Glaswegians have had their say on an alleged Downing Street party that took place during Christmas last year while the country was being placed under tight coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been under pressure over the issue in the past week, but said in the Commons today that he has been assured no party took place - although he has ordered the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the matter.
Footage released by ITV appeared to show Number 10 advisers joking about a Downing Street Christmas party during the lockdown.
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Allegra Stratton, who was the Prime Minister's spokeswoman, resigned after the leaked clip emerged, offering "profound apologies" and saying she would "regret those remarks for the rest of my days".
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has apologised for the video and told MPs he was "furious" about the footage apparently showing aides laughing about it.
Glaswegians have spoken to Glasgow Live about their reaction to the news, with responses of widespread anger from the public.
Mark told us: “When you’ve got people staying away from loved ones over Christmas, and they’re scared to go out, and sticking by the rules, if they’re making the rules, they should stick by them."
He continued: “It’s obviously at the bottom of the list of things they’ve done wrong in the last year, but I think they shouldn’t be telling us to do something and not doing it themselves.
“It’s very much an ’us and them’, particularly an ‘us and them’ south and north. I think a lot of inequality has been shown and highlighted over the pandemic. I don’t think the right voices always get heard. I think people - especially around Christmas - are going to be feeling the pinch with Universal Credit cuts. And I think if you even think about how much money they spent on that party, how many families that could feed, especially at this time of year."
Heather told us she thought the alleged party was "disgusting" and a result of a "corrupt" government.
She said: “I think it’s a wee bit disgusting to be honest, the way they treat everybody else. It’s just so corrupt and it’s like one rule for them, and another for us."
When asked if she believed the claims that the gathering was just 'cheese and wine' she said "obviously we know that’s all lies."
Meanwhile, Blair said that he was angered by the fact he was unable to see his partner for three months while she was in hospital, adding it was "one rule for them".
“You can’t say one thing and then expect everybody else to do another," he said.
"The man [Boris Johnson] is just a balloon. I think all politicians are balloons really.
“My partner was in hospital all of last Christmas. For three months last year and I couldn’t get to see her. And yet it’s alright for them to go and have a wee party in Number 10? One rule for them, commoners get nothing.”
Daniel echoed this, saying that the alleged party highlighted the "hypocrisy" within the government.
He said: “They’re all hypocrites and liars, that’s the bottom line. You can’t trust them. If you ask anybody in this street ‘do politicians lie?’ And they will say yes."
Robert added: “It makes me want to spew, because they’re leading people down the garden path and they’re laughing. It’s something that they’re saying is very serious like the virus and then taking the p***. It’s hypocrisy.
“Boris Johnson will try and talk his way out of everything he can, he’ll try and reframe it ‘it wasn’t a Christmas party’, they’ll boil it down to something that was cheese and crackers. He’s a liar. When are people going to say ‘no more. We don’t need this man, he’s a dishonourable man’. Scotland and the UK need to stand up against these guys.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said Boris Johnson cannot continue as Prime Minister if he is found to have misled Parliament.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Ross said it is "undeniable" that "some sort of party" had taken place last December.
Mr Ross said of Mr Johnson: "If he knew there was a party, if he knew it took place, then he cannot come to the House of Commons and say there was no party.
"That would be a very serious allegation if that were to be the outcome of the inquiry, and we'd have to see the outcome of the inquiry before we speculate on that.
"But anyone who says there wasn't a party, but knew about it and said in Parliament there was no party has misled Parliament.
"That is a serious charge and you cannot continue in the highest office in the land if you've done that.
"If the inquiry said that this time last year he was aware of a party being organised and he knew about a party, that's a totally different picture and we cannot have the Prime Minister or any member of any Parliament coming to the chamber saying one thing when they know the exact opposite."
