Jack Doyle: No10 communications chief ‘handed out awards at Downing Street Christmas party’

Boris Johnson’s most senior communications adviser gave out awards on the night of the alleged Downing Street party on December 18 last year, according to reports.

Social media was awash with outrage after a video leak, first obtained by ITV, showed senior No10 aides cracking jokes about a Downing Street Christmas party taking place in lockdown last year - which they deny happened.

New reports have now emerged claiming Jack Doyle - who is Number 10’s director of communications - attended the alleged party where he thanked staff working in Downing Street, though this is something that happens “every week”.

Mr Doyle allegedly gave staff certificates as part of a joke awards ceremony on the evening of 18 December last year, ITV News reported.

The latest reports come as Boris Johnson launched an inquiry into the allegations.

Allegra Stratton resigned from her £125,000-a-year job after the video leak showed her making light of the Covid regulations and joking about a Downing Street party during the strict restrictions last year.

The Metropolitan Police said it will not investigate allegations of a party at Downing Street.

The force said there was an “absence of evidence” and it is policy not to investigate retrospective breaches of coronavirus regulations.

It said the video obtained by ITV “does not provide evidence of a breach” of health regulations and therefore the force would not commence an investigation.

Ministers are yet to explain how the alleged bash complied with the rules in place at the time, despite coming under pressure since an initial report in the Daily Mirror.

The newspaper said two events took place in No 10 in the run-up to the festive season last year, including Mr Johnson giving a speech at a leaving do during November’s lockdown.

The other was said to be a staff party in December where party games were played, food and drinks were served, and revelries went on past midnight.

At the time, the Tier 3 rules explicitly banned work Christmas lunches and parties where it is “a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted”.

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