Tory MP Aaron Bell wanted to register disgust over No 10 parties

A Conservative MP said the prime minister's actions following revelations of Downing Street parties have damaged the public's trust.

Aaron Bell, member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, asked Boris Johnson if he took him for a fool for following rules in the House of Commons on Monday.

A report from Sue Gray found a "failure of leadership" after parties to took place when the country was in lockdown.

Mr Bell said government ought to have followed the rules "to the letter".

Addressing Mr Johnson in the House of Commons, Mr Bell described driving for hours each way to his grandmother's funeral, where there were only 10 people, adding he did not hug his siblings or parents or visit his family home.

"The reason I didn't go to my nan's house for a cup of tea after was because I felt that those of us who voted for those laws needed to follow them to the letter," he said on Tuesday.

Mr Bell said he wanted to register his "disgust" at what had been going on at No 10 in the Commons.

"I was standing up for people, people who had much worse experiences," he said.

"What I have problems with is process, and following the rules.

"I'm rebelling because the people who make the rules aren't obeying them."

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Ms Gray's report concluded that some events at No 10 "should not have been allowed to take place".

"People were taking the first lockdown really seriously, to hear what was going on in the heart of the government at the same time, damages people's trust and confidence," Mr Bell said.

"There are 12 events being investigated by the Metropolitan Police, which tells you how serious it is, a number of which, he [Boris Johnson] is alleged to be at."

The prime minister accepted Ms Gray's findings and apologised for any "misjudgements that may have been made by me or anybody else in No 10". He promised to fix the culture within Downing Street and review the Civil Service's code of conduct.