Partygate: Conservative Party employees filmed consuming and dancing throughout COVID lockdown

Conservative Party employees have been filmed celebrating at their London headquarters through the peak of the COVID lockdown.

New footage, obtained by The Mirror, exhibits the employees at a Christmas celebration dancing, consuming and joking about COVID restrictions whereas lockdown guidelines have been in place in December 2020.

Two of these on the celebration have been named in Boris Johnson‘s resignation honours checklist.

One couple could be seen holding arms and dancing animatedly to Fairytale Of New York whereas twirling across the room, at one level knocking right into a desk laden with celebration foods and drinks.

During the video, one man could be heard asking: “Are you filming this?” whereas one other responds, “it’s for party, erm, party use.”

Someone else quips, “Instagram live!”

The first individual then laughs, and says: “As long as we are not streaming that we’re, like, bending the rules.”

It is known to have been filmed at a time when many households have been unable to see each other over Christmas as a result of lockdown tier system, limiting the quantity of people that have been capable of combine collectively indoors.

The Mirror mentioned greater than 24 individuals attended the occasion, and declare at the very least 9 individuals could be seen within the video.

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The two individuals on the occasion recognised in Mr Johnson’s honours checklist are former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey (who is known to have left earlier than the video was taken) – who has been given a peerage – and Ben Mallet, the Tory marketing campaign director for the 2021 London mayoral election, who could be seen within the video carrying brightly colored braces.

The video is prone to flip the highlight again onto former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, simply days after the privileges committee discovered he had repeatedly misled MPs with denials over partygate.

The Mirror beforehand launched a photograph from the celebration, which was subsequently investigated by police. No additional motion was taken on the time as a result of lack of proof.

Responding to the video, a Conservative Party spokesperson mentioned: “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 14 December 2020.

“Formal disciplinary motion was taken towards the 4 CCHQ employees who have been seconded to the Bailey marketing campaign.”

Angela Rayner, Labour deputy leader, said the video showed attendees “brazenly mocked the foundations,” adding that the recent honours announcement was a “sickening insult”.

She said: “Revellers at this lockdown Tory booze up brazenly mocked the foundations the British individuals adopted. The Tories suppose it is one rule for them and one rule for everybody else.”

“Instead of forcing them to face the implications, Rishi Sunak has caved into Boris Johnsons’ calls for and chosen to reward them with honours. It’s a sickening insult.”

“This Prime Minister is failing to ship the integrity he promised and displaying he is too weak to show the web page on 13 years of Tory scandal.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Conservative MPs and ministers needs to be sick to their stomachs seeing this new Partygate footage.

“While families grieved and NHS staff worked on the front line, Conservative Campaign Headquarters partied.

“What’s worse is the present Prime Minister granted Boris Johnson’s request to provide a few of these individuals honours.

“There are thousands of families out there who deserve an apology for this scandal – Rishi Sunak should give them one immediately.”