By Rees-Mogg defends joking about lockdown parties amid scandal
Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended himself after footage emerged of him laughing and joking about Christmas parties and Covid regulations.
The Leader of the House of Commons defended his joke at a recent thinktank reception, saying it would not be “investigated by the police in a year’s time,” a nod to the recent No 10 party controversy.
Government spokesperson Allegra Stratton resigned on Wednesday after footage emerged of her laughing about an alleged party in No 10 on 18 December 2020 – when office parties were banned.
Speaking at this year’s Christmas party for the Institute of Economic Affairs, joked about social distancing measures and the party being investigated by police.
Video, which emerged on the Guido website, showed Mr Rees-Mogg telling the audience: “I see we’re all here obeying regulations, aren’t we?
“You are all very carefully socially distanced… we have moved, I am pleased to tell you, from the metric back to the Imperial system: I notice you are all at least two inches away from each other which is, as I understand it, what the regulations require.”
The shadow Commons leader, Thangam Debbonaire, called for her opposite number to resign, saying: “it really is a very bad look indeed for a group of male politicians to let a female staffer take the rap for the mess.
“She laughed, he laughed. She’s apologised and resigned. What’s he going to do?” she added.
Rees-Mogg defended actions, dismissing any link to the alleged Downing Street parties last year, saying: “what I was saying was how nice it was to be free of restrictions so that we can have parties this year.
“That was what I was being pleased about, as opposed, in comparison to last year. And this has got better because of what the government has done.”
Labour MP Richard Burgon added to the resignation calls, claiming it is “another case of ministers in this government believing it’s one rule for them and another rule for everyone else.”
