Video showing Tory staff at Christmas party during lockdown is ‘terrible’, Michael Gove admits

Published

2 years ago

June 19, 2023

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A video showing Conservative Party workers at a Christmas party during lockdown in 2020 is “terrible” and “completely out of order”, Michael Gove has said.

The Levelling Up Secretary was reacting to the video, obtained by the Mirror, which showed people dancing and drinking at a gathering – ignoring strict social distancing rules imposed by the government at the height of the pandemic.

“The fact this party went ahead is indefensible,” Mr Gove told Sophy Ridge on Sunday.

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Gove reacts to Christmas party footage

At least 24 people were reportedly at the event, which took place at Conservative Party headquarters on 14 December 2020.

Mr Gove told Sky News: “I just want to apologise to everyone really who, looking at that image, will think well these are people who are flouting the rules that were put in place to protect us all.”

He added that he is “sure the people there feel contrite – or I hope they do”.

Analysis: Gove’s straight-talking strategy may not do PM any favours

Squeezing an apology out of a politician is no easy feat.

But contrition, so often painfully drawn out under the spotlight, could not have come more readily to Michael Gove’s lips this morning.

“I just want to apologise to everyone,” he announced, no sooner than the interview with Sophy Ridge had started.

A mistake? Then came another, and another: four apologies in all for a video showing drinking and dancing at Conservative campaign HQ during lockdown.

As I understand it, the apology was not a strategy that came from Downing Street, but a personal decision by the at times unconventional levelling up secretary.

Will his straight-talking strategy appeal to the public? Or will it tie Rishi Sunak too closely to an event, and a time, he is desperate to move on from?

The COVID Inquiry, the Privileges Committee’s damning verdict on Boris Johnson, and now this video, all falling at the same time, feeds into a picture of Conservative rule breaking.

It is also a distraction for the PM from the very present and pressing problems he faces: rising mortgage rates, sky-high inflation and an all-round bleak economic outlook.

This video may not be dramatically shifting the dial, but it does not help the party or the PM.

The gathering included Shaun Bailey – who was running a campaign to be the mayor of London at the time – and Ben Mallet, the director for his 2021 campaign in the capital.

Mr Bailey is understood to have left before the video was taken.

He has recently been given a peerage, adding to him to the House of Lords, in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours – approved by Downing Street.

Mr Mallet was given an OBE in the same honours list.

The Mirror previously released a photo from the party, which was subsequently investigated by police. No further action was taken at the time due to lack of evidence.

The police have said they are “considering” the newly revealed video.

What were the restrictions at the time of the video?

The video was taken on 14 December 2020, when the England was under the tiering system of COVID restrictions.

London was in “Tier 2” – high alert – at the time, and shortly afterwards was upgraded to “Tier 3” – very high alert.

Tier 2 meant there was supposed to be no mixing of households indoors, apart from support bubbles, and only six people were allowed to meet – socially distanced – outside.

Funerals could have up to 30 guests, weddings and wakes were only allowed 15 guests, and pubs and bars were only allowed to serve alcohol alongside the notorious “substantial meal”.

Tier 3 restrictions were harsher, with all hospitality closed – and there was a restriction on overnight stays outside the impacted area.

There was also no mixing of households allowed, even in most outdoor places – although the rule of six could be used in outdoor areas like parks and sports centres.

The video and pictures of the gathering showed at least 24 people present – more than what was allowed at a wake or a wedding at the time.

Mr Gove was confronted with the account of one member of the public, who could not be with a family member having surgery on the same day as the video was taken.

The minister said he was “very, very sorry” for what happened.

Sophy Ridge repeatedly pushed Mr Gove on whether it was appropriate for Mr Bailey and Mr Mallet to have been given honours.

The cabinet minister said the current rules – that a resigning prime ministers can honour who they want – should not be interfered with.

He added that a debate on changing the rules was “well worth having”, but that “procedure” should be followed for the moment and those who broke restrictions should still be given gongs.

Mr Gove did say it was for Mr Johnson to defend his choice of people who were honoured.

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Following the interview with Sophy Ridge, 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.”

Responding to the video, a Conservative Party spokesperson 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 14 December 2020.

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

World

Trump just wants a Ukraine-Russia deal – will Putin or Zelenskyy blink first?

Published

3 hours ago

March 20, 2025

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Trump just wants a Ukraine-Russia deal - will Putin or Zelenskyy blink first?

The tone has changed totally. It’s a remarkable turnaround from the Oval Office meltdown to the perfect phone call.

President Trump is wholly transactional. His desire for give and take far outweighs any ideological instincts. He has no particular alignment to Ukraine or, for that matter, to Russia.

He just wants a deal. Peace would stop the killing as he has said repeatedly. It would also allow for deals which can benefit America: recouping the taxpayer money spent on Ukraine and reconnecting the American economy with Russia.

But trumping all that is his legacy and his image. He wants to be seen as the peacemaker president.

Since the Oval Office moment, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy seems now to have recognised all that.

Ukraine’s approach towards Trump has changed. Zelenskyy is now playing his game: transactionalism.

The minerals deal hasn’t dissolved. The indications I am getting is that it’s essentially been upgraded and broadened to a wider scope: fuller economic cooperation.

Zelenskyy needs to encourage America deep into his country economically. Has he bought into the idea that a US economic footprint amounts to a key part of a security guarantee?

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The old adage is: “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” That’s too true with President Trump.

Zelenskyy now feels like he’s at the table and I am told he doesn’t feel coerced.

The challenges remain huge though: he doesn’t trust Putin. That’s what he tried to tell President Trump in the Oval Office. The performance that day proved to him that Trump is inclined to trust Putin.

Zelenskyy must use transactionalism to draw an impatient Trump in.

President Trump is in a hurry for a deal. He’s inclined to accept wholly disingenuous commitments from Russia, or as one source put it to me: “Trump has a high tolerance for bullshit…”

That’s the jeopardy for Zelenskyy.

World

Donald Trump has ‘very good’ call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he discusses US ownership of Ukrainian energy plants

Published

12 hours ago

March 20, 2025

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Donald Trump has 'very good' call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he discusses US ownership of Ukrainian energy plants

US President Donald Trump has had a “very good” call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House says, during which US ownership of Ukraine’s energy network was discussed to help protect it.

Mr Trump also agreed to “help locate” additional air defence support in Europe after a request from the Ukrainian leader, a statement about the one-hour phone call said.

Further talks will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the coming days, and the US will continue intelligence sharing with Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Mr Trump also agreed to work to ensure missing Ukrainian children are returned home and both parties agreed to a temporary 30-day ceasefire involving attacks against energy facilities, with the US president saying the US “could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise”, Ms Leavitt said.

Secretary of state Marco Rubio also issued a statement about the call saying that “President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants.

“He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”

The White House statement added that Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy also reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely.

The presidents instructed their teams to move ahead with the details of implementing a partial ceasefire, with discussions to include expanding any ceasefire to the Black Sea.

Could US nuclear power takeover replace the minerals deal?

By David Blevins, Sky correspondent, in Washington DC

The readout of the call from President Zelenskyy was conciliatory, repeatedly thanking Donald Trump for military support and for his peace efforts.

In agreeing to a partial ceasefire, he held out the prospect of US investment in Ukrainian power – perhaps deeming that more of a security guarantee than the minerals deal.

“American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” the Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz readout of Trump-Zelenskyy call said.

Trump agreed to continue sharing intelligence but when Zelenskyy asked for additional air defence, he said he’d see what was available in Europe.

That’s a vague response from the US president as he seeks to keep both Ukraine and Putin on board.

Those ambiguous words and the change in tone are both indicative of the sensitive point they’ve reached days before fresh negotiations in Saudi Arabia.

“We have never been closer to peace,” Ms Leavitt added.

In comments later on Wednesday, Mr Zelenskyy said that Mr Trump understands that Ukraine will not recognise occupied land as Russian, and that he would like the US president to visit Ukraine – adding that “it would be helpful for Trump in his peace efforts”.

In an earlier statement, President Zelenskyy said the two leaders had “a positive, very substantive and frank conversation”.

Mr Zelenskyy echoed much of Mr Trump’s statement about what was decided, and said later that he “felt no pressure” from the US president.

“We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace. We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year,” Mr Zelenskyy said

He added that Ukraine would “continue working to make this happen”.

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“I stressed that Ukrainians want peace, which is why Ukraine accepted the proposal for an unconditional ceasefire,” he said. “I highlighted the importance of President Trump’s concept of peace through strength. We agreed to maintain constant contact, including at the highest level and through our teams.”

In an earlier post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the “very good” phone call lasted around one hour.

“Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs,” Mr Trump said.

“We are very much on track,” he added.

The call marks the first time Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy have spoken since the disastrous confrontation in the White House last month.

Mr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington expecting to sign a critical minerals deal but left early after he and Trump clashed in front of the world’s cameras.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin held a phone call lasting about an hour and a half in which the Russian leader rejected a full 30-day ceasefire.

He agreed to not attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for 30 days. The two countries also swapped 175 prisoners each earlier this morning.

World

Israel launches new ‘limited ground invasion’ of Gaza amid deadly bombardment

Published

20 hours ago

March 19, 2025

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Israel launches new 'limited ground invasion' of Gaza amid deadly bombardment

Israel says it has launched a “limited ground operation” to retake part of a key corridor in Gaza.

The move appeared to deepen a renewed Israeli offensive that shattered a ceasefire with Hamas that had begun in January.

As part of the ceasefire, Israel had withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor, which bisected northern Gaza from the south and had been used by Israeli forces as a military zone.

It came as an international United Nations worker from Bulgaria was killed and five others seriously wounded in a strike on a UN guesthouse in the Gaza Strip.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services, declined to say who carried out the strike that killed the worker in the central city of Deir al Balah but said the explosive ordnance was “dropped or fired” and the blast was not accidental or related to demining activity.

The UN body, known as UNOPS, carries out infrastructure and development projects around the world.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), which has carried out a massive series of airstrikes throughout Gaza since early on Tuesday, denied earlier reports that it had targeted the UN compound.

But Mr Moreira da Silva said strikes had hit near the compound on Monday and struck it directly on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, when the worker was killed.

He said the agency had contacted the IDF after the first strike and confirmed that it was aware of the facility’s location. The UN’s secretary general Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by the staff member’s death and condemned attacks on UN personnel.

The war in Gaza has been among the deadliest conflicts ever for humanitarian workers, according to the UN.

At least 436 people, including 183 children and 94 women, have been killed since Israel launched the fresh wave of strikes, the Gaza health ministry said.

The IDF claims it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas. Gaza’s health ministry records do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it had overnight attacked a Hamas military site from which the militant group planned to launch strikes into Israel.

The IDF targeted the site in northern Gaza as it was where “preparations were being made to fire projectiles at Israeli territory”, the military said in a statement.

The Israeli navy also struck several vessels in the coastal area of Gaza as they were intended to be used for “terrorist activities”, the IDF claimed.

Israel issued fresh evacuation orders on Wednesday for different areas across the Gaza Strip and told people to move to known shelters in Khan Younis and western Gaza City.

The latest strikes come weeks after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire, during which Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages for prisoners and were set to negotiate an extension to the truce that was meant to bring about an eventual end to the war. But those negotiations never got off the ground.

Hamas has demanded that Israel stick to the terms of the initial ceasefire deal, including a full withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.

Israel, which has vowed to defeat Hamas, has put forward a new proposal that would extend the truce and free more hostages held by Hamas, without a commitment to end the war.

During the ceasefire period, 33 hostages were released, along with nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.

There are 59 hostages still in captivity, of whom Israel believes 35 are dead.

More than one million people risked being left without food parcels in March if aid was not allowed into Gaza, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported the Food Security Sector as saying.

The war, sparked by Hamas’ 7 October 2023 killing of 1,200 people and capture of 250 more in southern Israel, has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in the Strip, Gazan health officials say.