Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Who will investigate the investigators? No 10 Christmas party investigation chief 'hosted drinks for staff'

Two Christmas parties were allegedly held in No 10 Christmas party investigation chief Simon Case's own department…
A staff Christmas party was held at the office of the man tasked with investigating lockdown parties at Downing Street, it has been reported.

There are now calls for Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to be removed from the inquiry into gatherings in Government departments.

Two Christmas parties were held in Mr Case’s department – the Cabinet Office – in December 2020, according to the Guido Fawkes website.

This was at a time when restrictions were in place and the public faced challenging measures to prevent social mixing.

Around 15 people are said to have been invited to one event, and at least one involved drinking and music, it was reported.

The site was told by a source that Mr Case did not attend, but allegedly stuck ‘his head into the room to call staff out at various points during the party’.

One of the parties was held on December 17 – the day before the alleged Christmas party at Downing Street at the centre of the saga, the Times reports.

The newspaper said the event was listed in digital calendars as ‘Christmas party!’ and organised by a private secretary in Mr Case’s team.

A joint investigation by Politico and The Independent claimed Mr Case shared drinks with between 15 and 20 staff at his office and in the waiting room outside the Cabinet Office.

The Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has called for Mr Case to be removed from the investigation and to resign.

Both Mr Johnson and Tory chairman Oliver Dowden have said they were sure Mr Case’s investigation would find no wrongdoing.

And Mr Johnson insisted the public was more interested in other matters such as coronavirus, and suggested the media reporting on lockdown-busting parties had caused the Tories to lose the North Shropshire by-election.

He told broadcasters ‘what people have been hearing is just a constant litany of stuff about politics and politicians and stuff that isn’t about them’.

But Mr Blackford said: ‘The Prime Minister’s appointed lead investigator into the Downing Street parties has also been reported to have hosted a party in his office – whilst thousands were forced to spend the Christmas season apart as a result of necessary coronavirus restrictions. He, along with his inquiry report, must go.’

He said it was ‘vital there be an inquiry led by an independent arbitrator – someone who owes the UK government nothing’, and in a letter to the PM suggested it should be judge-led.

In his letter, he added: ‘Put simply, the public suspected this was a rigged, limited internal investigation and an attempt to dodge accountability. They now know that the person appointed by you to investigate was also involved.’

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: ‘With each revelation, there is more evidence of a culture of turning a blind eye to the rules.

‘Labour made it clear the person leading the investigation should be uncompromised, free to make an independent judgement. That’s now in serious doubt.’

In a statement, the Cabinet Office told Politico and The Independent: ‘These allegations are categorically untrue.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×