No 10 sorry for meat and alcohol at Diwali event

No 10 has apologised after meat and alcohol were served at a Downing Street event to celebrate the festival of Diwali, held last month.

In a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Conservative MP Shivani Raja said the decision was "not in keeping with the customs of many Hindus" and displayed a "disappointing lack of knowledge of the customs and traditions that many British citizens hold dear".

In a statement, first reported by Politico, a Downing Street spokesman said "a mistake was made in the organisation of the event".

"We understand the strength of feeling on this issue and so would apologise to the community and assure them it will not happen again," he added.

Downing Street first began hosting events to celebrate Diwali in 2009 under then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The tradition has continued under successive prime ministers, including Rishi Sunak, who in 2022 became the UK's first Hindu prime minister.

The five-day festival, celebrated by Sikhs and Jains as well as Hindus, symbolises new beginnings, the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

There are different interpretations on how Hindus should treat animals, however cows are considered a sacred animal and many choose not to eat beef, while others avoid meat during the festival or altogether.

Practising Sikhs and Jains often abstain from alcohol and many choose to be vegetarian.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister was pleased to welcome a range of communities celebrating Diwali to a reception in Downing Street.

"He paid tribute to the huge contribution the British Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities make to our country and how the government is driven by the shared values of hard work, ambition and aspiration."