UK PM's press chief Jack Doyle was at No 10 party last year
December 10, 2021, 6:52 am

UK PM's press chief Jack Doyle was at No 10 party last year

Jack Doyle-UK Prime Minister press chief/Facebook page

The BBC reported, the PM's press chief addressed staff and gave out awards at a Downing Street party last Christmas that is now under investigation.

Jack Doyle, then deputy director of communications, gave a speech to 20-30 people at the gathering on 18 December.

A source has told the BBC there were food, drinks and games at the event.

Downing Street said: "There is an ongoing review, and we won't be commenting further while that is the case."

The BBC said, this event is one of three government staff gatherings from last year now being investigated by the UK's top civil servant, Simon Case.

England-London-Westminster-Westminster bridge/Pixabay

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said news of Mr Doyle's attendance had "exposed" Mr Case's inquiry as a "sham".

The BBC has been told, Jack Doyle was also attending Covid meetings in No 10 that night, which went on until late in the evening.

It said that it is understood every Friday Mr Doyle would thank staff for working hard and give out an award.

ITV News, which first reported that Mr Doyle was present at this event on 18 December, said he had also handed out award certificates to staff on this occasion.

According to the BBC, the event took place two days after London went into Tier 3 lockdown restrictions, which meant that people were told not to mix indoors with anyone outside their household or support bubble.

No 10 has refused to explain how the party complied with Covid restrictions in force at the time, despite a deepening row and days of questioning by reporters.

The BBC mentioned that the prime minister told the Commons on Wednesday that he had been "repeatedly assured" that there had been no party and that no Covid rules had been broken on that date.

The row has already prompted the resignation of government adviser Allegra Stratton, who quit her post on Wednesday after an angry backlash over a video obtained by ITV News, she appeared in from last December where she joked about a Christmas party.

Following her resignation, Mr Johnson told MPs that he was "furious" about the clip and was launching an investigation into whether rules had been broken last Christmas.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who is carrying out the investigation, is also looking into a No 10 staff event on 27 November last year, and a gathering at the Department of Education on 10 December. The inquiry could be widened out if it considered there are credible allegations about other events.

After it emerged Mr Doyle spoke at the 18 December event, Ms Rayner said: "The government's internal investigation has been exposed as the sham it is.

"The investigation has only just published its terms of reference, and we are already seeing more details from the media than the Cabinet Office about the parties."

Source: BBC

UK No 10 staff joked about party during lockdown restrictions At least 53 people killed and dozens more injured in Mexico truck crash

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”