Boris Johnson is 'innocent until proven guilty' says Rees-Mogg

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hit with further scandal this week when he was forced to admit staff “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room on the afternoon of June 19 2020 to mark his birthday. Fury erupted after reports suggested staff, including Chancellor Rishi Sunak, shared cake and sang “happy birthday” to the Prime Minister, despite social mixing indoors being banned.

But it has now been highlighted that The Times actually reported the event on the day after Mr Johnson’s birthday.

The Times article, published online on June 20, read: “Boris Johnson celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday with a small gathering in the cabinet room.

“Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, and a group of ladies sang him Happy Birthday before they tucked into a Union Jack cake.

“The celebrations provided a brief respite after another gruelling week that featured two U-turns in 48 hours, Conservative backbenchers in open revolt and the government’s competence called into question again.”

Political correspondent and presenter Tom Harwood tweeted the picture alongside the caption: “20 June 2020. The Times. No one cared.”

Another Twitter user added: “No one cared because across the country everyone working together would have done the same to keep up moral esp had one of them nearly died from Covid weeks earlier.”

One said: “Not only did they not care, the Tory press were reporting birthday cakes as a positive story, as were most ordinary people on Facebook

“At the time I believe the Tories were trying to reopen schools and the Labour party were trying to close them.”

Another posted: “The birthday feels like a deliberate leak (or reminder given your tweet) from No.10, as compared with other parties, much easier to dismiss and gaslight people over cake

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But others still expressed fury, replying: “ The cake isn’t the issue, the party with friends in the Downing Street flat later that day is.”

Another posted: “It’s not just about the one event though is it? It’s about the other 10 or so that took place. “

Mr Johnson, who in 2019 won the biggest Conservative majority in more than 30 years, is trying to shore up his premiership after claims that he and his staff partied at the heart of the British state during the worst pandemic for a century.

Revelations of revelry, including boozy parties in Downing Street, suitcases of supermarket wine, a broken children’s swing, a wine fridge and jokes by staff about how to present such parties to reporters, have hammered Mr Johnson’s approval ratings.

ITV reported that Mr Johnson attended a surprise party on his birthday, June 19, where up to 30 people attended the event in the Cabinet Room of Number 10, his office and residence.

The prime minister was reportedly presented with a cake whilst Carrie, now his wife, led staff in a chorus of happy birthday.

An official investigation by Cabinet Office official Sue Gray into the lockdown parties was due to be published this week, but it has been hit with delays due to an investigation by the Met Police.

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