And leaked recording shows they’re all at it..
SENIOR Downing Street staff cracked jokes about a rulebreaking Christmas party at No10 four days after it was said to have taken place on December 18, a leaked recording reveals.
Officials can be heard laughing as boris Johnson’s spokeswoman Allegra Stratton jested about it being a “business meeting”.
The recording, passed to ITV News, is of a rehearsal for planned daily TV media briefings that Stratton was supposed to host, but which the PM later scrapped.
Ed Oldfield, adviser to the PM, said: “I’ve seen reports on Twitter that there was a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night, do you recognise those reports?”
“I went home,” replies Stratton, who appears to crease up laughing before telling colleagues, “Hold on.”
Oldfield goes on: “Would the Prime Minister condone having a Christmas party?”Stratton says, “What’s the answer?” before colleagues step in.
“It wasn’t a party, it was cheese and wine,” offers one.
“Is cheese and wine all right?” she asks.
She then says, “This is recorded,” and adds, “This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced.”
Downing Street has denied there was a party and, when asked yesterday, the PM said he had been assured “guidance was followed”.
Stratton remains his spokeswoman on COP26.
becky Kummer, of Covid-19 bereaved Families for Justice, said: “There are no words to describe how upsetting it is to hear boris Johnson’s team laughing about breaking the rules they made, while others could only say goodbye to loved ones through a screen.
“Prime Minister: Tell the truth.”
Sir Keir Starmer has said Johnson needs to “come clean and apologise”.