With impeccable timing, the latest picture from one of Downing Street’s many parties emerged online slap bang in the middle of Prime Minister’s Questions today.
And it was a real corker, the Daily Mirror’s exclusive photo showing Boris Johnson at a Christmas quiz with an open bottle of champagne and staff wearing Santa hats and tinsel.
EXCL: New bombshell image shows Boris Johnson with open bottle of bubbly at No 10 Christmas quiz https://t.co/2eK8mNvjdu
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) February 9, 2022
At the time the photo was taken, London was under tier 2 restrictions banning social mixing between households. The government had explicitly told people they must not meet for Christmas parties.
Here’s the moment Johnson was asked about it at PMQs.
“A photo has emerged of the PM in Downing Street… surrounded by alcohol, food and people wearing tinsel,”⁰ says Labour’s Fabian Hamilton MP
Boris Johnson replies “he is completely in error”⁰#PMQs https://t.co/llhcvH5FwT pic.twitter.com/dUUyxYWOdN
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) February 9, 2022
And here are our favourite 17 responses.
1.
Boris there with some work tinsel and business champagne pic.twitter.com/k3sbsUtTa1
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) February 9, 2022
2.
he was, in a sense, ambushed by a bottle of champagne
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) February 9, 2022
3.
None of the people wearing tinsel or swigging Champagne told me that it was a party.#PartyGate
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) February 9, 2022
4.
Enough.
Champagne, tinsel, party hats & blatant prime ministerial rule-breaking – as the 2nd wave death toll soared.
These pictures are actually triggering.
On behalf of the dying, the distraught, the bereaved, the traumatised – go, @BorisJohnson. Go.https://t.co/OO7gBCLm9Y
— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) February 9, 2022
5.
Support bubbly. https://t.co/bEq8VcbDDQ
— THE SECRET TORY (@secrettory12) February 9, 2022
6.
“..and he assured me that the tinsel was to keep his neck warm because he had a sore throat, which he was treating by gargling Champagne. I had no reason to doubt his story..”#PMQs #PartyGate pic.twitter.com/jbYylTho3x
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) February 9, 2022
7.
Liz Truss is on her way to Moscow in a desperate last ditch attempt to trigger war
— dave (@davemacladd) February 9, 2022
8.
NO NOT BORIS SURELY NOT I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT https://t.co/wyd9N7x2uI
— Adam Kay (@amateuradam) February 9, 2022
9.
Um… why is one of the paintings on the wall behind him, the portrait of Mrs Mangel that Helen Daniels painted in Neighbours? pic.twitter.com/iyAoB9D5wg
— Dave Gorman (@DaveGorman) February 9, 2022
Source: ThePoke