Number 10 does not deny Boris Johnson and wife had pal over at Christmas
Number 10 has refused to deny Boris Johnson and Carrie Johnson had their friend Nimco Ali stay for Christmas last year as London was in lockdown, but insisted the pair “followed coronavirus rules at all times”.
It is thought that Ali, who is godmother to the Prime Minister’s young child Wilfred, was in a childcare bubble at the time, which allowed her to stay over for Christmas.
However, Johnson’s official spokesperson refused to tell journalists on a number of occasions today if this was actually the case.
“As you might expect I’m not going to get into individuals that the Prime Minister has over for Christmas,” he said.
“What I can say is that the Prime Minister and Mrs Johnson have followed coronavirus rules at all times.
“It is accurate, entirely accurate, to say they followed coronavirus rules at all times.”
It is understood that the Prime Minister and his wife did not have either of their mothers staying over at Number 10 over Christmas, despite earlier reports.
Allegations that Johnson and his wife broke lockdown rules first surfaced in the US-based Harper’s Magazine.
The magazine reported that Ali “spent Christmas with the couple at Number 10 despite pandemic restrictions on holiday gatherings”.
London and the South East were in lockdown last Christmas, meaning that people could not mix with anyone that were not in their household.
Those with young children, such as the Johnsons, were allowed to have one person over at their house if they were designated as a part of a support bubble.
Ali tweeted today that she did “not break any rules” and that she had received two days of “disgusting tweets” due to the story being amplified on social media.
More to follow