Boris Johnson's boast of "UK's most unsocially distanced party" investigated

It looks like former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in hot water again for some alleged comments made during a lockdown. Reports say he joked about an alcohol-fueled leaving party at 10 Downing Street being "the most unsocially distanced party in the UK right now." These comments were reportedly made during a staff gathering in November 2020, when England was under a second national lockdown and indoor gatherings were banned, except for certain work-related exceptions.

The remarks are being looked into as part of a parliamentary inquiry into whether Johnson misled MPs about any law-breaking parties that occurred during the pandemic. This could be a serious breach of parliamentary rules and could potentially harm his career as an MP.

A spokesperson for Johnson didn't deny the comment but stated that he had "worked constantly" to protect lives and livelihoods during the pandemic. But, there are multiple new allegations arising from an ITV podcast series, Partygate: the Inside Story, which includes accusations that some No 10 staff "corroborated their stories" before filling out Scotland Yard questionnaires about their potential role in rule-breaking parties, and that Downing Street staff deliberately destroyed evidence of partying before investigations by Sue Gray and the Metropolitan police.

It's worth mentioning that last year there were a series of explosive allegations of lockdown-breaking social gatherings in Downing Street, which multiple sources claimed Johnson either "turned a blind eye" to, encouraged and in several cases joined. He was also fined as part of police investigations into these events, making him the first Prime Minister to have broken the law while in office.

So, while the investigation continues, it's sure to keep things interesting.