A senior adviser to Boris Johnson has resigned after the prime minister said he was “sickened and furious” about leaked video showing her laughing about a Christmas party held in No 10 during coronavirus restrictions.
Allegra Stratton, Johnson’s spokeswoman on the Cop26 climate conference, offered her “profound” apologies in a tearful statement today for the comments she made during a mock press conference after the party in December last year.
“The British people have made immense sacrifices in the battle against Covid-19,” she said outside her home in north London. “I now fear that my comments in the leaked video have become a distraction from that fight. My remarks seemed to make light of the rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey. That was never my intention. I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days and offer profound apologies to all of you for them.
“I understand the anger and frustration that people feel. To all of you who lost loved ones, endured intolerable loneliness and struggled with your business — I am sorry. This afternoon I have offered my resignation to the prime minister. Thank you for your time.”
Stratton, 41, a former journalist, was poached by Johnson from Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, to be his official spokeswoman last year. She was intended to present White House-style televised briefings to the nation on a daily basis.
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Her arrival in No 10 triggered a sequence of events that ultimately led Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior aide, to leave alongside Lee Cain, the director of communications. Stratton allied herself with Carrie Johnson, the prime minister’s then fiancée, and played a pivotal role in forcing Cummings and Cain out of Downing Street in November last year.
The plans for televised briefings in Downing Street were subsequently shelved and Stratton went on to work as the prime minister’s spokeswoman for Cop26.
Downing Street had repeatedly denied that a Christmas party was held in No 10 on December 18 last year. However, yesterday it shifted its position after a clip was leaked of Stratton and other No 10 colleagues appearing to make light of the party while rehearsing for press briefings.
The video shows Stratton smiling and pausing when asked about the party by Ed Oldfield, a broadcast adviser to the prime minister, before saying: “I went home.” Oldfield then asks: “Would the prime minister condone having a Christmas party?”
Stratton laughs and replies: “What’s the answer?” Staff attempt to help her formulate a response. “It wasn’t a party, it was cheese and wine,” says one. “Is cheese and wine all right?” Stratton asks. The staff member who made the comment seems to say: “No . . . joking.”
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“It was a business meeting,” Stratton adds. She then warns her colleagues “this is recorded” and adds: “This fictional party was a business meeting . . . and it was not socially distanced.”
At prime minister’s questions today Johnson said: “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 people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules because I was also furious to see that clip. I apologise unreservedly for the offence that it has caused up and down the country and I apologise for the impression that it gives. 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.”
He has asked Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, to investigate.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, said he was sickened by the video. “For me, we all had to follow the rules, it was a pretty miserable time, many people couldn’t see their loved ones, many people couldn’t go to work, I think all of us have seen that video and have been pretty repulsed by it and angry about what is going on. We will see what the inquiry produces when it comes to the facts and I know the prime minister will be determined to take any action necessary.”
