BORIS Johnson nearly died weeks before his 56th birthday — so when the day arrived in June 2020, his closest aides were determined to mark the occasion in a tiny way.
The nine minutes they spent in the Cabinet Room singing Happy Birthday to a bemused Prime Minister landed him and others in hot water.
It led to a humble apology yesterday from Mr Johnson, who was fined for breaking lockdown rules.
Following his near-fatal bout of Covid, he had been more keen on celebrating the reopening of schools than living another year.
As he walked back into No10, fresh from a visit to pupils in Hertfordshire, an aide pulled him aside to say there was something he needed to see next door.
In his usual dishevelled way, the PM slapped his forehead and ruffled his hair when greeted by a handful of staffers awkwardly holding some sad looking Marks and Spencer snacks.
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One source said: “The bloke had nearly died, so it felt weird not to mark it in some way, but it was hardly a party.”
After his brush with death, Mr Johnson was on a health kick — so opted for a salad in a plastic pot
Slightly curling sausage rolls and a snack pot of chocolate bites were largely ignored on the famous Cabinet table.
Four cans of warm Estrella lager were left untouched next to them, insiders say.
As they stood there chatting — awkwardly but socially distanced — Chancellor Rishi Sunak turned up for their next meeting, but briefly joined in to wish him all the best.
Boris’s wife Carrie swung by with their newborn baby Wilf in her arms.
Pals insist reports that she bought a Union Jack-emblazoned birthday cake are “bull****”.
That is backed by witnesses who are adamant “there was no cake”.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case — the country’s top civil servant — was also there ahead of a crunch Covid meeting to decide how to speed up the country’s journey from the first lockdown.
But fatally, the PM’s official snapper thought it wise to take a picture of the gathering for posterity.
Then they got back to work.
Downing Street staff thought it was a kind gesture for their boss given the gravity of his health scare. But the police now say that was against the law and the PM has grudgingly accepted that finding and paid his fine.
To the meddling Met Police, it was an egregious breach of lockdown rules.
Boris, Carrie and Mr Sunak were hit with fixed penalty notices — with the PM and his wife saying he had paid their fines up front.
In a mea culpa moment, Mr Johnson admitted he was there “for less than ten minutes, during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes.”
The Met says it was up to an hour.
In June 2020, The Times reported the gathering just a day later. The newspaper said aides sang Happy Birthday, and tucked into a “Union Jack” cake.
Later staunch ally Conor Burns said the Prime Minister had been “ambushed by cake” — before later admitting he had been told, actually, there was none.
Allies of the PM remain adamant there was no birthday cake, but admit there may have been a tub of chocolate roll bites, bought at the last minute from a nearby M&S.
Earlier, the PM had an entirely legal birthday celebration with kids at Bovingdon Primary Academy in Hemel Hempstead.
Youngsters presented him with a large strawberry-topped cake, Union Jack birthday cookies and they sang “Happy Birthday Prime Minister.” After driving back to central London, quick-thinking No10 workers made a snap decision to give him the birthday pick me up after a bruising week.
He had just performed a U-turn on free school meals after ministers were giving a public dressing down by Manchester United football star Marcus Rashford.
And away from Covid policy he had just faced a backlash from his backbenches and civil servants.
The PM and his wife were issued with fines — reduced to £50 for settling within 14 days.
Last night Tory MPs rallied around the PM and insisted now was not the time for a divisive leadership contest. The nation is facing a cost-of-living crisis and is trying to contend with Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin following his troops’ invasion of Ukraine.
Even those who had previously called for Boris to quit got behind him and slapped down suggestions he should throw in the towel.
MPs pointed out that former ministers such as Harriet Harman and Liam Byrne did not resign for being caught speeding and slapped with fines.
Tory Michael Fabricant said it was “shocking news” but said “you have to take it in context.”
He added: “I know that lots of people who were working long hours, did at the end of the day have a quiet drink. “Whether you would call that a party is another matter. And that ranges not only from civil servants but to nurses and others and nobody would begrudge them.”
The PM’s personal private secretary, Conor Burns, said: “The PM has already apologised for the event of 19th June but will understand renewed anger. There is a big job to rebuild trust.
“As a Government we must focus on delivery for the people every day led by the PM.”
Backbencher James Duddridge added: “The PM should focus on Ukraine – he is the right person to lead the party and the country.
“We need to be united in our resolve and move forward under his leadership.” Andrew Bridgen, who put in a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson months ago, warned: “This is not the time to remove the PM given the international situation, but this is not the end of this matter.”
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A PM critic Sir Roger Gale stopped short of demanding his head saying it would be “wildly irresponsible”, adding: “We’re in the middle of an international crisis.
“The overriding priority, the absolute priority, has got to be for the government of the United Kingdom to be stable and to support our colleagues across Europe and the United States in sending a very clear message to Mr Putin that what he has done is unacceptable and it’s got to end — and that is the bottom line.”
