Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid has slammed the UK Government for ‘gaslighting’ the public about the Downing Street Christmas party.
The GMB presenter accused No 10 of deliberately “muddying the waters” as she rages about the situation.
The Mirror revealed that Boris Johnson and his staff were accused of breaking Covid rules by attending parties at Number 10 in the run-up to last Christmas, while the rest of the country was facing lockdown measures.
(Image: ITV)
Despite continually denying that a party took place, staff at No 10 were filmed joking about the party just four days after it happened.
Addressing the party on Good Morning Britain with co-host Adil Ray, the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and the Mail’s Andrew Pierce, Susanna hit out at the denials.
“Of course, everyone is asking – well, we’re confident that a party went ahead in Downing Street,” she said, before a clip from the mock press conference was aired.
(Image: ITV)
Officials can be heard laughing about “cheese and wine” as Boris Johnson’s former spokeswoman Allegra Stratton cracked jokes about a “business meeting” in which there was “definitely no social distancing.”
“When we say we’re pretty sure a party went ahead, that’s because we have reports from the Mirror that it went ahead,” Susanna said. “We have inside sources who say a party went ahead and we have had the Prime Minister and other Cabinet ministers not denying that a party went ahead.
“However, No 10’s official spokesperson says there was no party. That video suggests that they were expecting questions about a party that went ahead.
“This feels like gaslighting where we know something happened, but we are constantly having the waters muddied. The spokesperson there says a year ago, what’s the right answer? Well, the right answer is that you say what happened!”
“600 people died on the night that Downing Street had the party,” Kevin pointed out. “It’s reached the point when Ant and Dec routinely joke about it on I’m A Celeb.”
Adil blasted it a “disgrace” as Susanna continued: “If you were holding a funeral, you were only allowed up to 30 people. They had 20 people more than could go to a funeral.”
“A little lie becomes a huge lie,” Kevin pointed out. “The fish rots from the head. You’ve got the Prime Minister, who is a serial liar.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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