Boris Johnson has paid tribute to his “fine colleague” Allegra Stratton following her resignation after footage emerged of her joking about a Downing Street Christmas party while the country was under Covid restrictions.
In the video obtained by ITV News, Ms Stratton could be heard joking that a supposed party at No 10 days earlier was “was not socially distanced” and suggested passing it off as “a business meeting”.
The former journalist, who was serving as a Cop26 spokesperson, said she would regret the remarks “for the rest of my days”, adding: “To all of you who lost loved ones, who endured intolerable loneliness and who struggled with your businesses, I’m truly sorry.”
Facing questions as he held a Downing Street press conference on new Covid measures, the prime minister said it had been “a sad day as well as an infuriating event for many people around the country”, adding that Ms Stratton had “achieved a great deal in her time in government”.
His comments came as polling suggested a majority of voters believe he should resign himself over his handling of the allegations. Worryingly for the prime minister, one in three of those who voted Conservative at the last general election in 2019 said he should stand down.
