrying 6 2-litre bottles of lidls superstrength cider
It wasn’t a party, there was no booze
It wasn’t a family visit, it was an eye test
It wasn’t quick shag in the office, I was helping her with a Covid swab
Oh so EVERY kids party isn’t one because alcohol wasn’t involved. What a tool
Guess every party I went to as a kid was actually a professional gathering then?
Given the recent history of any of the lower rung ministers/secs going out trying to excuse Johnson they will shortly be thrown under the bus. Just waiting for the photo showing everyone else on the call in full Santa costumes clutching bottles of Dom P.
>said the gathering could not have been a party because no alcohol was present.
Muslims rejoice
…so either they’ve never thrown a birthday party for their child. Or they’re an abusive parent who has but insisted there be alcohol.
So the stupid twat thinks people are only angry because it was a party? Not simply because you weren’t supposed to mix socially at all. What a twat.
I wasn’t having a party, I was having a quiz! Hello? Mum, we were having a quiz. Tell Dad it was a quiz. You can’t see the crisps! We had three different flavours of crisps! Explain to him. And Scotch eggs!
Falling right into the trap: again deny any wrongdoing, then the press release more evidence to contradict the position
Oh ok, so in lockdown we could’ve all gathered together as long as no one brought any booze?
You dont need alcohol if you are snorting cocaine constantly in the bathrooms.
Oh look it’s another Tory trying to use semantics to get round the fact their party broke their own laws, again…
TIL I didn’t have any birthday parties until I was 18 able to drink
There was no party.
I don’t know about any parties.
If there was a party, it was a gathering.
If there was a gathering, it was just a cheese and wine event.
Absent from the event was anyone important.
The PMs press secretary only delivered a very short speech but the PM wasn’t there.
The PM was there but virtually with no alcohol involved
Don’t fall for it guys, he’s trying to get you to argue about what a party means – but that is *completely irrelevant* as it is “gatherings” that were banned.
The only question here is whether this quiz is a “primarily social activity” because guidance did permit working in the office if required (though I’d like to know the justification for no. 10 admin work to not be doable from home), but explicitly banned Christmas socials, even in the office.
That seems pretty obvious, it’s an organised social event and nothing to do with work.
What an odd thing to say. So non-drinkers have never attended parties? Birthday parties for children simply don’t exist? Muslim weddings – not parties!
Besides, we know this is just the comment The Leaker is waiting for. The next picture will be attendees smiling next to alcohol, pouring alcohol over their heads, lying on the floor passed out surrounded by alcohol, and all manner of alcohol-related photos to ensure there’s little space left under that bus.
Good. Outline the clear guideline for what a party is, and the whole of the UK will use the same excuse.
Wait until Ed, we can all have “gathering” as there will not be alcohol involved.
Have a rave, nope, no alcohol here, coke, drugs, sure, but only the best bottles water
Can we have a new party whose manifesto is simply doing the job and not being corrupt arrogant arseholes? Should do well.
It’s like they all think they’re still at Eton.
“No Sir, wasn’t me, Sir”.
“Alcohol, Sir? Absolutely not, Sir. Can’t have been a party, you see.”
Pathetic bunch of transparent pricks.
This is purely an attempt to change the narrative to “what constitutes a party?” and get people talking about that instead of an illegal “gathering”, until another dead cat is thrown on the table to distract from something else.
Cummings mailing pictures of BoJo with a pint in hand as we speak.
Does that mean we can all meet whoever we want as long as there is no alcohol?
Tell that to all the schools that cancelled their end of term parties.
(As well as everyone else… but, seriously… what an idiotic thing to say.)
Look at them all. Just look at them scrambling around like cockroaches trying to defend themselves. ‘Yep there was no booze so not a party, the quiz was entirely about Serious Government Business, we all stood 2m apart at all times, everyone wore masks and elbow bumped each other.’
​
….and if you believe that you’ll believe anything.
The Tories have got everyone arguing about the definition of a party. However, the law at the time didn’t ban parties but gatherings of people not in the same household or support bubble.
This insinuates there’s no such thing as a children’s birthday party. Aside from the obvious bullshit of this situation, where did they even get this definition of a party?
Looks like Muslims have no technical way of partying.
You can really tell they spent all night coming up with that one.
Well…..son of a bitch. I have to do all the kids birthday parties over now.
41 comments
To avoid faux paywall, article contents:
A Cabinet minister has defended leaked images of Boris Johnson hosting a Christmas Quiz in Downing Street during lockdown– arguing that it was within the rules.
Nazhim Zahawi, who was vaccines minister at the time of the event, said the gathering could not have been a party because no alcohol was present.
In images reported by the Daily Mirror the prime minister can be seek flanked by colleagues covered in tinsel – but Mr Zahawi claimed the gathering broke no rules because “they work with him”.
“What do we see in that picture? We see a prime minister on a virtual quiz night for 10 to 15 minutes, to thank his staff – who by the way had no choice but to come in every single day,” Mr Zahawi told Sky News.
“Sitting in his office with the two people who are closest working with him, no alcohol on the table, not drinking – on a zoom call or teams call, virtual call – respecting the lockdown rules.
“Many people would have had similar zoom quiz nights around the country. They are in his office, they work with him.”
Asked why the colleagues were dressed in Christmas garb, Mr Zahawi told the BBC: “I don’t think there’s a rule against recognising Christmas with tinsel or a hat.”
Social events outside household bubbles were banned under government rules at the time, including with colleagues who might otherwise have been working together.
Official guidance stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”
It comes after over a week of anger about a separate party held at Downing Street, which is now the subject of an investigation by the Cabinet Secretary.
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have tanked in the polls ahead of a key by-election test on Thursday, with speculation that rivals in the party could be eyeing his job.
[some twitter feeds here]
The prime minister’s political opponents rounded on the latest revelations. Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “This slew of rule-breaking revelations leaves Boris Johnson with nowhere left to hide.
“The British public did what they were asked, often at huge personal cost, but over the last year, it seems that Johnson and his cronies flouted rules, laughed about it, and are now desperately trying to cover it up.
“Johnson is destroying public trust at every turn. For every day he remains in No 10, he undermines the national effort to accelerate the booster programme and hold the line against Omicron. Johnson just needs to go.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer told the BBC: “I do think that new allegations is very serious. The reason it’s serious is because at the time the public was asking people not to see loved ones, and many of them didn’t see loved ones. That’s why this has created such fury.
“I remember it was only Wednesday that the prime minister stood up in parliament and said he was furious that he’d just found out there were breaches of the rules.”
Asked whether the prime minister was breaking the law, Sir Keir said: “It looks as though he was … it’s very hard to see how that’s compliant with the rules.”
But Sir Keir declined to call for Mr Johnson to resign. Pressed on whether the PM should go, he said: “We need to look at the allegations. It’s only one of the allegations and establish the facts.”
Now I have to re-evaluate all the birthday parties I went to as a kid. We weren’t downing shots or sipping prosecco so I guess they… weren’t parties?
Even if there was alcohol. it would have been in a very specific and limited way.
Nazhim Zahawi is a prize bell end of the highest order. Utterly vile man.
TIL it’s impossible to have a party in Saudi Arabia and other countries where alcohol is forbidden.
Oh! So that’s why the police found so much cocaine ‘nearby’
I thought there was cheese and wine. They’re a couple days away of arguing about the meaning of “was”, aren’t they?
All these ministers coming to his defense don’t seem to realise he would discard them at the drop of a hat if needed
Everyone knows COVID can’t spread if booze isn’t served…
They are lucky they aren’t pulled out into the streets.
I see I didn’t realise I could have saw my family last year if I didn’t have any alcohol
Everyone knows it’s only a party if you’ve downed a crate of Stella, at least one person has been physically, mentally or sexually assaulted and the rozzers have paid a visit.
… Oh and if no Tory ministers are in attendance.
To be fair to the Tories it is dangerous to mix alcohol with copious amounts of cocaine.
I’m just waiting for Gobshite MckLeakey to publish a photo of an aid entering 10 downing Street on the night of the party carrying 6 2-litre bottles of lidls superstrength cider
It wasn’t a party, there was no booze
It wasn’t a family visit, it was an eye test
It wasn’t quick shag in the office, I was helping her with a Covid swab
Oh so EVERY kids party isn’t one because alcohol wasn’t involved. What a tool
Guess every party I went to as a kid was actually a professional gathering then?
Given the recent history of any of the lower rung ministers/secs going out trying to excuse Johnson they will shortly be thrown under the bus. Just waiting for the photo showing everyone else on the call in full Santa costumes clutching bottles of Dom P.
>said the gathering could not have been a party because no alcohol was present.
Muslims rejoice
…so either they’ve never thrown a birthday party for their child. Or they’re an abusive parent who has but insisted there be alcohol.
So the stupid twat thinks people are only angry because it was a party? Not simply because you weren’t supposed to mix socially at all. What a twat.
I wasn’t having a party, I was having a quiz! Hello? Mum, we were having a quiz. Tell Dad it was a quiz. You can’t see the crisps! We had three different flavours of crisps! Explain to him. And Scotch eggs!
Falling right into the trap: again deny any wrongdoing, then the press release more evidence to contradict the position
Oh ok, so in lockdown we could’ve all gathered together as long as no one brought any booze?
You dont need alcohol if you are snorting cocaine constantly in the bathrooms.
Oh look it’s another Tory trying to use semantics to get round the fact their party broke their own laws, again…
TIL I didn’t have any birthday parties until I was 18 able to drink
There was no party.
I don’t know about any parties.
If there was a party, it was a gathering.
If there was a gathering, it was just a cheese and wine event.
Absent from the event was anyone important.
The PMs press secretary only delivered a very short speech but the PM wasn’t there.
The PM was there but virtually with no alcohol involved
Don’t fall for it guys, he’s trying to get you to argue about what a party means – but that is *completely irrelevant* as it is “gatherings” that were banned.
The only question here is whether this quiz is a “primarily social activity” because guidance did permit working in the office if required (though I’d like to know the justification for no. 10 admin work to not be doable from home), but explicitly banned Christmas socials, even in the office.
That seems pretty obvious, it’s an organised social event and nothing to do with work.
What an odd thing to say. So non-drinkers have never attended parties? Birthday parties for children simply don’t exist? Muslim weddings – not parties!
Besides, we know this is just the comment The Leaker is waiting for. The next picture will be attendees smiling next to alcohol, pouring alcohol over their heads, lying on the floor passed out surrounded by alcohol, and all manner of alcohol-related photos to ensure there’s little space left under that bus.
Good. Outline the clear guideline for what a party is, and the whole of the UK will use the same excuse.
Wait until Ed, we can all have “gathering” as there will not be alcohol involved.
Have a rave, nope, no alcohol here, coke, drugs, sure, but only the best bottles water
Can we have a new party whose manifesto is simply doing the job and not being corrupt arrogant arseholes? Should do well.
It’s like they all think they’re still at Eton.
“No Sir, wasn’t me, Sir”.
“Alcohol, Sir? Absolutely not, Sir. Can’t have been a party, you see.”
Pathetic bunch of transparent pricks.
This is purely an attempt to change the narrative to “what constitutes a party?” and get people talking about that instead of an illegal “gathering”, until another dead cat is thrown on the table to distract from something else.
Cummings mailing pictures of BoJo with a pint in hand as we speak.
Does that mean we can all meet whoever we want as long as there is no alcohol?
Tell that to all the schools that cancelled their end of term parties.
(As well as everyone else… but, seriously… what an idiotic thing to say.)
Look at them all. Just look at them scrambling around like cockroaches trying to defend themselves. ‘Yep there was no booze so not a party, the quiz was entirely about Serious Government Business, we all stood 2m apart at all times, everyone wore masks and elbow bumped each other.’
​
….and if you believe that you’ll believe anything.
The Tories have got everyone arguing about the definition of a party. However, the law at the time didn’t ban parties but gatherings of people not in the same household or support bubble.
This insinuates there’s no such thing as a children’s birthday party. Aside from the obvious bullshit of this situation, where did they even get this definition of a party?
Looks like Muslims have no technical way of partying.
You can really tell they spent all night coming up with that one.
Well…..son of a bitch. I have to do all the kids birthday parties over now.