Who is Allegra Stratton? Why has Allegra Stratton resigned from Downing Street after a Christmas party?

Who is Allegra Stratton?

Allegra Stratton had previously worked as a high profile journalist before going to work for the Government's communications team in Downing Street,

Stratton had worked as a political correspondent for the Guardian Newspaper before moving to flagship BBC current affairs programme Newsnight as its political editor in 2012.

After this move she joined ITV four years later, working as a co-presenter on Peston on Sunday and a national editor for ITV News.

When she joined the government communications team, she worked as director of strategic communications for Treasury under Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. This was from April to October 2020 when she became Boris Johnson's press secretary.

Why has Allegra Stratton resigned?

The Prime Minister has ordered an investigation into claims staff broke lockdown rules by holding a Christmas party last year and told MPs he was “furious” about the footage apparently showing aides laughing about it.

Allegra Stratton, who was the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman, resigned after the leaked clip emerged, offering “profound apologies” and saying she would “regret those remarks for the rest of my days”.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly insisted that rules were followed in Downing Street since the claims first emerged about the December 18 2020 party.

Stratton, who had been working as Mr Johnson’s spokeswoman for the Cop26 climate summit, said she understood people’s “anger and frustration”.

“To all of you who lost loved ones, who endured intolerable loneliness and who struggled with your businesses, I am truly sorry and this afternoon I am offering my resignation to the Prime Minister.