17 June 2023 , 18:00
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The Tories face the threat of new Partygate police probe as previously unseen footage shows staff boozing, dancing and mocking lockdown laws at the height of Covid.
A bombshell video exposes for the first time how officials joked about their lockdown rule-bending Christmas bash at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters in London.
At least 24 revellers were there and, shockingly, they include two named on ex-PM Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours list.
In the exclusive footage, two dancers even twirl past a sign saying “Please keep your distance”.
It will infuriate families who lost relatives in Covid and will reignite criticism of Mr Johnson just days after he was slammed for misleading MPs over parties at No10.
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The dance pair hit the buffet tableThis knees-up was held on December 14, 2020 – as large swathes of the UK were barred from socialising indoors.
A widely seen picture of the bash formed part of a Met Police probe last year. The force had only still images to go on and found insufficient evidence of law breaking – and no fines were issued.
But the damning video throws new light on the affair and the Met says it will assess whether it could be material to an inquiry.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Revellers openly mocked the rules the British people followed. The Tories think it’s one rule for them and one rule for everyone else.
“Instead of forcing them to face the consequences, Rishi Sunak has caved into Boris Johnson and chosen to reward them with honours. It’s a sickening insult.”
Tory aide Ben Mallet (right) was awarded an OBE last week
Boris Johnson attending a Parliamentary Privileges Committee hearing in March (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)The party was organised by the campaign team of then London Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey – now Lord Bailey after Mr Johnson made him a peer in his honours list. Mr Bailey had left the party before the video was taken.
It features Ben Mallet – awarded an OBE in Mr Johnson’s list. Mr Mallet, filmed holding a glass of red wine and wearing festive braces, was the Tories’ campaign director for the 2021 London mayoral election.
He now runs the campaign of Moz Hossain, who wants to stand in next year’s mayoral race.
The footage shows two revellers knock over wine glasses as they spiral into a table laden with buffet food. The unsteady pair twirl each other around to the sounds of The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York.
It is the first time footage has emerged of one of the rule-breaking parties in Westminster. In the video, which shows a karaoke machine with flashing lights, partygoers joke about how they are breaking the rules.
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When one man sees he is being recorded, he says: “Oh Christ.” Then another asks: “Are you filming this?” Someone else responds: “It’s for party, erm, party use.”
A man then laughs after declaring: “As long as we are not streaming that we’re, like, bending the rules.”
It was just days after the party that Mr Johnson announced even tighter restrictions which meant people in the areas worst hit by Covid could not see their loved ones over Christmas.
And the footage emerged after a dramatic week in which Partygate finally caught up with the ex-PM. In a damning report on Thursday, the Privileges Committee found he had repeatedly misled MPs over lockdown-busting gatherings.
It also accused him of being “complicit” in a “campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation” against the committee’s seven members.
There were more than 20 people at the partyThe committee said Mr Johnson would have faced a 90-day suspension from Parliament if he had not resigned in anger before the publication of its report.
The Daily Mirror published a picture of the gathering in December 2021 showing staff members and volunteers in close quarters, raising glasses of wine. A buffet is seen on trestle tables around the room.
A Metropolitan Police investigation concluded last November that the “photo by itself is not sufficient evidence on which to assess that an offence had been committed”.
A spokesman for the Met said at the time: “The investigation reviewed all the material thoroughly and, after careful consideration, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to disprove the version of events provided by attendees to a standard that would meet the threshold required.”
After the picture emerged, Mr Bailey apologised “unreservedly” for the event and resigned as chair of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee.
He tweeted: “I gave a speech to my team to thank them... it was a serious error of judgment at a time when Londoners were making immense sacrifices to keep us all safe and I regret it wholeheartedly.”
The new footage comes days after the long-awaited UK Covid-19 Inquiry began.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of 14th December 2020.
“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.”
A spokesman for the Shaun Bailey campaign said: “This is an old story. We repeatedly apologised for this event at the time. It was subject to a nearly year-long police investigation. The matter is closed.”
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