No 10 apologises to Queen over lockdown parties on eve of Prince Philip’s funeral

This is not so much party politics but the politics of parties as Downing Street was forced to apologise to Buckingham Palace for the two parties held at Number 10 on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral – saying it was “deeply regrettable that this took place at a time of national mourning”.

Since then the apologies have come thick and fast: one from PM’s former communications chief James Slack over his leaving do. He now works at the Sun newspaper. While Kate Josephs – who was head of the government’s Covid taskforce – said she was “truly sorry” for drinks held in December 2020.

No word yet from Mr Johnson himself, who is supposed to be self-isolating from a family case of Covid in his Downing Street flat.