UK Politics

Former journalist Allegra Stratton has resigned as an aide to Boris Johnsonf after widespread anger over a video of her joking about the illegal No.10 lockdown Christmas party.Stratton first made her name in Westminster as a political correspondent at The Guardian, before moving to become political editor of the BBC’s Newsnight programme, with a further stint at ITV News.She originally jointed government as Rishi Sunak’s communications director, and was then poached by Downing Street to become the prime minister’s new spokesperson.Stratton, who had ample broadcast experience, was handpicked by No.10 to lead planned daily televised press conferences – and was expected to become a well-known face of the governemnt.It was in rehearsals for this role that the infamous video was shot – with colleagues asking her mock questions about the party.But plans for the press conference were canned, and Stratton was moved to a lower-profile job spinning for the government’s climate summit. The Mail on Sunday reported at the time that some members of No.10 staff had “reservations” about making her the face of the government – perhaps based on the now infamous rehearsals.The Guardian may not be the most obvious former employer for a Tory government spokesperson, but Stratton has long moved in Conservative circles. She is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator magazine – which the prime minister famously used to edit.Her connections to the Tory establishment don’t end there: her ex-boss Rishi Sunak was the best man at the pair’s wedding.Stratton’s journalistic career has been one of a news reporter rather than a comment writer – so it’s hard to say for sure what her exact political opinions are. One clue however comes from her stint as political editor of Newsnight, when she provoked outrage with a report on the government’s proposed cuts to welfare benefits.The government line at the time was that benefits needed to be cut because unemployed people were living on benefit as a “lifestyle choice”. Stratton lined up an interviewee to illustrate the supposed problem, grilling an east London single mother who received help with her housing costs and portraying her as an unemployed burden. The report however failed to mention that the mother actually had a job, rather undermining the thrust of Stratton’s framing.To make matters worse, Private Eye magazine reported at the time that the future Tory spokesperson had dismissed several other interviewees offered by Tower Hamlets council, including a couple with four children who had lost their jobs and faced having to leave London. The magazine reported her as telling council officials: “You must have got people living on benefits as a lifestyle choice!” before adding: “People should think about whether they can afford kids before they have them!”The incident provoked an outcry and led to headlines like “How Newsnight humiliated single mother Shanene Thorpe”, and “How Newsnight demonised a single mother”, with The Independent’s own columnist Laurie Penny opining that “Shame has become our stick for beating the poor.” The programme issued an apology after 50,000 people signed a petition.Stratton, who was educated at the Latymer Upper School, a public school in Hammersmith, before attending Emmanuel College Cambridge, was widely considered an obvious frontrunner for the job of No.10 spokesperson. She was due to start the new role in the middle of one of the greatest peacetime crises since the Second World War, with politics as divisive as ever.But the televised press conference plan never went ahead – its only significant legacy a little-used briefing room in Downing Street, and this week’s leaked video. More

A furious Conservative party member has revealed she quit the party immediately after hearing Boris Johnson’s “barefaced lies” about the No 10 Christmas party.Melanie, a lifelong Tory, phoned to BBC Radio 5 Live to call for the prime minister to resign, saying: “I just cannot believe what he says anymore.”“I resigned five minutes into PMQs [prime minister’s questions], she told the show, adding – of Mr Johnson’s partial apology for the controversy – “It’s just bare faced lies.“He was there, backed into a corner. I am at the point I just think he needs to resign. I think he’s doing an injustice to anybody that’s ever voted Conservative.”Melanie said she had “always only voted Conservative”, saying: “I only became a member when Boris really came to the forefront. I really liked Boris“Over the last couple of weeks, I sort of began to doubt a lot of things,” she said, before the tipping point of his performance at a stormy prime minister’s questions.In the Commons, Mr Johnson apologised for the video of senior Downing Street staff joking about holding a lockdown-breaking party – after days of denying any party took place.He announced an investigation by the Cabinet Secretary, but still refused to admit there was a party and claimed he had been “assured’ that no Covid rules were broken if there was.In evidence that the controversy has cut through to the public – in a way that most political rows fail to do – a snap poll found 54 per cent of voters believe Mr Johnson should quit.The Conservatives are increasingly gloomy about the North Shropshire by-election next week, one senior Tory telling The Independent: “We wrote that off a week ago.”The Liberal Democrats are increasingly confident of pulling off a shock to dwarf even their triumph at Chesham and Amersham earlier this year, in a vote forced by the resignation of the disgraced Owen Paterson.The party reports the controversy is being raised by North Shropshire voters and that it has “put rocket boosters’ under their campaign. More

More than half of voters believe Boris Johnson should resign as prime minister over allegations of a lockdown-breaking Christmas party at 10 Downing Street, according to two separate polls conducted as the PM announced an inquiry into the claims.And in worrying results for the prime minister, one in three of those who voted Conservative at the last general election in 2019 said he should stand down.Some 54 per cent of voters – and 33 per cent of Tory supporters – taking part in a Savanta ComRes snap poll said the PM should quit, along with 53 per cent in an Opinium survey, including 35 per cent of Tory voters.Some 63 per cent of those in the Opinium poll said Mr Johnson was not telling the truth about what happened, against just 12 per cent who thought he was. Sixty-four per cent believe that the alleged 18 December party in No 10 took place, while only nine per cent continue to believe it did not.More than three-quarters of those taking part in the Savanta poll said the PM should apologise for the party (76 per cent). The figure was up 13 points since a similar question at the weekend and included more than two-thirds of Conservative voters (67 per cent). Some 79 per cent said the PM’s former press secretary Allegra Stratton should resign after being filmed laughing about the incident.And – on the day when Mr Johnson is thought likely to introduce tougher rules on crowded venues and new guidance to work from home – three in 10 (29 per cent) said they were less likely to follow government Covid restrictions as a result of the scandal.Answering questions in the House of Commons today, Mr Johnson apologised for any offence caused by a video of No 10 staff discussing an alleged party and the impression it might have given that they did not take Covid restrictions seriously.But he offered no apology for the gathering itself and declined to say whether he believed that it took place or not, telling MPs only that he had been assured it did not and had asked cabinet secretary Simon Case to establish the truth.Respondents to the Savanta ComRes poll were asked whether the PM should resign “now”, rather than depending on the outcome of the Case inquiry.The 54 per cent figure was higher than the 50 per cent who said he should quit over claims that he had said he was ready to see “bodies pile high” to avoid another lockdown.Some 83 per cent said that the public and those who had lost loved ones to Covid had been let down.Savanta ComRes political research director Chris Hopkins said: “As the prime minister continues to refuse to acknowledge the party or admit that there was a breach of Covid guidelines, it’s clear from this poll that the public are taking a dim view of the scandal, with an overwhelming majority saying that the government have let the public, the NHS and, crucially, those who have lost loved ones to Covid, down.“However, while many believe the PM and his former press secretary should apologise for their role in the story, far fewer feel he should resign and, interestingly, a sizable proportion of around two in five said that a fictional person, put into the poll as a control, should resign for their, ultimately non-existent, role in the story. “While the PM may have to add forgiveness to his Christmas wish list, he may still have time to do enough to avoid being on Santa’s naughty list this year – but it does seem to feel as though the PM’s rope is shortening after each governmental mishap.”Elsewhere in the poll, the vast majority (72 per cent) say that the Metropolitan Police should investigate any wrongdoing or illegal activity in reference to the alleged party.• Savanta ComRes interviewed 1,036 UK adults on 8 December 2021.Opinium carried out an online survey of 1,116 adults on 7 and 8 December. More

Boris Johnson should resign if he misled parliament about an illegal Christmas party at Downing Street, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said.Speaking on Wednesday Douglas Ross said that there was “clearly” a party “of sorts” – contrasting with No.10 denials over the matter.Mr Ross said: “If he knew about the party this time last year or at any point up until he was asked about it in the House of Commons and still said he knew nothing about it and I wasn’t a party, that’s a serious allegations – and I don’t support anyone deliberately misleading parliament, so I’m not going to protect anyone for that.”According to BBC Scotland, the Scottish Tory leader added: “No-one should continue in their post if they mislead parliament in that way.”A poll by Savanta ComRes released on Wednesday found that one third of 2019 Tory voters, and a majority – 54 per cent – of all voters believe Mr Johnson should resign. It comes as former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson described Mr Johnson’s response to Keir Starmer at PMQs as “pathetic” and said Tory colleagues were also “furious”.“None of this is remotely defensible. Not having busy, boozy not-parties while others were sticking to the rules, unable to visit ill or dying loved ones. Nor flat-out denying things that are easily provable,” she said. “And today’s ‘we’ll investigate what we’ve spent a week saying didn’t happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren’t broken’ was pathetic.”More follows… More

The inquiry ordered by Boris Johnson from cabinet secretary Simon Case will look only at allegations of a Downing Street party on 18 December last year and not into wider claims of gatherings on other dates, No 10 has said.And a Downing Street spokesperson said that the civil service chief has been given no deadline to deliver his verdict on the explosive claims.While No 10 said the prime minister wanted answers as quickly as possible, the spokesperson said that it was for Mr Case to decide how long his probe should take.The Daily Mirror article which initially reported that a Christmas party took place in No 10 on 18 December also gave details of a second bash on 27 November to say farewell to a departing aide, which  Mr Johnson is alleged to have attended.And a third party allegedly took place on 13 November, the day of the departure of Mr Johnson’s former top aide Dominic Cummings.Asked whether Mr Case would be free to inquire into these allegations, a No 10 spokesperson said: “He has been asked to establish the facts of any events on the 18th.”Downing Street refused to say whether Mr Case himself was at any party at No 10 on the evening of the 18 December.And spokespeople declined to confirm whether the prime minister himself now believes that a party in fact took place.They would also not say whether Downing Street stands by official statements made over the last week that no party took place and that Covid rules were observed at all times.“You have our previous statements,” said a source. “Now the prime minister has asked the cabinet secretary to establish the facts.“While that is ongoing it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to discuss details.”The PM’s press secretary said that ministers had been pulled from scheduled TV and radio interviews on Wednesday morning because Mr Johnson wanted to announce the Case inquiry directly to MPs himself.But she said that the usual practice of ministers being made available for a morning round of interviews will be resumed on Thursday. More

Boris Johnson has apologised for the “offence” cause by the leaked footage which shows Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party at No 10 last year.The prime minister said he had asked the cabinet secretary to investigate claims of a festive party on 18 December last year – telling MPs at PMQs that he was “furious” at footage of aides laughing about the issue.“I understand and share the anger of No 10 staff making light of lockdown measures. I was also furious to see that clip, I apologise unreservedly for the offence it has caused up and down the country and the impression it gives,” Mr Johnson said.But the prime minister still refused to admit a festive gathering had taken place at No 10. “I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken.”Mr Johnson added: “I’ve asked the cabinet secretary to establish all the facts and report back as soon as possible – if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary rules.”Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the PM’s apology “raises more questions than answers” – reminding Mr Johnson that he and his ministers “spent the week telling the British public there was no party and all guidance was followed completely”.Sir Keir added: “Millions of people now think the prime minister was taking them for fools, that they were lied to. They are right, aren’t they?”Mr Johnson replied: “I apologise for the impression that has been given that staff in Downing Street take this less than seriously – I am sickened myself and furious,” before repeating that he had been personally “assured” by his staff there was no party.The leaked video shared by ITV – recorded on 22 December last year – shows then-press secretary Allegra Stratton appearing to joke about an illicit party at No 10 during a rehearsal for televised daily government media briefings.The prime minister did agree to hand over “everything the government knows” about potentially illegal Christmas parties to the police following pressure from the Labour leader. “Of course we will do that,” said Mr Johnson.Mr Johnson was also asked if there was a party at Downing Street on November 13 following a shock new claim made by Dominic Cummings.Shortly after PMQs began, his former adviser asked on Twitter if the cabinet secretary would “also be asked to investigate the *flat* party on Friday 13 November”.Asked by Labour MP Catherine West if there was festive gathering on that date, the prime minister replied: “No – but I’m sure that whatever happened the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.”Backbench Tory MP William Wragg accused Mr Johnson of using a “diversionary tactic” – with the PM and senior ministers today expected to agree on the introduction of tighter ‘plan B’ Covid restrictions at an emergency meeting. “No decisions will be taken without consulting the cabinet,” Mr Johnson said.Meanwhile, SNP leader at Westminster Ian Blackford called on Mr Johnson to resign – or for Tory MPs to oust him – over the party controversy, claiming the PM “can no longer lead on the most pressing issue facing these islands”.The SNP MP said: “It’s clear this prime minister has lost the support of the public. It is clear this PM who desperately intends to cling to power. It is time for members in this house to act, if he doesn’t resign, then he must be removed.”Ruth Davidson, the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said she was not impressed by Downing Street’s “pathetic” position. The peer said on Twitter that her Tory colleagues are “furious at this too”.She said “today’s ‘we’ll investigate what we’ve spent a week saying didn’t happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren’t broken’ was pathetic”.Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale earlier warned the “game’s up” for Boris Johnson if he deliberately misleads the Commons over any Christmas party, while Tory peer Baroness Warsi also called for anyone found to have attended the festive gathering to resign. More

Boris Johnson has said there will “effectively be a diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics in Beijing – revealing that no UK ministers and no British officials will attend the games.Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith had urged the prime minister to follows the lead of the US by having a full diplomatic boycott of the games in China in February 2022.Mr Johnson told MPs in the Commons: “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers are expected to attend and no officials.”However, the prime minister also made clear at PMQs on Wednesday that the British government was not keen on any sporting boycott and Team GB would still take part in the games.“What I can tell the House is I don’t think sporting boycotts are sensible and that remains the policy of the government,” said Mr Johnson.The PM also said the government has no qualms about raising concerns over human rights abuses with Beijing. “The government has no hesitation in raising these issues with China, as I did with President Xi the last time I talked to him,” he added.Labour had called on the government to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games back in July, arguing that a political response was needed to deny China a “PR coup” next year.The opposition said ministers show boycott the 2022 games unless China allowed UN investigators into in Xinjiang in examine alleged human rights.Beijing has strongly denied international claims about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, despite reports that more than a million people have been arbitrarily detained.The US, Australia and Lithuania have already announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games over China’s human rights record. New Zealand said it would not be sending ministers to the event, but the country’s diplomats may still attend.China has vowed to react to Monday’s announcement by the White House with “firm countermeasures”.Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that his country would be joining the US in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games.As well as citing human rights abuses, Mr Morrison said China had been very critical of Australia’s efforts to have a strong defence force in the region.China responded furiously – saying no Australian officials had been invited to the Olympics and “no one would care about whether they come or not”. More