Phillip Schofield is the latest TV personality to criticize Boris Johnson, Downing Street staff and Boris Johnson over the Christmas party which allegedly broke Covid rules.
Schofield and Holly Willoughby, a This Morning host, criticized the Government’s reaction to the leaked video showing Government officials laughing over an attempt at a lockdown busting party. No 10 claims it never took place last Christmas.
Schofield shared his views on the footage and asked incredulous Schofield: “You look at that, think are you really taking us for some bunch of mugs?”
This comes just a few days after Ant and Dec mocked Boris Johnson’s Christmas party cover-up at No 10.
Downing Street remains in crisis today over the footage of press secretary Allegra Stratton filmed last December 22 – four days after the alleged ‘boozy’ party and when London was under strict Tier 3 coronavirus curbs.
This revelation comes after a week-long period of denials by No 10, involving allegations that employees exchanged secret Santa gifts with one another and also drank into the wee hours at an event believed to be filled with party games.
Phillip Schofield was joined by Holly Willoughby as he slammed the Government for its response to a leaky video showing Government aides laughing about a party they were trying to bust.
Sharing his thoughts on the footage, an incredulous Schofield openly asked: ‘You look at this and think are you seriously taking us for a bunch of mugs?’
Discussing the morning’s top stories with The Telegraph’s Camilla Tominey, Robert Peston and LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Schofield’s co-host Holly Willoughby described Downing Street’s response as ‘tone-deaf’.
Schofield reiterated restrictions that were in effect at the time of this alleged offense to This Morning’s viewers. This was after Sajid Javid (health secretary) had been ’empty chaired’ following his failure to make an appearance for the string of interviews on Wednesday.
Maggie Throup (junior health minister) was also rescheduled for her scheduled regional interviews Wednesday. Downing Street staff closed ranks on Wednesday amid increasing fury at any Covid breaches in December.
Speaking this morning, Schofield said: ‘The Government’s own guidance made clear people must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where there is primarily social activity.
‘You look at this and think, are you seriously taking us for a bunch of mugs?’ he asked.
His voice rising in frustration, Schofield added: ‘Let me put this another way, when we hear reports there may be restrictions coming in – possibly slightly wider restrictions – at Christmas, does the Prime Minister and his party honestly assume that any of us are going to take any notice?’
Johnson hasn’t confirmed or denied that Downing Street staff members held a party December 18th last year while London was still under Tier 3 restrictions. Pictured: On December 15, 2020, Mr Johnson will leave 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly cabinet at the Foreign Office. This is to assure social distancing.
It followed the hosts of I’m a Celebrity, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, teasing Boris Johnson’s response to the leaked footage on Tuesday’s episode of the popular television show.
The I’m a Celeb crew cheered as Dec called Mr Johnson ‘the Prime Minister, For Now’ in a jibe about the Government’s handling on claims that a party was held at Downing Street despite the lockdown last year.
Ant McPartlin argued that the I’m a Celeb star stars hadn’t celebrated a camp leader change with ‘cheese and wine’.
It comes as Downing Street aides had joked about branding their Christmas party as a ‘business meeting’ to hide the fact it broke Covid laws, a newly surfaced video suggested last night.
The fake press conference they attended was just days after their alleged December 18th event. It raised legal questions, and denied wrongdoing by No10.
ITV news discovered the clip. It shows Allegra Straton (then the PM’s press secretary) and Ed Oldfield (No10’s head for digital), rehearsing in No9’s briefing room a question-and-answer session.
It asks Oldfield a question regarding ‘a Downing Street Christmas Party on Friday night’. Ms Stratton replies with a laugh, ‘I went back home’.
When he questions Ms. Stratton if she would condone such a celebration, she appears unsure and asks: ‘What’s your answer?
ITV news discovered that the video shows Allegra Straton, the then PM’s press Secretary, and Ed Oldfield the head of No10’s digital, practicing a question and answers session in the No9 briefing area.
Jon Kay from BBC Breakfast tweeted the following about Ministers not appearing on TV or radio earlier in the morning
As Dec made Dec refer to Mr Johnson as “the PM for now”, the crew of the show cheered behind him during his joking about the government’s handling regarding claims that there was a party in Downing Street, despite being under lockdown.
A third voice is heard saying that it wasn’t a party. Ms. Stratton then added, “It was a meeting for business… This fictional party was a meeting for business and was not socially distant.”
After Boris Johnson refused to answer any questions regarding the gathering, the footage was made public. Questions were also raised about whether the event violated the social distancing rules at that time.
Some backbenchers have even suggested that Boris Johnson’s could be forced to resign unless he ‘holds his hands up’ because of the video, which calls into question his insistence that all the rules had been followed at the time.