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Updated December 11th, 2021 at 19:34 IST

UK Treasury staff held lockdown party to cherish FM Rishi Sunak's spending review: Reports

Last year during the lockdown, United Kingdom's Treasury employees allegedly held a drinks party to celebrate finance minister's Rishi Sunak's spending review.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
UK
Image: AP | Image:self
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Last year during the lockdown, United Kingdom's Treasury employees allegedly held a drinks party to celebrate Finance Minister Rishi Sunak's spending review, Daily Mail reported citing government sources. The report claimed that on November 25, 2020, almost two dozen public servants attended the party in the Treasury. The party was held during lockdown despite the fact that people were advised to stay back home unless they were exercising or going to buy food. Non-essential shops, pubs, and restaurants were also closed at the time, the report stated.

According to the report, Sunak's officials who had been working on the release of his spending review stayed for a drinks party afterwards. Although wine and beer were said to be brought inside the Treasury, officials claimed that the gathering was not planned and was spontaneous. 'They all had been working incredibly hard. They needed to be in the office that day anyway. Although it wasn't a formal gathering but in retrospect, it wasn't a good decision," a source told Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, another insider told the news outlet that nobody had raised an objection to the party or thought anything was wrong with it. Speaking of the incident, a spokesperson stated that a number of employees had come to the office to work on the Spending Review 2020 in line with the guidance at that time. However, finance minister Sunak was not present at the event and it is assumed that he might not be aware of the incident, the British daily reported.

PM orders probe into another lockdown party

It is pertinent to mention here that the latest controversy comes as Downing Street and Prime Minister Boris Johnson have been chastised for alleged COVID rule-breaking parties hosted in the run-up to Christmas last year. On Wednesday, December 8, PM Johnson instructed his most senior official to probe into accusations that a party was hosted in No.10 Downing Street during the nationwide lockdown last December. He has asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to look into the charges, which ministers and No.10 have repeatedly dismissed. PM Johnson also stated that since the claims surfaced, he has been repeatedly informed that there was no breach of COVID-19 rules and no such party had taken place, Politico reported.   

Image: AP

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Published December 11th, 2021 at 19:34 IST

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