Bonfire of the flunkies

>> PM set to blame aides >> New No10 bash revealed

- BEN GLAZE

AS PRESSURE grows on Boris Johnson over a series of No10 lockdown parties, the shameless PM looks set to shift the blame away from himself in a desperate bid to save his own skin.

Rather than accept any responsibility for the scandal engulfing Downing Street, he is instead likely to throw a bunch of civil servants under the bus and they could now face the axe.

It comes as we can reveal Johnson attended a leaving do for his outgoing defence adviser in the run-up to Christmas 2020 and gave a speech.

And fresh doubts were raised on the PM's claim he did not know in advance about the No10 “bring a bottle” bash on May 20 of that year.

Sunday Times columnist Dominic Lawson claimed at least two people had warned Johnson the email invite made it clear it was a party and it should have been stopped.

If true, it blows last week's half-hearted Commons apology out of the water and means he faces claims he breached the ministerial code by misleading Parliament.

To add further pressure, his wife Carrie was snapped breaking social distancing rules in September 2020 by hugging a friend.