December 21, 2021
2 mins read

Gathering at PM’s residence wasn’t a party, says Raab

I genuinely don’t think it gets classified as a party,” Raab said. “I don’t think it was a party.”…reports Asian Lite News.

A photograph of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and more than a dozen other people drinking wine in the garden of his Downing Street residence during a lockdown last year does not show a party, his deputy said on Monday.

The picture, published by the Guardian, shows Johnson with his wife Carrie, who appears to be holding their newborn son, and two other people at a table on a terrace in the Downing Street garden with cheese and wine.

Nearby is another table of four other people, and a short distance away are a larger group standing on the grass around a table with bottles of wine.

“Downing Street use that garden as a place of work,” Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Times Radio. “That’s not against the regulations.”

“I genuinely don’t think it gets classified as a party,” Raab said. “I don’t think it was a party.”

The scenes depicted in the photograph add to the scrutiny on Johnson following revelations that his staff held a series of gatherings during COVID-19 lockdowns while the population was being told not to mix with others.

He has faced a barrage of criticism since a video emerged showing his staff laughing and joking about a Downing Street party during a 2020 Christmas lockdown when such festivities were banned.

Raab said the new photograph was taken on a day when the government had just held news conference and that sometimes staff had a drink after a long day in the garden. It was a work gathering, he said.

Johnson’s wife Carrie, Raab said, had popped down from the Downing Street flat to spend some time with her husband.

Besides anger over alleged parties, Johnson is grappling with a rebellion inside his party over the direction of his government which critics say is chaotic and has dramatically expanded the power of the state.

Brexit minister David Frost resigned on Saturday over disillusionment with the direction of the government.

“You know my concerns about the current direction of travel,” Frost told Johnson in a resignation letter released by Downing Street.

“I hope we will move as fast as possible to where we need to get to: a lightly regulated, low tax, entrepreneurial economy, at the cutting edge of modern science and economic change.”

ALSO READ-Govt doesn’t rule out lockdown within days

Previous Story

Govt doesn’t rule out lockdown within days

Next Story

No evidence Omicron has lower severity than Delta variant

Latest from -Top News

Mark Carney Sworn In As Canada’s PM

Mark Carney was officially sworn in as Canada’s new Prime Minister on Friday, succeeding Justin Trudeau in a leadership transition that comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Carney, a respected economist and former

Pakistan Blames Kabul for Jaffar Express Attack

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has stated that the intercepted calls confirmed links between the attackers and Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan of orchestrating the

US pullback on Gaza plan welcomed 

The Hamas movement also responded positively, stating that the reversal was a welcome move….reports Asian Lite News Palestinian, Jordanian, and Egyptian officials have welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon his
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Festive month December to explore New York City

The 2022-2023 holiday season is a great time to explore

5 regional parties stare at existential crisis

In the assembly elections, BJD managed to win 51 of