© KEYSTONE / AP / Alberto Pezzali
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson celebrated his birthday with relatives in full confinement despite the rules in force, the ITV television channel claimed on Monday, damning the Conservative leader already criticized for parties in Downing Street.
According to ITV, Boris Johnson participated in this party organized by his wife Carrie on the followingnoon of June 19, 2020, during the first confinement, when such gatherings were then prohibited.
Up to 30 people are said to have attended, including interior designer Lulu Lytle, who was tasked with carrying out the costly renovation of Boris Johnson’s controversially funded Downing Street apartment.
According to a Downing Street spokeswoman, Boris Johnson would have participated “less than ten minutes” in this gathering of his collaborators.
ITV news indicates that friends of the Johnson family would have participated in another event organized on the evening of June 19 on the floor of the residence of the Prime Minister, which his services have denied.
“This is totally untrue. In accordance with the rules at the time, the Prime Minister hosted a small number of his family outside that evening,” Downing Street said.
Implicated for a series of parties in Downing Street in full confinement, Boris Johnson, 57, is undergoing his worst crisis since his triumphant accession to power in the summer of 2019.
Anger over the parties, which came as people were asked to drastically reduce their interactions, caused his popularity to plummet in opinion polls.
The head of government has so far escaped a vote of no confidence from his conservative camp and refers to the conclusions of the internal investigation carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray, which should be published soon.