Page:Fifth Report - Matter referred on 21 April 2022 (conduct of Rt Hon Boris Johnson).pdf/44

 it was not prohibited. It was regular, I am afraid, for people to drink on Fridays. I concluded that it sounded to me as though that event was within both the rules and the guidance. That fortified me in what I stood up to say the following day.

138. Mr Johnson indicated that this conversation, together with the press line that was issued to the Daily Mirror that “covid rules were followed at all times”, was the basis for his statement in the House on 1 December 2021 that “all guidance was followed completely in No. 10” when he was asked by the Leader of the Opposition whether a Christmas party had been held in No. 10 on 18 December 2020. In his written evidence, Mr Johnson states that he had “no basis on which to disbelieve Jack’s account of the event”, and that it “sounded like it was firmly within the work exemption”; but we note that Mr Johnson’s evidence does not indicate that he made any efforts to double-check Mr Doyle’s account with anyone else or to verify (in particular, with any impartial civil servant or legal adviser) his assessment that it was within the Rules before relying on it in PMQs the next day.

139. Mr Doyle corroborates Mr Johnson’s account in his written evidence. He confirmed the description he gave to the Cabinet Office investigation of his conversation with Mr Johnson on 30 November 2021: "The only thing I said to the PM was that I didn’t regard this as a party and we didn’t believe the rules had been broken and that’s what we said at lobby […] I said that we have had an enquiry from the Mirror, that it was about a series of events–the [redacted] thing, Dec 18 party and a quiz and another one I think–and I said that we are saying that this wasn’t a party and no rules were broken. He said what is our line?"

140. The “line” that was sent to the Mirror was “Covid rules have been followed at all times”. Mr Doyle confirmed that “the lines that were drafted for the Mirror became the basis of Mr Johnson’s lines to take in PMQs on 1 December 2021”.

141. It is clear from the evidence that the initial line to take, which became the basis of Mr Johnson’s response at PMQs on 1 December 2021, was developed quickly by the No. 10 media team in response to a press query. Mr Doyle has stated that this was done under pressure of time and that the press team were not able to mount an investigation into all the events about which the Mirror had made allegations: "You are trying to make decisions in an hour and a half. Not capable of investigating 4 events that the Mirror were alleging–it is not within our capacity to give and manage a bite sized assessment of 4 events when approached by the Mirror."