Boris Johnson has been accused of breaching lockdown rules last Christmas by inviting a friend round, although Downing Street has implied their meeting was legal.
The prime minister, his wife Carrie Johnson, their infant son Wilfred and the couple’s friend Nimco Ali allegedly spent Christmas together just days after the government prohibited people.
Ali, a home office adviser, godmother to Wilfred and campaigner, was reportedly at the Johnsons’ home as part of their childcare bubble.
The prime minister’s spokesperson has not formally confirmed she was there, but told the press: “What I can say is that the prime minister and Mrs Johnson have followed the coronavirus rules at all times.”
Ali tweeted on Monday that she had not breached any lockdown rules either.
International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan then appeared to confirm Ali spent Christmas with the pair on Tuesday.
She told BBC Radio 4: “It was a childcare bubble and Nimco was there to help support and look after Wilf.
“I have every confidence they did not break the rules.”
She added that it was a “really tough time for them” with the “challenges of difficult pregnancies”.
Trevelyan concluded: “It’s hard enough for the rest of us but when you’re having to run the country as well...it’s the right thing to do.”
However, not everyone was as convinced.
Some people tweeted that they were “still irritated” by the prime minister’s supposed “childcare bubble”, while others compared it to former government aide Dominic Cummings and his excursion to Barnard Castle in the first lockdown.
There were a handful of people who took Johnson’s side though, and said No.10 had not breached any lockdown rules as the couple had a child under one at the time.