Michael Gove apologises after video emerges of Tory staff dancing and joking at Covid lockdown Xmas party
MICHAEL Gove has apologised after a video emerged of Tory staff dancing and joking at a Covid lockdown Christmas party.
The festive get-together at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters in London is said to have involved 24 people.
It was held on December 14, 2020, when many households had cancelled their festivities after being banned from socialising indoors.
The video comes after Tory staff were disciplined when a picture from the party first emerged in December 2021.
In the previously unseen footage, revealed by The Mirror, two employees pranced about to The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York.
They danced near a “keep your distance” sign before bashing into a table full of food.
Another is heard joking: “As long as we don’t stream that we’re, like, bending the rules,” after realising someone was recording.
Mr Gove has this morning said “it’s terrible” that it happened.
The minister told Sky’s Sophy Ridge: “It’s terrible. I think it’s completely out of order. I want to apologise to everyone.
“These are people who were flouting the rules that were put in place to protect us all.”
The bash is understood to have been organised by the campaign team of then London Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey – who resigned when photos of the event were first revealed.
CCHQ said “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four staff members, who were seconded to the campaign, over the “unauthorised” event.
The clip of Tories having fun and boozing has since been condemned by rival parties.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the gathering is an “insult” to Brits.
However, Labour were previously forced to address an election “booze row” after Sir Keir Starmer enjoyed a beer indoors after a day on the campaign trail.
He was seen mixing with party workers in a constituency office in Durham back in May 2021 – months after the Tories’ gathering.
At the time, it was against the rules for people in England to gather indoors – other than for work purposes.
The clip comes just a week after a probe into Partygate produced reports – forcing Mr Johnson to quit.
Mr Johnson branded the findings “deranged” and a “charade” after MPs found him guilty of deliberately lying to the Commons.
After a 14-month investigation, the Commons Privileges Committee on Wednesday said the ex-PM deliberately misled MPs on five occasions.