The disclosure that Boris Johnson’s fiancee threw him a surprise party during lockdown, prompting a new wave of outrage, dominate the front pages. In the latest alleged breach of rules, No 10 admitted that Carrie Johnson held a party for the prime minister and up to 30 staff on 19 June 2020 despite Covid rules at the time banning indoor social gatherings. The Guardian’s front page leads with “Johnson faces fresh outrage over birthday party in No 10.” It says sources said an official inquiry had uncovered “appalling evidence of mismanagement” at the heart of Downing Street. No 10 said the PM attended for 10 minutes and denied reports from ITV that he held a party later on 19 June in his Downing Street residence.
The Times has “Johnson held lockdown birthday party at No 10”. It reports that Carrie Johnson and interior designer Lulu Lytle, who was working on the couple’s Downing Street flat at the time, “are said to have presented the prime minister, who had turned 56, with a union jack cake while his wife led staff in a chorus of Happy Birthday”.
The Sun’s take on the story is a play on Johnson’s own subversion of a famous proverb: “You can’t have your birthday cake … and eat it Boris”. “Amid fury at the latest Covid partygate revelation, Downing Street insisted the PM was only there for ten minutes,” it reports.
The Mirror headlines with “PM’s No10 birthday bash in lockdown” and reports that “Just days earlier, the PM had urged us all to obey laws banning indoor gatherings.” It also quotes a “furious” Jo Goodman, whose father had died of Covid just weeks earlier. “It’s sickening,” she told the paper. “The PM should resign.”
The Daily Mail goes its own way with “PM’s Mr Brexit: Kill Off Tax Hike”, reporting that “April’s National Insurance hike must be scrapped to help the economic recovery, Lord Frost declared last night”. The paper gives a more sceptical treatment to the birthday party reports, picturing a grinning Boris Johnson holding a cake and headlining it “New storm over Boris’s 10-minute birthday ‘party’ at No 10” while relegating the story to pages six and seven.
The Telegraph references Johnson’s party in its banner, “Now PM accused of No 10 lockdown birthday party”, while also leaving the story for the inside pages. Instead it leads on Ukraine, with “Biden prepares troops to face Putin threat”.
The i’s take is “Johnson’s problems grow with birthday party leak” and reports that the “drip-drip effect of revelations is damaging staff morale in No 10” and that “further allegations expected as Tory former minister tells i: ‘Cummings has gone feral’.”
The Independent splashes a picture of Johnson across its front page with the headline “‘Birthday party for PM’ in first lockdown” but chooses to lead with “Islamophobia review ignored by ministers”.
The Metro opts to lead on Ukraine, headlining its front page “Nato Jets Ready To Scramble” but pictures Boris and Carrie Johnson in its banner with the headline, “How Boris had his cake and ate it … at No 10 lockdown birthday bash”.