Boris Johnson has been pictured hosting a Christmas quiz in Downing Steet last December in “a clear breach” of his own government’s Covid rules.
An image obtained by the Sunday Mirror shows the prime minister sitting with two colleagues underneath a portrait of Margaret Thatcher as he reportedly read out questions to staff over video.
Sources told the newspaper the quiz was held on 15 December, while London was under tier 2 restrictions which banned social mixing. Staff were invited to take part online but dozens reportedly chose to do so from No 10 instead.
One insider told the Sunday Mirror that in one offie four teams made up of six people attended the quiz while huddled round computer screens.
Under Covid regulations in place in London and most other parts of the country at the time, gatherings of two or more people indoors were banned unless “reasonably necessary for work”.
Offiial guidance stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”
Adam Wagner, a lawyer, tweeted that the details reported suggested “a clear breach of the govt’s guidance and a potential breach of the law, including by the PM”.
This story is from the December 12, 2021 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the December 12, 2021 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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