Senior Downing Street staff recorded themselves joking about holding a banned Christmas party in No.10, leaked footage shows.

In the video obtained by ITV News Boris Johnson's then spokesperson Allegra Stratton joked that the party was "was not socially distanced" and suggested passing it off as "a business meeting".

The footage was recorded as a rehearsal for planned televised press briefings, with mock questions posted by the prime minister's special advisor Ed Oldfield and other staff.

Mr Oldfield can be heard to mockingly ask Ms Stratton: "I've just seen reports on Twitter that there was a Downing Street party on Friday night. Do you recognise those reports?"

The spokesperson says: "I went home", before laughing.

The video, dating from December 22, 2020, was recorded just four days after the Christmas party allegedly took place – on December 18, which was a Friday.

At a key moment in the video another staff member in the room says: "It wasn't a party, it was cheese and wine." Another, apparently seriously, chimes in: "Just to be clear, it's not a party."

At this point Ms Stratton quietly mouths "this is recorded" to the other No.10 staff, and switches to referring to the party as "fictional".

It comes after a week of anger over the reported Downing Street bash, which is said to have taken place despite lockdown rules.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said it was "shameful" for the government to "lie and laugh about those lies".

He added: “The Prime Minister now needs to come clean, and apologise. It cannot be one rule for the Conservatives and another for everyone else.”

And one source who was aware of the party in Downing Street told ITV News: "We all know someone who died from Covid and after seeing this all in the papers I couldn't not say anything. I'm so angry about it all, the way it is being denied.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “There was no Christmas party. Covid rules have been followed at all times.”

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