Facts

On 7th December 2021 leaked footage was published showing senior No 10 aides joking about lockdown rules and a Christmas party held at Downing Street.

During Prime Minister's Questions on the following day, Keir Starmer said “The Prime Minister and the Government spent the week telling the British public that there was no party and that all guidance was followed completely. Millions of people now think the Prime Minister was taking them for fools and that they were lied to; they are right, aren’t they?”.

The Prime Minister responded, “I am sickened myself and furious about that, but I repeat what I have said to him: I have been repeatedly assured that the rules were not broken”.

The Prime Minister did not name those who gave him these repeated assurances “that the rules were not broken.” 

Verdict

Given the Prime Minister’s record of lies and fabrication his claim that he had been “repeatedly assured that the rules were not broken” should be regarded with scepticism. Who gave him these repeated assurances? Were they officials? If so, have they been disciplined? These and other questions will be of interest to the Privileges Committee as it investigates allegations that Boris Johnson misled the House of Commons about breaches of Covid guidelines in Downing Street.

We approached Boris Johnson's office, No10 Press Office and the Cabinet Office to give them a chance to comment, but received no response.