Partygate: Conservative Party staff filmed drinking and dancing during COVID lockdown
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Conservative Party staff were filmed celebrating at their London headquarters during the height of the COVID lockdown.
New footage, obtained by The Mirror, shows the workers at a Christmas party dancing, drinking and joking about COVID restrictions while lockdown rules were in place in December 2020.
Two of those at the party were named in Boris Johnson‘s resignation honours list.
One couple can be seen holding hands and dancing animatedly to Fairytale Of New York while twirling around the room, at one point knocking into a table laden with party food and drink.
During the video, one man can be heard asking: “Are you filming this?” while another responds, “it’s for party, erm, party use.”
Someone else quips, “Instagram live!”
The first person then laughs, and says: “As long as we are not streaming that we’re, like, bending the rules.”
It is understood to have been filmed at a time when many families were unable to see one another over Christmas due to the lockdown tier system, restricting the number of people who were able to mix together indoors.
The Mirror said more than 24 people attended the event, and claim at least nine people can be seen in the video.
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The two people at the event recognised in Mr Johnson’s honours list are former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey (who is understood to have left before the video was taken) – who has been given a peerage – and Ben Mallet, the Tory campaign director for the 2021 London mayoral election, who can be seen in the video wearing brightly coloured braces.
The video is likely to turn the spotlight back onto former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, just days after the privileges committee found he had repeatedly misled MPs with denials over partygate.
The Mirror previously released a photo from the party, which was subsequently investigated by police. No further action was taken at the time due to lack of evidence.
Responding to the video, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of 14 December 2020.
“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.”
Angela Rayner, Labour deputy leader, said the video showed attendees “openly mocked the rules,” adding that the recent honours announcement was a “sickening insult”.
She said: “Revellers at this lockdown Tory booze up openly mocked the rules the British people followed. The Tories think it’s one rule for them and one rule for everyone else.”
“Instead of forcing them to face the consequences, Rishi Sunak has caved into Boris Johnsons’ demands and chosen to reward them with honours. It’s a sickening insult.”
“This Prime Minister is failing to deliver the integrity he promised and showing he’s too weak to turn the page on thirteen years of Tory scandal.”
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Conservative MPs and ministers should be sick to their stomachs seeing this new Partygate footage.
“While families grieved and NHS staff worked on the front line, Conservative Campaign Headquarters partied.
“What’s worse is the current Prime Minister granted Boris Johnson’s request to give some of these people honours.
“There are thousands of families out there who deserve an apology for this scandal – Rishi Sunak should give them one immediately.”
