Senior UK minister apologises for COVID lockdown-breaking party video

Michael Gove, a senior British government minister, called a video showing a party inside the governing Conservative Party campaign headquarters during a COVID lockdown in 2020 “terrible” and apologised to the public.

The Mirror newspaper revealed the footage only days after a parliamentary committee determined that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had knowingly deceived MPs about rule-breaking lockdown parties at his office.

The 45-second video depicts revellers having a good time in December 2020, when the British population was prohibited from socialising indoors in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The video shows people dancing and drinking. Two of those present at the event, which had previously been examined by police when a still photo of it surfaced, were honoured by Johnson on his resignation list earlier this month.

“It’s terrible,” Gove, the housing minister, told Sky News. “I think it’s completely out of order. I just want to apologise to everyone really.”

The issue of rule-breaking during COVID lockdowns helped bring down Johnson, who left office last year, and still hangs over the Conservatives and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Johnson stepped down as a member of parliament on 9 June days before the privileges committee – the main disciplinary body for lawmakers – issued its damning verdict on him, re-opening divisions in the party and re-igniting public anger.

Polls suggest the Conservatives, in power since 2010, are trailing the opposition Labour party by about 20% percentage points. The next election must be held by late 2024.

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