Christmas party joke video criticised by Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered an inquiry into whether rules were broken

A leaked video of Downing Street staff laughing about a Christmas party makes it harder to get Covid restriction messages across, a council leader says.

The footage obtained by ITV shows senior No 10 staff joking about it - days after one was held there during lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologised and ordered an inquiry.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Abi Brown said the issue made her job "much harder".

"I did not get to see my family either over Christmas last year," she added. "I feel very disappointed that other people were not doing the things which we were all doing."

The Christmas party joke video showed a "poor sense of judgement", council leader Abi Brown said

The mock news conference shown in the video took place in Downing Street on Tuesday 22 December 2020, without members of the media present.

At the time, the government's coronavirus guidance specifically stated that people should not have Christmas parties - and gatherings in London of two or more people indoors were banned unless they were "reasonably necessary" for work.

Mr Johnson told MPs he was "furious to see that clip" but he repeated that there was no party and no Covid rules were broken.

He said he had asked the cabinet secretary to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible.

Hearing such an event may have taken place "demonstrates a really poor sense of judgement", Conservative councillor Ms Brown said.

"I will continue to do the right thing and I will ask everybody out there in the city to continue to do that with me."

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