Boris Johnson once more courts scandal amid rule-breaking celebration claims

Studies that Boris Johnson and his then fiancé Carrie Symonds attended a “convey your personal booze” celebration within the No 10 backyard throughout lockdown have reignited uproar for a Prime Minister accustomed to scandal.

On Monday, an e-mail by which Mr Johnson’s principal non-public secretary Martin Reynolds invited Downing Avenue employees to the gathering in Could 2020 was leaked .

It’s the newest of a string of leaks and experiences about lockdown events occurring in No 10. Up till now they’ve centered on the interval surrounding Christmas 2020, when the nation was beneath its second lockdown.

Anger has come from many instructions, together with inside the Tory Get together. Backbencher Nigel Mills has warned that any senior determine who willingly attended the occasion couldn’t have a place the place they had been answerable for setting Covid-19 coverage.

“It’s completely untenable, we’ve seen folks resign for much lower than that. If the Prime Minister knowingly attended a celebration, I can’t see how he can survive,” he informed BBC Information.

Right here, the PA information company takes a have a look at among the occasions and controversies throughout Mr Johnson’s time within the public eye.

Sleaze scandals

The Prime Minister has confronted scrutiny since early 2021 over how some £112,000 value of renovations of his Downing Avenue flat had been paid for, whereas a “sleaze row” broke out over the suspension of a Tory MP .

An preliminary ministerial sleaze watchdog concluded in 2021 that Mr Johnson “unwisely” allowed the work on the house to go forward with out “extra rigorous regard for the way this could be funded”, however cleared him of breaking the foundations.

However on January 6 of this 12 months, Mr Johnson issued a “humble and honest apology” to his requirements adviser for not disclosing an trade of messages with a Tory peer the place he mentioned the funding of the refurbishment of his Downing Avenue flat.

The unique judgement was upheld regardless of the lacking texts.

One other sleaze row broke out in November when Conservative MP Owen Paterson was discovered to have repeatedly lobbied ministers and officers for 2 firms paying him greater than £100,000 per 12 months.

The Prime Minister initially moved to forestall Mr Paterson’s speedy suspension by launching a evaluation of all the disciplinary system, however backed down when it was blocked by opposition events.

The North Shropshire by-election triggered by Mr Paterson’s resignation noticed the Conservative Get together lose considered one of its traditionally most secure seats to the Liberal Democrats.

Brexit

In December 2020, the Authorities lastly secured an eleventh hour UK-EU commerce deal.

However post-Brexit woes have continued in ongoing clashes with the EU over the Northern Eire Protocol in addition to provide chain points which have been no less than partly exacerbated by the results of leaving the widespread market.

The latter hit a worrying peak in September when the nation’s gas provide was severely disrupted by a scarcity of lorry drivers.

And in December, Mr Johnson’s Brexit Minister Lord Frost resigned. In his resignation letter, Lord Frost thanked Mr Johnson and mentioned “Brexit is now safe”, however he additionally mentioned: “The problem for the Authorities now could be to ship on the alternatives it provides us.

“You realize my considerations concerning the present course of journey.”

Dominic Cummings

In November 2020, Mr Johnson misplaced his controversial chief adviser Dominic Cummings who he needed to defend over his obvious breaking of lockdown guidelines in March 2020.

The exit of Vote Depart duo Mr Cummings and Lee Cain, the Prime Minister’s former spin physician, was broadly blamed on the affect of Mr Johnson’s spouse, Carrie Symonds, inside No 10.

Mr Cummings got here again to hang-out Mr Johnson in Could 2021 when he appeared earlier than MPs for seven hours to lacerate the Authorities over its dealing with of the Covid pandemic.

He mentioned the Prime Minister was unfit for workplace and prompt that Authorities failings led to tens of 1000’s of individuals dying unnecessarily.

Ms Symonds had been “determined” to eliminate Mr Cummings, he informed MPs.

Personal life

Mr Johnson married Ms Symonds – his third spouse – in Could 2021. They exchanged vows in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral which, in response to experiences, even Downing Avenue aides had been unaware of upfront.

The pair introduced their engagement and that they had been anticipating their first little one in February 2020, three weeks earlier than the nation entered its first Covid lockdown.

On April 29, Ms Symonds gave start to the couple’s first little one, Wilfred, who turned the third child born to a serving prime minister in current historical past. The couple had a second little one, a woman named Romy, on December 9, 2021.

Mr Johnson met his first spouse, Allegra Mostyn-Owen, whereas they had been college students at Oxford, and so they wed in 1987 however the marriage was annulled in 1993.

His second marriage, to Marina Wheeler, ended after 25 years, throughout which they’d 4 kids.

The wedding was turbulent. In 2004 he was sacked from the Tory entrance bench over a reported affair with journalist Petronella Wyatt, and the Enchantment Courtruled in 2013 that the general public had a proper to know that he had fathered adaughter throughout an adulterous liaison whereas mayor of London in 2009.

Claims that Mr Johnson squeezed the thigh of journalist Charlotte Edwardes, at a personal lunch at The Spectator journal’s HQ shortly after he turned editor in 1999, overshadowed his first Conservative Get together convention as PM.

Allegations about his relationship with American entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri, and whether or not she loved preferential remedy whereas he was mayor, additionally dominated the headlines in September 2019.

On March 27 2020, shortly after asserting his engagement to Ms Symonds, Mr Johnson examined optimistic for Covid-19 and on April 5 he was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital in London. A day later he was moved to intensive care after his situation worsened.

He was discharged on April 12 – simply weeks earlier than the start of his little one Wilfred – to proceed his restoration at Chequers and thanked NHS employees for saving his life.

Earlier than changing into Prime Minister

Mr Johnson entered Quantity 10 regardless of a string of gaffes and scandals which may have ended the careers of different politicians.

As a substitute, he has been capable of survive and prosper regardless of – or presumably due to – his capability for attracting consideration.

A row with Ms Symonds that noticed police referred to as to their residence within the early phases of the Conservative management race was a glimpse into the sophisticated non-public life about which Mr Johnson tries desperately to keep away from answering questions.

His earlier provocative columns have prompted a lot scrutiny and he has been repeatedly criticised for utilizing racially charged or offensive language.

In Could 2021 an unbiased evaluation into alleged Islamophobia and discrimination within the Conservative Get together mentioned Mr Johnson’s feedback about ladies carrying the burka have given an impression that the Tories are “insensitive to Muslim communities”.

Mr Johnson was additionally beforehand criticised for his blunder as overseas secretaryin the case of jailed British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who hemistakenly mentioned had been coaching journalists – feedback which had been seized on by the authorities in Tehran.

Mr Johnson’s skill to succeed in out to voters who historically shun the Conservatives was demonstrated by his election as mayor of London in 2008, and retention of the highly effective place 4 years later.

And his standing as a favorite of the Conservative grassroots was confirmed within the management election, which noticed him trounce rival Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Johnson’s determination to again Brexit within the referendum was a major enhance for the marketing campaign, giving Vote Depart the high-profile frontman it wanted.

After taking workplace as prime minister, Theresa Could made him her overseas secretary – though he resigned in July 2018 over the course she was taking up Brexit.

An previous Etonian, Mr Johnson was a member of the infamous elite eating society the Bullingdon Membership at Oxford.

Though he has had his sights set on Quantity 10 all through his political profession, as a toddler he held even loftier ambitions.

In keeping with his sister Rachel, the younger Boris’s aim was to be “world king”.