Nadine Dorries was quick to defend the prime minister and his
alleged birthday party on Monday night – but there’s a strong chance it didn’t help.
Boris Johnson’s wife
Carrie reportedly arranged a surprise birthday party in Downing Street’s Cabinet Room with up to 30 people present for the prime minister on 19 June 2020.
Invitees allegedly included interior designer Lulu Lytle, who was not a member of a member of Downing Street staff, but was decorating the prime minister’s flat
(the centre of a different No.10 scandal). At the time, the government’s
Covid restrictions stated only six people could meet, and it had to be outdoors.
No.10 has not denied this gathering took place but claimed it was just Downing Street staff who “gathered briefly”, and Johnson was only present for 10 minutes.
Some cabinet ministers have already rallied around Johnson to defend him – including transport secretary
Grant Shapps and environment secretary
George Eustice – but it is the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, whose comments seemed particularly out of tune with public sentiment.
When the news broke last night, Dorries tweeted: “So, when people in an office buy a cake in the middle of the afternoon for someone else they are working in the office with and stop for ten minutes to sing happy birthday and then go back to their desks, this is now called a party?”
So, when people in an office buy a cake in the middle of the afternoon for someone else they are working in the office with and stop for ten minutes to sing happy birthday and then go back to their desks, this is now called a party?
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries)
January 24, 2022
And it was soon very clear that no-one really agreed with her.
But do you believe it was within the rules? That’s not clear from your tweet.
— Niall Paterson (@skynewsniall)
January 24, 2022
Have you completely forgotten how strict the rules we all had to live under were? That your government imposed? I didn’t touch another human being for seven months - and I’m the most sociable person I know!
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen)
January 24, 2022
Downing Street isn't ONE office.
If staff from multiple offices break their bubbles to all meet in one office for a birthday celebration, then YES that's a party and YES, that would be against the rules!
— Femi (@Femi_Sorry)
January 24, 2022
This particular party lasted about half an hour (though PM said to have attended for about 10 minutes); gathered people who do not work together in same room for a social purpose; organised by someone [spouse] who did not work there + designer came along
https://t.co/j2nIi8sQmy — Sunder Katwala (@sundersays)
January 25, 2022
So, when 12 people vote in the middle of the jungle for someone else they are living in the jungle with to eat an ostrich’s anus and stop representing their citizens for three weeks and then go back to their constituency, this is now called the Culture Secretary?
pic.twitter.com/jQhIWxcqG3 — Rosie Holt (@RosieisaHolt)
January 24, 2022
Too right. A man can’t even invite his interior designer around for a 30 person birthday office meeting against the rules he wrote without the liberal media questioning why everyone’s wearing party hats.
— James Felton (@JimMFelton)
January 24, 2022
Listen to yourself. I’m actually embarrassed for you.
— Georgie Bingham (@georgiebingham)
January 24, 2022
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