An intense grilling of Boris Johnson’s Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds, dubbed “Party Marty“, at the Covid Inquiry has finally been wrapped up. Guido gives you the run down…

• Reynolds admitted to turning on ‘disappearing messages’ on WhatsApp two weeks before the Covid Inquiry was announced, but said he “cannot recall exactly why [he] did so“.
• When questioned over head of civil service Simon Case’s message that, “PM is mad if he doesn’t think his WhatsApps will become public via Covid inquiry – but he was clearly not in the mood for that discussion tonight! We’ll have that battle in the new year”, Reynolds claimed that “Johnson hadn’t realised the messages would become public“.
• Reynolds told the inquiry that he “cannot recall” why for ten days in February 2020 Boris Johnson was given no Covid updates.
• Discussing power dynamics in Number 10, he called Dominic Cummings the “most empowered chief of staff Downing Street had ever seen”.
• He claimed Johnson “blew hot and cold” on what to do over the pandemic.
• Reynolds apologised “unreservedly” for his “Bring Your Own Booze” email he sent to No.10 staff during the first lockdown.

Dominic Cummings is set to give evidence tomorrow. Stay tuned…

Boris’ former PPS Martin Reynolds has been speaking to the Covid Inquiry today. Apart from saying Boris blew “hot and cold” on lockdown decisions, Reynolds apologised “unreservedly” multiple times for organising bring-your-own-booze parties at Number 10 despite what Lee Cain said posed a “rather substantial comms risk“. Hugo Keith KC wrote that “for the public whose loved ones were dying in their droves this caused incredible offence“. Reynolds: “As I say I’m deeply sorry for that“. Sobering…

Martin Reynolds on personnel hires at Number 10 during Covid:

“There was quite a bit of unease in the civil service around the – excuse my language – the so-called ‘shit list’ of people“.

Martin Reynolds, quoted in the Sue Gray report, WhatsApping a SpAd after a Downing Street party on 20 May 2020:

“Best of luck – a complete non story but better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with).”

Almost…

Among the post-Partygate clear-out of Boris’s top team in No. 10 was his PPS Martin Reynolds, whose infamous ‘BYOB’ email invite – leaked to ITV – swiftly earned him the SW1 nickname of “Party Marty”. Instead of being fired he was foundy a comfy Foreign Office role…

No sooner was he out the door, then Peter Wilson was in, swapping an ambassadorship in carnival loving Brazil for Partygate central. As Downing Street tries to move on from Partygate, they will be pleased to learn that Wilson’s opposition to a repeat of his predecessor’s antics has swiftly earned him a clunky nickname of his own – “No Parties Peter”. Alas it seems this reflects a new culture of staff actually getting on with the work they’re paid to do…