Wiltshire MP says Prime Minister appears to be 'rule-stretching' over Downing Street parties
Danny Kruger says a 'bring your own booze' event 'plainly should not have happened'
Last updated 14th Jan 2022
The MP for Devizes and Salisbury Plain, Danny Kruger, says he's received hundreds of emails on the subject of the infamous Downing Street parties, taking place during the national coronavirus lockdowns.
He says he's read every single one and replied to them explaining his thoughts.
Mr Kruger says he hasn't attended any parties at Number 10 between January 2020 and October 2021.
He's confirmed he was 'not invited, nor did he attend, any of the events in between that are the subject of the inquiry by Sue Gray'.
The Wiltshire MP has posted his response on his website:
"Yesterday the Prime Minister apologised for attending an event on 20 May 2020 in the No 10 garden, which plainly should not have happened. He explained that he regarded it as a 'work event', which I guess is plausible given it was a gathering of colleagues in their workplace, and rather than partying all night he attended for just 25 minutes in order, he said, to thank his staff for all their work. But it was obviously a social event too. The appearance is one of decadence, rule-stretching and, worse, a callous disregard for the personal sacrifices that families were making at that time.
"I don't have the right to preach compliance to others. In September 2020 I was photographed mask-less on a train. Nevertheless, it is an absolute moral truth that the people who make the rules should stick by the spirit as well as the letter of them. No doubt Sue Gray's inquiry will get to the bottom of exactly how these events were organised, who was there, and what happened at them; and no doubt consequences will follow.
"The broader issue, and the subject of many of my letters, concerns the character and competence of the Prime Minister. I am sorry that so many people, many of them lifelong Conservative voters, have decided they cannot vote for us again while Boris Johnson is leader. They represent the respectable tendency which is the foundation of our party and indeed our country: the people who believe in following the rules, being straight with people and being accountable for your conduct. It is a very bad moment when so many people like this lose faith in a Conservative Prime Minister.
"To win them back, and to fulfil our duty to everyone in the country including those who didn’t vote for us, we need good leadership. My simple view is that the PM needs a Chief of Staff who will grip the operation in No 10; a Cabinet Secretary who will grip the civil service; and a Deputy Prime Minister who will focus on delivering the policies we promised in the Manifesto, and on reforming the British state to make it ready for the enormous opportunities and threats of the 21st century."