The head of a Whitehall inquiry into reports of government Christmas parties held during lockdown last year has stepped down from the role after a festive gathering was held in his private office.
Cabinet secretary Simon Case will no longer lead the investigation into media reports of a series of government gatherings that allegedly broke coronavirus restrictions after details transpired of a quiz involving staff in his private office.
Officials said invitations were sent out to a “Christmas party!” held in the Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall in central London on December 17 last year, at a time when indoor mixing was banned. Six civil servants attended in person, with drinks at their desks, while others participated online.
People with knowledge of the event said Case did not participate in the quiz but he was in 70 Whitehall and spoke to some of those present. One official described the gathering as “a bunch of people having a glass at their desks for a lame quiz”.
Boris Johnson put Case in charge of the inquiry into government parties after media reports said gatherings were held across Westminster and Whitehall last year that contravened Covid-19 restrictions. Several such parties are alleged to have taken place in Downing Street.
Two attendees at one gathering, held at Conservative party HQ on December 14 last year, are being contacted by the Metropolitan police. Other alleged gatherings have been examined by the inquiry until now led by Case.
One senior civil servant said it was “totally ludicrous” that Case had spent a week and a half investigating Downing Street parties while having knowledge of one in his own office.
Number 10 has previously said Case had not attended any such gatherings. The prime minister’s spokesperson said last week: “I think you can be assured that due diligence has been followed on that.”
Downing Street said on Friday: “To ensure the ongoing investigation retains public confidence, the cabinet secretary has recused himself for the remainder of the process.”
It added that the work would be concluded by Sue Gray, a permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. She previously served as the civil service’s head of ethics.
The Cabinet Office said: “Staff in the cabinet secretary’s private office took part in a virtual quiz on 17 December 2020. A small number of them, who had been working in the office throughout the pandemic and on duty that day, took part from their desks, while the rest of the team were virtual.
“The cabinet secretary played no part in the event, but walked through the team’s office on the way to his own office. No outside guests or other staff were invited or present. This lasted for an hour and drinks and snacks were bought by those attending. He also spoke briefly to staff in the office before leaving.”
The inquiry had already been called into question after Oliver Dowden, Conservative party chair, said on Friday he was confident the investigation would “vindicate” Johnson’s assertion that no rules were broken.
“I understand and I appreciate that there was a perception, particularly from the media coverage surrounding those alleged events, that we were not abiding by the rules,” he told the BBC.
Angela Rayner, deputy Labour leader, said Johnson “set the tone” for the civil service and the government over whether coronavirus rules had to be followed. “With each new revelation there is growing evidence of a culture of turning a blind eye to the rules,” she added.
“Labour made it clear when the investigation was launched that the person in charge should be uncompromised and able to make a fair and independent judgement. These fresh revelations put that into question,” Rayner said.
Top UK civil servant steps down from role probing government parties
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