Downing Street Christmas party cancelled

This year's 10 Downing Street Christmas party has been cancelled amid growing anger over a gathering that occurred last December when London was under strict Covid restrictions.

But Boris Johnson has declared his full confidence in communications chief Jack Doyle, after it emerged that he had made a speech at last year's event.

An inquiry is under way into what happened at the party and who attended.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called the prime minister "unfit for office".

A government spokesperson said it had been the "intention" to hold a Downing Street party this year, but that this had changed following the announcement this week of more Covid measures in England, including the compulsory wearing of masks on public transport and in shops.

A total of 58,194 new UK coronavirus cases were reported on Friday - the highest number since January and the sixth largest daily amount since the pandemic started.

The Downing Street gathering last December, involving between 20 and 30 people, took place two days after London had gone into Tier 3 lockdown restrictions, meaning people could not mix indoors with anyone outside their household or support bubble.

No 10 has refused to explain how this complied with the rules in place at the time.

The former Daily Mail political reporter became the prime minister's press secretary in 2020

He was promoted to Downing Street director of communications in April this year

He is not the PM's official spokesman - but is in charge of how the government gets its message across to the media

It is the role held by Alastair Campbell, when Labour was in power

Mr Doyle earns between £140,000 and £144,999 a year

Amid criticism from opposition parties, the media and his own MPs, the prime minister this week asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to carry out an investigation into the 18 December party.

His work will also include finding out what happened at another Downing Street gathering on 27 November last year, and another at the Department for Education on 10 December.

The inquiry could be widened out if it considered there are credible allegations about other events.

The government's chief whip Mark Spencer told BBC Radio Nottingham that Mr Johnson "will not have lied" about any parties that took place in Downing Street.

He added that the 18 December event had been a "meeting" rather than a social get-together, and that staff had discussed how to deal with coronavirus.

But Labour's Sir Keir, speaking during a visit to Northumberland, said: "It's absolutely important that we get to the bottom of this.

"This is just the latest allegation of dishonesty from the prime minister. We've had lie upon lie in relation to the parties going on in Downing Street.

"The prime minister is not fit for office... The government is up to its neck in dishonesty."

Government spokeswoman Allegra Stratton quit her post on Wednesday after a backlash over a video she appeared in from last December, in which she joked about a Christmas party.