By Martin Vickers calls PM knowledge of party ‘fanciful’
Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has said that it is “fanciful” to suggest that any parties would take place in No 10 without the PM’s authority or knowledge.
Martin Vickers, who has been a Conservative MP for Cleethorpes since 2010, has said that he “welcomes” Boris Johnson’s apology and instruction to the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the alleged incident.
Uproar was caused when video obtained by ITV News showed a No 10 staff member laughing about reports of a party on 18 December 2020 – while London was in Tier 3 lockdown restrictions.
Mr Vickers has suggested that the gathering, which No 10 deny took place, was between staff members and not politicians.
“10 Downing Street is a warren of passages and small offices and what I suspect is the case is that staff in one or two of those offices got together for a Christmas drink.
“The idea that this would have taken place with the Prime Minister’s authority or even his knowledge is fanciful,” he told Gi Media.
He does condemn any restriction breaches, saying: “if it took place in contravention of the restrictions that were in force at the time that is wrong and senior staff should have stepped in.
“However, on the basis of the buck stops with the PM I welcome that he has apologised and instructed the Cabinet Secretary to investigate and take the appropriate disciplinary action,” he continues.
Reports of the party have sparked outrage across the country as celebrities such as Ant and Dec and Phillip Schofield have weighed in on the issue, with the former making several jokes about the reported party during ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’.
Ian Blackford, the leader of the SNP in the House of Commons, called for Mr Johnson’s resignation during PMQ’s on Wednesday, to which the PM said that he was “getting the job done” while rivals were “playing politics.”
Mr Vickers has said that he shares the public’s response for this:
“Of course I can understand how my constituents feel about this and I share their anger and frustration,” he said.
The news also comes as there are other reports in The Telegraph that the cabinet have discussed introducing mandatory working from home and vaccine passports as soon as Thursday.
Mr Vickers was tentatively supportive of these suggested proposals, saying:
“If the Government come to the conclusion that it is necessary then I will support it though it is certainly not welcome as it would come as a massive blow to the hospitality sector.”
