Downing Street said Boris Johnson commuted between Chequers and No 10 during March 2020 as his wife was pregnant and it was safer for the couple to be away from London.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman was asked about reporting by news website Tortoise that alleged Mr Johnson had commuted between his country residence and No 10 between March 16 and 27, 2020, when guidance said people should not travel for non-essential reasons.
He said: “At the time, as you know, Mrs Johnson was heavily pregnant and had been placed in a vulnerable category and advised to minimise social contacts, so in line with clinical guidance and to minimise the risk to her they were based at Chequers during that period, with the Prime Minister commuting to Downing Street to work.”
The spokesman said there would have been staff at Chequers with the couple.
He said the guidance on not travelling to second homes did not come in until March 22, “at which point the Prime Minister and his wife were already based in Chequers, acting in line with clinical guidance”.
Asked if the PM was therefore putting his wife at risk by commuting during the period, the spokesman said: “The Prime Minister was leading the coronavirus response, the pandemic response, and in line with a number of individuals who were required to still be in work… that’s why the Prime Minister was coming to No 10 for necessary work meetings.”
No 10 said Carrie Johnson would have been at risk staying in Downing Street because of the building being used both as a home and a workplace.
Asked why Mrs Johnson could not stay in Downing Street during March 2020 and instead went to Chequers, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The guidance (to) all pregnant women and anyone in a vulnerable category was to minimise social contact as much as possible.”
He said that “someone living there would also use the same entrance to the hundreds of individuals that work within Downing Street”.
And when asked why Mr Johnson did not therefore stay in Downing Street rather than travel back and forth, he said: “As you’d appreciate, and as a number of people did across the country, the need to strike the balance between protecting themselves and obviously managing their responsibilities for work and there were a number of people across the country who were required to be in work during that time.”
Asked whether the couple had any non-work visitors at Chequers, the spokesman said: “Well, they were acting in accordance with the guidance and any subsequent legislation at all times. So beyond that, I don’t have any more to add.”
