Email proves Downing Street employees had a drink party at the height of the lockdown

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ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand reports on the email giving first clue to the party on May 20, 2020 at Park No. 10

Downing Street employees have been invited to the No. 10 Lawn Beverage Party during the height of the nationwide lockdown to “make the most of the beautiful weather”.

An email shared exclusively with ITV News provides the first evidence of a party on May 20, 2020, when the rest of the country was banned from meeting more than one person outdoors.

The email was sent by the Prime Minister’s private secretary, Martin Reynolds, to more than a hundred Number 10 employees, including the Prime Minister’s advisers, letter writers and door staff.

In it, Mr. Reynolds – a 10th senior civil servant who has run Boris Johnson’s private office since October 2019 – says:

“welcome,

“After a period that was incredibly crowded, we thought it would be a good idea to make the most of the nice weather and have some social drinks at Park 10 this evening.

“Please join us from 6pm and bring your own liquor!”

ITV News understands that about 40 employees gathered in the park that evening, for picnic food and drinks. Crucially, they included the Prime Minister and his wife, Carrie Johnson.

Email invitation sent by Martin Reynolds, seen by ITV News Credit: ITV News

The May 20 party was first hinted at in a blog by former Prime Minister Adviser Dominic Cummings on Friday.

The email follows allegations that staff members gathered at the park for a separate event on May 15, with a photo emerging of Johnson and his wife sitting with Number 10 staff members including Martin Reynolds on the porch with a bottle of wine and cheese.

Paul Brand explains why there is now pressure on Met Police to investigate the parties’ allegations in Downing St during the Covid restrictions

Downing Street previously insisted that the photo showed a business meeting. But the email for the May 20 drink party makes it clear that this was a social gathering, which is hard to explain away.

Less than an hour before drinks, then-Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden reminded the rest of England at the daily press conference that they should only meet in pairs outdoors.

On May 20, 2020, then-Minister of Culture Oliver Dowden told the audience at a press conference:

“You can meet one person outside your family in a public place in the open air as long as you stay two meters away”

Directives allowing a ‘rule of six’ outdoors were not introduced until June 2020 and large gatherings remained prohibited.

The latest revelations have led to new calls for the prime minister to be questioned as part of an internal investigation into a chain of parties in Downing Street, which was launched after ITV News broadcast footage of Number 10 employees laughing and joking about an event on December 19, 2020.

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In this video, then-prime minister’s spokeswoman Allegra Stratton noted that there was no “social distancing” at the event, which staff jokingly referred to as a “business meeting” with “cheese and wine”.

ITV News later revealed that the Prime Minister’s head of communications, Jack Doyle, presented awards to staff at the party and gave a speech.

Since then, there have been allegations from several other parties.

The allegations are currently being investigated by the Cabinet Office by senior civil servant Sue Gray, who took over the position from Cabinet Secretary Simon Case over allegations that he had knowledge of at least one party.

ITV News understands that the beverage party on May 20 will form part of the ongoing investigation, and the investigation is set to return in this month’s report.

When Mr Johnson was asked on Monday if he and his wife had attended the ceremony on May 20, he replied: “All of this, you know, is the subject of a proper investigation by Sue Gray.”

Downing Street told ITV News they would not comment on the story due to the Sue Gray investigation.

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