Allegra Stratton quits over leaked Downing Street video

Allegra Stratton has resigned from her role as an adviser to Boris Johnson after leaked footage showed her joking about a Christmas party believed to have taken place in Downing Street last year.

Stratton, who was the prime minister’s spokesperson on COP26, announced she was stepping down this afternoon and offered her “profound apologies” for the remarks, which were published by ITV News.

Earlier today Johnson announced an investigation into the circumstances around the video and the alleged party, which is said to have taken place on 18 December 2020 while most of the country faced severe lockdown restrictions. 

Stratton, who used to be the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s head of communications, said sorry for the comments 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.”

The former journalist added: “Working in government is an immense privilege.

“I tried to do right by you all, to behave with civility and decency and up to the high standards you expect of Number 10.”

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.

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