THE FORMER leader of the Scottish Conservatives has questioned how senior officials in Government could have even considered holding a party for 100 people at the peak of the first lockdown.
Ruth Davidson, speaking to BBC News, was incredulous at the revelations which emerged yesterday.
The Scottish Tory peer said she could not understand how anyone would consider it a good idea to invite reportedly 100 people, by email, to a 'socially distanced drinks gathering on May 20, 2020, while the country was facing some of its strictest lockdown measures.
Ms Davidson also said that there will be members of the public who "will never forgive" the government over the issue.
She said: "How anyone, anyone, thought it was a good idea to organise it, to plan it, to turn up to it and nobody just said 'Well hang on a minute lads... We're telling everybody else that they're not allowed to meet a single person, we're telling them they can't go to relatives funerals, we're telling them they can't visit elderly people in care homes, we're telling them they can't visit dying relatives.'
"It's not being a politician, it's about being a human being that lived in the United Kingdom during this time.
"You know, if No. 10 doesn't understand anger that is out there then they're going to find out that anger pretty soon in the next couple of days, because everybody has some form of sacrifice, or somebody important in their life that gave a huge sacrifice, that will never forgive whatever went on, because it it just makes a mockery of this idea that we were doing a national endeavor to try and keep each other safe."
Police are in contact with the Cabinet Office over claims a senior aide to the Prime Minister organised a “bring your own booze” party in the garden behind No 10 during England’s first lockdown in May 2020.
Martin Reynolds, the Prime Minister’s principal private secretary, sent an email to more than 100 Downing Street employees inviting them to “make the most of the lovely weather” in the garden.
England was under tough coronavirus restrictions banning groups from meeting socially outdoors when the message was sent.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson doesn't deny attending lockdown party after leaked email
A Government minister will be summoned to the Commons to answer an urgent question from Labour on the row at 12.30pm.
The leaked email, obtained by ITV news, said: “Hi all, after what has been an incredibly busy period we thought it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No10 garden this evening.
“Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!”
Health Minister Edward Argar told the BBC: “I can entirely understand why people who’ve lost loved ones, or people who’ve just had their lives hugely disrupted by these restrictions, are angry and upset by these allegations.”
But he refused to be drawn on details of the May 20 2020 “socially distanced drinks”, insisting that it was a matter for the investigation into Whitehall parties being carried out by senior official Sue Gray.
He said that “appropriate disciplinary action” should be taken if rules were broken – something that could prove incredibly awkward for the Prime Minister if he is found to have attended, as has been claimed by sources including former aide Dominic Cummings.
Mr Johnson refused to say whether he was at the event when questioned by reporters on Monday.
Mr Argar said Ms Gray “can go with this investigation where she needs to, without fear or favour”, and said he hoped her findings would be published “swiftly”.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel