Inside Politics: New partygate report and spy claims

‘Excessive alcohol’ was drunk at bash held on eve of Prince Phillip’s funeral - but No 10 insists gathering was work-related, writes Matt Mathers

Friday 14 January 2022 08:30 GMT

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to a vaccination centre in Northamptonshire. Picture date: Thursday January 6, 2022. (PA Wire)

The hangover from hell continues. Boris Johnson was accused of hiding yesterday but there is no escape from partygate. Fresh reports today (not denied by No 10, but all work-related, of course) say Downing Street staff attended two separate parties on the evening before Prince Philip’s funeral amid strict Covid rules that saw the Queen sit alone as she bade farewell to her husband of 73 years. One of the gatherings was a leaving do for James Slack, the PM’s then director of communications, who has this morning apologised but would not comment on the details, deferring to, you guessed it, Sue Gray’s party probe. Elsewhere, parliament has been rocked by espionage claims and Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military titles and royal patronages ahead of his civil sexual abuse case.

Inside the bubble

Friday’s Commons action gets underway from 9.30am with a series of private members’ bills. Tory MP Mark Jenkinson kicks things off with a bill aimed at extending entitlement to careers advice in schools.

Coming up:

– Security minister Damian Hinds on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.10am

– Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry on Times Radio Breakfast at 8.35am

Daily Briefing

PARTYGATE LATEST: On and on it goes. There are yet more partygate reports to bring you this morning as we head into the weekend following another long January week. Downing Street staff attended two separate boozy shindigs on the evening before Prince Philip’s funeral amid strict Covid rules that saw the Queen sit alone as she bade farewell to her husband of 73 years, it is alleged. The Daily Telegraph said that two events were held on the evening of Friday 16 April 2021 – when the country was under step 2 coronavirus restrictions which banned indoor mixing. Both events were said to be leaving parties for staff working in the prime minister’s inner team. One was reportedly held for James Slack, Boris Johnson’s then-director of communications, and the other for the prime minister’s personal photographer.

WHAT WENT DOWN?: It is said “excessive alcohol” was drunk, attendees danced to music DJ’d by a special adviser, and the gatherings lasted beyond midnight, with around 30 people present at both knees ups. Slack did not immediately comment on the claims. Downing Street’s response? Nothing to see here, just a leaving speech for staff “who had to be in the office for work”. The PM was accused of going into hiding yesterday as the fallout from his sorry, not sorry apology rumbled on. Today’s Times reports that the investigation into Downing Street parties is expected to conclude that there is no evidence of criminality but could censure the PM for a lack of judgment. Major questions are being raised about the credibility of that probe, lead by senior civil servant, Sue Gray, who ultimately reports to the PM.

JUST IN: Slack has now apologised. In a statement issued earlier, the deputy editor-in-chief of The Sun said: “I wish to apologise unreservedly for the anger and hurt caused. This event should not have happened at the time that it did. I am deeply sorry, and take full responsibility.” He said he could not comment further as the matter had been referred to Gray’s investigation. Live politics updates throughout the day here.

THE SPY WHO FUNDED ME: Parliament was rocked by espionage claims yesterday after MI5 accused a woman of seeking to subvert democratic processes while working as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party. Christine Ching Kui Lee, a London-based lawyer, was accused of engaging in “political interference activities” by making donations to UK MPs to “buy influence”. Labour MP Barry Gardiner was one of those targeted by Lee. He received £500,000 in donations from her — mainly to cover staffing costs in his office — over a period of six years, and employed her son as his diary manager. China denies the allegations, dismissing them as a “smear” campaign. Lee also lobbied parliamentary figures over Chinese investment interests in nuclear power and battery technology, The Independent understands. She directly and indirectly tried to shift language from MPs on a host of issues related to critical national infrastructure, including energy, manufacturing and telecoms, sources said.

YOU’RE FIRED: It increasingly appeared to be a case of when, not if, Prince Andrew would be stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and the Queen last night announced the inevitable. In the wake of a US judge allowing a civil sexual abuse case involving the Duke to go to trial, the palace confirmed that Andrew will defend himself as a “private citizen”. On another highly damaging day, courtiers sought to stem the reputational harm to the monarchy by removing the duke from official royal life while distancing him from the wider family. In a statement, the palace said: “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties”.

On the record

“On this individual’s last day he gave a farewell speech to thank each team for the work they had done to support him, both those who had to be in the office for work and on a screen for those working from home.”

Downing Street spokesperson on latest party reports.

From the Twitterati

“Russian spies targeted Lib Dem Mike Hancock. The Chinese focused on Labour’s Barry Gardiner. You do have to wonder how this constitutes ‘intelligence’”.