Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher mock Boris Johnson for attending Downing Street parties 

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have mocked Boris Johnson for claiming a boozy Downing Street party was a ‘work event’ while the rest of Britain was in lockdown back in 2020.

A total of 13 parties – most of them held in Downing Street – have been disclosed over the last couple of months, with some of them attended by the Prime Minister. They were reportedly held at a time when socialising indoors was banned.

The scandal has engulfed Johnson and the Conservative Party, forcing the Prime Minister to issue an unprecedented apology to the Queen over the events, some of which were held on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral.

Gary Neville has been a vocal critic of Boris Johnson and the Conservative government

Gary Neville has been a vocal critic of Boris Johnson and the Conservative government

Speaking ahead of Brighton’s game with Crystal Palace on Friday night, both Neville and Carragher seized the opportunity to stick the boot into Johnson.

‘It is a peculiar rivalry, but to be fair we get these Friday night football matches, we were at the Brentford one last time it was absolutely fantastic,’ Neville quipped. ‘We always seem to just get a massive party.’ 

Carragher’s went on to savage the Prime Minister in what appeared to be pre-worked skit by the duo.

Jamie Carragher also stuck the boot into the Prime Minister for attending parties in lockdown

Jamie Carragher also stuck the boot into the Prime Minister for attending parties in lockdown

‘Let’s be straight tonight though this is not a party this is about work,’ he said, subtly referencing Johnson’s admission he had indeed attended a party but only because he thought it was a work event.

‘If you speak to Graham Potter, Patrick Vieira, those 22 players on the pitch – they have got to know the difference between work and a party and if they get that wrong and think they are in party mode, they are going to be in big, big trouble.’

Neville and Friday Night Football host Dave Jones struggled to keep a straight face following Carragher’s comments, with Jones joking that it ‘feels like a political broadcast’.

The remark was swiftly followed by Neville quipping that ‘Sue Gray will decide that’, in reference to the civil servant in charge of investigating the allegations.

The political cameo ended with Carragher concluding: ‘We’re watching you Prime Minister.’

Ant and Dec ¿ who often aim digs at Mr Johnson on I'm A Celeb ¿ loved Neville and Carragher's impression on Friday Night Football

Ant and Dec – who often aim digs at Mr Johnson on I’m A Celeb – loved Neville and Carragher’s impression on Friday Night Football 

It comes as the Prime Minister faces yet more flack over the partygate row following further revelations about conduct at Downing Street during last year’s lockdowns. 

It was revealed on Thursday that No 10 staff boozed at two leaving parties the night before the Queen grieved alone at Prince Philip’s funeral.

It is claimed that during one event, in the basement of No10, aids were boozing so ‘excessively’ that one person was sent to a nearby Co-op with a suitcase on wheels to fill with wine, beer and spirits.

There was even a disco where staff DJed and it became so raucous that one attendee broke baby Wilfred Johnson’s swing set, according to the Telegraph.

The latest revelations came just days after Boris Johnson apologised to MPs in the House of Commons after attending a ‘bring your own booze’ garden party at No. 10.

Mr Johnson was forced to apologise to the Queen on Friday for attending the events

Mr Johnson was forced to apologise to the Queen on Friday for attending the events

At a stormy PMQs on Wednesday, Mr Johnson confessed that he spent 25 minutes at a ¿BYOB¿ party on May 15, 2020 during the first national lockdown, but insisted that he thought it was a ¿work event¿ and was allowed under the rules in place at the time

At a stormy PMQs on Wednesday, Mr Johnson confessed that he spent 25 minutes at a ‘BYOB’ party on May 15, 2020 during the first national lockdown, but insisted that he thought it was a ‘work event’ and was allowed under the rules in place at the time 

However his apology sparked a backlash after he claimed the drink-fuelled event, which took place at a time when only two people were allowed to meet outside in a public space, was ‘a work event’. 

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Johnson apologised for attending the party.

‘I want to apologise,’ he said.

‘I know that millions of people across this country have made extraordinary sacrifices over the last 18 months. 

‘When I went into that garden just after six on 20 May 2020, to thank groups of staff before going back into my office 25 minutes later to continue working, I believed implicitly that this was a work event. 

Tonight¿s bombshell allegations ¿ the first that any lockdown-busting parties took place in 2021 ¿ will pile further pressure on the embattled PM, who is fighting for his political life over the ¿Partygate¿ scandal. Pictured, an image of an alleged lockdown-busting party in No10 on May 15, 2020

Tonight’s bombshell allegations — the first that any lockdown-busting parties took place in 2021 — will pile further pressure on the embattled PM, who is fighting for his political life over the ‘Partygate’ scandal. Pictured, an image of an alleged lockdown-busting party in No10 on May 15, 2020

‘With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside. I should have found some other way to thank them.’ 

It comes as today Mr Johnson has said sorry to the Queen over a lockdown-busting leaving do in Downing Street just hours before Prince Philip’s funeral.

The PM’s spokesman said an apology had been made to Buckingham Palace over the ‘regrettable’ behaviour in April last year.

‘It is deeply regrettable that this took place at a time of national mourning and No10 has apologised to the Palace,’ the spokesman said.

However, it is understood an official called the Palace and aides refused to say whether Mr Johnson – who was not at the booze-fuelled event – would be speaking to the monarch personally about the issue.  

source: dailymail.co.uk