Boris Johnson and Downing Street employees with wine and cheese in May 2020

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Political journalist Harry Horton of ITV News explains the significance of a newly emerged photo showing Boris Johnson and staff drinking wine together during lockdown last year.

A photo showing Boris Johnson and Downing Street employees enjoying wine and cheese in an enclosed garden surfaced last year, apparently breaking the rules.

An image shared with the Guardian purportedly shows a social event on Friday, May 15, 2020.

The Prime Minister and his wife Carrie, who appears to be carrying their newborn, are seen sitting at a table with a cheese and wine board with two other people.

The rules at the time only allowed two people from different families to meet outside in a socially distant way.

Earlier that day, then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged people at a Covid-19 briefing to “stay home as much as possible” despite the fine weather.

Sources told the Guardian and The Independent earlier this week that the prime minister had spent about 15 minutes gathering and told a staff member they deserved a drink due to “beating the coronavirus”.

They claimed about 20 employees drank wine, spirits and ate pizza after the Covid briefing. Some were in the office, some were in the garden, and some had been drinking late, allegedly.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie are pictured enjoying wine with Downing Street staff during lockdown in 2020 Credit: Jacob King/PA

Downing Street claimed that the May 15 meeting was a business meeting and that Mr Johnson returned to his apartment at 7pm.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “In the summer months, Downing Street staff regularly use the park for some meetings.

On May 15, 2020, the Prime Minister held a series of meetings throughout the afternoon, including briefly with the then Minister of Health and Welfare and his team in the garden following a press conference.

The Prime Minister went to his residence shortly after seven in the evening. The few staff required to work in Downing Street Park remained for part of the afternoon and evening.”

Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner responded to the photo: “I think staff meetings would look a little different if you went to Eaton?

“That’s enough. Tell us the truth about what was going on in Downing Street right from the start, @BorisJohnson.”

Johnson’s government has been mired in a series of partisan scandals – accusations that the prime minister, politicians and civil servants violated Covid restrictions with social gatherings while preaching to members of the public to follow the rules.

Earlier this month, ITV News released leaked footage of top employees laughing at a No. 10 Christmas party, which allegedly happened on December 18.

The December 18 event is now the subject of an investigation ordered by Boris Johnson and his former press secretary resigning over the video.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who was tasked with leading the investigation, was then subjected to accusations that his cabinet office held its own meeting for a partial virtual test on December 17 last year.

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