Labour leader slams Boris Johnson for 'partying' while thousands of Banburyshire children go without birthday celebrations and the Queen says goodbye to her husband alone

Labour leader on Cherwell District Council, Sean Woodcock, released a statement saying 7,553 young children in Cherwell have not had a birthday party in almost three years because of Covid lockdowns, while the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson allegedly attended a party to mark his 56th birthday.

The figures are presented as new analysis from Cherwell Labour claiming the children, aged 11 and under, missed the chance to have a birthday party because of coronavirus restrictions that were 'ignored in Downing Street.'

"Those who played by the rules have missed millions of funerals, weddings, birthdays and special events - the Queen herself joined those who respected the rules when she said goodbye to Prince Philip," said the statement.

"Now we know that at the same time, Conservatives in No 10 partied away, including on the night before Prince Philip’s funeral and for Boris Johnson’s 56th birthday - an event to which his £140,000 interior designer Lulu Lytle was invited."

Mr Woodcock, Leader of the Labour group on Cherwell District Council said: "Thousands of small children in Cherwell haven’t had the chance to celebrate their birthdays properly for almost three years.

"But not Boris Johnson and the Conservatives in Downing Street. It is utterly outrageous that young children were forced to miss out on the most special events while the Conservatives setting the rules acted like there weren’t any rules at all.

“Many of us have faced the heartbreak of lost moments gone forever, including restricted funerals; we have all seen the images, including those of the Queen just hours after Conservatives in Downing Street raucously danced the night away.

“Yet now we know that while people in Cherwell did everything they can to beat back this terrible virus, Conservatives in Number 10 were laughing at us.

“Your family obeyed the rules, my family obeyed the rules, the Royal family obeyed the rules - but for Conservatives in Downing Street it appears there were no rules," he said.

"They partied away while the rest of us suffered - and what’s almost as bad is that they have lied about it ever since. It is utterly despicable that Boris Johnson and these Conservatives remain in post, without a shred of integrity. It’s time they go now - and apologise to the decent people of Cherwell who they have taken for fools.”