Shelagh Fogarty's passionate clash with caller defending Number 10 party
12 January 2022, 15:32
Shelagh Fogarty passionately took down this caller's argument justifying Downing Street's "bring your own booze" party.
It comes as Boris Johnson has made a grovelling apology to the nation and admitted that he attended a Downing Street lockdown party, but claimed he didn't know it was a party and insisted he will not resign.
Mr Johnson broke his silence on the newest partygate revelations, saying he spent around 25 minutes at the "bring your own booze" party in May 2020, which 100 people were reportedly invited to, when England was in lockdown.
"300 plus people work in Downing St, they had a busy day, they went out and had a drink," the caller Simon told Shelagh Fogarty.
In response, Shelagh said: "But Simon, that wasn't it. They didn't just pop out and have a drink. There was an email sent to one hundred people, inviting them to bring their own bottle, and enjoy the sunshine.
"That's a party Simon, that's a party!"
Read more: 'I know the rage they feel': Boris Johnson's full statement over partygate
"People did what they felt was right for them," Simon claimed.
Shelagh swiftly dismissed his argument: "People didn't do what they felt was right for them. Millions of times over, people felt it was right for them to be with their dying child and they couldn't be. People felt it was right to be with their mother when they were bereaved, and they couldn't be. People felt it was right to go to their best friend's funeral and they couldn't.
"It was because they'd been told by law not to do it.
"Your small gathering of people having a beer, doesn't compare to 100 people being invited to gather together and drink alcohol that they were encouraged to bring themselves."
Read more: Mum who lost daughter, 14, during May 2020 lockdown too devastated to say the PM's name
