Boris Johnson was at the centre of further ridicule on Monday when Ryanair mocked Downing Street’s alleged Christmas parties and compared it to the UK’s rising Covid risk level.
The prime minister has repeatedly denied that he was involved with any parties held in Downing Street last December when London was in tier 3 restrictions, but an inquiry into potential gatherings is still ongoing.
So it’s no surprise that on Monday, when the UK’s Covid alert level rose from stage 3 to stage 4, Ryanair shared a brutal chart which took aim at the government’s supposed inability to follow lockdown rules.
According to the graphic, stage 1 of a Covid outbreak (when the virus is no longer in the UK) is akin to a small gathering with wine and cheese in Downing Street.
This probably alludes to the leaked video from one of Johnson’s former advisers Allegra Stratton where she joked about hosting a party in breach of lockdown rules while on camera.
For stage 2 – when the number of cases and transmissions is low – Ryanair compares this to “tinsel, party hats, prime minister hosting pub quiz”.
This is a reference latest bombshell which has emerged from so-called ‘partygate’, when the Mirror shared a photo of the prime minister hosting a virtual quiz with two people either side of him. This has been accused of breaching Covid rules too.
Stage 3, when the virus is in general circulation, is compared to “booze, snogging, [Michael] Gove in charge of refreshments”, a nod to Gove’s role in “fixing” the UK’s supply chain problems.
According to the graphic, as stage 4 of the Covid risk level – when the virus’ transmission is rising exponentially – the prime minister is “topless, asking Thatcher’s portrait if she comes here often”. Johnson is known to be a fan of the former prime minister, the Iron Lady.
And for stage 5, when there is a risk of the NHS being overwhelmed, the Downing Street party level rises to a “full on rave” in Ryanair’s tweet.
It adds: “Everyone off their tits. Jacob [Rees-Mogg] crying in the corner asking for nanny.”
The graphic racked up more than 80,000 likes on Twitter in less than 24 hours.
