An LBC caller has said he will no longer vote Conservative following the latest revelations over last year’s lockdown party.
A video obtained by ITV News shows Boris Johnson’s then press secretary Allegra Stratton being quizzed by special adviser Ed Oldfield on whether they had a party on the night of 18th December.
Mr Oldfield asked her: “I’ve just seen reports on Twitter that there was a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night, do you recognise those reports?”
Ms Stratton replied “I went home” before appearing to consider what the correct answer should be.
Cheese and wine
During the rehearsal, filmed as part of a subsequently-abandoned plan for Ms Stratton to lead televised press briefings, Mr Oldfield pressed her for an answer.
“Would the Prime Minister condone having a Christmas party?” he asked.
Ms Stratton asked “what’s the answer” and staff in the press room appeared to suggest ideas, with one saying “it wasn’t a party, it was cheese and wine”.
“Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting,” Ms Stratton replied, to laughter in the room.
The reaction to the leaked footage has been fierce, with many people calling for the prime minister to resign.
“This is enough now”
A caller to Nick Ferrari’s show on LBC was one of them.
He said: “I’ve tried to be calm through this.
“I’m the CEO of a business in the city, I’ve stuck to the rules and I woke up to hear all this.
“I’ve cancelled holidays, stuck to the rules, I’ve backed this Johnson government through all the challenges we’ve had.
“This is enough now. He’s got to go.”
Related: Tories on track to lose 77 seats in next election – Electoral Calculus