When Will It All Go Wrong For The Tories/ Johnson?

[Gloster]

I thought that YouGov was taxi drivers.

 

[DarloRich]

Another hour, another scandal:

Daily Mirror: EXCLUSIVE: Boris Johnson's 'wine time Fridays' - No10 staff held drinks EVERY week during pandemic
EXCLUSIVE: Downing Street held yet MORE parties throughout the Covid pandemic with events taking place every Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged staff to "let off steam" even though indoor socialising was strictly banned

Boris Johnson's 'wine time Fridays' - No10 staff drinks every week in pandemic

EXCLUSIVE: Downing Street held yet MORE parties throughout the Covid pandemic with events taking place every Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged staff to "let off steam" even though indoor socialising was strictly banned

www.mirror.co.uk

Where is Oliver Cromwell when we need him? "Stand not upon the manner of your departure, just go!", or words to that effect.

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place,

which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice.

Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government.

Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess?

Ye have no more religion than my horse. Gold is your God. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices?

Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance.

Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do.

I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place.

Go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!

Oliver Cromwell 20 April 1653

 

[brad465]

Another hour, another scandal:



It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place,

which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice.

Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government.

Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess?

Ye have no more religion than my horse. Gold is your God. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices?

Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance.

Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do.

I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place.

Go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!

Oliver Cromwell 20 April 1653

At least we now know why the Government got so little done.

 

[MattRat]

YouGov have reported Johnson as now having a -52 approval rating, which is now almost as low as Corbyn's lowest rating of -55 in mid-2019, and more unpopular than May was at any given time she was PM:

https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1481949280617304064

View attachment 108765

And yet still more popular than Keir Starmer (as far as I'm aware as of writing).

 

[Gloster]

And yet still more popular than Keir Starmer (as far as I'm aware as of writing).

My reading of the figures is that Johnson is on -52 Net-favourability and Starmer on -19 (Patel on -55). Not good for Starmer, but not terrible either, considering that all politicians are considered to be ‘all the same’ at the moment.

 

[Busaholic]

Another hour, another scandal:



It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place,

which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice.

Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government.

Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess?

Ye have no more religion than my horse. Gold is your God. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices?

Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance.

Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do.

I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place.

Go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!

Oliver Cromwell 20 April 1653

The Keir Starmer of his day!

When I was studying the English Civil War for A level history I quickly came to the conclusion that I'd have liked both sides to lose on the grounds their leadership and morality was so flawed in many regards. Just like modern politics and politicians really! Not that I don't want one side to lose now and be out of office for at least a decade.

 

[DelayRepay]

At least we now know why the Government got so little done.

That is unfair. They were working very hard to support businesses and protect jobs during lockdown. That's what the manager of the Co-op said, anyway.

 

[MattRat]

That is unfair. They were working very hard to support businesses and protect jobs during lockdown. That's what the manager of the Co-op said, anyway.

Meanwhile, in the pubs.....

 

[brad465]

In Laura K's latest analysis of Johnson's situation, it transpires that school kids on the playground are making jokes/fun of Johnson in light of what's happened, as well as potentially more discontent to be aimed at MPs this weekend in their constituencies:

Kuenssberg: What's a PM to do when even kids joke about his future?

The prime minister is fighting to stay in No 10 - and the next few days could prove decisive.

www.bbc.co.uk

The prime minister is fighting to stay in No 10 - and the next few days could prove decisive.

MPs can't skulk, plotting, in Westminster's corridors at weekends. But for Boris Johnson, the time his colleagues spend back in their constituencies could prove even worse.
One senior MP described how on Friday, during a standard school visit, he was asked by a group of nine-year-olds whether or not the prime minister was going to resign, and then was catcalled by teenage pupils about Boris Johnson's behaviour.
As much as the prime minister's seemingly dwindling number of backers may wish this saga was merely a preoccupation of his many enemies or the press, the question of whether he stays or goes has become a national conversation.

On Wednesday, presenters on cosy daytime TV sofas crossed live to the Commons for PMQs. Music radio presenters challenged each other to race to the Co-op on London's Strand to fill a carry-on case with a carry-out, after the latest claims about No 10 staff filling a suitcase with booze.
One minister admits there is a "lot of discontent" among local party associations - which MPs will hear in person this weekend. And many report their email inboxes have been filling up with party members and constituents seething about what's been going on.
The prime minister's future is now the subject of playground teasing. As the MP who had that awkward conversation with the nine-year-olds suggested, if many of his colleagues have similar experiences, "Monday morning could be a very difficult moment".
Another senior MP, who has already been told by their local party chairman that the prime minister should quit, predicted that MPs will hear so much concern this weekend, "it could all be over on Monday".

But hang on. There is nothing automatic about what happens next.
The consensus among MPs right now seems to be at least to wait until the conclusions of Sue Gray's report are made public.
One cabinet minister who says "there is no getting away from the situation - it is very bad", also cautions: "It is very hard to get rid of a leader who doesn't want to go." The minister says Johnson will "want to go on and on and on" - whatever the findings of the report.
Another senior cabinet minister believes that while MPs are angry, "they are not at the stage when they want to get rid of him". Importantly, too, the cabinet itself does not seem to be taking a collective view about what to do.

The mood among ministers is that the situation is pretty desperate. But they don't seem to be trying to take concerted action together, either, to find a way out.
For one member of the cabinet, that's in contrast with memories they have of regular discussions about how to manage the political horror during the worst days of Theresa May's premiership. This may be in part down to the fact we are now in very different political times.
There aren't bonds between groups at the most influential table in the land in the same way - no Brexiteer band determined to get their way whatever the cost, and no group like the one that was determined to protect Mrs May.
There is, however, an acceptance that Boris Johnson faces a moment of real peril and has to change. One says: "A lot of people say he has three months to significantly raise his game."
The question of whether the prime minister himself believes he has to change, or can, is an argument for another day.

The precise wording of the Sue Gray report will be vital in all of this. Will she criticise the overall culture in No 10, or point to individuals or blame the prime minister himself?
Remember, the report is official and Sue Gray's reputation is fearsome, but that's not the same as being an outsider. She is a senior government employee, not an independent arbiter. That's not to suggest that she will pull any punches, but it would be quite something if she were to suggest that Boris Johnson himself had directly broken the rules.
Whatever the specifics of her conclusions, the position will still be difficult. And some of the rising generation of ministers not yet in cabinet may take a harsher view than those already at the top table.
Sources suggest there are conversations taking place among the lower ranks, those who see themselves as the future of the party, about the possibility of taking action. The idea has been mooted that some of them may go to the prime minister once the report is out and say that either he goes, or they do instead.
This doesn't seem to be a concrete plan, but an apparent lack of organisation in cabinet doesn't mean that there's no threat from others on the payroll. Johnson's ministers may not all be prepared to tolerate many more weeks like this.
It's on the backbenches where MPs are far more open about the action they may take. One former minister, not a usual troublemaker, predicted confidently there will be enough letters calling for a vote of no confidence to bring about a contest next month.
Another, who backed Boris Johnson originally, told me they will call for him to resign when the Gray report is published and expect enough others will agree to trigger a fight for him to stay in the job.
But it is one thing threatening all of this privately right now. It's another to follow through.
Another backbencher told me they were pleading with colleagues to remember the turmoil that changing a leader creates, saying: "We might not be that far from an election - I just wish everyone would remember that."
Another told the BBC "I can see no scenario where he's the PM going into the next election" but "it's not the right time" to act.
The pandemic is still with us. There is growing pressure on family finances. Yet the levels of frustration with No 10 are sky-high, in part because the fiasco is seen as being entirely self-inflicted.
The behaviour itself, behind closed doors, is almost unbelievable to many. The handling of it a product of what's often seen as Johnson's credo - never apologise, never explain - which means rather than confronting the claims at the start and coming clean, allegations have been left to fester and grow, resulting yesterday in the most extraordinary apology, even, to the Queen.
It's not at all clear how No 10 believes they can get through this crisis.

Regular briefings to the press this week have been surreal and unproductive. I'm told the mood inside the building is terrible, one source telling me staff are unsure if colleagues are telling each other the truth.
Some, it's said, are still holding on to the conviction that what happened can be explained away that the gatherings were "events" not parties, and that the technicalities of the rules may somehow see them through.
The mood outside Downing Street is rather different, with disbelief that, as one cabinet minister suggested, "Boris has persuaded himself he's the victim here".
There was "consternation" when the prime minister went to talk to MPs moments after his Commons apology and - as one of them described to me - told them "he was bravely taking the blame for other people's mistakes".

The fate of Boris Johnson is certainly not yet sealed. The details of the Gray report matter. The bravado of MPs can melt away. The absence of an obvious, ready-to-go rival may protect him (although there are plenty who are lining up to have a go).
The prime minister may be able to rediscover what one of his colleagues describes as "his magic". It could prove in time that this was simply an appalling bout of the mid-term blues. And those who know well him think the chance of Boris Johnson concluding it's best to step away are extremely slim.
But with each new day of allegations and embarrassment it's more likely that the decision could be taken out of his hands.

 

[nanstallon]

It will all blow over. There will be enough wriggle room in the report for Johnson, and he will stay in number 10 for as long as he likes. Just as in the USA with the Republican party taken over by Trump, people areen't that bothered about truth.

 

[Typhoon]

The Keir Starmer of his day!

When I was studying the English Civil War for A level history I quickly came to the conclusion that I'd have liked both sides to lose on the grounds their leadership and morality was so flawed in many regards. Just like modern politics and politicians really! Not that I don't want one side to lose now and be out of office for at least a decade.

The phrase

You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!

was used more recently, in 1940 by the Conservative member for Birmingham South, Leo Amery, from the backbenches towards Neville Chamberlain following the failed Norway campaign. The following day, Chamberlain resigned.

This may represent a more realistic equivalent. A respected Tory backbencher speaking out - Andrew Bridgen, William Wragg, Duncan Ross, has your time come? (The trouble is Johnson has removed many of the respected Tories.)

(Quote is directly from Amery's Wikipedia entry and claims to be from Amery's autobiography, volume 3. I can't claim to have read it. It is widely repeated elsewhere.)

 

[Kez]

It will all blow over. There will be enough wriggle room in the report for Johnson, and he will stay in number 10 for as long as he likes. Just as in the USA with the Republican party taken over by Trump, people areen't that bothered about truth.

That is certainly what Johnson is hoping.

However, it is not an independent enquiry and so its credibility is in some doubt before it is even published ; it should have really been conducted by a member of the judiciary. In any case, I think that the Court of Public Opinion has already deliberated and come to its conclusion. I suspect that Tory MP's who say they are 'awaiting publication of the report' are deciding on a successor. Unlike the Republicans (who were reluctant to get rid of Nixon and held onto a dementia-riddled Reagan), the Tories have proven to be ruthless in such matters.

 

[MattRat]

That is certainly what Johnson is hoping.

However, it is not an independent enquiry and so its credibility is in some doubt before it is even published ; it should have really been conducted by a member of the judiciary. In any case, I think that the Court of Public Opinion has already deliberated and come to its conclusion. I suspect that Tory MP's who say they are 'awaiting publication of the report' are deciding on a successor. Unlike the Republicans (who were reluctant to get rid of Nixon and held onto a dementia-riddled Reagan), the Tories have proven to be ruthless in such matters.

Well, he's also their scapegoat. Get rid of him and apparently all problems are solved, even though they most definitely won't be, and I won't be surprised if the parties continue, or have already continued during all of this.

 

[nanstallon]

That is certainly what Johnson is hoping.

However, it is not an independent enquiry and so its credibility is in some doubt before it is even published ; it should have really been conducted by a member of the judiciary. In any case, I think that the Court of Public Opinion has already deliberated and come to its conclusion. I suspect that Tory MP's who say they are 'awaiting publication of the report' are deciding on a successor. Unlike the Republicans (who were reluctant to get rid of Nixon and held onto a dementia-riddled Reagan), the Tories have proven to be ruthless in such matters.

To be fair, both Nixon and Reagan were very successful Presidents. However, moral compass was very lacking - Cambodian bombing campaign, Watergate and fomenting civil war in Nicaragua come straight to mind.

 

[Typhoon]

Well, he's also their scapegoat. Get rid of him and apparently all problems are solved, even though they most definitely won't be, and I won't be surprised if the parties continue, or have already continued during all of this.

I would be interested to know whether, say, a neighbour of the Prime Minister has been asked about whether he knew parties were taking place.

The story that there was a leaving party for James Slack, former Director of Communications, at No. 10 on 16th April 2021 is unlikely to be buried any time soon as journalists who were not invited and work for rival papers to The Sun will want to milk it for all that it is worth. Also, surely the Prime Minister noticed that his son's swing was broken.

However, it is not an independent enquiry ...

That is what is most troubling - Grey reports to Case (who had to recuse himself from making the enquiry) who reports to Johnson. Even if it is factually accurate there will always be doubts over its thoroughness.

 

[MattRat]

I would be interested to know whether, say, a neighbour of the Prime Minister has been asked about whether he knew parties were taking place.

The story that there was a leaving party for James Slack, former Director of Communications, at No. 10 on 16th April 2021 is unlikely to be buried any time soon as journalists who were not invited and work for rival papers to The Sun will want to milk it for all that it is worth. Also, surely the Prime Minister noticed that his son's swing was broken.

But once they start digging, they won't be able to stop (the public will want more), and I don't think they truly want us to know everyone who was there.

 

[nanstallon]

I would be interested to know whether, say, a neighbour of the Prime Minister has been asked about whether he knew parties were taking place.

The story that there was a leaving party for James Slack, former Director of Communications, at No. 10 on 16th April 2021 is unlikely to be buried any time soon as journalists who were not invited and work for rival papers to The Sun will want to milk it for all that it is worth. Also, surely the Prime Minister noticed that his son's swing was broken.

That is what is most troubling - Grey reports to Case (who had to recuse himself from making the enquiry) who reports to Johnson. Even if it is factually accurate there will always be doubts over its thoroughness.

She will be thorough, but in true British Establishment whitewash tradition will leave Johnson some wriggle room. I don't have much faith in British inquiries - remember the Hutton whitewash job after Dr Kelly had been hounded to death for telling the truth about the Iraqi WMD?

 

[brad465]

It will all blow over. There will be enough wriggle room in the report for Johnson, and he will stay in number 10 for as long as he likes. Just as in the USA with the Republican party taken over by Trump, people areen't that bothered about truth.

While I wouldn't rule out Johnson riding it out, what must be remembered is this year will be most likely dominated by a cost of living crisis, which is bad news for whoever the incumbent Government is whenever such a crisis happens. Some of the Tory party want Johnson to stay on for long enough to allow the rest of the party to dump it all on him once the worst is over, but if the crisis is hard hitting, they don't want him fronting the next GE campaign.

Well, he's also their scapegoat. Get rid of him and apparently all problems are solved, even though they most definitely won't be, and I won't be surprised if the parties continue, or have already continued during all of this.

She will be thorough, but in true British Establishment whitewash tradition will leave Johnson some wriggle room. I don't have much faith in British inquiries - remember the Hutton whitewash job after Dr Kelly had been hounded to death for telling the truth about the Iraqi WMD?

I'm confident the report will lead to staff losing their jobs, but Johnson won't be one of them, it'll be a number of prominent No.10 civil servants getting thrown under a bus to save Johnson's skin, as is always the case with whoever associates with him.

 

[Busaholic]

She will be thorough, but in true British Establishment whitewash tradition will leave Johnson some wriggle room. I don't have much faith in British inquiries - remember the Hutton whitewash job after Dr Kelly had been hounded to death for telling the truth about the Iraqi WMD?

Whatever you, or I, think about the Hutton inquiry conclusions, it was a judicial inquiry without restrictions imposed. Sue Gray has none of the powers of Lord Hutton and is compromised by her work relationship to virtually all the people who may be involved: in the case of what she might say about Johnson's involvement or responsibility she has both hands tied behind her back and is blindfolded. Someone more cynical than myself might suggest she was chosen for that purpose.

 

[bspahh]

Whatever you, or I, think about the Hutton inquiry conclusions, it was a judicial inquiry without restrictions imposed. Sue Gray has none of the powers of Lord Hutton and is compromised by her work relationship to virtually all the people who may be involved: in the case of what she might say about Johnson's involvement or responsibility she has both hands tied behind her back and is blindfolded. Someone more cynical than myself might suggest she was chosen for that purpose.

David Allen Green wrote "Some thoughts about the Sue Gray investigation":
https://davidallengreen.com/2022/01/some-thoughts-about-the-sue-gray-investigation/
and followed up with a more detailed article:
https://davidallengreen.com/2022/01/a-critical-general-overview-of-the-sue-gray-investigation-2/

Even without looking at the the terms of reference, we can know the following: (a) Gray cannot make a determination as to whether there is criminal liability, as she is not a court; (b) Gray cannot make an independent assessment of the application of non-legal guidance to her colleagues as she is not independent; and (c) she cannot determine whether the prime minister or another minister is in breach of the ministerial code, as she is not the prime minister.

[snip]

Perhaps Gray may apply the guidance to the facts so as to make some findings of breaches of the guidance, but the thing is that she does not need to do so to fulfil the terms of reference.

And this is how a lot of these investigations – and inquiries – are bound not to meet elevated public expectations.

Why they are bound to often disappoint.

Not because of any arbitrary decision by those investigating – or enquiring – to ‘whitewash’ – but because of the very structure of the inquiry and the specific terms of reference.

It is almost as if this investigation was structured in such a way so as to give scope to ministers to leak to the press that they have been ‘cleared’.

 

[brad465]

The Conservative Home website reveals that of a panel of party members, over half (53% vs 43%) want him to resign. This doesn't mean he will be going now, but it shows his negative impact is hitting the core base significantly:

Over half of our panel of Party members want Johnson to resign now | Conservative Home

Fifty-three per cent of respondents say he should and 43 per cent that he shouldn't, with the rest undecided.

www.conservativehome.com

The Executive of the Sutton Coldfield Association believes that Boris Johnson should quit. An anonymous Conservative MP says that Tory activists in his constituency conducted a poll amongst themselves where 65 per cent said that Boris Johnson should resign.

Lee Anderson is asking Facebook supporters if the Prime Minister should go. Danny Kruger, says that some “lifelong Conservative voters have decided they cannot vote for us again while Boris Johnson is leader”. What does our panel think?

The 53 per cent who think that Johnson should quit forthwith is lower than the 71 per cent who said in April 2019 that Theresa May should go then. There were 1270 responses then. I hope to ask the question less often than ConHome did in May’s case.

That 53 per cent will consist of a small proportion who have never cared for the Prime Minister – the same panel gave him a 93 point approval rating in our first post-general election Cabinet League Table – and a larger one that has concluded he should quit.

The 43 per cent who believe he should stay is no small minority. It will consist of Party members who believe the “Partygate” saga is media-hyped trivia, others who think it isn’t but believe that Johnson should remain, and some who will want him to go at a later date.

It would be an exaggeration to say that the panel is split down the middle, but not by all that much. Nonetheless, that over half of Party members want the Prime Minister out, if this return is representative, is a humiliating result for him, and shows a loss of confidence that may not be reversed.

This finding is consistent with recent surveys, which have found Johnson in negative ratings three times, twice recently in succession, and chalking up last month his worst score ever. A YouGov poll last week found 59 per cent of members saying he should remain and 34 per cent saying he should stand down.

 

[MadMac]

One small piece of trivia. One of the minor candidates, Yolande Kenward, has got herself into the record books: the smallest number of votes gained by a candidate at a by-election since 1918. One hopes she asked for a recount to check that she really did get three votes.

Not sure what the rules are now, but when Commander Bill Boakes RN (Retd.) only managed five votes at Hillhead, you needed ten constituents to sign the nomination papers. Put another way, he only got half the number of votes needed to stand in the first place…..

 

[nanstallon]

Not sure what the rules are now, but when Commander Bill Boakes RN (Retd.) only managed five votes at Hillhead, you needed ten constituents to sign the nomination papers. Put another way, he only got half the number of votes needed to stand in the first place…..

Perhaps ten constituents did sign his nomination papers, but five changed their minds in the polling booth. Mind you, if Commander Bill Noakes RN (Ret'd) stood now against Boris Johnson in a one to one, he'd win.

 

[Busaholic]

Perhaps ten constituents did sign his nomination papers, but five changed their minds in the polling booth. Mind you, if Commander Bill Noakes RN (Ret'd) stood now against Boris Johnson in a one to one, he'd win.

He'd have to stand( ) as Commander Bill Boaks RN (Ret'd) (Dec'd)though,and a signature for his nomination papers would be a stretch!

Used to see him stationary on his bike on Streatham Hill at the traffic light intersection with the South Circular bearing his placard. RIP Bill, a man of principle so unlike the Prime Charlatan.

 

[MP33]

I am a member of an organisation that have a rule that anyone standing in a region have to be nominated by a number of members residing in that region.

They published the election results for one region, not where I live. It is not highly populated and one candidate received around 20 or so votes and the other one zero votes.

He must have been nominated by people who signed to shut him up or get rid of him.

 

[brad465]

Steve Baker has said his constituents appear to be against Johnson by 60:1:

Boris Johnson was warned about lockdown drinks - Cummings

But No 10 has strongly denied claims by the PM's ex-aide that Boris Johnson ignored concerns.

www.bbc.co.uk

Conservative Steve Baker has said his constituents are "about 60 to one against the PM" amid the row over No 10 parties during the lockdown.
The MP said "rule-makers must obey the rules" but added he would wait for Sue Gray's report before taking any action.
It comes as the PM's former top aide claims Mr Johnson was warned about a drinks event on 20 May 2020.
No 10 strongly denied Dominic Cummings's account and said the PM believed the event was work-related.
Last week, Mr Johnson admitted attending the gathering in the Downing Street garden.
He said he had stayed at the drinks for 25 minutes to thank staff for their hard work and had believed it to be a work gathering.
Downing Street has neither confirmed nor denied a report in the Daily Telegraph that Mr Johnson has been interviewed by Ms Gray, the senior civil servant carrying out an inquiry into this and other gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions.

Mr Baker's comments come after his Conservative colleagues spent the weekend canvassing public opinion on the prime minister, with some reporting widespread anger with Boris Johnson.
Speaking outside Downing Street, Mr Baker told reporters: "My constituents at the moment are about 60 to one against the prime minister.
"I've listened very carefully to members of my [Conservative party] association, too. There are some very strident voices in my constituency demanding that I support the prime minister.
"What I would say is I made my view very clear at the beginning of December: that there must be one rule for all; that the rule-makers must obey the rules that they apply on others."
Mr Baker said MPs were waiting for the result of Ms Gray's investigation.
The MP later added "it was impossible to say" if Mr Johnson would lead his party into the next general election.

The former minister is an influential voice among Conservative MPs, having previously led a powerful pro-Brexit group within the parliamentary party.
He supported Mr Johnson to become leader of the party in 2019, but has recently been critical over some of his decisions on coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson's ex-senior aide Dominic Cummings has accused the prime minister of knowing he was at a party when he went to the event on 20 May 2020.
In a tweet, Mr Cummings said the prime minister "knew he was at a drinks party cos he was told it was a drinks party and it was actually a drinks party".

Baker happens to be in a seat that is now vulnerable to turning red, so will almost certainly act to depose Johnson if he believes the party will lose heavily with Johnson in charge.

 

[Acfb]

Opinium has published polls of the Tory membership this evening showing Sunak beating Truss by 64% to 36% and Hunt by 79% to 21%.

63% of Tory members polled however want Johnson to continue.

 

[MattRat]

Opinium has published polls of the Tory membership this evening showing Sunak beating Truss by 64% to 36% and Hunt by 79% to 21%.

63% of Tory members polled however want Johnson to continue.

Give the media time, I'm sure that will change. Note, I don't like Johnson, but even I'll admit to seeing the media bent against him, regardless of who else was at those parties.....

 

[Acfb]

Give the media time, I'm sure that will change. Note, I don't like Johnson, but even I'll admit to seeing the media bent against him, regardless of who else was at those parties.....

I don't like the media angle on this either as much as I dislike Johnson. In some ways I dislike Sunak more though. I say this as a Labour party member. We will see how things play out, I can easily see Johnson riding things out for at least another 6-12 months and I'm not convinced the local elections will be as catastrophic as they were for May in 2019 when the Tories lost 1000+ seats.

 

[brad465]

Opinium has published polls of the Tory membership this evening showing Sunak beating Truss by 64% to 36% and Hunt by 79% to 21%.

63% of Tory members polled however want Johnson to continue.

Worth noting the same poll has 48% of 2019 Tory voters wanting him to resign, vs 37% wanting him to stay, which while not an absolute majority, is very close and the party will be more concerned about overall voters more than party members.