All language subtitles for Partygate The True Story (2023).eng

This programme contains very
strong language and scenes that
some viewers may find upsetting

People have different stories

about what happened in Downing Street
during lockdown.

Your callers seem to agree with you,

but I think you're completely wrong.
Tell me why.

Just... just sit down here?
Yeah, that's good.

Here's your paper.

If you need that document. OK.

You call it Partygate, yeah? Mm-hm.

The Government kept working -
they had to.

They were running the country.

If, during their working time,
they take ten minutes, whatever,

to have a drink, have a cup of tea,

to wish the Prime Minister
happy birthday -

and it was never more than
10-15 minutes, was it?

That's not a party. Well, you...

It never has been a party. OK.

Hello, I'm Grace Greenwood,

former special adviser in
the Brexit Unit

at Number 10 Downing Street.

I loved him from the start.

He wasn't like the others.

What do you do to relax?

What do you do to switch off?
Er, I...

I - well, I like to...

...paint, erm, or I make things.

I like to...
What do you make? I make...

I have a thing where
I make models of...

...buses. I put passengers...

You really want to know this?

You're making buses, you're making
cardboard buses. I paint...

OK, that's what you do
to enjoy yourself.

I paint, no,
I paint the passengers...

...enjoying themselves. OK.

Sedgefield!

He got Brexit done.

And now, he was giving the North
the chance to take back control.

Darlington!
CHEERING

...Once-in-a-lifetime chance for us
to take back control.

And, even more amazing...

SHE SCREAMS
...I had a job in his Government.

My bracket is more to do with, erm,
implementing struc... Yes.

I'm not really qualified
to be having this kind

of conversation, because...

I couldn't actually believe it,

but I had always wanted
to make a difference.

I didn't know anyone else
in Number 10.

I think the scientific evidence is, well...

And, to be honest,
people weren't that friendly.

Our judgment is wash, er,

washing your hands is
the crucial thing.

But then, after a few weeks,

the events started to happen.

I'm shaking hands continuous...

I was at a hospital
the other night where,

I think there were actually
a few coronavirus patients,

and I shook hands with everybody,
you'll be pleased to know,

and I continue to
shake hands and, er...

Our judgment is wash. Er...

...before you shake hands, obviously.

Good afternoon. Here's the latest
on the coronavirus outbreak...

There are now 90 confirmed
cases of the corona...

...bringing the total to 500...

...After nearly 300 deaths,

the Italian Prime Minister
announced drastic limits on...

...In Denmark, schools, libraries,
and leisure facilities are shut,

and most schools are also
closed in Spain.

The UK increasingly
looking alone in Europe...

Other European countries
were locking down,

but the boss was resisting.

...Seems to go against
the freedom-loving instincts

of the British people.

French President Emmanuel Macron
has announced that France

and most European Union...

Death rates were rising fast.

In the end, there was no choice.

Will this square be empty
in two weeks' time?

And should it, like Italy,
be empty now?

Good evening.

From this evening,
you must stay at home.

If your friends ask you to meet,

you should say no.

You should not be meeting family
members who do not live

in your home.

This is a message
from the Port Talbot Council.

Please follow the Government
rules at this time.

If you don't follow the rules,
the police will enforce them

through fines and
dispersing gatherings.

Go home, please. It's not a holiday.

It's a lockdown, which means you
don't just come in and sunbathe.

Can you please just leave?

When they started,

it was really nice.

If this, if this virus were a, erm,
were a physical mugger...

I'm Annabel. Hello.

I'm Grace. Hi. Erm...

I'm in the Brexit unit,
doing COVID, like everyone else.

Yeah, I'm on COVID messaging,
along with...

...being the deputy head of
the PM's diary and visits, which...

Oh, wow. It's not "wow", it's a
fancy way of saying nanny.

I essentially schedule his nap times
and take his temperature,

walk the dog, that sort of thing.

A-Are we, erm, are we
still in a meeting?

Yeah, but, I mean,
we're having a drink now.

OK. It's lovely to meet you.

BORIS JOHNSON
CONTINUES SPEAKING

Through the protective doors,

down a corridor, and on to a unit

that few will even know exists.

There are six of these
centres in the UK.

All have been striving
to keep some of the very sickest

COVID-19 patients alive after
ventilators have failed.

It's no wonder they're sometimes
called the Hail Mary wards.

ALARM BLARES

We're interrupted by
the cardiac arrest alarm

going off in a side bay.

Staff who we hadn't even seen
before, suddenly appear.

Everyone now well-versed
in an emergency.

A few days after drinks
in the garden,

I got an invitation from the boss's
principal private secretary.

"Hi, all.

"After what has been
an incredibly busy period,

"we thought it would be nice to make
the most of this lovely weather

"and have some socially distanced

"drinks in the Number 10 garden

"this evening.

"Please join us from 6pm,

"and bring your own booze."

Martin Reynolds had actually
invited 200 people,

and there were
a few things to organise.

"Could you please pop out

"a couple of tables for us to host

"these drinks in the garden

"on Weds eve?"

Stay safe. Thank you.

"Just to flag that

"the press conference will probably

"be finishing around that time.

"So, helpful if people can be
mindful of that

"as speakers and cameras
are leaving,

"not walking around,

"waving bottles of wine, etc."

"Will do my... best."

OK, who wants to come with me to
get some booze for tonight?

Josh?

I mean, Martin said
to bring your own bottle.

I know, but in case you run out.

Yeah, of course.

Yeah. Yeah, I'll go.

Yep, great. Come on, then.

Ooh.

One, six, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten, 11, 12...

So, are we...

Are we - are we having a party?

No, just socially distanced drinks.

Er, it's for a work event, actually.

That's an increase of 2,472
cases since yesterday.

9,953 people are currently
in hospital with coronavirus.

That is down 13%, from 11,443
this time last week.

And sadly, of those who have...

THEY LAUGH
...tested positive for coronavirus

across all settings,

35,704 have now sadly died.

That is an increase of
363 fatalities since yesterday.

But, as the Prime Minister
announced this week,

you can spend time outdoors
and you can meet one person

outside your household
in a public place,

provided that you
stay two metres apart.

I-I implicitly
believe this to be a work event.

So, where are you from?
Er, Darlington.

Right near Durham.

Oh, the famous Red Wall. Yeah.

So who do you know? Here? Yeah.

No, I don't know anyone.

You don't know anyone?

How'd you end up in Number 10?

Erm, I worked at
Vote Leave for a bit.

So, is this a job for you,
or something more?

N-No, I...I really want
to help change things.

...Speech, but cometh the hour.

In the seventh week of the lockdown,

the United Kingdom has now recorded

Europe's highest number of deaths
linked to the coronavirus.

We have overtaken Italy,
the first country in the world

to instigate a national lockdown.

This is a gathering that cannot
happen under the current COVID-19

legislation and restrictions!

HIGH-PITCHED:Hello!
WOMAN CHUCKLES

Hello.

I'm holding her -
mine's all steamed up cos...

Drop your head.
...the air thing's...

Just drop your head.

So it's now one metre-plus,
not two metres.

And they've just spent
the last 15 years renovating

this huge chateau in France.

No, I-I don't think
that's actually the case.

I think we've all done
different figures here.

We're not, kind of -
yeah, we all have different ways

of measuring our death rates.

"Leaving drinks -
can we discuss handling?

"Is it safe to do
a larger event indoors,

"but with some people carrying on

"outside afterwards?"

"Well, I'm not sure
it works at all for me.

"I don't see how we can have
any kind of party."

"So, you're saying nothing?"

"Well, it's your decision,

"but it obviously comes with

"rather substantial comms risks."

What a knob end.

Oh, it's nice, it's like -

it's basically just like...

How do I get from being jolly,
having a glass of wine...

There's no blend, it's literally...

...to not remembering running
through St Vincent portmanteau?

Sounds nice! Really beautiful at
this time of year. Great food.

I just literally just,
like, jumped...

ALL GASP

Oh, dear. Yeah, that's not good.

Erm, do you think maybe
we switch rooms? Yeah.

Guys, we're going to...

We're going to move next door.

Shall I get my...

Shall I get the karaoke machine?

Ooh!

Highest standards,
highest standards...

Highest standards of integrity.

I'm delighted to be taking on
this important role.

I'm looking forward to building
on the excellent work of Sue Gray,

and supporting the Prime Minister
in upholding the highest standards

of integrity within Government.

♪ The power of love

♪ A force from above... ♪

♪ Every now and then I fall apart!

CHEERING

# And I need you now tonight

♪ And I need you more than ever... ♪

One more song!
OK, OK, OK. One more song!

♪ Some people think I'm bonkers

♪ But I just think I'm free

♪ Man, I'm just living my life

♪ There's nothing crazy about me...

♪ Bonkers! ♪

CHEERING

Shape Of You
by Ed Sheeran

Pretty much all this lot, actually,

have tried to cop off with me
at some point,

whether at school, your think tanks.

Right.

That's Josh Fitzmaurice.

He is incredibly available.

Eton, loves a party, clearly.

Oh, he knows Alice,
from the Taxpayers' Alliance -

and Oxford, of course.

I think, actually,
they used to go out together.

Oh, my God, Hermione Villers.

She is a complete bitch.

She went to Westminster with Josh,
and she goes on and on about

how she's a far-back,
and she fucking isn't.

"Far-back?" Oh, far-back.

Says her family go far back in
history, when they don't.

My father, however,
is a peer, and you d...

All right, Rory, you know Rory -
Oxford, one of Dom's boys,

Policy Exchange, Vote Leave,
that kind of thing.

Do you want me to add you
to the WhatsApp?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Oh, I don't have your number.
Oh, sacrilege!

Here. Put it in.

Don't fake-number me.

I don't think I've never done
that in my whole life.

Oh, you will here.

MUFFLED DANCE MUSIC

One More Time
by Daft Punk

Easy Love
by Sigala

MUSIC DROWNS OUT SPEECH

Where did - where did you say
you were from, again?

From D... From Darlington.
Darlington, yeah.

Like, you don't know what -
where I'm talking about.

No-one goes there.

Just even, like, repatriating
power to the North,

like, we used to be, like...

They need to... We need to level up.

They need to be given back control.

Yeah. And I just think, you know,
Brexit's our chance to do that.

I feel like places like Darlington
could become, like, tech hubs,

and it, you know... Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Darlington could be,
like, the new Cheltenham.

Yes. You know, like...

What it's done for Cheltenham -
it was already good, you know...

We have to peg back
globalisation, like...

Could you believe those
fucking cunts tried to pull down

the statue of Churchill? Yeah.

And essentially, like,
"Oh, you're a racist -

"if you don't celebrate, like,
every other culture

"other than your own,
then sorry, you're a racist."

Like... It's dog shit.
It-It's a coup.

We're witnessing a cultural coup.

It's humiliating working people.

Boris doesn't talk down to people.

He's on our side.
D'you know what I mean? It's like...

He's amazing, and you could just
go to the pub with him, maybe.

I can actually picture my grandad,
like, sitting down and having

a pint with Boris, and they would,

like, talk about actual,
real things.

Your grandad would've
fucking loved Boris.

Boris would've loved your
fucking grandad.

He worked in a steel mill.

Your grandad sounds fucking amazing.
He was. To your grandad.

Thank you. What a lege.

Like, sorry,
but I have moved on.

Like, I just want to, like,
have fun and live my life.

Yeah. Maybe we should
stop drinking now.

Does it taste... taste nice?
What?

Boris's massive... penis.

Oh, fuck off. What the fuck?

...Penis. You're such a prick.
I don't...

I don't fucking
suck up to Boris. Fuck off.

We see him for, like,
once a week, maybe,

like, we can get him to focus for,
like, eight, nine seconds?

We still don't have any PPE.
We haven't got enough.

And fucking Track or Trace is
a total fucking fuck-up.

I know, I know.

Yeah, and all you want to do is
talk about Festival of Brexit.

Rory, he wants it delivered.

He's Prime Minister and...

You're constantly up his arse.
It's fucking...

Mate... It's fucking pathetic.
...fuck off.

No, you fuck off.
Fuck off. Fuck off.

You fuck off.
No, you tell him to fuck...

Don't fucking touch me.

Fuck off! Actually fuck off.

You've gotta stop.
OK, OK, OK, OK, OK.

He's in my face! Don't, don't...

I'm sorry, he's in my face
the entire fucking time.

He's telling me I'm up Boris's
fucking arse. That's bollocks.

We can all agree
that you're up Boris's arse.

It's not even a criticism.
Stop goading him!

Praise You
by Fatboy Slim

THEY VOCALISE

VOCALISING CONTINUES

VOCALISING INTENSIFIES

VOCALISING CONTINUES

Oh, my God. Oh...

VOMITING CONTINUES

DISTANT DOGS BARKING

When Ruby's cancer had returned

and we knew she was going to die,

she couldn't see anybody.

The rules were very, very strict.

And I actually said to her at
that point, "There are...

"There are friends of yours,
your grandparents,

"they would so love to see you.

"I'm sure if we asked them,
they would come and see you,"

even though at that point,
it wasn't allowed.

There was no socialising allowed.

You weren't allowed
to have anybody in your house.

But actually, Ruby said...

She said, "No, it's...

"The rules are there for a reason.
We're not taking that risk.

"I know I'm going to die,

"but I don't want to take
anyone with me."

She had to say goodbye
to them on Zoom.

And so, on the 15th of May,

she died at home, with just myself

and her father,
and her sister with her.

OK. Well, maybe that's something
we could say is, you know,

two metres is id-ideal.
No, I think that's implied.

Just one metre-plus, I think.

The-The "plus" implies it,
I think. Yeah. Yeah.

Down from - two metres
was the minimum,

and that's no longer the minimum,
that's the ideal.

But that's not the minimum.
So, erm... I don't know, just,

one metre-plus is the key
messaging we've been given,

so let's just stick with that.

HE SIGHS

So...

...just to confirm...

...someone's been dancing on my desk?

Erm...

HE STAMMERS

I mean, I...

Grace?

I think just, just a drink. Yeah.

End of the day, drink wind-down...

...seeing the state of play for
tomorrow sort of situation.

What was an office is now
a shithole.

Yeah, I'm so sorry, I am...

I don't know what to say, this is...

This is awful. This is shocking.

I mean, we-we'll get over this
and we'll, erm, find out.

Yeah, I can go and...

Get someone to clean it up.

Mm-hm. Yeah.

Well, off you go. Yes. Thank you.

DOOR SHUTS

God, it was genuinely
like being told off at

the headmaster's office.
SHE EXHALES

Why is it us?

Why did we go in there?
I don't know.

I have to go. Just remember.

What happens in Number 10...

...stays in Number 10. OK.

"Hi.

"PM birthday today.

"Have organised sandwiches

"and cake for around 1pm
in the Cabinet Room.

"Do you mind letting peeps know?"

Ooh!

"Will do."

SHE GASPS

IN FRENCH

Yeah?

So, are we - we're having
another party today?

No, it's a working lunch,
on the PM's birthday.

So, do we get to hang out
with Boris?

We do.

THEY LAUGH

CHEERING
♪ Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday to you

♪ Happy birthday, dear Boris

♪ Happy birthday to you! ♪

CHEERING

I'm really humbled,
greatly, deeply, erm...

...lots of everything that... LAUGHTER

...you should've gathered in
this way for this morale-boosting...

Hear, hear!
THEY CHEER

It is a morale-boosting work event.

I-I suppose this is your doing,
isn't it, my dear?

Shush. Quiet, all of you. LAUGHTER

I do think...

...the spirit that we are gathered
in today is very much at odds

with the kind of spirit we are
seeing not too far from here,

at the statue of Winston Churchill,

where protesters and -

yobbos would be
my description for them -

where they threatened to deface
and destroy the statue

of Winston Churchill.

Just as, erm, our great leader,
Churchill, led the nation,

he was a beacon at our most
perilous time, our darkest hour,

I do feel an incumbency upon
myself, at this time,

where we face different,
but-but perilous challenges.

I believe, with every fibre of
my being, that I-I must do...

...I-I must...

...I must do, erm, that, er, as well.

Hear, hear. Cheers. Well said.

Well done. Well done. CLAPPING

# For he's a jolly good fellow

♪ For he's a jolly good fellow

♪ For he's a jolly good fellooow

♪ And so say all of us

♪ For he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good fellow

♪ For he's a jolly good fellooow

♪ And so say all of us! ♪

CHEERING

No, don't praise me,
I'll become unbearable.

Never!
LAUGHTER

CAR HORNS BEEPING
So, it was my birthday two days ago,

and I'm really sad because
I wasn't able to have a party,

as the UK is still very
much in lockdown.

But I'm told to go on the balcony,

and two of my best friends are
beeping, and they're in my road,

they're driven a really long way
to come and see me.

And we had a socially distanced
meet-up with,

Yasmin on the laptop,
as she's up in Manchester

and it's way too far to come.

It was so lovely.

And hey, a lockdown birthday
isn't so bad if you have

amazing friends like mine.

Made my day so special.

MUFFLED BAGPIPES PLAYING

BAGPIPES ON PHONE

BAGPIPES PLAY "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"

People had been locked
in their homes for months.

And finally, COVID deaths
had begun to drop.

So, in June, the boss decided
it was time to start

relaxing the lockdown laws.

Good evening.

From the 4th of July,
the following premises will be

allowed to reopen, provided
they are COVID-secure.

Restaurants and cafes.

Bars. Pubs.

And, of course, it goes without
saying they should do so in a way

that is COVID-secure,

keeping customers and staff safe.

At all times, you should maintain
social distancing from anyone

outside your household.

This obviously requires everyone
to act responsibly,

which I have no doubt they will do.

But, as people took advantage
of the new freedoms,

COVID cases started to rise.

The last two days, it's been
almost 3,000 cases per day.

People have relaxed too much.

Now is the time for us
to re-engage and realise that

this is a continuing threat to us.

We've got to change this now.

We've got to start taking it
seriously, very seriously again.

Coronavirus is now spreading
faster through England

than the Government's own
worst-case scenario...

...10,000 cases a day.

Now, that is potentially very scary.

Today's figures will increase
pressure on the Government

for wider national restrictions.

We cannot lockdown again.

Lockdown was a dreadful,
appalling, horrible mistake.

We cannot go there again.

Dom and the boss weren't
really talking any more.

And if they were,
it was to have a row.

I should be like the mayor of Jaws,
keeping the beaches open.

Dom Cummings says
he was saying that,

but it's not been confirmed.

...set of circumstances would be...

Anyway, deaths kept rising.

I-I think to revisit that set
of circumstances...

In the end, he had no choice.

No responsible
Prime Minister can ignore

the message of those figures.

And, unless we act, we could
see deaths in this country

running at several thousand a day.

And so, now is the time
to take action,

because there is no alternative.

Stay at home, protect the NHS,

and save lives.

The boss wasn't happy about
the national lockdown.

We got the feeling he'd been
pushed into it by Dom Cummings.

Infighting at the heart
of Government spilled out into

the public eye this week,

as Dominic Cummings left
Downing Street.

And one night in November,
things finally came to the boil.

...Propelled out of the door after

a power struggle
that erupted publicly,

and left Downing Street in turmoil.

MUFFLED CHEERING

Boris! Boris! Boris!

Boris! Boris! Boris! Boris!

We must cope and adapt to the
Lee Cain and, indeed,

Dominic Cummings-shaped holes...

THEY CHEER
...in-in our midst.

I do think that what humanity,
yes, humanity really does need

at this moment is a nation
that is willing to throw off

its Clark Kent spectacles...

LAUGHTER

...and dive into the nearest
phone booth and emerge,

yes, emerge with its cloak flowing

as the supercharged champion.

I-I should add, I think
this is probably the most

unsocially distanced party

in the country right now. LAUGHTER

I thank you for your
morale and dedication,

and long may it continue. Bravo.

MUFFLED CHEERING

Boris! Boris!
Boris! Boris! Boris!

The Winner Takes It All
by Abba

KNOCK ON DOOR

He's got the sack!

I can tell you're devastated. Absolutely.

SHE LAUGHS

Gracie, sorry, Gracie, can you
help me get a bit more booze?

Yeah? I think we're running
a little bit dry. Yeah.

Gracie.

The Winner Takes
It All, by Abba

MUSIC CONTINUES

"Dear sirs and madams..."

Hm.

"..I'm writing to express
our concern about

"recent parties in the building."

"Recent gatherings...

"Custodians...

"Our concern that these...

"..events are creating an
actual COVID hazard

"for Number 10 staff.

"The custodians request...

"..that all meetings be...

"..concluded by 8.07."

"I'm writing to express our concern
about staff staying late

"in the building.

"We are concerned about the noise
levels within Number 10 at night,

"and ask you to respect that
9pm is the latest

"that anyone should be here.

"Please refrain from
staying any later.

"Yours sincerely, Michael Port."

MUFFLED MUSIC CONTINUES

SILENCE

We had the phone call to say that

it could be...

...it could be hours,
or it could be days,

but there was nothing else they
could do for my gran.

Being told to stay at home,

"You've got to stay at home."

And I remember seeing
Boris saying,

"You must stay at home."

I couldn't go and see her.

And my gran died of COVID.

She caught COVID in her care home,
and she died alone.

And that breaks my heart.

If I could go back,

I would've gone to see my gran...

...if I knew now what happened.

You do me proud, but, erm...

We are all here to say -
and we've got Cleo,

Cleo Watson with us. CHEERING

We wish you well.
Thank you, Cleo. Cleo!

CHEERING

So, leaving dos, birthdays, Christmas...

Yeah, lovely weather.

Is there anything that
we don't have a party for?

International Workers' Day?

Putin's birthday. Oh, Lent.

Veganuary.
THEY LAUGH

A-A gracefulness, which, of course,
earned you the name The Gazelle.

The Gazelle!

Are you going to go to the
Christmas quiz on the 15th? Mm!

Oh, I don't think
I've been invited to the...

Oh, no, I think everyone's invited,
actually, yeah, check your messages.

OK. Can we be a team for
the quiz, then?

Where did you go to school?

Er, Durham Cathedral.

Yeah, that'll do, that'll do.

..A cavernous void
where your wonderful...

LOUD THUD
Oh, my God!

The fuck is that?

It's a wine fridge.

EXCITED GASPS

It fits 34 bottles.

142 quid. Let's get it, get it...

This is very heavy. OK.

INDISTINCT WHISPERING

"..And, depending on how
full it gets,

"we can put Friday's
cheese in there.

"Looking forward to a chilled WTF."

"Wine Time Fridays."

Wine Time Fridays were built into
the Downing Street calendar.

And when the fridge arrived,

everyone started getting really
excited about Christmas.

"A-Team.

"Do you want to participate

"in press office Secret Santa?"

"We will do gift exchange
and cheese,

"and lots of wine on 18th December."

"And the people in Wellbeing Group

"have arranged a Christmas quiz

"on the 15th.

More and more countries are

applying travel bans with the UK,
after it reported a more infectious

and out-of-control variant
of coronavirus.

Denmark, Italy, and...

The boss said he was going to relax
COVID restrictions for Christmas.

EU ambassadors will meet for...

The problem was,
we had a new variant,

and deaths were back up to
around 500 people a day.

We don't want to, as I say,

to ban Christmas, to-to cancel it.

And I think that would be,
frankly, inhuman,

and against the instincts of
many people in this country.

We did go ahead with
the Christmas quiz.

Some teams were online and
some were in various offices.

And we got to sit with the boss.

You've excelled yourself
with the names.

Hands, Face, Space,
the Six Masketeers,

Team Next Slide Please,

er, the PPE All Stars.

So, let's test you out
with some of these.

OK, complete the line.

"It's Christmas-time.

"There's no need to be afraid.
♪ It's Christmas-time...

"At Christmas-time,
we let in light, and we...?"

♪ Banish aid? ♪

Not aid. Aid? Banish aid?
We don't banish aid.

Banishing aid?
LAUGHTER

Carpe diem...

Oh! Erm...

Oh! Oh, my God. Sorry.

Quam, quam, quam minimum
credula... postero?

Is it that one? I just loved the
way you pronounced that.

That was such a flourish,
such flair. Thank you very much.

I-I could imagine that
being sung by Dean Martin,

such was the, er, yes...

Bravo! Bravo!

The 15th of December

was the day of Susan's funeral.

Only eight family members were
permitted to attend.

Ordered to sit two metres apart.

We couldn't view Susan
before the ceremony.

We couldn't dress her.

We couldn't place cherished
keepsakes with her.

Everything was sealed.

And that's all we could do,

or I could - was allowed to do.

After having a cherished life
together for 47 years,

it was all condensed into
a final goodbye

in 20 minutes.

It's quite simply abhorrent.

People were confused about
whether or not COVID laws

were changing for Christmas.

Josh was replying to questions
from the public.

Hi there.

Can a Christmas party be
held in a workplace

at the end of a working day,
with staff members only?

"Hi.

"Although there are exemptions
for work purposes,

"you must not have a work
Christmas lunch or party..."

Oh, my God.

"..where that's primarily
social activity,

"and is not otherwise permitted.
Thanks."

I wanted to explain...

We actually had
three parties that night.

Steve Higham had his leaving do...

Captain Higham! Let's have it
right, Captain Higham!

...the head of the civil service,
Simon Case, had his quiz night...

...and the head of the COVID
task force had sent out

40 invitations to her leaving do.

"We'd love it if you could join us
for a COVID-secure drink."

The intention is to follow
the social-distancing guidance

by observing a one-way system,
social distancing,

and any other
precautionary measures.

♪ I'll tell you what I want,
what I really, really want

♪ So tell me what you want,
what you really, really want

♪ I wanna ha, I wanna ha,
I wanna ha, I wanna ha

♪ I wanna really, really,
really wanna zigazig ah... ♪

♪ And I'll miss your ginger hair

♪ And the way you like to dress

♪ Oh, won't you come on over?

♪ Stop making a fool out of me

♪ Valerie... ♪

CHEERING

I had, like, the most amazing...

Which one's... which one's that?

Oh, my God.

It's quite hard to tell...

My head was just like...

Oh, is that...? I think it's vegan.

Am I the only one who's, am I...?

I'm the only one
who's staying in London?

I think so, yeah.
I don't know, I'm...

Alice hasn't been back home
since two of her dogs died

this year, didn't they? Oh, no...

LAUGHTER

That is so mean, George.

So, Grace, even if we...

Even if we, erm, don't lock down,
are you staying in London?

I don't know.

We've also - we've...

We've also been doing this,
so it just makes me a bit...

...And I would just be so worried.
The house is enormous.

You know, I won't even be in
the same room...

Yeah. I'm going...

LAUGHTER

It's an estate, actually,
but, yeah.

Are you in Hampshire? No.

I was working in
Manchester as a very junior doctor

when the pandemic hit.

I have a stepson
who's very vulnerable.

But eat... egg boiling...

I can't finally eat eggs,

because it's too tricky!

So, I moved out to
a hotel in Manchester,

and lived there for about ten weeks.

I didn't see any of my family
or my friends.

Look!

I didn't say goodbye to him,
because he wasn't there,

cos we were trying to protect him...

...from me being at work.

Those first couple of
months were just...

It was awful.

I think there was one weekend where,

the one Saturday night, I lost
five patients in two hours.

If I wasn't at work,
I was in a hotel room.

And the rest of the time, it was
the high-dependency COVID patients.

Right, you coming?

What are you doing?

I'm just going to clean up
a little bit.

Why?

Erm, you know, we-we've
really made a mess,

so I think it's good
to just clean up.

This isn't your job.

I know, but, you know,
I-I don't think it's fair.

Sorry?

I don't think it's fair
to the cleaners.

To clean? No, if we just don't
clean up after ourselves.

So, I really don't -
I really don't mind doing it.

Tomorrow night is going to be huge.

And, yeah, there are
cabs downstairs.

I don't mind doing it.

You guys go. Honestly, it's fine.

Mm-hm.

OK.

Well, enjoy.

OK.

She's always so weird.

Bye. Bye.

CHEERING

Four years on from the Brexit vote,

we were still trying to work out

what the border between the EU
and Britain was going to look like.

There's no border between, erm,

Islington, or Camden
and Westminster.

There's no border between
Camden and Westminster.

But when I was Mayor of London,

we, anaesthetically and invisibly,

took hundreds of millions of pounds

from the accounts of people
travelling between

those two boroughs without any need
for border checks whatever,

there are all sorts of...

Come on, you can't compare two
boroughs of London with

the kinds of difference in
the arrangements that would be

in place between the UK...
No, I think, I think...

...I think it's a very
relevant comparison.

People were confused by
the boss's idea

for an invisible
smart border in Ireland.

Without a deal on this, we were
going to be crashing out of the EU

in 13 days' time.

We'd been looking into how the
smart border was going to operate.

Grace, where are we
on smart borders?

Erm...

...so I've been talking to the guys
at the Policy Exchange, and...

...they just haven't been able
to point to anywhere that actually

has a smart border.

So, so, like, it's like borders 2.0.

OK? So it's like borders,
which embraces...

Don't write that down. ...innovation.

Well, they just haven't got,
you know, they just haven't got,

like, customs posts or, like,
cameras and stuff. Yeah.

It's like a fully joined-up
approach to border design.

Yes. Yeah. I mean, I-I feel
like they're just smart...

They're smart. ..smart borders.
Stop saying "smart borders".

Doesn't mean anything. Frictionless.

So, it's literally a case
of just, like... What?

It's innovative, erm...
border tech.

Yeah, they're primed to flex
to changing circumstances

using technology.

What technology?

I don't actually know.

I think, leave that
to the tech guys.

What - essentially, what I'm going
with is just a case of, like,

scanning and, erm...

Yeah, tap in, tap out.
Yeah, it's, it's...

What, like, you want like
an Oyster card?

Can I just confirm that Big Ben's
going to bong on the 31st?

Oh, my God. No, no, we're not
talking about Big Ben.

Because, on actual Brexit Day
this year... No, thank you,

we are not talking about Big Ben
again. ..it only bonged once.

And it wasn't even a real bong.
It was a light display...

You and your obsession
with bonging Bens!

It's got nothing
to do with anything.

Can we get back to the subject
of this meeting? It was...

It was a projection. Thank you.
It was a projection.

I'm just saying...
the boss would like an update.

Right, come here! No, Sarah,
we're in the middle of a meeting.

Wine Time Friday? Yes!

No, I'm sorry, we're in the middle
of a meeting. At last.

Look, we're getting absolutely
nowhere and it's 4pm,

so we know what that is.

But we also need to sort it.

It's not going to get sorted,
we need - we do need to sort it.

And the first prize...

...for the Best Dressed SpAd
of the Year, 2020,

goes to, perhaps inevitably, the...

I-It's for Eleanor, there you go.

LAUGHTER

There you go, Eleanor.

CHEERING

Last Christmas
by Wham!

# But the very next day,
you gave it away... ♪

Fairytale of New York
by The Pogues

# ..Singing Galway Bay

♪ And the bells are ringing out
for Christmas Day... ♪

Never Gonna Give You Up
by Rick Astley

Music Sounds Better With You
by Stardust

Jeez!

ALARM BLARES

MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYS

Dance Wiv Me
by Dizzee Rascal

Has anyone triggered an alarm?

Oh, it's fine, just have fun!

Relax! Alice, Alice, Alice...

THEY MOUTH

...You need to fuck off him, Alice!

You need to get the fuck off him.
OK, OK, OK.

Sue Gray doesn't say
what happened next,

so we don't know what the
police officer did or was said.

But officers from the Parliamentary
and Diplomatic Protection Unit

were here at Downing Street
24 hours a day,

all through the lockdowns.

And it is believed that there's
CCTV cameras inside Downing Street,

and there is evidence
that Sue Gray gave the police,

over 300 photographs from the
various parties, so...

It was just such a frenzy.
Honestly, I wouldn't go...

Cos honestly, I think she's
slightly unhinged...

Oh! Mate, we've...

Honestly, mate, we can just get -

we'll get cleaners.

IN FRENCH

...to protect the people of
this country.

Emphasise "heavy heart".

That's clear...

No, no, no, it's perfect.
...all very good.

Are you a natural blonde?
I really have no idea.

OK.

Good afternoon, everybody,
and thank you for joining

the latest coronavirus
press conference.

As Prime Minister, it's my duty
to take difficult decisions,

to do what is right to protect
the people of this country.

It is with a very heavy heart
that I must tell you,

we cannot continue
with Christmas as planned.

The boss was not happy with
the PR train wreck

of his cancelled Christmas.

He decided he wanted an
American-style press secretary

to handle the media.

And we were asked to sit in
on rehearsals before

she went live to the nation.

We were supposed to lob in
random questions,

so she could practise her answers.

SHE CHUCKLES

I went home. LAUGHTER

Hold on, hold on. Erm...

Er, ah...

Don't answer that.

What's the answer?

Is cheese and wine all right?

It was a business meeting!

LAUGHTER

Is this recorded?

This fictional party -
it was a business meeting.

And it was not socially distanced.

Erm, one more, and then,
we'll, one more...

Ask - anybody have any
questions today?

So, did you go
home for Christmas?

I...no.

So, who'd you spend it with?

I was just on my own.

I was...

To be honest, I was really worried
about giving it to my mum and dad.

So, it was about
the 27th of December.

Erm...

I've come home from work,
I've gone to the garden,

and the police was there.

My niece was having
a gathering in the shed,

away from the house.

Erm, the police asked me for my
details and I gave them my details.

And then, I ended up with
a £14,300 fine.

Like, I've never seen
£14,300 in my life.

Like, probably I could work for
a year and probably potentially

could make that amount of money.

But I've never seen 14,300,
and I haven't got it.

I don't know where
that's going to come from.

And wh-what scares me the most is
the fact that, potentially,

I could spend three months
in prison for that.

LAUGHING
Hold on, hold on...

It definitely wasn't meant
for public consumption,

but Allegra's rehearsal video was
doing the rounds inside Number 10.

Er, I, er...

I was just rewatching... Allegra.

Yeah, I don't really think
she answered everything.

Erm, I know it's not really
my department...

Well, I think that ship sailed, so...

Thank you.

Do you want to...?

Close it? Yeah.

OK.OK.Yeah.
NERVOUS CHUCKLING

The new variant was 70%
more transmissible.

And, by the start of January,

1,000 people a day were dying.

The boss had no other option
but a third national lockdown.

We now have a
new variant of the virus,

and it's been both frustrating
and alarming to see

the speed with which
the new variant is spreading.

We must therefore go into
a national lockdown

which is tough enough
to contain this variant.

That means the Government
is once again

instructing you to stay at home.

They released a new ad campaign
to make sure people got the message.

It was on
the 14th of January, 2021.

I organised a snowball fight
on Facebook at the local park.

A few days later,
police were at my door.

They were like, "OK, yeah,
we're going to issue you

"with a £10,000 fine."

So... Sorry, how much?

£10,000.

Erm...

Yeah, I-I actually don't know
what to do, really.

I've not being given any support
or guidance, or anything.

Just been chased.

Yeah. I don't know what to do.
I genuinely don't.

Boris! Boris! Boris!
Boris! Boris! Boris! Boris!

CHANTING CONTINUES

CHEERING

I always feel humbled by,
er, by such greetings.

I consider that your reaction
is a microcosm of the reaction

of the nation itself.
What are you doing?

I'm tired.

What? Don't be so silly.

It's, he's...

He's going to finish rambling
in a minute.

You know, we're having a drink.
Yeah, I-I'm going to go.

Why, what's wrong? What's wrong?

Are you all right?

Those who were left, are frankly...

Crazy.

Look, this is fine.

We are allowed to have a drink.
It-It's...

We're just letting off steam.

We are here every single day,
slogging our guts out.

Look, the...

OK, I don't want to sound
patronising, but...

...people need boundaries.

They...

They respond well to boundaries.

And it's our job to give
them those boundaries.

That is what we are doing.

Bu-But they are not...

They're not meant for us.

BORIS CONTINUES

It's our job to make the rules,

but it's not up to us to follow
those rules. It just...

It's just not realistic.

You do you get that?

...And this is a girl who can...

You're one of us now.

It's OK.
SHE CHUCKLES

...We are to get them right!

Hear, hear!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Come on.

Thank you, Boris!

Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.

CHEERING CONTINUES

We have just received a statement
from Buckingham Palace

confirming that the
Duke of Edinburgh has died.

Prince Philip had died.

The night before his funeral,
we had two parties.

Upstairs, there was a leaving do
for James Slack...

To James!
To James!

CHEERING

...and down in the basement,

Shelley Williams-Walker was
throwing down a DJ set

for the cool people.

♪ I'm never gonna dance again

♪ Guilty feet have
got no rhythm... ♪

Shelley was the boss's
head of operations.

She followed him around

and made sure he didn't make
any PR blunders.

Back in Downing Street,
she was the cool DJ.

Sue Gray doesn't actually say
that I actually DJd at this party.

Erm, and the real me
hasn't commented.

But it's been widely reported that
they called me "DJ SWW".

And the Mirror and
the Telegraph said that I was

in charge of the music.

No comment.

Anyway, whatevs.

There was definitely music.
SHE LAUGHS

# I get a feeling that I never,
never, never, never had before

♪ I get a good feeling... ♪

Do you think people knew
it was wrong?

No.

Good Feeling
by Flo Rida

Excuse me.

I need everybody in the garden now!

Could you go outside, please,
to the garden?

What?!

There are too many people in here!

I'm just saying, if I can touch
this many people,

you know what I mean?

I really touch people
with my music...

...and could I make a go of it?

Do you know what I mean?

Cos, OK, I have done
mainly children's parties,

but, you know, six-year-olds
respond to my set, as well,

like, if it's...
LOUD SNAP

Hey! Wahey!

SCATTERED CHEERING
Thank you, everyone.

Oh, my God, Wilf is going
to have a meltdown!

SCATTERED LAUGHTER

Wilf is going to go crazy.

He's going to have you all beheaded.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Do you... do you think we should go
back inside and get another drink?

I think it's...
EXCITED CHATTER

♪ ..Guilty feet have got no rhythm

♪ But it's easy to pretend... ♪

Oh. We'll go in there.

OK, we've had a call to say
there's a party at this location.

I'll be reporting you all for
breaching COVID conditions, OK?

You're not under arrest,
but I'm going to caution you, OK?

So, you don't have to say anything,
but it may harm your defence if you

do not mention now something which
you later rely on in court, OK? OK.

Careless Whisper
by George Michael

It's definitely not in
the Gray Report...

But, to be fair, widely reported.

Yeah, we were actually in The Times.

Although I think it first emerged

in Paul Brand's ITN podcast?

Oh, that was such a good podcast.

Yeah, it was really cool.

It was so good.

MUFFLED MOANING

Hugh texted me the other day.

Did you meet him?

No, I don't think so.

Leaky Hugh.

He was the one who had to resign...

...after, I think it was two weeks,

because he was disloyal.

No. I don't think anyone was
talking to me then.

Hm.

Well, I don't think he's
found anything.

Because people who...

...talk to journalists -

I mean, all of us talk to
journalists, that's...

But people who talk to the
wrong journalists,

unhelpful ones, disloyal ones...

...Grace, they just,
they don't work again.

I mean, not people like Govie.

They're so slippery, they always
seem to land on their feet,

I mean, but for people like us...

Look, this lot,
they just make you pay a price

if you ever cross them.

Yeah. What happens in Number 10
stays in Number 10.

Yes.

Because if any of us talk,

they'll just see us for
what we are, right?

Like, they'll see that...

...we're just taking
the piss out of them,

the people who actually follow
the rules, they'd see that

those same rules don't apply
to people like us, or...

...actually, people like you.

SHAKY BREATHING
And they'd...

...they'd probably wonder
why that was.

Do you think?

How did the truth about these
parties come out?

Do you know?

Erm...

I don't work at Number 10 anymore.

I'm not sure
how much more I can say.

COMPUTER CHIMES

IN FRENCH

To be honest, we were confused,

unable to say what this
white powder was.

But The Guardian newspaper
reported that it was found,

along with some old plastic bags,
the morning after the party.

We were pleased to dispose of it

and restore the Number 10 Downing
Street to its usual shipshape.

Well, last night, ITV News obtained
video of a mock press conference

that was chaired by
Stratton last December.

Can you stop, please?
Can you stop?

I'm going to make a statement.
You don't...

Erm, the British people have
made immense sacrifices in

the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

I now fear that my comments in

the leaked video of the 20th
of December last year

have become a distraction
in that fight.

My remarks seemed to
make light of the rules -

rules that people were doing
everything to obey.

That was never my intention.

I will regret those remarks for
the rest of my days,

and this afternoon,

I am offering my resignation
to the Prime Minister.

Thanks for your time.

I have been repeatedly assured
that there was no party.

I can tell you, once again,
that I certainly broke no rules.

I want, I want to repeat that, er,
I thought it was a work event.

Will the Prime Minister tell
the House whether there was

a party in Downing Street on
the 13th of November?

No, but I'm sure that -
whatever happened,

the guidance was followed,

and the rules were followed
at all times.

Let me begin, in all humility,

by saying... JEERING

...that on the 12th of April,

I received a fixed penalty notice
relating to an event

in Downing Street on
the 19th of June, 2020.

I paid the fine immediately,

and I offer the British people
a full apology.

And I take this opportunity
on the first available sitting day

to repeat my wholehearted
apology to the House.

I know that people around the
country will look at those events

and think they look like
the very kind of events that we,

or I were forbidding
to everyone else.

It was not a large social gathering,
it was, it was...

...it was a gathering intended -

and I really must insist
on this point.

People who say that
we were partying in lockdown,

simply do not know
what they are talking about.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media