Transport Secretory Grant Shapps has said this morning that Downing Street staff “thought they were being kind” by marking his birthday.

However, speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain he stated it was “almost certainly very unwise” for Boris Johnson to have been given a birthday cake at a gathering in the Cabinet Room.

Downing Street has now conceded that staff “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room following a meeting after it was alleged 30 people attended and shared cake despite social mixing indoors being banned.

READ MORE: No 10 admits to indoor birthday celebration during Covid lockdown

ITV News reported the Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, had organised the surprise get-together complete with a chorus of “happy birthday” on the afternoon of June 19, 2020.

He said: “I’m sure his staff thought that they were being kind but, you know, you’ve heard what I’ve said about it before.”

He added: “I repeat what I said in December and just now – I think people should stick by… should have stuck by the rules.”

Postponing a birthday party should have been done “in all cases” he added.

“Look, as the Prime Minister’s said, where mistakes were made, even though it wasn’t… I mean, he would have turned up and the cake would have been there.

“He didn’t know about it, and it clearly shouldn’t happen.

“But Sue Gray will get to the bottom of that; the Prime Minister’s already said there will be consequences falling out from the Sue Gray report, and my hope is we can get to see that very quickly.”

He added: “We know that this was a surprise, the Prime Minister obviously wasn’t involved in that surprise, but we need to have a full understanding of all of that.”