Downing Road employees attended two separate events on the night earlier than Prince Philip’s funeral amid strict Covid guidelines that noticed the Queen sit alone as she bade farewell to her husband of 73 years, it has been alleged.
The Day by day Telegraph reported that two occasions had been held on the night of Friday 16 April 2021 – when the nation was underneath step 2 coronavirus restrictions which banned indoor mixing.
Each occasions had been mentioned to be leaving events for workers working within the prime minister’s inside staff. One was reportedly held for James Slack, Boris Johnson’s then-director of communications, and the opposite for the prime minister’s private photographer.
Witnesses instructed The Telegraph that “extreme alcohol” was drunk, attendees danced to music DJ’d by a particular adviser, and the gatherings lasted past midnight.
The paper reported that the celebrations had been initially held individually earlier than merging later within the night. Round 30 folks had been allegedly current throughout each events.
For Mr Slack’s leaving drinks, The Telegraph mentioned, colleagues started the celebration inside earlier than transferring to the Downing Road backyard, whereas the second occasion was initially confined to the basement earlier than that group additionally moved to the backyard. A spokesperson instructed the paper Mr Johnson was not in No 10 on the day of the alleged gatherings.
At one level a staffer was despatched to an area Co-op grocery store with a suitcase which they full of bottles of wine earlier than returning to the celebration, the report mentioned.
Later within the night, a colleague reportedly sat on a toddler’s swing belonging to Wilf Johnson, Mr Johnson’s son, and broke it.
Commenting on Mr Slack’s leaving occasion, a Downing Road spokesperson instructed The Unbiased: “On this particular person’s final day he gave a farewell speech to thank every staff for the work that they had achieved to assist him, each those that needed to be within the workplace for work and on a display for these working from house.” Mr Slack declined to remark when approached by The Telegraph.
The No 10 spokesperson wouldn’t touch upon the declare of a separate leaving do on the identical night for Mr Johnson’s photographer.
Responding to experiences that employees at 10 Downing Road had been partying simply hours earlier than the Queen attended the Duke of Edinburgh’s socially-distanced funeral, Liberal Democrats chief Sir Ed Davey mentioned: “The Queen sitting alone, mourning the lack of her husband, was the defining picture of lockdown.
“Not as a result of she is the Queen, however as a result of she was simply one other particular person, mourning alone like too many others. While she mourned, No 10 partied. Johnson should go.”
Step 2 restrictions which had been in drive on the time meant funerals, corresponding to Prince Philip’s on 17 April, might go forward, however with solely 30 attendees.
Folks had been urged to make money working from home “should you can” however guidelines on socialising with others had been a lot stricter.
“You have to not socialise indoors besides together with your family or assist bubble,” the rules said. “You may meet outside, together with in gardens, in teams of six folks or two households.”
For Philip’s funeral, friends had been required to take a seat away from different households, however because the Queen had no relations – apart from her husband – in her bubble, she was pressured to take a seat alone.
Kaynak: briturkish.com
