New allegations suggest UK premier had birthday party during 2020 lockdown

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received a further blow Monday evening as new allegations emerged suggesting he had another party during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

He allegedly attended a birthday party on the afternoon of June 19, 2020 at his residence despite strict rules banning social indoor gatherings, ITV reported.

Carrie Johnson, the prime minister’s wife, helped organize a surprise birthday party for Johnson, according to fresh allegations.

The family and friends were hosted upstairs in the prime minister’s residence, according to the reports, but Downing Street said Johnson hosted a small number of family members outside.

The new allegations seem sure to add further pressure to Johnson, who has already faced calls for his resignation from lawmakers from his own party, opposition parties, and the public.

Any social gatherings were forbidden under the government’s coronavirus restrictions in June 2020.

Martin Reynolds, who invited more than 100 staffers to a party on May 20, 2020, was also present at the birthday party, according to ITV news.

“I urge everyone to continue to show restraint and respect the rules which are designed to keep us all safe,” Johnson had said in a coronavirus briefing about a week before the alleged party.

“It’s only because of the restraint that everyone, you all have shown so far, that we are able to move gradually out of this lockdown,” he said on June 10.

"It is emphatically not designed for people who don't qualify to start meeting inside other people's homes – that remains against the law."

Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, will finalize her report this week into allegations of all other parties widely reported in previous weeks.

Johnson has repeatedly apologized for not following the rules set by his government during the lockdowns.