Michael Gove has issued an apology over a "terrible" and "indefensible" Partygate video revealed by The Mirror showing Tories at a lockdown rule-bending Christmas bash.
The senior Cabinet minister said the footage is "completely out of order" - but declined to be drawn into whether the Metropolitan Police should launch a new probe.
The previously unseen video shows staff boozing, dancing and mocking lockdown laws at the height of Covid at Conservative Campaign Headquarters.
One attendee can be heard saying: "As long as we don't stream that we're, like, bending the rules," before laughing while a man and woman hold hands and dance.
At the time the capital was under strict restrictions with indoor socialising banned.
Mr Gove told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: "I want to apologise to everyone who, looking at that ... will think these people are flouting the rules designed to protect us all."
The Mirror published a photograph of the event in December 2021 but a Metropolitan Police probe concluded last year that the “photo by itself is not sufficient evidence on which to assess that an offence had been committed”.
Asked whether the force should investigate again, Mr Gove added: "Well it's not for me to say whether the police should investigate but the evidence is out there."
The Tory minister was also confronted on the show with the comments of a man whose daughter was undergoing major surgery on the same day as the Christmas bash, with only one parent able to stay with her as they followed the rules.
Mr Gove said: "Sorry - I can't imagine what it must have been like on that day.
"If any member of your family is undergoing major surgery it's undoubtedly tragic... the fact that this party went ahead is indefensible. I'm sure the people who were there feel contrite."
But the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “Gove’s apology is too little too late, it will bring cold comfort to the millions of people who stuck by the rules in the darkest days of the pandemic.
“If the Conservatives knew about this scandal why on earth did those Boris Johnson honours get the green light from Rishi Sunak?
“Those honours should all be removed, the Government can do that. People are fed up with these out of touch Conservatives, it’s time for a change.”
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.
Labour's leader in Scotland Anas Sarwar said those seen in the footage should "absolutely" be stripped of their honours.
But asked whether Mr Bailey and Mr Mallett should have their peerage and OBE respectively blocked, Mr Gove told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show: "No, I don't think that and I have to explain the context for that so I hope that you and viewers will allow me to do so.
"The decision to confer honours on people was one that was made by Boris Johnson as an outgoing prime minister. Outgoing prime ministers have that right.
"Whether or not they should is a matter of legitimate public debate, but they do at the moment."
The Tory Cabinet minister also revealed he would not vote to endorse the Privileges Committee damning report that concluded Boris Johnson had recklessly misled Parliament over the Partygate report.
MPs will give their judgement on the scathing report tomorrow, but Mr Gove said he would abstain, adding: "I don't agree with their conclusions".
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the footage shows Tories "openly mocked the rules the British people followed" while Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it should make ministers "sick to their stomachs".
"Revellers at this lockdown Tory booze-up openly mocked the rules the British people followed. The Tories think it's one rule for them and one rule for everyone else," Ms Rayner said.
"Instead of forcing them to face the consequences, Rishi Sunak has caved into Boris Johnson's demands and chosen to reward them with honours. It's a sickening insult.
"This Prime Minister is failing to deliver the integrity he promised and showing he's too weak to turn the page on 13 years of Tory scandal."
