Lib Dems weaponise Downing Street Christmas row ahead of by-election

‘Tell them the party’s over’: Lib Dems weaponise Downing Street Christmas row as they seek to steal seat of sleaze shame ex-Tory minister Owen Paterson in by-election

Ed Davey’s party weaponised the row over the 2020 shindig with a new advert
Lib Dems are now the bookies favourites to take former seat of Owen Paterson
Would be astonishing turn-around in a seat he held in 2019 by 23,000 votes

The Liberal Democrats moved to capitalise on Downing Street’s disarray over the Christmas Party row today as they seek to steal a seat from the Tories in a by-election next week.

Ed Davey’s party weaponised the row over the 2020 shindig with a new ad campaign in North Shropshire ahead of the December 16 vote.

The ad urges voters to tell the Conservatives ‘the party’s over’ amid fury at an alleged festive gathering in breach of Covid rules.

The Lib Dems are now the bookies favourites to take the former seat of ex-Cabinet minister Owen Paterson, who quit the Commons in disgrace.

If they were to take the seat it would be an astonishing turn-around in a seat Mr Paterson held with a 23,000 majority in 2019.

A Lib Dem source said: ‘Many people in North Shropshire including lifelong Tories are furious about the Number 10 Christmas party.

‘It is turning into a perfect storm for Boris Johnson, along with the NHS ambulance crisis, farmers being let down and rural communities feeling taken for granted.

‘We were already closing in on the Conservatives in North Shropshire, but this has put rocket boosters under our campaign as we enter the final week.’

Ed Davey’s party weaponised the row over the 2020 shindig with a new ad campaign in North Shropshire ahead of the December 16 vote.

The Lib Dems are now the bookies favourites to take the former seat of ex-Cabinet minister Owen Paterson, who quit the Commons in disgrace.

Boris Johnson tried to quell mounting fury over the ‘illegal’ No10 Christmas party today ordering an investigation by the Cabinet Secretary and apologising for a bombshell video of giggling aides.

Mr Johnson opened a raucous PMQs by saying sorry for the footage of his former press secretary and other staff joking about the gathering which happened on December 18 last year, during lockdown.

He said the government’s top civil servant Simon Case – who is not believed to have attended the party – would be looking into the situation.

Mr Johnson said he was ‘sickened’ and ‘disciplinary action’ would be taken against any staff found to have breached the regulations, but insisted he had been ‘repeatedly’ assured the rules had been followed.

The premier appealed for the public to focus on the threat from the Omicron strain – with Plan B measures expected to be confirmed as early as this afternoon. But Keir Starmer shot back that Mr Johnson had lost the ‘moral authority’ to impose restrictions.

Tory MPs also hammered the PM by branding the Covid switch a ‘diversionary tactic’ from the No10 party row, while Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross warned he will have to resign if he knew about the gathering when he issued denials.

Meanwhile, former chief aide Dominic Cummings has waded in by alleging that there was a party in Mr Johnson’s grace-and-favour flat on November 13 last year, the day he was ousted from Downing Street.

Mr Case will also look at claimed former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson hosted a bash during the festive season, but significantly he will not consider any other events – meaning nothing the PM personally attended is in scope.

Kicking off the clashes in the House, Mr Johnson said: ‘I understand and share the anger up and down the country at seeing No 10 staff seeming to make light of lockdown measures, and I can understand how infuriating it must be to think that people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules because I was also furious to see that clip.

‘I apologise unreservedly for the offence that it has caused up and down the country and I apologise for the impression that it gives.

‘But I repeat that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken, and that is what I have been repeatedly assured.

‘I have asked the cabinet secretary to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible – and it goes without saying that if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary action for all those involved.’

Mr Johnson said No10 would hand over any relevant evidence to the police if they ask for it.

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