Jacob Rees-Mogg caught on video joking about No10 Christmas party scandal
8 December 2021, 09:04 | Updated: 8 December 2021, 21:04
Jacob Rees-Mogg jokes about No10 Xmas party
Jacob Rees-Mogg has been filmed mocking the ongoing Downing Street Christmas party scandal during a speech.
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Speaking to the crowd at a speech at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Mr Rees-Mogg joked: "I see we're all here obeying regulations, aren't we?
"I mean, this party is not going to be investigated by the police in a year's time.
"You are all very carefully socially distanced...we have moved, I am pleased to tell you, from the metric back to the Imperial system: I notice you are all at least two inches away from each other which is, as I understand it, what the regulations require."
Police confirmed they were considering complaints about the incident from 2020 after several Labour MPs wrote to them, calling for an investigation.
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No10 has said there was no Christmas party and that Covid rules had been followed at all times.
However, a damning video leaked on Tuesday showed Downing Street staff joking about the event.
Boris Johnson is facing calls to resign as a result of the potential breach of Covid regulations, with the topic expected to dominate Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday afternoon.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the video indicated that the Prime Minister had "not been straight" about claims of a festive get-together.
He said Mr Johnson should "come clean and apologise" over the alleged party.
Meanwhile, the Department for Education has admitted it also held a social gathering of staff in the lead-up to Christmas, contradicting social-distancing rules in place.
The department acknowledged in hindsight that it "would have been better" to have cancelled the event.
