No 10 says Boris Johnson has full confidence in press chief Jack Doyle amid row over last year’s parties.
Image source, PA Media
This year’s 10 Downing Street Christmas party has been cancelled amid growing anger over a gathering that occurred last December when London was under strict Covid restrictions.
But Boris Johnson has declared his full confidence in communications chief Jack Doyle, after it emerged that he had spoken at last year’s event.
An inquiry is under way into what happened at the party and who attended.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called the prime minister “unfit for office”.
The revelation of Mr Doyle’s speech at the Downing Street gathering on 18 December last year – at which he also handed out awards to staff – follows a tumultuous few days for the government, with Labour accusing it of not being honest about parties in lockdown.
The 18 December gathering, involving between 20 and 30 people. took place two days after London had gone into Tier 3 lockdown restrictions, meaning people could not mix indoors with anyone outside their household or support bubble.
No 10 has refused to explain how this complied with the rules in place at the time.
On Wednesday, government spokeswoman Allegra Stratton resigned after video footage of her joking with colleagues in relation to the 18 December party was revealed by ITV.
- The former Daily Mail political reporter became the prime minister’s press secretary in 2020
- He was promoted to Downing Street director of communications in April this year
- He is not the PM’s official spokesman – but is in charge of how the government gets its message across to the media
- It is the role held by Alastair Campbell, when Labour was in power
- Mr Doyle earns between £140,000 and £144,999 a year
Amid criticism from opposition parties, the media and his own MPs, the prime minister has asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to carry out an investigation into the 18 December party.
His work will also include finding out what happened at another Downing Street gathering on 27 December last year, and another at the Department for Education on 10 December.
The inquiry could be widened out if it considered there are credible allegations about other events.
The government’s chief whip Mark Spencer told BBC Radio Nottingham that Mr Johnson “will not have lied” about any parties that took place in Downing Street.
He added that the 18 December event had been a “meeting” rather than a social get-together, and that staff had discussed how to deal with coronavirus.
But Labour’s Sir Keir, speaking during a visit to Northumberland, said: “It’s absolutely important that we get to the bottom of this.
“This is just the latest allegation of dishonesty from the prime minister. We’ve had lie upon lie in relation to the parties going on in Downing Street. The prime minister is not fit for office.”