WhatsApp Messages Reveal No 10 Officials Struggling to Explain Lockdown Parties

Auf einen Blick

• A new report has revealed that WhatsApp messaging has become a key part of communication within government
• Boris Johnson was asked to submit evidence to the Commons privileges committee, to which he replied that he “held no relevant material”
• The messages revealed that those advising Johnson on what to say publicly and in the House of Commons on law-breaking parties struggled to explain how they could not have broken the rules
• The report has raised questions about the role of WhatsApp messaging in government, and the potential for it to be used to break the rules
• It is yet to be seen what action, if any, will be taken in response to the report

Die Details

A New Report Reveals WhatsApp Use in Government

A new report has revealed that WhatsApp messaging has become a key part of communication within government, with exchanges between No 10 officials being disclosed by the cross-party Commons privileges committee.

The report comes after Boris Johnson was asked to submit evidence to the committee, to which he replied that he “held no relevant material”. However, six months later, in response to another request, his solicitors supplied the committee with 46 WhatsApp messages between Johnson and five other people.

Partygate Report

The messages revealed that those advising Johnson on what to say publicly and in the House of Commons on law-breaking parties struggled to explain how they could not have broken the rules, following a lockdown leaving party held on 16 April.

A year later, the Daily Mirror published the first Partygate report, accusing Boris Johnson and his staff of breaking rules by hosting the parties at No 10 in the run-up to Christmas 2020. Jack Doyle, the then director of communications for No 10, questioned how Johnson’s lockdown birthday gathering on 19 June 2020 could not be considered a breach of the rules.

Doyle asked for legal advice on the birthday gathering and said he was “struggling to come up with a way this one is in the rules in my head”.

Questions Raised

The report has raised questions about the role of WhatsApp messaging in government, and the potential for it to be used to break the rules.

It is yet to be seen what action, if any, will be taken in response to the report.