Why are people talking about a Downing Street Christmas party?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the government are under fire at the moment and it's all about a Christmas party.

But not one for this Christmas, it's about one from last year - in 2020.

At the time, coronavirus rules in England said gatherings weren't allowed, and many people weren't allowed to meet up with their family and friends, but the government is being accused of allowing a party to go ahead in 10 Downing Street - the prime minister's home and office.

After a week of reports about this party - which Boris Johnson didn't attend and Downing Street still denies happened - a video has come out showing senior staff laughing and joking about it.

Speaking in Parliament, the PM apologised for the video and has ordered an inquiry into whether Covid regulations were ignored, although he added that he has been repeatedly assured there was no party and no rules were broken.

Now an official investigation into government staff parties is to focus on three events that took place last year.

Downing Street parties on 27 November and 18 December, and at the education department on 10 December will be examined for Covid rule breaches.

Here's what you need to know.

What is going on?

Reports started to come out last week that a party took place on 18 December 2020 in Downing Street, with the BBC later being told that "several dozen" people attended.

Information given to the BBC, by someone who claimed to be there, said that party games were played, food and drink were served, and the party went on past midnight.

Downing Street continues to say no party took place, and Boris Johnson - who was not at the party - said no Covid rules were broken.

10 Downing Street is the UK prime minister's home and office

Now a video has been released of a news conference rehearsal after the party in December 2020.

In the video, which was given to ITV News, the PM's then press spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, is asked questions about the party by colleagues.

The footage is seen as a big embarrassment for the government and has already been watched by millions of people, and was even joked about by Ant and Dec on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

What's in the video?

A video has been leaked showing senior Downing Street staff joking about the party

In the clip, Ms Stratton responds in a playful tone to questions from colleagues pretending to be journalists. One of her then colleagues asks her about reports of a party in Downing Street "on Friday night".

In reply, Ms Stratton says: "I went home" and then pauses. After a follow-up question asking if the prime minister would "condone" a Christmas party - meaning would he be OK that it happened - Ms Stratton asks: "What's the answer?"

When another staff member jokes that "it wasn't a party, it was cheese and wine", she laughs and asks "is cheese and wine all right?", adding: "This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced."

In response to the clip, Number 10 said: "There was no Christmas party. Covid rules have been followed at all times."

On Wednesday, Ms Stratton told journalists outside of her house that she has resigned from her role as a spokeswoman for the PM.

Ms Stratton said her comments in the video "seemed to make light of the rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey".

She added: "That was never my intention. I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days and offer my profound apologies to all of you at home for them."

Why does it matter?

Boris Johnson has denied any party took place in Downing Street last Christmas

There are two main reasons that this is making big news.

Firstly gatherings like the ones described to the BBC weren't allowed according the rules.

At the time, the government's coronavirus guidance specifically said 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.

A day after Ms Stratton's jokey exchange, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that strict lockdown rules would be in place over Christmas for parts of England, meaning many could not see relatives during the festive period.

There is anger that the government was asking people to follow the rules while, behind closed doors, people who work for them seemingly weren't.

Secondly, many people - even on the PM's own team in Parliament - are angry at the way this is being dealt with and fear it could damage how much faith people have that Downing Street tells the truth.

During a time when the pandemic is still part of our lives, people being able to trust what the government say is really important, as is making sure that people don't start to see any rules they are asked to follow as 'optional'.

What are people saying?

In parliament. Mr Johnson apologised for the video but not the party, which he says he was assured didn't happen

Boris Johnson has said he understands and shares the anger at the video - saying: "I was also furious to see that clip... I apologise unreservedly for the offence that it gave up and down the country."

He has asked the cabinet secretary to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible and said that if rules have been broken, there will be disciplinary action for all those involved.

However, several ministers and MPs had been on TV in the last few days defending Downing Street and have been repeating the message that the party never happened.

Now BBC political expert Laura Kuenssberg says that Conservative MPs speaking to her since the video emerged have been using the words "indefensible", "catastrophic" and "astonishing".

Also, Douglas Ross, the leader of the Conservative Party in Scotland said Mr Johnson should quit if he was found to have misled Parliament: "If he knew there was a party, if he knew it took place, then he cannot come to the House of Commons and say there was no party," he told Sky News

Leader of the opposition Kier Starmer says the situation is "shameful"

The Labour Party's Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition, said the prime minister was taking the public for fools.

People across the country had "followed the rules even when that meant being separated from their families," he said.

He added: "They had a right to expect that the government was doing the same. To lie and to laugh about those lies is shameful."

The SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said the prime minister "must remove himself from office immediately" if it was true there was a Downing Street Christmas party that was not socially distanced last year.

Mr Blackford said the video was "damning and leaves the prime minister with a lot to answer for" while "every individual up and down the country was told to stay at home in order to protect the NHS".

The Metropolitan Police reviewed the footage, which it said related to "alleged breaches" of coronavirus regulations.

However it then said it was not investigating allegations No 10 staff broke Covid rules in December of last year due to "an absence of evidence".