BORIS Johnson was pictured at a Christmas quiz in Downing Street next to a bottle of bubbly, it emerged today.
The PM was snapped at the event in No 10 alongside two staff, with one draped in tinsel and another wearing a Santa hat.
The picture, published by The Mirror, was taken at a virtual Christmas quiz on December 15, 2020, during which Boris read out a round of questions.
Sue Gray has looked into the event, held while London was under Tier 2 restrictions, which is not being investigated by police.
No 10 today insisted the Whitehall Enforcer has had “access to all the evidence she needed” for her probe into No 10 parties.
On the new snap, a Downing St spokesman added: “You have our previous statement which sets out it was a virtual quiz.”
Boris was ambushed with questions about the snap this afternoon after it was released while he was still on his feet at PMQs.
Labour MPs immediately said the police should now investigate the Christmas quiz for any potential breaches of Covid rules at the time.
Shadow minister Fabian Hamilton challenged the PM over the image.
He said: “A photo has emerged of the Prime Minister in Downing Street on December 15, 2020 surrounded by alcohol, food and people wearing tinsel.
“It looks a lot like one of the Christmas parties he told us never happened.”
“Will the Prime Minister be referring this party to the police as it is not one of the ones currently being investigated?”
The PM replied: “In what he has just said, I’m afraid he is completely in error.”
Later on another Labour MP, Gerald Jones, also suggested the Met should include the snap in its investigation.
He told the Commons: “The photograph referred to is all over social media, everybody can see the photo, the Prime Minister is in the photo.
“So can I ask him again, will he refer the matter to the police because it’s not one of the parties already being investigated by the Metropolitan Police?”
To which Boris replied: “That’s precisely the point, that event already has been submitted for investigation.”
The event on December 15, 2020 is one of 16 that have been looked into by Whitehall enforcer Sue Gray.
She handed her early findings to the Met, which subsequently decided to open its own probe into 12 of those.
The Christmas quiz at which the photo was taken is one of four gatherings the police chose not to investigate.
At the time it was taken London was in Tier 2 restrictions, which banned social mixing between two or more people from different households.
Six days later the capital and much of the rest of South East England were plunged into full lockdown as the Alpha variant spread.
