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Politics
Greg Evans
May 24, 2022
Johnson declines to apologise for rulebreaking after Partygate police investigation concludes.mp4
Independent
Images of Boris Johnson raising a glass during a leaving party in Downing Street during coronavirus restrictions have been published.
ITV News obtained four pictures showing the prime minister with a glass in his hand as he is stood by a table littered with bottles of wine.
The broadcaster said the pictures were taken at the November 13th 2020 leaving the party for then-director of communications Lee Cain.
Elsewhere, in the pictures, several other people whose identities have been protected can been also raising their glasses while standing around the table that is also full of other items such as hand sanitiser, packets of biscuits and crisps and a red briefcase.
A source close to ITV has dubbed the event and the surrounding pictures 'Fizzgate.'
At the time when the reports of lockdown parties took place in Downing Street first started to emerge in 2021, Johnson told MPs "that all guidance was followed completely in No 10."
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On December 8th, he reiterated: "I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”, before stating in a Downing Street press conference later that day that “all the evidence I can see is that people in this building have stayed within the rules."
The timing of these pictures couldn't be worse for the prime minister, as Sue Gray is due to publish her report on Partygate, this week.
As you can imagine the response to the pictures on social media has been pretty damning, with numerous jokes and memes already doing the rounds.
The ghosts don\u2019t look into it do theypic.twitter.com/Oi0ChveBuF— Gwdih\u0175 \ud83e\udd89 (@Gwdih\u0175 \ud83e\udd89) 1653320178
pic.twitter.com/D4gDhL0HFh— Alexander Brown (@Alexander Brown) 1653319370
Frodo when he puts the ring onpic.twitter.com/Nmfzfcxpbu— Michael Fry (@Michael Fry) 1653320651
Do the Met know how to count to fucking two or nahpic.twitter.com/ycWB8mdJtE— James Felton (@James Felton) 1653320159
Whoever took this must have been absolutely shitfaced.pic.twitter.com/NJSH3joDv0— Tom Peck (@Tom Peck) 1653319562
He was, in a sense, ambushed by six bottles of wine.— Matt Chorley (@Matt Chorley) 1653320375
worst looking party I have ever seenpic.twitter.com/0MyYt5b4HY— Parker (@Parker) 1653319775
On 8 December 2021, the PM was asked: "Will the prime minister tell the House whether there was a party in Downing Street on 13 November [2020]?"\n\nHe said: "No - but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times."\n\nResign.https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1528754003416387589\u00a0\u2026— Anneliese Dodds \ud83d\udc99 (@Anneliese Dodds \ud83d\udc99) 1653319432
Who leaked it thopic.twitter.com/MWLN5z5uEq— Nooruddean (@Nooruddean) 1653321372
There he is!https://twitter.com/paulbranditv/status/1528754003416387589\u00a0\u2026— Gary Neville (@Gary Neville) 1653318725
#BorisOut #SueGrayReportpic.twitter.com/tfT1PojE36— HappyToast \u2605 (@HappyToast \u2605) 1653321431
POV: you\u2019ve just had a suitcase of wine and it all goes blurrypic.twitter.com/oMXCBDLCbd— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1653321574
A spokesperson for Number 10 reportedly told ITV News: "The Cabinet Office and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs. The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report in the coming days, at which point the Prime Minister will address Parliament in full.”
Additional reporting from PA.
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