Boris Johnson, engulfed by a string of crises that have angered Tory lawmakers, could face more ire over a report he personally breached COVID-19 lockdown rules a year ago.
The Mirror reported Saturday night that the U.K. prime minister hosted a Christmas quiz from his Downing Street residence on Dec. 15, when London was under a “no mixing” order.
The news came as two opinion polls show Johnson’s Conservatives falling behind the Labour Party, and as dozens of Tory MPs plan this week to defy their leader and vote against a plan to tighten coronavirus restrictions.
In the Mirror report, the prime minister was pictured on screen with at least two aides as he read out questions to staff, who participated via computer from their offices at No. 10 in teams of up to six people.
London at the time was under regulations that banned social mixing between households. Christmas work gatherings were prohibited.
“This was a virtual quiz. Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response, so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks,” a spokesperson for No. 10 said on Sunday.
“The Prime Minister briefly took part virtually in a quiz to thank staff for their hard work throughout the year.”
The Mirror reported that staff had been invited weeks earlier to participate in the virtual event to raise money for charity.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also defended Johnson, telling Sky News that no regulations were breached during the event involving teams of co-workers. “It’s a virtual, Zoom call,” Zahawi said of the quiz. “I think the nation will understand that.”
Conservative MP Steve Baker, though, told Sky it was critical the country’s leaders, from Johnson down, comply with the spirit of regulations, not just the letter.
“It’s pretty obvious now that that hasn’t happened and that is a very bad position to be in,” Baker said.
On the BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said it was “very hard to see” how Johnson had complied with the rules.
Johnson’s popularity has slumped in recent weeks after the botched handling of an ethics probe and as the government proposed harsh new “Plan B” restrictions to thwart a new surge in COVID-19 cases as well as the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Labour raced to a six-point lead over Johnson’s Conservative Party in a Savanta ComRes poll for the Daily Mail taken Dec. 9-10, a nine-point swing from Dec. 3-5.
A second survey, conducted for the Observer by Opinium, put Labor up by nine points, and showed that 57% of voters think Johnson should resign, up nine points from two weeks ago. Johnson’s approval rating was at minus-35%, down from minus-21% two weeks ago.
Parliament is expected to vote this week on the latest restrictions and Johnson could face a rebellion by dozens of Tory lawmakers opposed to the more stringent measures.
Baker will be among those planning to rebel. “It feels to me that it is going to be at least 60 people voting against,” he said on Sky. “This is a moment where every last one of us should in good faith start thinking about what it means to live with coronavirus like we live with flu.”
The question of whether the string of controversies marks the beginning of the end for Johnson is now being openly debated, even in Tory-friendly papers.
Last week, Johnson faced allegations that a Christmas party was held at Downing Street in 2020 that breached COVID-19 restrictions at the height of the pandemic. Video was also leaked showing his staff making light of COVID measures.
The prime minister has so far said he wasn’t involved in social gatherings at his residence last Christmas. In Parliament last week, Johnson said he’d been “repeatedly assured” that no COVID rules were broken.
The Cabinet Secretary investigating last year’s activities will “report rapidly” on the alleged parties, Zahawi said on Sky.
