Downing Street Garden Event

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Rayner questioned the Prime Minister's absence from urgent questioning, cited tragic losses due to lack of medical support during the pandemic, and challenged the minister on whether the PM attended an event in Downing Street on 20 May 2020. She also raised concerns about the PM's integrity.

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Swayne remarked on the need for order in life, implicitly questioning the implications of the current situation.

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Blackford questioned the PM's absence and accused the PM of double standards, having partied while others were suffering. He also challenged the integrity of Sue Grey.

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Miller agreed that it is important to debate serious allegations but only once evidence has been collected.

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Davey asked what should happen if a Conservative MP is found to have broken COVID laws.

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Bone inquired about the urgency of receiving Sue Grey's report and its timeline.

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Eagle questioned the speed of receiving the report and suggested investigating days without parties to expedite the process.

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There is absolutely no doubt that this is an important matter, but there will be a full investigation into it. Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that, as we recover from the pandemic, this House’s time would be better spent debating how we build back better and level up?

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We know that the Prime Minister is socially distanced from accountability, responsibility and integrity. Can we be absolutely sure that he will be here tomorrow to face the music instead of hiding behind Sue Grey?

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Why cannot all the dirty linen be washed at once? Why are we getting this drip-feed of parties?

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Does the Paymaster General agree that it would be utterly obscene if, at the same time—[Interruption.]

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The work of the second permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office is both important and urgent. Will my right hon. and learned Friend give any indication of when it might be completed?

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This is not the straw that broke the camel’s back; it is a 10-tonne weight being placed directly on the poor dilapidated beast’s posterior. Surely if the Prime Minister has a smidgen of self-respect or any sense of integrity, he will be listening to this and decide himself that it is time to go—for goodness’ sake, man, go!

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If the Prime Minister broke the law, he will resign, won’t he?

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A survey by the Alzheimer’s Society shows that the health of 82% of people affected by dementia deteriorated during the first lockdown. Reduced social contact was a significant contributory factor. Does the Minister therefore agree that it would be unforgivable for the Prime Minister to prevaricate, obfuscate, seek to evade or distract, joke, take refuge in an industrial refrigerator or perhaps just lie about parties at No. 10?

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More than 150,000 covid deaths, the highest toll in Europe; a cost-of-living crisis, with universal credit slashed and bills rocketing; a second jobs scandal; an attempt to let his corrupt mate off the hook; a dodgy flat donation; accusations of cash for access; and now this, a Downing Street party that was against the law and that the Prime Minister claimed did not happen but that he reportedly attended. After all this, does the Minister not feel embarrassed that the Prime Minister does not have the decency to resign?

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The Paymaster General has been given an unenviable task this morning—he really, really has—but perhaps he could use his experience as a former Solicitor General and Attorney General to explain to the House what advice he would give to a hypothetical Prime Minister: someone who has perhaps lied to the country, someone who has perhaps lied to this House, someone who has laughed at times when people have died in their communities. What advice would the Paymaster General offer to that hypothetical Prime Minister?

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Assaults on police officers in 2020-21 in England and Wales saw a 20% increase to over 25,000. I personally know of police officers who have been spat at, pushed, shoved and punched while doing their job, which includes enforcing the covid regulations. Given that all the evidence suggests that the party took place and that the Prime Minister was present, does the Paymaster General agree that the Prime Minister should write a letter of apology to every one of the police officers assaulted while enforcing covid regulations?

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My beloved mum died of covid in March 2020. She died alone in hospital while I sat in the car outside trying to be as close to her as I could. Even burdened with our grief, my family obeyed the rules. Just three days after the Downing Street party, we marked a solemn Eid—the first without my lovely mum. When asked by Sky News about the parties, the Prime Minister did little but smirk and laugh. He should be here today but, as he is not, will the Minister confirm whether the Prime Minister will be apologising to bereaved families like mine for the anguish, pain and torment caused not just by hosting these parties but by continuing to lie about them?

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A constituent of mine, who I will call Malcolm, got in touch this morning having been fined with a £100 fixed penalty notice for breaching the coronavirus regulations. He accepts his wrongdoing, but it strikes me as incredibly unfair that, at the same time as the Downing Street parties were happening and Ministers and MPs seemed to be flagrantly breaching the rules, constituents like mine should have to pay. When will Malcolm and everyone else who has been fined for breaching the regulations be getting their money back?

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Why is the Downing Street social world more important than those lives and the law of the land, in relation to funeral restrictions during the pandemic?

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Did the Prime Minister attend a gathering on 20 May?

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Does the Paymaster General believe that the Prime Minister's behaviour would give confidence to NHS staff who saved lives during the pandemic?

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Why were Muslims unable to gather during Ramadan but staff in Downing Street could attend social events?

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Is it time for the Prime Minister to resign due to a crisis of public confidence?

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Why should parents who followed rules during childbirth receive no apology from the PM when he partied?

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Why should anyone believe the Prime Minister again after this scandal?

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Has the Paymaster General asked the Prime Minister about a specific party?

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What can the Minister say to Will and his family who lost a loved one under strict pandemic rules while others partied?

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What can be said about a family who lost a loved one with strict funeral rules while the PM and others partied?

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Is it true that this Government lives by one rule for themselves and another for others during the pandemic?

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When one of my constituents gave birth to her first child in May 2020, her husband could only be there for the final stages of labour. They were not allowed any visitors due to complications. Will the Minister now give an apology to the parents of 'lockdown babies'?

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With 3,000 deaths due to covid in Northern Ireland and personal loss experienced, will the Paymaster General confirm that there will be a full and complete disclosure of investigations?

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Did the Chancellor know about an event in Downing Street on 20 May 2020?

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If the Prime Minister knowingly misled Parliament about a party, will he resign as per the ministerial code?

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Will the Prime Minister show respect for the House by coming to answer questions about the party events?

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When will the Prime Minister come to the House, confess what has happened, and take responsibility for actions under his watch in Downing Street?

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Who among this Government is brave enough to tell the Prime Minister that the party is finally over?

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When will the Prime Minister use his next address to the nation to apologise for rule-breaking during the pandemic?

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When will this investigation be over?

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Has the Paymaster General been told whether the Prime Minister attended a Downing Street party on 20 May?

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I was pleased to hear the Paymaster General tell us earlier that the Prime Minister has recently visited a police station. I hope he will be visiting another one soon, this time with the benefit of his solicitor. Last April, the Joint Committee on Human Rights issued a report saying that fixed penalty notices were “muddled, discriminatory and unfair”. The incident currently being investigated only goes to show that we were right in our concerns about unfair enforcement during the pandemic. Will the Government now commit to reviewing all fixed penalty notices issued during the height of the crisis, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Human Rights?

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In May 2020, a constituent told me that she had given birth but could not have anyone round due to pandemic conditions. She felt unsupported and alone. How does the Minister feel about the behaviour of the Prime Minister and Downing Street staff enjoying a drinks party while new mothers like my constituent felt unsupported?

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The Paymaster General has made various references to fairness and natural justice but has made no reference at all to the Nolan principles: honesty, leadership and accountability. Why will the Prime Minister not come clean about whether he attended a party or not? Why is he hiding behind Sue Grey’s investigation?

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My constituent, Alison Lawther, a nurse in the ICU at Whittington Hospital, had to watch her grandmother’s funeral on Zoom while slaving away. What does the Paymaster General say to Alison and to her family given that she had to work while others partied?

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At the time of the No.10 Downing Street party, people in Swansea could have faced fines between £60 and £1,920 for similar events. Does that not show the respect that the Welsh Labour Government have for their citizens compared to the Prime Minister's contempt? Given that he must know whether he was at the party, why will he not simply say that?

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My constituent Ruby Fuller, who died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma on 15 May, had many friends. She was allowed just 10 people at her funeral while the Prime Minister sat enjoying cheese and wine in Downing Street garden. What does the Prime Minister have to say—via his Minister—to Ruby’s family?

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Every moment that goes by without the Government saying where the PM was on 20 May makes them a laughing stock, undermining public health messages. Will he apologise to the heroes of the NHS who spent hours in full PPE while keeping lockdown rules?

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As of yesterday, 300 men and women in Clydebank, Dumbarton, and the Vale of Leven have died of covid-19. I ask the Paymaster General whether they agree that if a Tory party took place during a global public health emergency and the Prime Minister participated or sanctioned it, this would be a fatal blow to his premiership?

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Today, I received an email from a constituent who was unable to hold her mother's hand before she died in a nursing home. She is outraged by the actions of the Prime Minister and those who partied at Downing Street. Does the Paymaster General agree that the Prime Minister needs to take decent action and resign?

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Two days after the party on 20 May, revelations about Dominic Cummings came out. Five days later was a Downing Street press conference explaining activities in Barnard Castle. Constituents are angry and want honesty from the Government. Can the Paymaster General publish a list of the Prime Minister’s engagements on 20 May?

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A constituent, Frances, whose brother has learning disabilities, was upset about the partying during lockdown when her family could not visit their loved ones in distress due to rules. What does the Paymaster General say to Frances and her brother?

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Constituents report personal tragedies due to the lockdown rules, one unable to hug mother after her aunt’s suicide and another not able to visit a brother or elderly parent. Kerry asks that the Prime Minister speak directly to the House tomorrow.

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Jane Nicholson lost her mother in lockdown and followed all rules responsibly. Her email says, ‘No one is above the law.’ What does the Paymaster General have to say to Jane?

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Some think the Paymaster General’s performance at the Dispatch Box is commendable, but Peter sees it as a place for Ministers to tell the truth with complete candour. Is he aware that his own reputation has been shredded in this hour and fifteen minutes?

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A constituent’s mother died due to coronavirus, the funeral was conducted via webcam. If an investigation reports a party held by Prime Minister or other Ministers, what is an appropriate political sanction?

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If someone was hosting a gathering in their back garden they would likely notice it and remember if they were there. Does the Paymaster General agree this is why Prime Minister’s authority is draining away?

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When someone’s conduct undermines their role's integrity and trust, they should be suspended. Why is the Prime Minister not suspended?

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Is it the case that the Prime Minister has been laughing at and lying to the public?