DOWNING Street has refused to deny claims that Boris Johnson broke social distancing rules at a meeting of Tory MPs.
Johnson is said to have remarked that those present at a meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee were squeezed in "cheek by jowl" as he addressed them in a room at the Houses of Parliament.
It's understood that although the room was marked for a maximum capacity of 29 under anti-coronavirus rules, at least 50 people were present.
One witness said the venue was "crammed" with people on September 2.
It's said to have finished 40 minutes before Johnson's office published a tweet warning people not to attend gatherings of more than 30 people.
Gatherings of more than 30 people are illegal. Breaking the rules could cost you thousands.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 2, 2020
If you attend an illegal gathering, you could be fined £100, increasing on each offence up to £3,200. pic.twitter.com/4QXz0FQ3hL
Reports initially came from the Bloomberg news agency and the Liberal Democrats have called for an explanation, saying such a meeting could "undermine faith" in the UK Government during the crisis.
But No 10 has repeatedly refused to clarify whether or not the rules were broken, or why Johnson had not left the room if it was too full.
A spokesperson answered "yes" when asked if Johnson obeys his government's social distancing rules.
But, when pressed on the meeting, he stated: "I'm not privy to the detail, it's a political event," he said.
Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the powerful committee of backbenchers, has insisted that "social distancing of one metre plus was maintained".
But Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has asked to carry out a "full investigation" by the LibDems, whose shadow Commons leader Wera Hobhouse said: "Reports such as those of the 1922 Committee last night undermine faith in government and ultimately impact the effectiveness of Government public health messaging.
"We cannot allow it to look as though there is one rule for Conservative MPs and another for the rest of the country."
In a message, Brady said: "The committee room is a workplace and social distancing of one metre plus was maintained as per government guidance for other workplaces.
"Obviously it is important that the democratic process is not interrupted."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel