Mr Reynolds sent an email to staff inviting them to a “bring your own booze” gathering in the Downing Street garden in May 2020. Number 10 has argued that it was a work event and did not break Covid rules.
The event is one of a dozen being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. Mr Reynolds has not commented publicly about the allegations since they emerged.
He was one of a host of senior figures in Mr Johnson’s inner circle to leave earlier this year after Sue Gray’s report into “partygate” found failures of leadership.
Mr Wilson was born on March 31, 1968, according to an entry in Who’s Who – four years after Mr Johnson. Both went to Eton before going on to Oxford University.
He joined the Foreign Office in 1992 and held political counsellor roles in Beijing, the Chinese capital, and Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. He has been ambassador to Brazil since January 2021.
Alok Sharma, a member of Mr Johnson’s Cabinet, said it was a “brilliant appointment”, tweeting that he had “always found Peter Wilson to be incredibly competent and collegiate”.
