‘Prosecco-fuelled’ leaving party takes Boris Johnson’s personal tally to six

Boris Johnson’s former senior adviser says investigators have pictures of the prime minister at lockdown-breaking parties.

Boris Johnson arrives to board an aircraft for Kiev on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

Boris Johnson is facing claims that he attended two further Downing Street parties including a “prosecco-fuelled” leaving do for a No 10 aide, meaning the Prime Minister has now been ­directly linked to six gatherings.

Sue Gray, a senior civil servant who investigated lockdown parties, revealed three events that had not been previously publicised, including a gathering on January 14 “on the departure of two private secretaries”.

The Guardian disclosed that the event was held in Downing Street during the post-Christmas lockdown last January, in part as a leaving do for a senior policy adviser who is now working in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Prosecco was said to have been drunk at the event.

Mr Johnson is also said to have attended a second event on December 17, 2020, which was described in Ms Gray’s report as “a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official”. The official was named as Captain Steve Higham, one of Mr Johnson’s two private secretaries who advised on defence and national security issues. He was said to have been there only “for a few minutes”.

The government declined to comment.

It has also emerged that Mr Johnson was seen going up to his Downing Street flat on the evening that a party was allegedly held to mark the departure of his top adviser Dominic Cummings from No 10. Mr Johnson and his wife, Carrie, have repeatedly denied that a party was held in his flat above No 11 Downing Street on November 13, 2020, the day Mr Cummings departed.

However, Ms Gray disclosed this week that the gathering is one of 12 that is being investigated by Scotland Yard.

The Times has been told that shortly before going up to the flat Mr Johnson gathered aides in a room next to the press office to give a toast to a departing special adviser. That event is also now being investigated by Downing Street.

A source said that Mr Johnson was seen going up the stairs to his flat with his red box at about 7pm. Loud music was subsequently heard from the flat, allegedly including Abba’s The Winner Takes it All. Half a dozen aides are said to have attended.

One source said that the music was so loud that it could be heard from the street at the back of Downing Street by St James’s Park.

Mr Cummings claimed on Tuesday night that there are photos of lockdown-breaking parties in Mr Johnson’s flat.

Mr Johnson’s former senior adviser, who is now one of his biggest critics, said that there are photos of the Prime Minister at parties that are being investigated by Scotland Yard.

Mr Johnson on Monday apologised to the House of Commons after Ms Gray in her report criticised his government for “failures of leadership and judgment” in allowing parties at his offices during lockdown.

The Times