Gathering on 13 November 2020
49. In November 2020, the Rules and Guidance in force for the prevention of the spread of Covid included restrictions on indoor gatherings of two or more people and maintaining social distancing of 2 metres or 1 metre with risk mitigations in the workplace wherever possible.[1] At the Covid press conferences over this period, Mr Johnson regularly repeated the phrase, “Hands, face, space” while standing at podiums bearing this phrase. On 9 November, Mr Johnson said at a Covid press conference that “Neither mass testing nor progress on vaccines […] are at the present time a substitute for the national restrictions, for social distancing […] and all the rest. So it is all the more important to follow the Rules.”
50. Four days later, on Friday 13 November 2020, Mr Johnson attended an impromptu leaving gathering for his Director of Communications, Lee Cain, in the vestibule of the Press Office. Between 15 and 20 people were present. Mr Johnson joined the gathering and made a speech.[2] Photographs were taken of the event which were provided to the Committee by the Cabinet Office.[3] One of them shows Mr Johnson with at least six other people standing in close proximity. Fixed Penalty Notices were issued in relation to this gathering for breaching the Rules, but not to Mr Johnson.[4]
51. Mr Johnson told us in oral evidence that at the event on 13 November, “we followed the Guidance completely”.[5] He said that “I don’t accept that people were not making an effort to distance themselves socially from each other”.[6] He drew attention to the provision in the Guidance that 1-metre distancing should be maintained, with mitigations, where 2-metre distancing was not possible. In relation to mitigations, he said:
I knew from my direct personal experience that we were doing a huge amount to stop the spread of covid within the building. We had sanitisers, windows were kept open, we had people working outdoors wherever they could, we had Zoom meetings, we had restrictions on the number of people in rooms, we had perspex screens between desks and, above all […] we had testing.[7]
- ↑ Regulations stated:
“No person may participate in a gathering which—
(a) consists of two or more people, and
(b) takes place indoors (including indoors within a private dwelling).”
Exceptions included “where the gathering is reasonably necessary for work purposes, or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services”. See: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/1200) (as amended 10 November 2020), Part 3.
Workplace Guidance stated:
“You must maintain social distancing in the workplace wherever possible”.
It advised social distancing of 2 metres, or 1 metre with risk mitigations where 2 metres was not viable. It encouraged business to take “all the mitigating actions possible” where social distancing could not be followed in full. For meetings, this included using remote working tools to avoid in-person meetings, only absolutely necessary participants attending, and holding meetings outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms. See: GOV.UK, Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19): Offices and contact centres, as updated 9 November 2020. - ↑ On the way to his flat at 19.17 it is recounted that “The Prime Minister unexpectedly arrived and gathered 15–20 people, gave a speech and joined the team for alcohol”. See: Core evidence bundle materials, p9
- ↑ See Appendix 1 for photographs
- ↑ Core evidence bundle materials, p9
- ↑ Q13
- ↑ Q9
- ↑ Q14
