Newly released footage of Tory staff boozing, dancing and mocking lockdown laws at the height of Covid has emerged online spelling a new wave of turmoil for the Conservative party. The Tories may face a new Partygate police probe after the bombshell video exposes how the officials joked about their lockdown Christmas bash at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters in London.

In the first ever released Partygate video, there are at least 24 revellers including two named on ex-PM Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours list.

In the exclusive footage by The Sunday Mirror, two dancers even twirl past a sign saying “Please keep your distance”.

The video is likely to upset the families who lost relatives in Covid and will reignite criticism of Mr Johnson just days after he was slammed for misleading MPs over parties at No 10.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Revellers openly mocked the rules the British people followed. The Tories think it’s one rule for them and one rule for everyone else.

“Instead of forcing them to face the consequences, Rishi Sunak has caved into Boris Johnson and chosen to reward them with honours. It’s a sickening insult.”

The party was reportedly organised by the campaign team of then London Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey – now Lord Bailey after Mr Johnson made him a peer in his honours list.

Mr Bailey had left the party before the video was recorded. 

The footage shows two revellers knock over wine glasses as they spiral into a table laden with buffet food. The unsteady pair twirl each other around to the sounds of The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York.

This is the first time that such a video of one of the rule-breaking parties in Westminster has been released about 

In the video, partygoers are seen joking about breaking the rules.

It also shows a karaoke machine with flashing lights

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When one man sees he is being recorded, he says: “Oh Christ.” Then another asks: “Are you filming this?” Someone else responds: “It’s for party, erm, party use.”

A man then laughs after declaring: “As long as we are not streaming that we’re, like, bending the rules.”

The new footage comes days after the long-awaited UK Covid-19 Inquiry began.

A Conservative Party spokesman said yesterday: “Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of 14th December 2020.

A spokesman for the Shaun Bailey campaign said: “This is an old story. We repeatedly apologised for this event at the time. It was subject to a nearly year-long police investigation. The matter is closed.”

Mr Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment.

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