The Prime Minister is under increasing pressure as his job is hanging by a thread as fresh claims emerge over the Downing Street Christmas bash.
Fresh reporte have emerged that Downing Street’s director of communications made a speech and handed out awards at the event said to have taken place on 18 December 2020.
On Thursday evening ITV News reported that Jack Doyle, who was then deputy director of communications at No 10 Downing Street addressed up to 50 people at a Christmas gathering on 18 December last year and presented awards to mark the teams efforts.
Labour has branded the Tory investigation into the Christmas parties a “sham” and Sir Keir Starmer said last night that “Boris Johnson is unfit to lead our country.”
The Labour leader told The Telegraph, “I’m confident we’re going to win the next general election, whether that’s in 2023 or 2024.
“So the question – and this is really the question that I think is central now – for the Cabinet, for ministers and for all Tory MPs, frankly, is are they prepared to endure the next two years of increased degradation of themselves and their party, being put out to defend the indefensible and bringing themselves and their party into further disrepute?
“Because this isn’t going to change, he’s unfit for office, it isn’t going to change.
“Or are they going to do something about it?”
Tory MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who is treasurer of the 1922 Committee, said on Thursday that “the truth must come out” over the various allegations aimed at Downing Street.
He told BBC’s Newsnight, “What we need from all of this is a really straightforward version from the Prime Minister on all of these serious issues – whether it’s by investigation of the most senior (civil) servant Simon Case on the Downing Street parties, whether it’s by investigation by Lord Geidt on the donations to the Downing Street flat – all of these things need to be investigated and the truth must come out.”
He added, “The whole parties issue could have been investigated in a day or two, a week or so ago, and the correct version given – whoever it was who organised whatever it is that we don’t know or do know that happened.
“The truth should have been given and then the appropriate action against those who organised these parties – if that’s what they were, or gatherings… the appropriate disciplinary action should have been taken.
“And I think now as other commentators have said, the Prime Minister needs to get a grip on all of these matters.”
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said, “As more details emerge about the Downing Street Christmas party, the Government’s internal investigation has been exposed as the sham it is. The investigation has only just published its terms of reference and we are already seeing more details from the media than the Cabinet Office about the parties.”
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