Thread by @AdamWagner1

If the facts of this are accurate then I can't see how it could have been lawful

19 June 2020 - indoor gatherings of 2 or more were banned unless it fell within a list of exceptions. Birthday parties (or any social gatherings) were not an exception

legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/…

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1485677107556540424

The regulations had significantly changed by then from 20 May so that the "being out of the house without a reasonable excuse" ban had been replaced with staying overnight (legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/…) but the gatherings ban had been tightened to include indoor spaces

Just so you know I have popped out of my own birthday celebrations to look into this! If you fancy thanking me (-: please give a few £ to my @LawCentres fundraiser so at least some good will come of this mess justgiving.com/fundraising/ad…

If this was a a purely social event (which the cake and M&S food strongly suggest it was) then it can't have fallen within any of the list of exceptions to the strict gatherings rules. So everyone attending would have been liable for a £100 fixed penalty notice or prosecution

As to the event upstairs in the flat or in the garden - whether it breached the regulations would depend on the number of people (more than 6 outside or 1 inside) and where they were all family or linked households (which had been introduced by then)

It's actually more straightforward than the 20 May gathering as the gatherings rule didn't apply to private spaces then - so you have to rely on the "being outside the home without a reasonable excuse" rule which is a bit more nuanced and wouldn't apply to the PM. This would.

No. 10 admits "staff had "gathered briefly" to "wish the prime minister a happy birthday""... he was there "for less than 10 minutes'"

This appears a clear admission of an illegal gathering. Doesn't matter if it was 10 mins/10 hours

A "party" if you will
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…

The No. 10 statement is very important - (1) it is the first time No. 10 has admitted *any* party took place, (2) it is the first time they have admitted the PM was at an (to me) obviously illegal gathering with no real prospect of a reasonable excuse. Ties the Met's hands too.

For anyone saying that this was a work gathering - it has to have been reasonably necessary for work for that to apply. I don't think even No. 10 are suggesting this was a work meeting. It appears to have been a pre-arranged indoor social gathering

It's an indoor social gathering - it lasted 30 mins and the PM apparently stayed for 10. Pre-arranged in a particular room and food was bought. It's obviously not within the rules and nobody from the govt at the time would have said for a moment it was

https://twitter.com/NadineDorries/status/1485687149836001283?s=20

Remember: the question isn't whether it was a "party" it was whether it was an indoor gathering which didn't fall within any of the listed excuses. The only one which is even tangentially relevant is "reasonable necessary for work" - not even No. 10 are claiming it was.