More than 300,000 people plan to attend Christmas rave outside 10 Downing Street as backlash grows

More than 300,000 people have said they plan to attend a Christmas Eve rave outside 10 Downing Street in protest at the gatherings which were allegedly held there last Christmas in breach of the Covid restrictions then in place (pic: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire)

The mass gathering outside the Prime Minister’s home has been planned for December 24 from 6pm in protest at the illegal Christmas parties which were allegedly held there last year while the Government was ordering people to stay at home due to Covid.

A Facebook event organised by DJ Jon Mancini states: “Massive Rave at 10 Downing Street. Line up: Boris Johnson and chums.”

The post continues: “No social distancing required. Bring who you like. Bring your own nibbles and drink.”

More than 340,000 people have now listed themselves as planning to attend the event, with another 510,000 having expressed an interest – a total of 850,000 responses.

Boris Johnson, who today announced the birth of his and his wife Carrie’s second child together, is facing a growing backlash over the alleged Downing Street gatherings last year.

He was yesterday forced to apologise after a video emerged in which his staff joked about parties taking place there, which prompted the resignation of his aide Allegra Stratton, who featured in the leaked footage.

Mr Johnson and his ministers have repeatedly insisted all rules were followed, despite gatherings being banned under the Covid restrictions in place at the time, but he has now ordered an investigation to establish whether any rules were broken.

Sheffield MPs have said many of their constituents are indignant about the alleged parties and the Government’s response.

Louise Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, said on Wednesday: “People are rightly furious that whilst they were making terrible sacrifices, and in many cases, unable to say their final goodbyes to loved ones, senior staff at Number 10 were flagrantly breaching the rules, and worse of all, laughing about it.

“The Prime Minister’s non-apology today adds insult to injury. What kind of idiot needs an inquiry to find out if a party took place in their own house?”

Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, said: “Downing Street broke the rules with their Christmas Party and then joked about how they were deceiving everyone.

"It’s just another way in which the Conservatives show their contempt for people – one rule for them, another for the rest of us.”