Wetherspoons says Downing Street ‘partygate’ staff should have been allowed to go to the pub instead

Wetherspoons says Downing Street ‘partygate’ staff should have been allowed to go to the pub instead

Wetherspoons has taunted Boris Johnson over Downing Street "high jinks" during lockdown - and suggested it would have been better if staff had partied in its pubs instead.

The comments from the chain led by Tim Martin - a Brexit enthusiast and once prominent supporter of Mr Johnson - come as the prime minister faces intensifying political pressure over the alleged get-togethers in 2020.

Wetherspoons made the statement as it reported a sales hit over the Christmas period blamed on restrictions designed to halt the spread of the Omicron variant - which it has previously described as a "lockdown by stealth" - and confirmed it was heading for a half-year loss.