Michael Fabricant’s defence of the No 10 garden party got the contempt it deserved
Along with a leaked email confirming that around 100 people were invited to socially distanced drinks in the garden of Number 10 in May 2020, anecdotal evidence suggests that 30 to 40 attended, including the PM and his wife.
Thoughts turned to what else was going on around the time of the gathering, when the law stated that only two people from different households were allowed to meet outside.
Many, like this, were heartbreaking.
On 20 May 2020, while Downing Street held a party, we announced the death of the 231st health and social care worker after they contracted COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/jcCS7qxzDY
— NursingNotes (@NursingNotesUK) January 11, 2022
Boris Johnson was asked about his attendance.
Boris Johnson dodges question on attending Downing Street party while country was in lockdown
Q: Did you & Carrie attend the Downing Street Party, organised by Martin Reynolds, on 20th of May 2020?
Boris Johnson: All that is subject to the proper investigation by Sue Gray pic.twitter.com/Rr9G9HHoIY
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) January 10, 2022
His answer was met with scorn.
It’s actually bollocks to hide behind Sue Gray’s investigation. It’s not a criminal trial. People ARE free to talk about it, so there’s no reason Johnson can’t go to Commons and/or TV to explain himself.
— Armando Iannucci (@Aiannucci) January 11, 2022
Boris Johnson is so lucky to have someone investigate whether he was at a party. The rest of us have no way of knowing whether we attend a party or not.
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) January 11, 2022
we cannot possibly comment until sue gray has finished her enquiry pic.twitter.com/hJyjuim3P7
— three steaks pam (@alexandrakuri) January 11, 2022
The Conservative MP for Lichfield, Michael Fabricant, waded in with this defence, which he trotted out to any outlet that would give him airtime.
“They were simply spilling out from their own offices into a secure garden"
Conservative MP Michael Fabricant defends lockdown drinks party held in a garden, that is an “integral part of No 10 Downing Street”https://t.co/VWY8a3vtFA pic.twitter.com/qrNArQl7LF
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) January 11, 2022
“Boris and others felt sorry for people who were working long, long hours.”
Oh, the humanity. These tweets show just how convincing people found that argument.
1.
And you wonder why so many people think the best parody accounts on here are real… https://t.co/3PAN2xLw7e
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) January 11, 2022
2.
[via pre-arranged email and a trip to the offie] https://t.co/lBPCLqZMmR
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) January 11, 2022
3.
He's so far up Johnson's arse he's got his hair https://t.co/u0znBmzvNA
— James Serafinowicz (@flidby) January 11, 2022
4.
Fabricant (noun). A sycophant who fabricates. https://t.co/yRp7Zu5Js6
— Paul Sinha (@paulsinha) January 11, 2022
5.
So Michael Fabricant is trying to justify the No 10 party because they were “working so hard”. Were there BYOB parties in hospital car parks? No there f*cking weren’t. Get in the sea you sycophantic melt.
— Emma Kennedy💙 (@EmmaKennedy) January 11, 2022
6.
I see Michael Fabricant still supports me. You can always trust the judgement of a man whose idea of style is to glue a guinea pig to his bonce. pic.twitter.com/94hz6ebrU4
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) January 11, 2022
7.
Live your life with the confidence of Michael Fabricant taking to the airwaves convinced his is the intervention Team Boris really needs right now. https://t.co/Mlcrifr9Cv
— Dmitry Grozoubinski (@DmitryOpines) January 11, 2022
