Downing Street and government ministers are speaking out to defend a controversial photo that emerged over the weekend that appears to show the Prime Minister at a lockdown gathering.
Since the emergence of the photo in question – which was first published in The Guardian yesterday – Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been coming under significant pressure to answer questions over the series of alleged gatherings that were believed to have been held at Number 10 during various lockdown restrictions last year.
The photo published yesterday shows the Prime Minister, his wife Carrie, and several colleagues enjoying cheese and wine in the Downing Street garden on 15 May 2020 – which was during the first national lockdown.
The newspaper reported that 19 people were present at the gathering, and that there were “spirits and pizza inside and outside the building”.
Restrictions in place during the first national lockdown meant that the alleged gathering happened at a time when the British public were still being asked to remain two metres apart from each other, both indoors and outdoors, and were being urged to “stay at home as much as is possible”, while schools did not reopen for another fortnight, and many pubs and restaurants were ordered to remain closed until early July.
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EXCLUSIVE: Boris Johnson and staff pictured with wine in Downing Street garden in May 2020 https://t.co/HDyvi70Nqd
NEW: Downing Street staff and Boris Johnson pictured drinking wine in the No 10 garden last May when the rest of the country was limited to meeting just one other person socially outdoors.
The emergence of the photo comes not long after the government was accused of hosting two other mid-lockdown gatherings, during November and December 2020 – which, despite strong criticism from opposition, has continued to deny.
The emergence of the photo over has resulted in national public outcry online over the weekend.
As well as outrage by members of the public on social media, the photo has of course prompted heavy criticism from opposition politicians and parties, with Labour demanding “the truth” about the situation be revealed and Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting insisting that it’s “no laughing matter” how the Prime Minister lies with “ease”.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner also took to Twitter to say: “I guess staff meetings look a bit different if you went to Eton?
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“Enough is enough.
“Tell us the truth about what was going on in Downing Street from the very beginning immediately.”
Former Labour politician and onceSecretary of State for Children, Schools and Families also chimed in with some specifics to add that he was “pretty sure this is the view from the 11 Downing Street first floor balcony.”
Boris Johnson’s No. 10 lies so often, and with such ease. This is no laughing matter. https://t.co/eRLlLKNr0q
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury – also said this morning that photo adds to a “culture of impunity” reflected in a number of stories over the last few weeks, adding that the Prime Minister has “made a lifetime of thinking rules don’t apply to him”, and that the country is now in a situation where the public health message is being “undermined”.
Yet despite all of this criticism and demand for the truth to be told, Downing Street has insisted that the photo shows a “staff meeting”.
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A government spokesperson explained in a statement: “As we said last week, work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months [and] on this occasion, there were staff meetings following a Number 10 press conference.
“Downing Street is the prime minister’s home as well as his workplace [and] he prime minister’s wife lives in Number 10 and therefore also legitimately uses the garden.”
This statement by the spokesperson has also been echoed and enforced this morning by Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, who told host Kay Burley during an appearance on Sky News this morning that Downing Street is a “place of work”.
"It's consistent with the guidance at the time"
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab defends a photo of Boris Johnson and his staff allegedly enjoying wine and cheese in the garden of No 10 during lockdown restrictions last year.#KayBurleyhttps://t.co/2UFO8kJyqRpic.twitter.com/0hVsMvim2P
He then said that the meeting was “consistent” with the COVID-19 guidance issued by the government at the time.
“Number 10 is a place of work and also the prime minister’s home and they use the garden for work meetings and that’s what you can see,” he concluded.
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Human rights barrister Adam Wagner – who examines coronavirus regulations and interprets them for the public – said in on Twitter over the weekend that he was “doubtful” the gathering “was against the law”, but that it may have been against guidance.
He added that there was “no way of knowing that they weren’t working”.
Featured Image – 10 Downing Street
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Heartbreaking new figures show 35% of all children in the North West are living in poverty
Emily Sergeant
35% of all children in the North West are currently living in poverty, some heartbreaking new figures have revealed.
Some new research carried out to understand regional levels of child poverty, conducted by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition, has sadly revealed over a third (35%) of all children in the North West are living in what is called ‘relative poverty’, after the cost of housing is considered – which is higher than the national average standing at 31%.
Over in the Lancashire authority of Pendle, this figure reaches 45%, making it the second highest rate of all local authorities in the country.
In Greater Manchester, both Oldham and Manchester join Pendle in the list of the 10 council areas with the highest child poverty rates in the UK, as well as Blackburn with Darwen, and Hyndburn, and to make matters worse, the North West features on the list more times than any other region nationwide.
Rusholme was identified as the Manchester area with the highest percentage rating – with more than half (51.3%) of all children there living in poverty.
88% of constituencies across the North West have a quarter of children in poverty.
This could lead to things like families being forced to use food banks, children going without warm clothes in winter, or living in cold or unsafe housing.
As a result of these shocking statistics being revealed, the End Child Poverty Coalition – which represents more than 135 organisations across the UK – is calling on the Government to meet its manifesto commitment to address these high levels of child poverty, not just in the North West but also across the rest of country.
“These figures should demonstrate to Government just how important it is to quickly address this so to prevent another generation of children from growing up in low-income families,” commented Rachel Walters, who is the End Child Poverty Coalition Manager.
“The Government’s strategy to tackle child poverty must invest in children in areas with higher levels of poverty, like the North West.”
Graham Whitham, who is a End Child Poverty Coalition spokesperson and the Chief Executive of Resolve Poverty, added: “No child should go without the things they need to be healthy and happy.
“The Government’s forthcoming national Child Poverty Strategy must demonstrate a clear ambition to ending child poverty in this country, backed by specific targets and immediate investment in social security.”
Featured Image – RawPixel
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Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road to close for annual safety checks this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road is set to close this weekend while annual safety checks are carried out, it has been confirmed.
As Manchester City Council looks to maintain and improve what is, by far, one of Manchester’s busiest and most-used roads, given the fact it is the main thoroughfare in and out of the city centre, it has been confirmed that Mancunian Way is set to close overnight this weekend for its annual inspection.
Carried out every year, the Council explains that these closures ensure that ‘vital’ safety inspections can be conducted to allow the major road to continue operating as normal.
The overnight closure will take place from 7-8 June.
From 5am on Saturday (7 June), Mancunian Way will be closed in both directions along its entire length, including all slip roads, between the Chester Road roundabout and Fairfield Street, and this will last until 7pm on Sunday (8 June), after which the road will be open to traffic again as normal.
In the meantime while the closures are underway, the Council assures that a signed diversion route will be in place via the north and eastern ring road sections – Trinity Way and Great Ancoats Street – and a local diversion route will be signed via Bridgewater Street, Whitworth Street West, Whitworth Street, and Fairfield Street.
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road Mancunian Way is closing for annual safety checks this weekend / Credit: Pixabay
During this period there will also be a lane closure east/westbound at the Deansgate Interchange between 6:30-9:30am, and the inbound lane of Princess Road (heading towards Manchester) between 6:30am and 11:15am.
As is to be expected with these kinds of tasks, Councillors say they are preparing for a ‘level of disruption’ but are intending to keep it to a minimum.
“The annual inspection of the Mancunian Way is a vital job which ensures that the tens of thousands of daily users of this road can go about their journey in safety,” explained Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport.
“We do expect a level of disruption throughout this process so wherever possible we’d advise people to travel via public transport, or plan an alternate route ahead to avoid the work locations.
The Manc -
20th December 2021 
