Police ‘considering’ new Partygate footage as Gove gives apology
T
he Metropolitan Police is “considering” controversial footage of a celebration held on the top of the Covid lockdown on the Conservative Party’s marketing campaign headquarters.
Shocking footage obtained by the Daily Mirror reveals employees ingesting, dancing and seemingly mocking lockdown legal guidelines at a Christmas celebration on December 14, 2020.
At least 24 revellers – together with two staffers named on Boris Johnson’s controversial honours record – attended the bash, with a spokesperson for the Met Police saying: “We are aware of the footage and are considering it.”
At the time of the celebration, London was in Tier 2 Covid restrictions earlier than quickly after being moved to Tier 3.
Tier 2 banned all mixing between households indoors bar assist bubbles and stated solely six folks have been allowed to satisfy socially distanced outdoors.
It got here as Tory Minister Michael Gove issued a public apology after admitting the footage was “terrible” and “completely out of order”.
“The fact this party went ahead is indefensible,” he advised Sky News. “I want to apologise to everyone who, looking at that, will think these people are flouting the rules designed to protect us all.”
One attendee could be heard saying, “as long as we don’t stream that we’re, like, bending the rules,” earlier than laughing whereas a person and girl maintain fingers and dance.
The pair crash right into a buffet desk stacked with meals and wine glasses at one level, whereas different company stroll previous carrying paper crowns and clutching alcoholic drinks.
After being proven a detrimental response to the video, Mr Gove added: “The people who were there I’m sure feel contrite, I certainly hope they do.
“As I say there was a previous investigation into this and we now know more about it, but I can only say to Paul that I’m very, very sorry that there were people who were working in Government very hard on his behalf, not all of whom on every occasion will have made the right decision in policy terms, but all of the time we were thinking about how we could help Paul and others.
“There’s a Covid Inquiry ongoing at the moment which will look at the decisions that Government made.
“I think one of the most important things that all of us can do is to look back at the decisions that Government made and make sure that we’re better prepared if a future pandemic comes along, but for Paul and for others who are grieving, who suffered and who lost relatives or whose only family had to endure these rules, I can only apologise.”
CCHQ stated “formal disciplinary action” was taken towards 4 employees members, who have been seconded to the London mayoral marketing campaign of Shaun Bailey, over the “unauthorised” occasion.
The failed candidate – who was handed a peerage by former prime minister Boris Johnson in his controversial resignation honours record – has beforehand apologised for the occasion after the pictured emerged.
At the time, the Met determined no additional motion would taken as a result of lack of proof.