Boris Johnson is facing questions on whether he broke his own lockdown rules at Christmas by having a pal join him and his wife Carrie in Downing Street over the festive period.
The Prime Minister faces claims that a friend of the couple, political campaigner Nimco Ali, joined them in Downing Street for the festive period despite tough social distancing rules being in force across the country which limited social gatherings.
Downing Street and Carrie Johnson’s spokeswoman denied Covid-19 rules had been broken after reports appeared in a US magazine claiming that Ali, who is godmother to the Johnsons’ son Wilfred, “spent Christmas with the couple at No10 despite pandemic restrictions on holiday gatherings”.
A No10 spokesman and Carrie Johnson’s press officer issued almost identical statements, saying: “The Prime Minister and Mrs Johnson have followed coronavirus rules at all times. It is totally untrue to suggest otherwise.”
But specific questions about whether Ali spent Christmas with the pair have not been answered.
Last October, Ali, who is Carrie Johnson’s best friend, was handed a key job as a Home Office adviser on tackling violence against women and girls without the post being advertised.
Amid surging coronavirus cases last December the government scrapped the planned relaxation of rules just a week before Christmas.
The relaxation of the rules was cut to just Christmas Day for most of the country but tier four restrictions were slapped on London, meaning people could not mix indoors with anyone not from their household.
Social mixing was cut to meeting one person in an open public space, unless people lived with them or they were part of their existing support bubble.
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