No 10 said to ‘get to the truth’ about anti-containment party allegations

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Boris Johnson faces calls to ‘get to the truth’ about an alleged Christmas party at No 10 during lockdown restrictions last year as the government refused to send a minister to defend its position at television.

Leaked images of the £ 2.6million No 10 press conference room emerged on Monday evening, showing former press secretary Allegra Stratton laughing as she appeared to rehearse answers to questions on an anti-lock Christmas party.

The video, which is said to be from December 22 of last year, refers to a “Friday” party – believed to have taken place on December 18, the same day the Daily Mirror reported there had been a Friday party. staff where games were played, food and drink. were served, and the festivities continued after midnight.

Initially, Number 10 did not say the reports were inaccurate, but said all rules were followed, before later denying that a game had taken place.

But the emergence of the video will put Boris Johnson under increasing pressure as he takes on Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer on Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

The challenge for Downing Street has been laid bare by no Cabinet minister who has not been offered to represent the government in aired talks in the morning, and questions have arisen as to whether a suggested press conference to mark one year since the delivery of the first vaccine against the coronavirus would take place.

In addition to the withdrawal of Health Secretary Sajid Javid from national interviews, Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup has reportedly withdrawn from a series of regional television interviews.

Shadow Labor Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on the Prime Minister to “be frank” with the British public.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today show: “It is really unacceptable that this is seen as something funny, or something that is not serious, or something that suggests that there may be one rule for a Prime Minister and those in No 10 and another rule for the British public. “

The rule of law is a fundamental value, the glue that binds us together as a nation. Once this is sacked by power, the very essence of our democracy is at stake.

The conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘What I know is that the Prime Minister has said no rules have been broken. And no one is suggesting he was at that party.

But a former vice-chair of the 1922 committee of conservative backbenchers said the government would now likely find it “almost impossible” to introduce “very restrictive” Covid-19 restrictions because of the saga.

Sir Charles Walker, Member of Parliament for Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, told Times Radio: ‘I now think that in the future all measures will be consultative. I think it would be very difficult to enshrine them in law and ask our poor police forces again to enforce them.

He added, “Being very proscriptive about it now, especially since we’ve had such a successful vaccine deployment… is a lot more difficult, and was always going to be a lot more difficult. And the events of the past 24 hours probably make that almost impossible now. “

Allegra Stratton (Justin Tallis / AP)

(AP Archives)

Former Minister Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, has asked for an apology, Kent Online reported.

“I’m fuming! My constituents have every right to be angry, ”she said.

“Their memories of lost loved ones are traumatized knowing that they died alone, the First and Last Christmases have passed, and many have spent what is usually a special day alone.

“I’m not even going to start justifying or defending a party in Downing Street. We all deserve a full explanation and an apology and quickly ”.

Conservative peer and former Conservative Party chairwoman Sayeeda Warsi said everyone in a party should quit.

She tweeted: “Every minister, parliamentarian and staff member of the #downingstreetparty must resign NOW.

“No yes, no but. The rule of law is a fundamental value, the glue that binds us together as a nation.

“Once this is sacked by those in power, the very essence of our democracy is at stake.”

While Commons Education Committee Chairman and Conservative MP for Harlow, Robert Halfon said: “I certainly think those who made the video should apologize for the insensitivity of it as people suffered and struggled during all this time.”

But he stopped before calling on the prime minister himself to apologize.

Asked about the row, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “It’s important that the public follow the guidelines, I think they’ve done it beautifully.”

In footage obtained by ITV News, Ms Stratton and Councilor Ed Oldfield, along with other assistants, were caught joking about a ‘fictitious’ Downing Street party.

Mr Oldfield can be heard asking Mrs Stratton: “I just saw reports on Twitter that there was a Christmas party in Downing Street on Friday night, do you recognize those reports?”

Mrs. Stratton replied “I have come home” before she wondered what the correct answer should be.

During the rehearsal, filmed as part of a later abandoned plan for Mrs. Stratton to conduct television news briefs, an assistant is heard saying, “It wasn’t a party, it was cheese and some wine.”

“Are the cheese and the wine okay?” It was a business meeting, ”replied Stratton, laughing out loud in the room.

The Christmas tree outside 10 Downing Street (Aaron Chown / PA)

(PA wire)

Ms Stratton then noted “this is on tape,” adding, “This fictitious party was a business meeting… and it was not socially distanced.”

Metropolitan Police have confirmed officers are reviewing the leaked video for “suspected violations” of coronavirus regulations.

Responding to the ITV report, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “There was no Christmas party. Covid rules were followed at all times. “

Ministers have yet to explain how the alleged bash complied with the rules in force at the time, despite pressure since a first report in the Daily Mirror.

The newspaper said two events took place at No 10 in the run-up to the holiday season last year, including Mr Johnson delivering a speech during a departure during the November lockdown.

The other would have been the staff party in December.

At the time, Level 3 rules explicitly prohibited lunches and Christmas parties at work where it is “a primarily social activity and not otherwise permitted”.

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