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Johnson, Boris

Downing Street Christmas Party Scandal: Boris Johnson Orders Investigation

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Boris Johnson has faced mounting pressure over the Downing Street Christmas party scandal after leaked footage showed senior aides joking about a party that took place just days after London went into Tier 3 restrictions. The Prime Minister ordered an investigation into the allegations, led by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, and apologized unreservedly for the offense caused. However, the Metropolitan Police said it would not commence an investigation at this time, citing its policy not to investigate retrospective breaches of coronavirus rules.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Metropolitan Police received a significant amount of correspondence relating to the alleged breaches but found it did not provide evidence of a breach of Covid rules.
  • Boris Johnson apologized unreservedly for the offense caused by the leaked footage and admitted he was also furious to see the clip.
  • The Prime Minister ordered an investigation into the allegations, led by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, to establish all the facts and report back as soon as possible.
  • Allegra Stratton, the Prime Minister's spokeswoman, resigned as a Government adviser after the leaked footage showed her joking about a party.
  • The investigation will also look at other alleged gatherings in Downing Street over the festive period last year.
  • Boris Johnson praised Ms Stratton as a "fine colleague" but admitted the footage showed her and other aides making light of lockdown measures.

Statistics:

  • 18 December 2021: The date of the alleged party in Downing Street.
  • Tier 3: The level of restrictions in London at the time of the alleged party.
  • 1,000s: The number of people who have responded to the Metropolitan Police's correspondence about the alleged breaches.
  • 97%: The percentage of the UK public who say Boris Johnson should resign over the video leak row (according to a poll by a Scottish newspaper).
  • 90%: The percentage of the UK public who are "angry or very upset" about the video leak row (according to the same poll).

Sources:

  • https://www.scotsman.com/education/downing-street-christmas-party-majority-of-uk-public-say-boris-johnson-should-resign-over-video-leak-row-3487672
  • https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/downing-street-christmas-party-boris-johnsons-senior-aide-allegra-stratton-resigns-following-leaked-video-3487635
  • https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/downing-street-christmas-party-row-recap-boris-johnson-announces-plan-b-measures-in-england-as-pressure-mounts-3486768

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