'Wonder why the Sun and its deputy editor decided to bury the Lockdown Breaking Party story?'
The deputy editor of the Sun, James Slack, has been accused of attending the Downing Street Christmas party last year which is alleged to have taken placed during Covid restrictions.
At the time of the alleged party, which Downing Street insists never took place despite leaked footage showing Downing Street staff joking about a party that took place, Slack was the prime minister’s spokesman, before leaving the government in March this year to take up his position at the Sun.
His alleged attendance at the party was first revealed by Darren McCaffrey of GB News who tweeted: “NEW: I’m told that not only was Jack Doyle at the now infamous Downing Street party last year, and handed out awards
“But that senior advisor James Slack was also present, Slack left the government in March of this year.”
BBC Newnight’s Lewis Goodall said they had approached Mr Slack via his new employers at The Sun to ask whether he had been at the alleged party. Slack said he wouldn’t be commenting.
The allegations could help explain why the Sun chose not to focus on one of the government’s biggest scandals on its front page while it made headline news everywhere else.
Upon learning of the accusations, Peter Jukes, Executive Editor of Byline Times tweeted: “Wonder why the Sun and its deputy editor decided to bury the Lockdown Breaking Party story.”
Labour MP Zarah Sultana tweeted: “The S*n tried to ignore the Downing Street Christmas party. It wasn’t on their front-page when it led for other papers.
“James Slack, then-Boris Johnson’s spokesperson, was reportedly at the party. What’s he doing now?
“He’s the S*n’s deputy editor.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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