A former Boris Johnson prime ministerial aide who was dubbed “Social gathering Marty” after arranging a bring-your-own-booze backyard occasion in Downing Road throughout Covid restrictions has acquired an honour at Windsor Fort for public service.
Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s former principal personal secretary, was made a companion of the Order of the Bathtub at a ceremony led by the Princess Royal.
Reynolds was included in Johnson’s resignation honours record introduced in June 2023.
In Might 2020 Reynolds had despatched an invitation throughout lockdown to about 200 No 10 employees inviting them to benefit from the “pretty climate” with some “socially distanced drinks within the No 10 backyard this night”, including: “Please be part of us from 6pm and produce your personal booze!” Plenty of individuals had been later fined for attending the occasion in breach of lockdown guidelines.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Households for Justice (CBFFJ) marketing campaign group has known as the honour an insult to the recollections of those that died, saying Reynolds had “failed in serving the general public” and that his “errors ought to value him this honour”.
Showing earlier than the UK Covid-19 inquiry in October 2023, Reynolds apologised “unreservedly” when requested concerning the occasion, saying he was “deeply sorry” for “my half in these occasions and for the e-mail message which went out that day”.
He mentioned as a result of information of the occasion didn’t emerge till “about 15 months later”, he didn’t imagine it had a serious impression on the general public through the pandemic on the time. “So whereas I completely settle for I used to be completely incorrect in the way in which I despatched the e-mail round and for the occasion, I feel the impression on public confidence – though clearly now when it comes to public confidence extra usually it did have a severe impression – when it comes to the pandemic at the moment it … had much less impression,” he informed the inquiry.
The CBFFJ mentioned: “The truth that Martin Reynolds is being given an honour for public service having invited employees to a carry your personal booze occasion in No 10 throughout lockdown is an insult to the recollections of those that died as a result of the federal government failed to guard them, to all who died and grieved alone throughout lockdown, and to each key employee who sacrificed a lot to maintain individuals secure within the absence of a authorities able to dealing with the disaster of Covid-19.”
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Others introduced with honours included the previous Conservative deputy prime ministers Thérèse Coffey and Oliver Dowden, each for political and public service, having been named in Rishi Sunak’s dissolution honours record in July.
On receiving the honour, Coffey mentioned: “I’m pleased with doing my finest to attempt to assist the surroundings and serving to individuals get by way of Covid. We’ve tried to place the general public first in every little thing we do, very like the royal household.”
