Martin Reynolds (civil servant)

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On 10 January 2022, an image leaked to ITV News purported to show an email sent by Reynolds on 20 May 2020 inviting those at 10 Downing Street to "make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks" in the garden. [9] Invitees were asked to "bring your own booze". [10] It was reported that over 100 people were invited to this gathering, and between thirty and forty people attended. [10] Campaigners including the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group called for Reynolds to be dismissed. [11] As a result Reynolds was nicknamed 'party Marty' in Whitehall and the UK press. [12]

On 3 February 2022 he resigned as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, [13] but was expected to remain in place until a successor had been found. [14] On 8 March 2022, Reynolds was succeeded by Peter Wilson. [15]

In May 2022, following the release of the investigation final report by Sue Gray, it was revealed that Reynolds had boasted he had "got away with" rule-breaking at a "bring-your-own-booze" party in May 2020. In a fragment of a message to a special adviser, he had said: "Best of luck - a complete non-story but better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with)." [16] Reynolds' name was mentioned 24 times in the report. [17]

In the 2023 Channel 4 docudrama Partygate , he was played by Edwin Flay. [18]

Honours

Reynolds was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2018 Birthday Honours, for services to British foreign policy. [19] He was additionally appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2022 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours. [20] [21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chorley, Matt (4 February 2022). "The Press Gallery". Red Box Politics Podcast (Podcast). Acast. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Martin Reynolds". LinkedIn. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Martin Reynolds". GOV.UK. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 Zaptia, Sami (4 April 2019). "Martin Reynolds appointed new UK ambassador to Libya from April". Libya Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Deputy High Commissioner Martin Reynolds's speech at C5's Forum on Anti-Corruption - Southern Africa". GOV.UK. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "British High Commission Pretoria". GOV.UK. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Birthday 2018 Diplomatic Service and Overseas List" (PDF). UK Government. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Libya - April 2019". GOV.UK (Press release). Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "'100 invited' to Downing Street garden lockdown drinks". BBC News. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Boris Johnson 'attended No 10 lockdown-breaking party' with 100 staff invited". The Independent. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  11. ↑ McShane, Asher (11 January 2022). "Partygate: Calls grow for PM's top aide Martin Reynolds to be sacked". LBC. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  12. ↑ Steerpike (30 October 2023). "Five highlights of 'Party Marty' at the Covid Inquiry". The Spectator. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Four senior aides to Boris Johnson resign from No 10". BBC News. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  14. ↑ Stewart, Heather (3 February 2022). "Four Johnson aides quit in fallout from Downing Street parties". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  15. ↑ "Peter Wilson appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister". GOV.UK. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  16. ↑ Diver, Tony (25 May 2022). "'We got away with it': Downing Street chief Martin Reynolds' messages revealed in Sue Gray report". The Telegraph– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  17. ↑ "Sue Gray partygate report: Who's in the firing line after inquiry findings?".
  18. ↑ "Meet the cast of Partygate on Channel 4". Radio Times . 3 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "No. 62310". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 June 2018. p. B4.
  20. ↑ "Resignation Honours 2023" (PDF). gov.uk. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "No. 64120". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 July 2023. p. 14502.
Martin Reynolds
CB CMG
Martin Reynolds.jpg
Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
In office
1 October 2019 –3 February 2022
Government offices
Preceded by Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2014–2018		Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
2019–2022		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British Ambassador to Libya
2019		Succeeded by
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