A 'furious' Boris Johnson apologises after video leaked of his staff joking about a Christmas party held at Downing Street last year while the country was under tough COVID-19 restrictions.
The leaked video has also caused anger amongst the thousands of families of those who lost loved ones in the pandemic, with one labelling the government's behaviour "despicable".
"I understand and share the anger up and down the country at seeing No 10 staff seeming to make light of lockdown measures, and I can understand how infuriating it must be to think that the people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules," Mr Johnson said. "But I repeat, that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged, that there was no party, and that no COVID rules were broken, and that is what I've been repeatedly assured.Mr Johnson said the country's top civil servant, Simon Case, would investigate what happened on December 18 last year, the day the party allegedly took place.
Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer attacked Mr Johnson, saying that the public now think he was "taking them for fools".