'Boris Johnson is a coward who has thrown Downing Street staff under the bus'

Boris Johnson is clearly blind to the anger the Downing Street Christmas party has caused.

While Covid restrictions prevented the rest of us from visiting loved ones or comforting them in their final days, his staff were enjoying a knees-up in the place those rules were set.

The Prime Minister had the opportunity to admit there was a party on December 18 last year and to apologise for the offence caused. Instead he made things worse by treating the public as fools.

He has now ordered an investigation into an event he still continues to deny took place.

Does he seriously expect people to believe he had no knowledge of a party attended by dozens of his closest staff, which was held in the building where he works and lives?

Rather than take responsibility for what happened, he took the coward’s way out by throwing his staff under a bus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking at a press conference in London's Downing Street on Wednesday (PA)

Few have confidence that the inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary will be anything but a whitewash, given the narrow terms of reference.

The senior civil servant should also be investigating the two other parties said to have taken place at No10 on November 13 and 27.

The decision to hold an inquiry is clearly a ploy by Mr Johnson to buy himself time in the hope that people will forget his behaviour.

Due to the high number of infections and the spread of Omicron, home work advice has been reintroduced (Robin Utrecht/REX/Shutterstock)

Many will believe the new Covid restrictions were also rushed out to divert attention from the party furore. If people do not trust the Government’s motives they could be less willing to comply with the measures.

Mr Johnson has undermined public trust at a critical time in our fight against Covid.

So far the vast majority have abided by restrictions, making sacrifices and working together to help contain the virus. They have behaved honourably for the greater good.

The same cannot be said for the PM.

Voters will not forget how he stood by Dominic Cummings after his lockdown breach or that he tried to change the law to save his friend Owen Paterson. And they will not forget that he refused to come clean about a possibly illegal Christmas party.

Once again the Prime Minister is trying to defend the indefensible.