No 10 Christmas party: How the UK papers covered the latest scandal
Most of Wednesday’s front pages are leading with the leaked footage of Allegra Stratton and other senior Downing Street staff joking about holding a Christmas party last December when much of the country was in lockdown. Photos from the leaked footage appear on most front splashes.
The majority of the UK papers are not impressed with what appears to be the evidence that the government held a Christmas party and broke the same rules they had set around Covid restrictions.
The Metro reports “No 10 Party Clowns.” The Daily Mail calls it a “sick joke”. The Guardian highlights the PM has been accused of lying.
The Daily Mirror leads with another story about a government Christmas party from last year that “broke” Covid rules. Whilst the Daily Express reports No 10 staff were “caught” joking about the party. The Times accuses Boris Johnson of “lying”.
An unnamed Downing Street official is quoted in the Financial Times as saying that, after the PM’s denials, the situation is “pretty disastrous”.
But what about The Daily Telegraph – the paper Dominic Cummings said the PM referred to as his ‘real boss’ and Tory fan The Sun?
The Daily Telegraph ignores the story altogether – leading with Covid stories and Kabul on their front page.
The Sun does the same and focuses on a totally different story – reporting that senior figures from the energy sector “felt the heat” yesterday after blaming the power outages caused by Storm Arwen on the “wrong type of wind”.
As a former night editor of the Times, allow me to explain what this morning's front means.
The biggest story anywhere is that the Govt has been caught red handed in a despicable lie to the public.
But what readers get is some anodyne vaccine story as the splash (or lead) … https://t.co/yV8guleyNd— Katherine O'Donnell (@kathy__odonnell) December 8, 2021
'It's our job at The Sun to hold the powerful to account without fear or favour.' – Victoria Newton, editor of @TheSun 🤔 pic.twitter.com/IMjyyUj0XP
— The Sun Apologies (@SunApology) December 7, 2021
Why is the Sun’s coverage of the Downing Street Christmas party story so muted? Could it be because on the very same night in December 2020, the paper was hosting a rule-busting boozy bash of its own? Full story in the brand new Private Eye, out today.
— Private Eye Magazine (@PrivateEyeNews) December 8, 2021
This government laughs at YOU and your FAMILY like you’re a joke
They think we’re a joke. Little working class pricks that will do as they are told
My mate lost his final Christmas with his gran last year. The last chance for him to spend it with the woman who raised him…
— Guz Khan (@GuzKhanOfficial) December 8, 2021
The Guardian – ‘PM accused of lying, No 10 filmed joking about party’
Daily Mirror – ‘Another top tory broke Covid party rules’
Daily Express – ‘We need a shot in the arm now’
The Sun – ‘Sorry … it’s the wrong kind of wind’
The Independent – ‘No 10 staff joked about holding Christmas party’
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