Page:Fifth Report - Matter referred on 21 April 2022 (conduct of Rt Hon Boris Johnson).pdf/18

 27. We have evidence that trestle tables were set up for drinks to be laid out. We also have evidence that around 40 people were in attendance at this gathering, and that attendees who were there at the same time as Mr Johnson included Mr Johnson’s wife as well as advisers who were not from No. 10 but from other government departments. Lee Cain in his evidence stated that “it was clear observing all who attended and the layout of the event that this was purely a social function”, though we note that in response to this evidence Mr Johnson told us he did not share that view, “and that is certainly not what he [Lee Cain] said at the time”.

28. In his written evidence Mr Johnson states that he did not believe that the event broke the Rules or Guidance in force at the time, noting that the Guidance recommended “holding meetings outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms whenever possible”. He was aware that there was food and drink at the gathering, but did not consider this was incompatible with the Rules or Guidance. He attended for less than half an hour, from 6.02 till 6.30 pm. He cannot recall how many people were there, but notes that one of our witnesses states there were only 10 people in the garden when he arrived. He states that: "I understood this to be a socially-distanced outdoor meeting to boost staff morale and teamworking after what had been a very difficult period. […] In my view, an opportunity to thank staff and boost morale was essential for work purposes. […] no-one at the time expressed to me any concerns about whether the event complied with the Rules or Guidance."

29. Mr Johnson drew attention to his apology to Parliament on 12 January 2022 when he had said: “I believed implicitly that this was a work event, but with hindsight, I should have sent everyone back inside. I should have found some other way to thank them, and I should have recognised that even if it could be said technically to fall within the Guidance, there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way.” In his written evidence Mr Johnson added: "I wish, in retrospect, that we had given some thought to how these events could be perceived. We should have found a way to make clearer that these were work events […] Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But it remains the case that at the time I believed that the gathering was consistent with the Rules and Guidance. For the reasons I have given, I still believe so, at least in relation to the short period during which I attended the event."

30. In his oral evidence, Mr Johnson told us that he did not see Martin Reynolds’ email inviting people to the gathering which invited people to bring their own alcohol, and that he was not aware of the contents of the email. We note that even if this was the case, Mr Johnson would have become aware of Mr Reynolds’ email before giving evidence to us, because it was leaked to the media in January 2022 and referred to in Sue Gray’s final report in May 2022. Notwithstanding this indication of the social purpose of the gathering, Mr Johnson continues to maintain it was essential for work purposes (see paragraph 32 below).