Downing Street Christmas party row: RECAP: Boris Johnson announces Plan B measures in England as pressure mounts
Boris Johnson is set to address the public on coronavirus as ministers consider imposing new restrictions in response to rising cases and the spread of the Omicron variant.
The Prime Minister will front a press conference from Downing Street at 6pm on Wednesday, No 10 said, after considering measures including guidance to work from home and the introduction of domestic vaccine passports for events and large venues.
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Hide AdLeaked footage from No 10’s £2.6 million press briefing room emerged on Monday night which showed former press secretary Allegra Stratton laughing as she appeared to rehearse answers to questions over a lockdown-busting Christmas party.
The video, which is reported to be from December 22 last year, refers to a party on “Friday” – which would have been December 18, the same day The Daily Mirror reported there was a staff party where games were played, food and drinks were served, and revelries went on past midnight.
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Politics Live: Boris Johnson holds press conference on Covid at Downing Street
Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy called on the Prime Minister to “come clean” with the British public.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It really is quite unacceptable that this is seen as something that is sort of humorous, or something that isn’t serious, or something that suggests that there can be one rule for a Prime Minister and those in No 10 and another rule for the British public.”
Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “What I know is that the Prime Minister said that no rules were broken. And nobody’s suggesting that he was at this party.”
This morning, no Cabinet minister offered to represent the Government in morning broadcast interviews, and there were questions over whether a suggested press conference to mark one year since the first coronavirus vaccine was delivered would go ahead.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid pulled out of national interviews, vaccines minister Maggie Throup is also understood to have pulled out of a planned round of regional television interviews.
Good morning and welcome to the Scotsman’s live blog following a dramatic night in UK politics.
If you are just getting up to speed, leaked footage from No 10’s press briefing room emerged last night showing former press secretary Allegra Stratton laughing as she appeared to rehearse answers to questions over a lockdown-busting Christmas party.
The video, which is reported to be from December 22 last year, refers to a party on “Friday” – which would have been December 18, the same day The Daily Mirror reported there was a staff party where games were played, food and drinks were served, and revelries went on past midnight.
No 10 initially did not say the reports were inaccurate but said all rules had been followed, before later denying any party had taken place.