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Sacha Lord demands to know if locked-down taxpayers paid for Government’s alleged Christmas party

Daisy Jackson - 7th December 2021

Sacha Lord has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Government, demanding to know if the taxpayer coughed up for food and alcohol at their rumoured Christmas party.

The nighttime economy adviser for Greater Manchester, and Parklife and Warehouse Project boss, says the alleged festivities are ‘insulting’ to the nation, who were in lockdown at the time.

Downing Street has been accused of hosting parties during the national lockdowns at the end of 2020, after a damning report in the Mirror.

The Prime Minister himself as well as up to 50 colleagues allegedly broke lockdown rules with a leaving do in November and a Christmas do in December.

Lord has said today that he is “fuming” at the situation and that he’s “not going to let this one go”.

Speaking on Talk Radio today, Lord said: “I am so angry about this. I’m fuming.

“To me this is worse than the Bernard Castle, it’s worse than the G7 back-slapping, it’s worse than Matt Hancock’s affair.

“We know that Christmas week, we could not see our friends, family and loved ones.

“My industry was shut down. I understand the reasons for that and it was probably the right thing to do.

“But at the same time there was a Christmas party in 10 Downing Street, with 40-plus people where they were drinking, they were playing games, they were eating, they were having fun.

“How insulting is that?”

“I want to know who attended that party and I also want to know who paid for the alcohol and for the food? Was that taxpayers, was that our money whilst we were in complete lockdown?

“So many times we’ve let things drift but I’m not going to let this one go.”

The Government now has 20 days to respond to the FOI request, which has asked for details of the events and money spent on alcohol.

Gary Neville also launched a scathing attack on the Conservative party yesterday.

He tweeted: “Are we really going to let this Number 10 party go? No chance!

“Last Xmas was a misery. Listening to him standing up there telling us what we couldn’t do. Families not seeing each other , loved ones dying alone.

“Whilst him and his cronies party in a tax payer funded residence !”

Gary Neville, writing to Bolton North East’s MP Mark Logan, said: “I am writing to you to ask for an explanation as to why the residents of Bolton had to lockdown last Christmas whilst the Prime Minister was partying with his colleagues and friends.”

The letter, posted on Twitter, continues: “We need MPs to stand up and show the courage to do the right thing and speak out against wrongdoing and admitting when it has taken place?

“Unfortunately, this follows a pattern (such as Dominic Cummings and Barnard Castle). Hancock, Johnson and no doubt many others are living by different rules.

“I think the constituents of Bolton would appreciate it if you asked the PM for the list of attendees and/or asked a similar question at PMQs. Trust and accountability matters.

“A response would be very welcome.”

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons / Darren Robinson Photography