Keep away from the mistletoe for Covid-safe party, says minister

CHRISTMAS parties this year should not see much “snogging under the mistletoe”, a Cabinet minister has said, as Boris Johnson faced questions over a Downing Street event that reportedly took place during last year’s lockdown.

Despite insistence from the Prime Minister that parties this year should continue as normal, Therese Coffey said revellers should exercise caution, as Sajid Javid urged the public to take lateral flow tests before attending events.

“I don’t think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe,” Ms Coffey told ITV. “Don’t need to do things like that. But I think we should all be trying to enjoy the Christmas ahead of us and that’s why we’re working so hard to get the deployment of as many vaccines as possible.”

Her comments came as Mr Johnson insisted “all guidance was followed completely” after he was accused of breaking lockdown rules by hosting a Christmas party last year.

The Prime Minister did not deny that a “boozy” event had taken place, with reports suggesting that around 50 staff held a festive quiz and exchanged Secret Santa presents in December last year, when tier 3 lockdown rules banned indoor socialising in London.

The row came as Sajid Javid confirmed that he would take a lateral flow test before attending a Christmas party this year, and suggested others may wish to do the same.

Despite Mr Johnson’s suggestion that Christmas festivities continue as normal, Tory MPS said the existing measures were too strict and accused the Government of “goalpost-shifting”.

“If you are invited to a Christmas party, there’s quite a few people there, maybe you want to take an LFT before you go,” Mr Javid told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.

Yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, accused Downing Street of “taking the British public for fools” over reports of the parties last year.

The Mirror reported that a Christmas drinks party took place on Dec 18. The next day, Mr Johnson cancelled Christmas for millions by placing swathes of the country into tier 4. Staff also attended a “leaving party” for a team member on Nov 27.

In each case, the paper said, there were 40 or 50 people crammed “cheek by jowl” into a medium-sized room.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman said he “did not recognise” the reports of the parties, but refused to deny they took place and would not comment on why they did not constitute a breach of the rules.

On the suggestion that partygoers should take Covid tests, Downing Street insisted the Government’s guidance had not changed, but that Britons had been “encouraged” to make use of state testing facilities.