Carrie Johnson admits breaking Covid rules after party photo emerges

Carrie Johnson has admitted to breaking Covid rules after a photograph surfaced of her hugging a friend at an engagement party.

The Prime Minister’s wife was pictured breaching social distancing guidelines at an event in London’s West End in September 2020.

At the time, government guidance called for people to stay two metres apart from people not in their own household “where possible”, or one metre if taking the extra precaution of meeting outdoors.

However, The Sunday Telegraph published a photograph of Mrs Johnson embracing a friend at a social event at The Conduit, a private members’ club in Covent Garden’, when such restrictions applied.

The rule of six was in place at the time the photograph was taken, which the paper said was 17 September.

Mrs Johnson is shown with her arm wrapped around Anna Pinder and one of her legs draped over her leg in a picture that circulated online, and is laughing with her friend while posing for the snap on a sofa on the club’s outdoor terrace.

A spokesperson said: “Mrs Johnson was one of a group of six seated outside celebrating a friend’s engagement.

“Mrs Johnson regrets the momentary lapse in judgement in briefly hugging her friend for a photograph.”

Reports have previously suggested that Mrs Johnson, a former Tory adviser, was present at the 20 May 2020 “bring your own booze” event, while a photograph published in The Guardian shows her sat with her husband and Mr Reynolds in the No 10 garden on 15 May, five days earlier.

PM facing further calls to resign

The picture of Mrs Johnson comes as the PM faces increasing calls to resign following allegations of Covid-rule breaking allegations within his party.

Boris Johnson is reportedly preparing to oust members of his inner circle over the so-called ‘partygate’ affair as he fights to stay in office.

Mr Johnson admitted to attending the “bring your own booze” garden party at No 10 at the height of the UK’s first lockdown earlier this week, and was later forced to apologise to the Queen for partying the night before Prince Philip’s socially distanced funeral.