Boris Johnson: 'No excuse' for Downing Street Christmas party footage

Boris Johnson said there was “no excuse” for the video showing No 10 aides joking about an alleged lockdown party but added that Allegra Stratton had been a “fine colleague”.

“Allegra Stratton has resigned and I wanted to pay tribute to her because she has been, in spite of what everybody has seen, and again, I make no excuses for the frivolity with which the subject was handled in that rehearsal that people saw in that clip,” the Prime Minister told a press briefing.

“There can be no excuse for it. I can totally understand how infuriating it was.

“But I want to say that Allegra has been a fine colleague, has achieved a great deal in her time in Government, and was a particularly effective spokesman for Cop26 – she coined the coal, cars, cash, trees agenda and helped to marshal and rally the world behind the agreement.

“If you’ll forgive me, I wanted to say that because it is a sad day for her, as well as an infuriating event for many people around the county.”

Boris Johnson said he had asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to look at allegations relating to December 18, rather than at any other dates.

He said: “As far as I’m concerned, all the evidence I can see is that people in this building have stayed within the rules.

“If that turns out not to be the case, and people wish to bring allegations to my attention or to the police or whoever, then of course there will be proper sanctions.”

He added: “He (Mr Case) is looking at the issue of December 18, he may wish to look at other things but that is a matter, frankly, for him.”