Johnson: No10 officials didn't set out to break Covid rules
Boris Johnson argues that officials were following Covid restrictions inside 10 Downing Street. When pressed about gatherings in the garden, the former prime minister adds: "I really, really don't think that those officials thought that they were setting out to break the rules". His comments came during a conversation with Tom Bradby on ITV1's 'Boris Johnson: The Interview', which airs at 7pm on Friday 4th October.
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NewsTranscript
00:00As you know, we broke quite a lot of the Partygate stories.
00:02It was in this newsroom when Paul Brand came in with an email
00:06from Martin Reynolds, your private secretary.
00:08This is like quite at the start of COVID.
00:10You have told us that people will die if we don't.
00:13And here is your private secretary
00:15writing to over 100 people, inviting them to a party
00:19in the Downing Street Garden.
00:21Sorry, hang on a second.
00:22People can't understand why you wouldn't
00:24be paralytically apologetic about that.
00:27And actually, I was at the time, if you remember what happened.
00:31But now you're saying, oh, it wasn't a big deal.
00:33I shouldn't have applied.
00:34If you look at what, the reason the Downing Street Garden was
00:37used was because it was thought to be a much safer environment.
00:43And we had to maintain distance.
00:45But look, you know, what I don't think.
00:48We were in this newsroom with arrows
00:50saying walk round this way.
00:51So were we.
00:52So were we.
00:52We were outside agonisingly spoken with one person.
00:55I really.
00:55Well, you weren't.
00:56You were inviting 100 people to the garden.
00:58It's madness.
00:59That was outside.
01:01I really, really don't think that those officials thought
01:05that they were setting out to break the rules.
01:07But they were breaking the rules.
01:08They thought that they were doing something.
01:10They were working round the clock.