Boris Johnson pictured drinking with aides at No 10 lockdown leaving party

Boris Johnson drank alcohol with aides at a leaving party in November 2020 while Britain was under a Covid lockdown, leaked photographs show.

Images obtained and published by ITV News show the Prime Minister raising a glass of wine in front of a table with various bottles of alcohol, including wine and gin.

Several other people in the photographs, who are also raising glasses, have been pixelated.

The pictures reportedly depict a leaving party for one of Mr Johnson’s most senior spin doctors, Lee Cain, which took place on November 13, 2020.

Eight days previously, the Government had imposed a second national lockdown amid concern about rising Covid rates.

The event is one of 16 investigated by Sue Gray, a civil servant who has been placed in charge of a Whitehall investigation into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.

It was also investigated by the Metropolitan Police, which did not issue a fine to Mr Johnson over the event.

The Prime Minister has spoken in Parliament about the party, when allegations of lockdown breaches originally came to light in December last year.

He was asked by Catherine West, a Labour MP, whether he would “tell the House whether there was a party in Downing Street on the 13th of November”.

The Prime Minister replied: "Mr Speaker, no. But I’m sure that, whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times."

Ms Gray’s report is expected to be published later this week and could include photographs of the events she investigated.0

It is unknown whether the four photographs of Mr Johnson and aides have been seen by the Met and Ms Gray.

Following the publication of her report, Parliament’s privileges committee will begin an investigation into whether Mr Johnson intentionally misled the Commons when responding to questions about the parties last year.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “Boris Johnson said repeatedly that he knew nothing about law-breaking – there’s no doubt now, he lied. Boris Johnson made the rules, and then broke them.

“The Prime Minister has demeaned his office. The British people deserve better. While Labour has a plan for tackling the cost-of-living crisis, Tory MPs are too busy defending the indefensible actions of Boris Johnson.”