Boris Johnson was "respecting lockdown rules" when he hosted a Christmas quiz in Downing Street last year, a top Tory has claimed.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi insisted that the Prime Minister had not flouted Covid restrictions and tried to dismiss the row, first revealed by the Mirror, as "hype".
The Prime Minister was pictured sitting underneath a portrait of Margaret Thatcher as he read out questions for a festive quiz on December 15 last year.
A source said staff were huddled by computers, conferring on questions and knocking back drinks from a local Tesco Metro.
In one office, the insider said, there were four teams, each made up of six people.
But Mr Zahawi told Sky News: "What do we see in that picture?
"We see a Prime Minister on a virtual quiz night for 10 to 15 minutes to thank his staff, who by the way, had no choice, but to come in every single day.
"Sitting in his office, with the two people who are closest working with him. No alcohol on the table, not drinking right, on a Zoom call or a Teams call, a virtual call, respecting the lockdown rules.
"Many people would have had similar Zoom quiz nights around the country."
Mr Zahawi argued that the two people pictured sitting beside the Prime Minister worked with him.
He said Cabinet Secretary Simon Case was investigating several gatherings in Westminster last year - and he could look at "all parties".
Mr Zahawi said he had received emails from constituents about the picture "because of the hype around parties that was going on last week and the week before made it sound completely different."
On December 15 last year, 459 people died from coronavirus, while another 33,828 were infected.
Mr Zahawi's comments come amid widespread anger over the Mirror's latest revelations about the quiz last year.
London was then under Tier 2 regulations banning social mixing between households.
Official guidance also stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”
No person could participate in a gathering indoors of two or more people from other households apart from in limited circumstances - including that the gathering was “reasonably necessary for work” - according to the rules at the time.
Lawyer Adam Wagner, who is an expert on Covid regulations, suggested that No 10 would struggle to claim that a social gathering like a Christmas quiz would be deemed necessary for work.
Some lawyers have suggested No10 could be somehow exempt from the Covid regulations because it is “crown property”.
But Mr Wagner said: “I’m not convinced. I think the exemption was about government buildings, not people.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer said it appeared that Mr Johnson had broken the rules when he hosted the Downing Street Christmas quiz.
"Well, it looks as though he was," he told the Andrew Marr Show.
"He must have known that other groups were in other rooms in his own building.
"This is very important because he has damaged his authority, he is now so weak, his party is so divided - he can't deliver the leadership this country needs.
"We've got a very important vote coming up next week and he can't even discharge the basic functions of Government. He is the worst possible leader at the worst possible time.
A No10 spokesman said last night: “This was a virtual quiz. Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks.
“The Prime Minister briefly took part virtually in a quiz to thank staff for their hard work throughout the year.”
