Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry has spoken of her outrage after further allegations of government events taking place during lockdown.
Speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster on GB News, the Labour MP called the Prime Minister “such a liar”, adding “the manipulation, the covering up, the treating us all as fools makes all of this worse.”
It comes as the list of events to take place during lockdown continues to grow, with more revelations seemingly being unearthed on a daily basis.
No one is so grand, Boris Johnson, that rules don’t apply to them
Speaking on the news that a party had taken place on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral – where the Queen was forced to sit alone due to Covid restrictions – Ms Thornberry told GB News: “Not just one party. Two parties. Two parties at Number 10. DJs in the basement. Grown men playing on children’s swings and breaking them. People being sent out for suitcases of alcohol because they had ran out.
“A culture that was set down by Boris Johnson over that time where frankly I’ve lost count of the number of parties they had at that time in complete contravention of the rules.
Emily Thornberry speaking to GB News
GB News
“The rules apply to everybody equally. That’s what the rule of law is about. It isn’t just rules for some people and the leadership don’t need to worry about it.
“No one is so grand, Boris Johnson, that rules don’t apply to them.
“He should not have been having parties at Number 10 and the staff at Number 10 should have not thought it was okay to have parties when he wasn’t there.
“They wouldn’t have had a party if they thought Boris Johnson didn’t approve of it.”
Two gatherings reportedly took place at Downing Street, with the Prime Minister’s former director of communications James Slack apologising for the “anger and hurt” one of the events – a leaving do held for him – had caused.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister confirmed No 10 has said sorry to the Palace.
The spokesman said: “It is deeply regrettable that this took place at a time of national mourning and No 10 has apologised to the Palace.
“You heard from the PM this week, he’s recognised No 10 should be held to the highest standards, and take responsibility for things we did not get right.”