Bernard Jenkin’s “cowardly” silence hasn’t deterred Guido from digging deeper into the Jenkin’s parties. Yes, you read that right, parties – plural. Guido can reveal that Anne Jenkin’s lockdown-breaking birthday bash in Eleanor Laing’s office wasn’t an isolated event. Just two weeks prior, when the country was in an even stricter lockdown, she hosted a “(socially distanced) party”…

At the time, lockdown regulations made clear “you must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household… or support bubble”. There was no such thing as a  “socially distanced party” permitted, and “everyone who can work effectively from home must do so”. There was no justification for an indoor social celebration – even if it was a ‘work event’.

Perhaps this is why Charlotte Carew Pole, director of Women2Win, has become unwilling to speak to Guido. Despite initially responding receptively, after the topic of conversation became apparent she seemed to suffer immediate amnesia. All she could say was that she didn’t run Women2Win’s social media and that she couldn’t remember any details. Although Charlotte insisted she would get back to Guido, she never has…

Guido did manage to get through to two other attendees of the celebration, held as a hybrid event in Policy Exchange’s Westminster offices. Theresa May was there in-person, as Boris Johnson and David Cameron addressed the event via zoom. The hybrid event could arguably be a “work event”. It was certainly a live-streamed public event.

More problematic is that the event was followed by celebratory drinks described as a “birthday party” and Theresa May stuck around briefly for a few pictures – though apparently left swiftly and Guido has seen no pictorial evidence she had a lockdown-breaking drink. Whilst one of Guido’s source insists masks were worn at all times, the private photos differ from the publicity photos…

Baroness Nicholson pictured on the left (top photo) has no drink, whereas Anne Jenkin (on the right) has a drink in hand. In publicity photos everyone is masked with no drinks in hand. One attendee insisted it wasn’t a party, although they did describe it as “joyful” and “a celebration, definitely”.

Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt has opened the debate into the Kangaroo Court’s findings by backing the Committee’s members and claiming MPs owe the Committee “a debt of gratitude“. She confirmed she’ll vote to support the findings and to ban Boris’s ex-MPs pass…

“…We all owe the Committee a debt of gratitude to the work that they have done on our instruction. But it is for Members to decide whether their conclusions are correct or not… As the Member for Portsmouth North I will be voting to support the committee’s report and recommendations. But all members need to make up their own minds and others should leave them alone to do so.”

Looking lonely there on the frontbench…

As expected, Rishi has found a convenient excuse to miss this afternoon’s debate on the Kangaroo Court’s findings against Boris. His spokesman confirmed this afternoon that “his schedule does not involve attending Parliament” and he’ll be busy meeting the Swedish Prime Minister. He’s also due to attend a charity dinner. All good reasons to miss the vote entirely, rather than show up and drag this out any further. His weak support amongst his own voters means he probably couldn’t have voted in favour of the Committee’s findings anyway. This morning he repeatedly told Good Morning Britain it was a “matter for the House” and he didn’t want to “influence” MPs’ decisions. No time for marsupial matters…