10 Downing Street
Government office · Whitehall ·
Official residence and office of the British Prime Minister.
Information
10 Downing St, London SW1A 2AA, United Kingdom Get directions
Official residence and office of the British Prime Minister.
10 Downing St, London SW1A 2AA, United Kingdom Get directions
"Within the walls of 10 Downing Street I document a string of gatherings during 2020 and into 2021 that appear to breach the government’s own COVID rules: a garden “bring your own booze” event in May 2020 invited by an email from principal private secretary Martin Reynolds to about 100 people, cheese-and-wine get-togethers photographed by the Guardian, a surprise birthday party with cake and M&S picnic food, tinsel-decorated Christmas quizzes and a December 2020 digital quiz captured in a Daily Mirror photo showing an open bottle of champagne beside a tinsel-clad aide, and ITV footage of staff — including Allegra Stratton — laughing about a “boozy party” for around 40 people. There were rumours of an image of Johnson holding a can of Stella Artois and reports he boasted about attending the U.K.’s most “unsocially distanced party.” Investigations by Sue Gray and the Metropolitan Police followed, fines were issued in April 2022 to Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and other ministers, and Johnson later admitted on 12 January 2022 that he had attended an illegal garden gathering in May 2020, saying he thought it was a “work event” and that he stayed for 25 minutes." - Eater Staff
"An official prime ministerial residence and office where, in November 2020, staff reportedly held leaving drinks to toast outgoing director of communications Lee Cain, gathering around a table with alcohol and party snacks as music played. According to an ITV podcast reported by The Guardian, the then-prime minister was heard saying, "This is the most unsocially distanced party in the UK right now," a remark that eyewitnesses say drew laughter and which appears to conflict with lockdown rules in force from 5 November 2020 that banned indoor gatherings except in certain work-related circumstances and required social distancing in workplaces. These revelations are part of the broader 'partygate' scandals that contributed to the end of that premiership and are now cited in a Commons privileges committee inquiry into whether the prime minister misled Parliament, a finding that could threaten his future as an MP." - Adam Coghlan
"The prime minister’s official residence and office became the focal point of allegations that COVID-19 lockdown rules were breached, with multiple gatherings described as 'myriad breaches' that sparked public outrage, investigations and repeated calls from the opposition for the prime minister and senior ministers to resign. The controversy has driven sustained political scrutiny over adherence to pandemic regulations." - James Hansen
"Allegations center on a December 2020 illegal 'digital quiz' held inside the prime minister's official residence, in which a photograph shows an open bottle of champagne (or other sparkling wine) beside a bald, bespectacled attendee wearing tinsel. Presented as key evidence in the wider 'Partygate' controversy, the image undercuts assertions — including from the education secretary — that no alcohol was present and piles onto a mounting cache of material that has made denials harder to sustain. An interim Sue Gray report concluded there were 'failures of leadership and judgement', that such events 'should not have been allowed to take place', and that some gatherings were 'difficult to justify' while the public faced strict COVID restrictions; the Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation. Former senior adviser Dominic Cummings has further hinted that more incriminating photographs exist from the private flat, and the building's repeated association with rule-breaching social events (many involving wine and cheese) has intensified scrutiny of those in charge during the pandemic." - Adam Coghlan
"Site where alleged lockdown‑breaching gatherings took place during the COVID‑19 pandemic, incidents that triggered investigations and lie at the heart of accusations that the prime minister repeatedly misled parliament and the public; the controversy over events here has intensified calls for his resignation and is a central focus of the forthcoming Sue Gray report." - Adam Coghlan
