The Conversation (0)
Politics
Elaine McCallig
Jan 20, 2022
Boris Johnson says ‘nobody told me’ Downing Street party broke lockdown rules
Boris Johnson has doubled down on his claim that he thought the “bring your own booze” gathering on May 2020 was a “work event”, and insisted he wasn’t warned that the gathering was against Covid rules.
Former aide Dominic Cummings claims Johnson misled parliament when he said he thought it was a “work event”, and said the prime minister was made aware that the get-together would breach Covid rules.
Now, Johnson faces the possibility of a no-confidence vote if 54 letters of no confidence are received by the 1922 Committee. It’s thought that roughly 20 MPs could submit letters today, but one told The Daily Telegraph the number of letters needed to trigger a challenge could be reached today.
It’s said MPs met last night to discuss Johnson’s future in a gathering nicknamed the “pork pie plot” or the “pork pie putsch”.
Speaking yesterday, the prime minister said he wasn’t warned that the 20th May 2020 gathering was in breach of Covid rules.
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He told broadcasters: “I can tell you categorically, categorically, that nobody told me and nobody said that this was something that was against the rules or was a breach of the Covid rules or we were doing something that wasn’t a work event because, frankly, I don’t think, I can’t imagine why on earth it would have gone ahead or why it would have been allowed to go ahead.”
His memory of the event, he said, was going into the garden for “about 25 minutes” for what he “implicity thought was a work event” and talking to staff. He said he then went back to his office and continued working.
He added: “I do humbly apologise to people for misjudgments that were made. But that is the very, very best of my recollection about this event.”
Asked if he was “taking the mickey” over his claim that he believed the 20th May 2020 drinks were a work event, the prime minister said: “I think what people need to do is wait and see what the [Sue Gray] report says.
“I repeat my deep apologies to people for mistakes that may have been made on my watch.”
As the political dumpster fire rages on, Twitter delivered the goods:
Oh mate, you should have watched the briefings they had on the telly every day; plus, bonus! there was a guy, the spitting image of you, doing them! You should have seen him! Same stupid hair and everything. Classic.https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1483430235865559044\u00a0\u2026— Dara \u00d3 Briain (@Dara \u00d3 Briain) 1642535957
"Nobody warned me that it was a bad idea to make a sharp turn with the gun ports open..."pic.twitter.com/GOLoZDj1cC— The Mary Rose (@The Mary Rose) 1642516198
Live pictures of Boris Johnson.pic.twitter.com/owh5uDVEOd— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1642550518
\u201cNo-one told me that a party with 30-40 people and tables of food and drink was against the rules which I put in place myself and which stated you could only be with one other person outside\u201d\n\nWorld-beating gaslighting.pic.twitter.com/nomBhWntai— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1642514547
"Nobody told me that this was against the rules"pic.twitter.com/nUYspwHPgK— Steve Peers (@Steve Peers) 1642516604
BREAKING: Boris Johnson now locked out of email account after repeatedly failing CAPTCHA.pic.twitter.com/72wRJVu95s— Pundamentalism (@Pundamentalism) 1642543551
Statement by Larry the Cat.\n#Fun #humour #larrythecat #DowningStreet #Boris pic.twitter.com/WRtWgzXCd3— My Favourite Bench (@My Favourite Bench) 1642538357
"Although the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, did a fantastic job communicating the rules hours earlier and I, in fact, congratulated him on the clarity with which he did so, nevertheless, alas, nobody told me that those rules would be applied, by others, to me"\n\n #nobodytoldmepic.twitter.com/BKqAaTQAME— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@Dr Mike Galsworthy) 1642538396
#nobodytoldme that the rules I put in place would apply to me @BorisJohnsonpic.twitter.com/j2LyT6xTZR— Mordegai Pritchard \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf89 Happy #46 Day! #BorisOut (@Mordegai Pritchard \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf89 Happy #46 Day! #BorisOut) 1642578175
Nobody told me eating people was against the rules, Claricepic.twitter.com/iH8d9QmQaX— James Felton (@James Felton) 1642514848
#nobodytoldme the sharks eat people!pic.twitter.com/1O9eBgXFoT— Gerry McK (@Gerry McK) 1642533009
YOU MADE THE RULES #nobodytoldme\n\nBoris Johnson \n\n\u201cIt was another Cobra meeting\u201dpic.twitter.com/B6rkVjuP3D— ColonelKickass (@ColonelKickass) 1642530735
'Nobody told me organized crime was against the rules'pic.twitter.com/HAZCqPW8fZ— Toby Earle (@Toby Earle) 1642515417
#NobodyToldMe that I had to stay for the whole interview ...pic.twitter.com/agEzZMgpSm— The People's Democratic Republic of Poundland (@The People's Democratic Republic of Poundland) 1642537784
Absolutely bizarre, #nobodytoldme it was against the rules, says the Prime Minister #nobodytoldme I was in charge of running the Country and had made the rules. He's just pathetic now. I may be off Twitter for a while, I'm off shoplifting.pic.twitter.com/lDjJrM1uXv— Carolina Moon \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa #JohnsonOut (@Carolina Moon \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa #JohnsonOut) 1642524069
"Nobody told me not to comb my hair with a carving knife"pic.twitter.com/wwoPSjb89F— The Agitator (@The Agitator) 1642542180
"I didn't know those were the rules, I only said them on TV every single day, spent thousands on marketing campaigns that stated said rules, mentioned the rules on every interview I did and fined other people for not following the rules but at no point did understand the rules"— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) 1642518017
Shoplifter walking out of Currys with a TV under his arm: \u201cNobody told me this was against the rules.\u201d— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1642515200
"Nobody told me that icebergs were a danger to ships"\n#nobodytoldme #JohnsonOutTodaypic.twitter.com/MMYQNZwS6I— David PhD Get Vaccinated.MaskUp Stay Local. \ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@David PhD Get Vaccinated.MaskUp Stay Local. \ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1642522554
\u201cNobody told me it was against the rules\u201d is a pretty weird thing for a man who was on telly literally every night for an hour telling people what the rules were.— Mikey Smith (@Mikey Smith) 1642522177
I don't have many skills in this world, but I do have enough to make a looping gif of Dick Van Dyke kicking Boris Johnson up the arse for your entertainment.pic.twitter.com/ufnIhi5RYu— Matthew Highton (@Matthew Highton) 1642521166
Last week: "I take full responsibility"\nThis week: "Nobody told me"— Francis \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f (@Francis \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f) 1642518872
Nobody told me these were sausages.pic.twitter.com/lszduTlw9W— Mr Roger Quimbly (@Mr Roger Quimbly) 1642535346
"Nobody told me I wasn't allowed"\n\nGood enough for 4-year-olds\n\nGood enough for our PM— Marina Purkiss (@Marina Purkiss) 1642515458
"Nobody told me this was a 70mph road" should now be the go-to excuse for all speeding fine defendants.— Stephen McGann\ud83d\udc99 (@Stephen McGann\ud83d\udc99) 1642513419
Boris Johnson: "Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules."\n\nYOU MADE THE RULES YOU DONKEY.pic.twitter.com/hGhwvLS1cb— \u0280\u1d18\u1d04\u029c\u1d07\u1d07\ua731\u1d0d\u1d00\u0274 (@\u0280\u1d18\u1d04\u029c\u1d07\u1d07\ua731\u1d0d\u1d00\u0274) 1642523559
One thing’s for sure. Today’s PMQs will be very interesting…
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