SENIOR TORY POLITICIAN Michael Gove has described a video appearing to show Conservative Party staff dancing and joking about Covid-19 restrictions during the height of the pandemic at a Christmas party as “terrible”.

The minister told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: “I want to apologise to everyone who, looking at that … will think these people are flouting the rules designed to protect us all.”

Gove said the video was “terrible” and “unacceptable” but that it would not be right for him to say whether police should investigate.

The video of the party, which was attended by failed London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Tory aide Ben Mallet – who will receive a peerage and an OBE respectively – has reignited criticism of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s list.

Bailey reportedly left the event before the video was taken and has previously apologised for his involvement.

Asked whether the pair should be blocked from receiving honours, Gove told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show: “No, I don’t think that and I have to explain the context for that, so I hope that you and viewers will allow me to do so.

“The decision to confer honours on people was one that was made by Boris Johnson as an outgoing prime minister. Outgoing prime ministers have that right.

“Whether or not they should is a matter of legitimate public debate, but they do at the moment.”

EXCLUSIVE: First ever Partygate video revealed as Tories drink, dance and laugh at Covid rulespic.twitter.com/vIHbuIqWWf

— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 17, 2023

He told Sky’s Sunday with Sophy Ridge programme: “I just want to apologise to everyone really, who, looking at that image, will think ‘Well, these are people who were flouting the rules that were put in place to protect us all’.”

In the footage, one attendee can be heard joking about Covid-19 restrictions, saying: “As long as we don’t stream that we’re, like, bending the rules” before laughing while a man and woman hold hands and dance.

The pair crash into a buffet table stacked with food and wine glasses at one point while other guests walk past wearing paper crowns and clutching alcoholic drinks.

CCHQ said “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four staff members, who were seconded to Bailey’s mayoral campaign, over the “unauthorised” event.

Gove told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: “It’s terrible. I think it’s completely out of order. As I understand it, this was an event that was organised by the people who were running the mayoral campaign for Shaun Bailey.

“They had obviously behaved in a way which is unacceptable.”