Photos of Downing Street parties will ‘get out’ says Dominic Cummings

The former chief aide has also dismissed defences from the Prime Minister’s allies that Mr Johnson did not know anything about the rule-breaking festivities taking place in Downing Street last Christmas.

The Government's chief whip, Mark Spencer, has insisted Downing Street staff “were not drinking alcohol” and partying after it was revealed the PM's press chief Jack Doyle addressed staff at one event last Christmas.

ITV reported Doyle addressed up to 50 people in a speech at one party on December 18.

Jack Doyle in Downing Street. Prime Minister's official spokesman has said Boris Johnson has full confidence in Jack Doyle to continue his role as communications director after it emerged he handed out awards at an alleged rule-breaking Christmas party in No 10.Credit: PA

While No 10 has said Mr Johnson retained full confidence in Jack Doyle to serve as communications director, he is under scrutiny over his attendance at the event.

It is believed he presented awards to the press team, according to the PA News Agency.

When asked if Mr Doyle had issued his resignation, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Not that I’m aware of.”

Mr Cummings, who left Number 10 in a bitter row in November 2020, said on Twitter that Mr Doyle was a "gonner", but predicted Mr Johnson would not dismiss him until after the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case's inquiry.

Jack D is gonner but 🛒 will be thinking: 'not now, gotta keep him as the sacrifice for Case's inquiry then - Im shocked shocked I tell you to discover there was a party & I was misled - do a deal with Jack to keep all the wallpaper horror buried...'

— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) December 10, 2021

He added Mr Johnson would use him "as the sacrifice".

Mr Cummings went on to say there are "lots of pictures of the parties which will inevitably get out. And invite lists beyond No10, to other departments…"

The former aide answered questions on his paid-for blog on Friday, he dismissed suggestions that the Prime Minister would not have known about parties going on in Downing Street.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case who is looking into reports of a staff gathering held in Downing Street just days before Christmas, when London was under Tier 3 restrictions, another festive celebration and a reported staff leaving do. Credit: PA

“He knew but I think did not attend,” the former Vote Leave ally of the Prime Minister said.

He added: “Tho remember the geography – to get upstairs he has to walk past that area where he could see it – if he was not Chequers…”

Mr Cummings added that Boris Johnson was “lying” when answering questions about the alleged parties.

“There were invites sent across Whitehall, it was an organised party," he added.

There are “multiple people” with different agendas leaking information that is damaging to the Prime Minister, according to Mr Cummings.

The PM’s former chief aide was asked during a question and answer session on the online platform Substack: “Why is it rocket science for Boris to figure out who is leaking to the press?

“Clearly there cannot be many people who are able to access security footage from a year ago, and to do so they would need some sort of clearance. Same as the footage from Hancock’s office.

“Also do you think this a co-ordinated effort by one team to leak damaging things for Boris or it is multiple people all with their own agendas?”

Cummings responded: “There are multiple people leaking with multple (sic) agendas & the video was not security footage.”

His comments add to the pressure on Mr Johnson over whether he misled his ministerial standards adviser during an investigation into the funding of lavish refurbishments to his flat in Number 11 Downing Street.

There is also an increased frustration among Conservative MPs over the reintroduction of Covid-19 restrictions as we approach Christmas.

Boris Johnson wearing a mask leaving Downing Street. Credit: PA

Mr Johnson’s popularity has dropped to an all-time low, recent polling has suggested.

The Prime Minister’s net favourability rating has fallen 11 points in a month to -42 percent, according to a YouGov poll conducted over Wednesday and Thursday.

The Times conducted a separate poll which suggested that support for the Conservatives had dropped to their worst rating in nearly a year.

The poll also revealed Labour had a four-point lead in research which is sure to cause some concern for Conservative backbenchers.

Chief whip Mr Spencer defended the Prime Minister and insisted he “will not have lied about any parties", and might not have been aware of what was happening elsewhere in the building.

The Sherwood MP told BBC Radio Nottingham: “I’m assured that everybody in that building played by the rules, and that’s why the Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to do a thorough investigation to find out and establish the facts.

“When you describe it as a house, it’s a department of government, this is a huge, huge building, literally with hundreds and hundreds of offices and rooms.

"No single person could account for what’s happening in those buildings – they are huge buildings,” Mr Spencer added.

When asked about the public who had adhered to last year's year Covid restrictions and therefore, missed out on any celebrations, Mr Spencer replied: “And so did the Prime Minister, believe me, he also had a miserable Christmas dealing with all of this and dealing with the coronavirus epidemic, as many people did in Number 10, working day and night trying to solve the challenges the country was facing.

“I’m told they were not drinking alcohol and having parties while that was going on.”

Mr Johnson’s spokesman has also said the Prime Minister retains full confidence in his adviser, Ed Oldfield, after he appeared in ITV's exclusive footage that led to the resignation of the former press secretary Allegra Stratton.

Downing Street has said that it has cancelled any plans to hold a Christmas party this year.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman added: “I think we’ve made clear since the latest situation with Omicron, obviously that’s taking up great deal of time at the moment.

“There’s no plans for that in No 10.”

When asked when the decision to cancel the festivities was made, the spokesman said: “Following the decision on Plan B and the latest data that we’ve got.”