Allegra Stratton has made a tearful farewell as an adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after laughing and joking about a Christmas party believed to have taken place at Downing Street last year.
Stratton, announced she was stepping down this afternoon and offered her “profound apologies” for the remarks published by ITV News.
Johnson has robustly announced an investigation into the alleged party, which is said to have taken place on 18 December 2020 amid severe lockdown restrictions.
Stratton apologised in a tearful resignation statement outside her home. “My remarks seemed to make light of the rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey,” she said.
“That was never my intention. I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days and I offer my profound apologies to all of you at home for them.”
Stratton said she understood the “anger and frustration” people feel about the alleged event, which is now the subject an inquiry by the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
“To all of you who lost loved ones, who endured intolerable loneliness and who struggled with your businesses I am truly sorry, and this afternoon I am offering my resignation to the Prime Minister,” she told reporters.
‘This fictional party was a business meeting… and it wasn’t socially distanced’
Video obtained by @ITVNews shows No10 staff laughing about a Downing Street party last Christmas
Watch analysis from @PaulbrandITV and @Peston on News at Ten
Full story: https://t.co/0ItROuHAv6 pic.twitter.com/ayBSl77oLS
— ITV News (@itvnews) December 7, 2021
