The Daily Mail’s Deputy Political Editor John Stevens has clarified that Boris, Carrie and their close friend Nimco Ali formed a childcare bubble over Christmas last year – which means the trio did not break any of the Covid-19 rules, despite claims to this effect published in The Daily Mirror.

The row, which started following a profile about the Johnsons in Harper’s Magazine, accused Carrie’s best friend Nimco of illegally staying with the Johnsons over the holidays. A spokesperson for the PM initially told Harper’s Magazine that the “Prime Minister and Mrs Johnson follow coronavirus rules at all times” without denying claims that they hosted Nimco for Christmas. Given Downing Street’s relatively tight-lipped response, Nimco has been left to defend herself online the past three days…

At the time, rules allowed people to have both childcare bubbles and support bubbles, and also allowed bubbles to change if there was a 10 day gap between meet ups.

What a childcare bubble is

If you live in a household with anyone aged under 14, you can form a childcare bubble. This allows friends or family from one other household to provide informal childcare. ‘Informal’ childcare means it is unregistered.

You can only form a childcare bubble if you meet certain eligibility rules. Not everyone can form a childcare bubble.

Childcare bubbles are different from support bubbles.

If providing informal childcare within a childcare bubble, you should follow the guidance on how to stop the spread of coronavirus, including washing your hands and opening windows to let in plenty of fresh air.

When providing childcare, it may not always be possible to maintain social distancing. You should still limit close contact as much as possible and take other precautions.

Boris’s spokesperson has therefore confirmed that Boris’s mother did not join Boris and Carrie for Christmas. After all that, it’s Johnson’s critics who’ve ended up looking like turkeys…