British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized to Parliament for a controversial video in which his staff are seen joking about a Christmas party in Downing Street during the Covid-19 lockdown last year. The video was reportedly shot as the country was reeling from the Covid-19 crisis and festivities were banned.
Johnson said he was furious with the video, released by ITV on Tuesday night. However, he said he was repeatedly assured that no party had taken place. “I apologize unreservedly for the offense he has caused across the country, and I apologize for the impression this gives,” he told the news agency. Reuters.
Johnson said disciplinary action would be taken if the rules were found to have been broken. “But, I repeat… I have been assured on several occasions since these allegations emerged that there was no party and no Covid rules were broken.”
He also pledged to ‘get to work’, accusing the opposition of trying to ‘muddy the waters on events or non-events of a year ago’, according to the Reuters report.
In the video, Johnson’s adviser Ed Oldfield asks Allegra Stratton, then Johnson’s press secretary, “I just saw reports on Twitter that there was a Christmas party in Downing Street on Friday night – acknowledge- you this information?”
Stratton, standing in front of British flags at an official desk in Downing Street, said: “I have gone home. She laughs and smiles then. “Wait. Wait. Um. Uh. Arh. She looks lost for her words and looks up.
Watch the video here:
Exclusive: Senior Downing Street staff have joked about holding a Christmas party at Number 10 just four days after the event was said to have taken place last December
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/4IejHdqtJM pic.twitter.com/6XMa2t2d1g
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) December 7, 2021
The video sparked outrage across the UK and Johnson faced public fury.
Taking to Twitter, many people mocked the government while some expressed anger that the video was allegedly shot as the country grapples with the pandemic and the loss of loved ones.
Hosting a Christmas party in Downing Street while I watched patient after patient being admitted, alone, scared and dying is disgusting, but for the whole government to lie about it insults the work of NHS staff.
Why should we go to work cleaning up their mess after that?— ziggy (@Karenlovecheese) December 7, 2021
SPOTTED: Boris Johnson dancing December 18, 2020 at the Tory Christmas party. pic.twitter.com/GZhPfXdHQx
— David Brent Music (@DavidBrentMovie) December 7, 2021
UK Government Christmas Party 2021. pic.twitter.com/QhpAslAN6f
—Daniel (@Clark1995Clark) December 8, 2021
British journalists should bow their heads in shame for today allowing government ministers to joke and walk away from the No 10 Christmas party scandal
You couldn’t party in December 2020 and comply with the rules that said you couldn’t party!
How hard it can be!!! pic.twitter.com/gRHkgkeLmO
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) December 3, 2021
..This Christmas party will not be the subject of a police investigation in a year
..You are all socially distant, at least 2 inches apart#no10ChristmasParty #No10party
Source: @GuidoFawkes pic.twitter.com/q9xztOHivu
– UK is with EU (@ukiswitheu) December 7, 2021
UK government explains what really happened at 10 Downing Street Christmas party pic.twitter.com/wlQS7qUZwo
— Damien O’Brien (@DamienMagician) December 8, 2021
Boris Johnson continues to lie about last year’s illicit Christmas party at No 10 – even though we’ve all seen his own spokesperson on video laughing it off and wondering how best to lie to the media.
Even by his standards, this is absolutely disgraceful.— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 7, 2021
“Hello, I’m the police officer investigating the #10 Christmas party” pic.twitter.com/7K0aFWRHSK
— Sophie Deck the Halls 🎄 (@SophLouiseHall) December 6, 2021
