Downing Street Garden Event Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Downing Street Garden Event

Kim Johnson Excerpts
Tuesday 11th January 2022

(2 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Ellis Portrait Michael Ellis
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It is not appropriate to prejudge. The hon. Gentleman wishes to prejudge what occurred. We will await the outcome of the investigation.

Kim Johnson Portrait Kim Johnson (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab)
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Today, I received an email from a constituent, Angela, whose mother died in a nursing home in St Helens where she was unable to hold her hand or be close to her before her death. She is outraged, as are many other people, by the actions of the Prime Minister and the people who partied in the Downing Street garden. Does the Paymaster General agree that the Prime Minister needs to take the decent action and resign?

Michael Ellis Portrait Michael Ellis
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No, I do not agree, because that would be inappropriate. The Prime Minister has devoted his time as Prime Minister to serving the people of the country in dealing with the crisis that has been the pandemic—probably the biggest crisis of any type that has befallen the country since the end of the second world war. This Prime Minister has led the way. He has delivered on vaccines, on healthcare and across the board and he has achieved the results, in very difficult circumstances, that we see in the progress of the pandemic. We are awaiting the results of an independent investigation into allegations of gatherings. When we have that information, we will be able to comment further.