No. 10 in crisis over leaked Christmas party video

Downing Street is in crisis mode this morning following the publication of a leaked video showing senior No. 10 staff joking about a Christmas party. The clip was recorded just four days after they are alleged to have held one in breach of Covid restrictions in place at the time. In the video of a practice press briefing filmed last Christmas, a special adviser asks the then No. 10 spokeswoman Allegra Stratton about reports ‘on Twitter that there was a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night’. In response aides in the room appear to joke about how they would explain the event – asking whether ‘cheese and wine’ is allowed before acknowledging that they are being recorded.

The video has so far led to an angry response from members of the public as well as ministers and MPs. In a sign that ministers will struggle to write this one off as a ‘Westminster Bubble’ story, it makes the front of the majority of today’s papers.