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New footage shows officials laughing about ‘Downing Street Christmas Party’ while Manchester was in Tier 3
‘I worked every day in the NHS and it didn’t cross our minds to have a Christmas party’
Damning new footage has shown government officials laughing about an alleged ‘Downing Street Christmas party’ at the same time Greater Manchester residents were in Tier 3.
The video, obtained by ITV News, was shot on December 22nd last year and shows the Prime Minister’s former spokesperson Allegra Stratton being quizzed about a rumoured Christmas party, to which she laughed and joked about it instead being a ‘business meeting’ with no social distancing.
Laughing and gesturing to the camera, Stratton says: “This is recorded … This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced.”
Another Downing Street employee could also be seen sitting in the audience, laughing and pointing out that it ‘wasn’t a party… It was cheese and wine.’
Since the footage went viral, people across the nation have been reacting in horror, particularly those from Greater Manchester, who were living under strict Tier 3 restrictions at the time.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham tweeted simply: “To think of all the sacrifices they asked people in Greater Manchester to make.”
Twitter user @annienic123 responded to the mayor, writing: “We missed our beloved auntie’s funeral. I worked every day in the NHS and it didn’t cross our minds to have a Christmas party.
“We worked, we wore masks, we took our lateral flow tests, we came home and showered and prayed we weren’t bringing the virus home to our families.”
User @NorthAngry also replied: “I stuck to the rules. I didn’t see my Dad. He was in a care home with dementia. On that day we had a ‘window visit’ and he was worried that I was cold and why couldn’t I come in for a cuppa. He died in April. I cannot forgive this.”
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has repeatedly stressed that no Covid rules were broken while his spokesman denied earlier on Tuesday that any event at Downing Street took place.
The Prime Minister is set to face a series of tough questions regarding the alleged party when he squares off with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs later on today.