Tory aide awarded OBE among staff filmed in new Partygate footage

A Tory aide given an OBE by Boris Johnson is among staff filmed at a Christmas party held during Covid restrictions.

Ben Mallet was given the honour in the former prime minister’s resignation list earlier this month, and also appears in the Partygate clip said to have been filmed on 14 December 2020.

At least 24 people were reportedly at the party, which took place at Conservative Party headquarters in London when indoor socialising was banned under Tier 2 restrictions.

CCHQ said “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four staff members, who were seconded to the unsuccessful London mayoral campaign of Shaun Bailey, over the “unauthorised” event.

Do you know anyone else in the footage? If so email archie.mitchell@independent.co.uk

Mr Bailey was handed a peerage by Mr Johnson in the same honour’s list as Mr Mallet. The failed candidate, who does not appear in the clip, has previously apologised for the event.

Scotland Yard previously launched an investigation after the Daily Mirror published a picture of the gathering, but concluded that the photo by itself was not sufficient evidence to find an offence had been committed.

The force has been contacted for comment over the latest report, after the newspaper published the footage on Saturday evening.

This was Matt Hancock’s update on Covid cases on the day of the party:

On Sunday, Michael Gove criticised the party but said Mr Bailey and Mr Mallet should still keep the honours they were awarded.

“On a personal level, I would like to apologise to people for this behaviour. It’s unacceptable and indefensible,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show.

Asked whether Mr Bailey and Mr Mallet should have their peerage and OBE respectively blocked, he replied: “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,” he continued. “Outgoing prime ministers have that right. Whether or not they should is a matter of legitimate public debate, but they do at the moment.”

It is the latest in a series of questions to have been raised over Mr Johnson’s list, which included gongs for a number of allies and a peerage for Charlotte Owen, his former assistant.

Labour previously branded the list a ‘carousel of Boris Johnson’s cronies’.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the new footage shows the 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,” Ms Rayner said. “The Tories think it’s one rule for them and one rule for everyone else,”

“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.”

A CCHQ spokesman said: “Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of December 14 2020.

“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.”