Sunderland MP reacts as anger mounts at Number 10 and Boris Johnson over 'Downing Street Christmas party'

Boris Johnson has ordered an investigation into claims Downing Street staff broke lockdown rules by holding a Christmas party last year and told MPs he was “furious” about footage apparently showing aides joking about the party, which allegedly took place during lockdown on December 18 last year.

The PM apologised “unreservedly” in Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament on Wednesday for the offence caused by the footage of his then-spokeswoman Allegra Stratton at a mock press conference.

Bridget Phillipson said the Government ‘laughed’ while others lost their lives and slammed the PM for failing to ‘come clean’.

Speaking via Twitter, Ms Phillipson said: “While Downing Street laughed about covering up their lockdown party, people were losing their lives to Covid-19.

"Today the Prime Minister still wouldn't come clean about what happened or take responsibility for it. The British people will draw their own conclusions.”

Bridget Phillipson, who is Shadow Education Secretary, also slammed Gavin Williamson after it was confirmed the Department of Education also held a Christmas party on December 10 last year while the MP was Education Secretary.

She said: “Last year the country was in lockdown, schools were weighing up whether to close, and children had missed months of school. But the Department for Education didn’t have a plan. They had a party.”

Downing Street spent much of last week denying the party, before the leaked ITV video showed Allegra Stratton laughing, saying she “went home” and that the party “wasn’t socially distanced”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Prime Minister’s apology “raises more questions than answers” as he had been “caught red-handed”.

He said: “Millions of people now think the Prime Minister was taking them for fools, that they were lied to. They are right aren’t they?”

It comes amid suggestions ministers are considering moving to Plan B measures in England, such as calling for people to work from home and implementing vaccine passports.

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