This is what Derbyshire people’s lockdown birthdays were like as Downing Street partied

Downing Street has admitted staff gathered inside Number 10 to mark Mr Johnson's birthday when the first Covid lockdown was still in force.

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The revelation came as the Metropolitan Police announced it had launched an investigation into parties held in the heart of Government during the coronavirus pandemic.

On our Facebook page, we asked people what their birthdays were like in lockdown – and many responded with their stories.

Julie Hall said: “My daughter, who is special needs and needs 24-hour care, had her 30th at the beginning of lockdown. All of her carers, who work with her ever day, and her sister, dad and I lined up outside her home, abiding by social distancing and wearing masks, to sing to her. Two police cars pulled up and three police got out to move us on. They didn’t charge us but dispersed us.”

Robert Webley said: “My mum’s 80th consisted of me giving her a phone call.”

Garry Cooper said: “It was my 60th. I booked a holiday with all my family but cancelled it and stayed at home like I was told by Boris. Say no more.”

David Atack said: “I had my 60th in the third lockdown. I had a walk around Hardwick gardens and a sausage roll from the takeaway van. I hope you enjoyed your party, Boris. You should be ashamed and everyone who was at your party should be fined.”

Dawn Hutton said: “My 50th was rubbish – at home, no family and no parties.”

Deb Hilton said: “I had to shield because of health reasons. I lost my partner in lockdown after a short and quick illness and this joker and his clowns thought it was OK to do as they please and break all the rules. I hope they fine them all.”

Ellie Whittaker added: “I was shielding as I had just given birth on March 18, 2020. Two weeks later I started chemotherapy treatment. I had no support in the hospital – I wasn’t allowed a family member to attend chemotherapy with me. It just goes to show it’s one rule for them and one rule for all of us. It’s sickening. I’m fully clear now thankfully.”

Stew Spaull said: “It was my 40th during the first lockdown. I enjoyed it immensely. It was quiet – just me, my wife and our daughter. I cooked dinner; we went for a walk. However, I know that other people would've wanted to have parties and the fact that they didn't, so as to protect others, while the bloke supposed to be leading the country did, is pretty hard to take. It's a shame that it might take a birthday party to bring him down, rather than his catastrophically negligent response to the pandemic from the very beginning, but I'm happy to take anything at this stage. He needs to go. And so does the entire Tory Government.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ross Shipman said: “While Boris Johnson was making and breaking rules by throwing parties every other day, he was forcing me and many other families to be locked in the house with a newborn baby. We couldn’t make use of our family network or socialise with other babies. It was an incredibly tough time for me personally, that’s why I am p****d off. Loads of other families couldn’t see loved ones as they died, and missed out on life events such as birthdays, weddings and funerals. We have been taken for fools and any conservatives staying silent or defending this shambles are complicit. It’s time to drain the swamp and get rid of these lot who only look out for themselves and their party.”

But Becks Hutchins offered a different perspective.

“I don’t like people so all good here,” she said.

And Steve Russell said: “Here we go again. Who cares?”

Janis Palethorpe said: “I’m more bothered about Russia and Ukraine and high utility prices. These people were all working together in Downing Street.”

Pat Harvey added: “It was a piece of cake with colleagues he works indoors with every single day. What’s the issue with that?”

Others pointed out that Sir Keir Starmer was photographed drinking with a number of staff in a constituency office last year.

The Labour leader said there was ‘no breach of the rules’ and there was ‘no comparison’ with the Prime Minister.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the force was looking into ‘potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations’ in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020.

Mr Johnson told the House of Commons he welcomed the police probe as it would ‘give the public the clarity it needs’ over the allegations – and his spokesperson also said the Prime Minister did not believe he had broken the law.

In the Commons, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner called the Met’s involvement a ‘truly damning reflection on our nation's highest office’ – while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Mr Johnson should resign

Meanwhile, senior civil servant Sue Gray is continuing to investigate Downing Street parties.

According to the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, the Met ‘seems to have indicated’ it has no objection to Ms Gray’s full report being published before the end of the force’s investigation.

This means her report may be published sooner rather than later – but Ms Kuenssberg said the situation remains ‘very unclear’.

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