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Plaid Westminster leader says Downing St e-mail is ‘proof in black and white’ UK Government broke Covid restrictions

10 Jan 2022 2 minute read
Boris Johnson. Picture by Cancillería Argentina (CC BY 2.0). Liz Saville-Roberts. Picture by Plaid Cymru.

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader has said that a Downing Street e-mail invited staff to “socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden” during May of the first lockdown is proof that the UK Government broke restrictions.

MP Liz Saville Roberts said that there was “no need for an inquiry” after seeing the email in which invited over 100 staff to Downing Street for a “bring your own booze event”.

Social mixing was banned in England at the time, apart from with one other person from another household outdoors.

“Proof in black and white that the Tories were boozing it up while the rest of us were in lockdown,” Liz Saville Roberts said.  “With every day that Boris Johnson remains in post, the case for independence grows stronger.”

The email was sent from Martin Reynolds, the principal private secretary. According to ITV News, it said: “Hi all, after what has been an incredibly busy period it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening. Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!”

No 10 are yet to deny that the Prime Minister attended the event on 20 May.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said that the Prime Minister had “consistently shown that he has no regard for the rules he puts in place for the rest of us”.

“He is trying to get officials to take the fall for his own mistakes, but he sets the tone for the way Downing Street and the rest of government operates,” she said.

“At the time this party took place, key workers on the frontline were working round the clock to keep us all safe, people suffered loneliness and loss in unimaginably tough circumstances. Labour has welcomed Sue Gray’s inquiry, but we need confirmation that this latest revelation, and any other parties not yet revealed by press investigations, will be covered by her probe.”


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Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

This is getting rediculous. It’s said 100 guests were invited to a Downing Street bring-your-own-booze “gathering” during the height of the original Covid-19 wave in May 2020 , and both Boris and then girlfriend also attended. And his response when challenged? Like a crook refused to confirm whether he was there. Is there nothing this moronic Boris Johnson & Conservative party can do before he & they are made culpable for their actions? And what message does this project to society. You can lie openly. Be a hypocrite. And can get away with Tory blue murder and nothing is done.… Read more »

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

How very dare you criticise the King of the World and your feudal overlords. Next thing you know you’ll be asking for stuff like democracy

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago
Reply to  Kerry Davies

Oh I do apologise. Shall doff my cap and worship at the alter of King Boris. May his blond locks never go grey or be combed.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

It gets worse by the minute. This morning on Radio 4 La Kuenssberg was telling a presenter that “at the time” recipients of the e-mail were responding with “surely not” and “is this for real” comments.
That raises two questions;

  1. If they themselves knew before the event that it was questionable just how arrogant/sociopathic/uncaring were they to go ahead with it?
  2. If the media and BBC in particular knew about it “at the time” how corrupt are they in failing to report and thus being part of a cover-up?
hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Kerry Davies

You are almost answering your own questions. Politicians and media are 2 kinds of the same horrible species, not fair on pigs to just call them that, but they are often at the trough together.

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