The bill for alcohol supplied to a lavish Brexit party inside Number 10 has finally been revealed after a two-year legal battle.
A Freedom of Information request had been blocked by civil servants about drinks served at the then-PM Boris Johnson’s bash to mark the moment the UK finally left the EU at 11pm, on January 31, 2020.
The Information Commissioner had argued that the public interest was not strong enough to reveal the details, but a battle by campaigners in an Information Tribunal ruled against the government, leading to the receipts being unveiled.
It shows that those present consumed a whopping 117 bottles of Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2014, made by vineyards in Kent and Sussex and sold for around £65 per bottle.
There were also 10 bottles of white wine from the Chapel Down vineyard, in Kent, which typically sell for around £16 each. Those who wanted red had to turn to a EU nation for the Italian Valpolicella 2017, with 11 bottles drunk at around £12 each.
The event was held as news of Covid was beginning to emerge and just a few weeks before the lockdown was imposed on March 23.
All the wine came from the taxpayer-funded Government Wine Cellar. A government statement said: “The Government Wine Cellar generate revenues… to ensure minimal cost to the taxpayer.”
In total, the bill came to an unbelievable £7,897!
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