JAKARTA - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally apologized too. The statement was made in the aftermath of a video circulating showing staff laughing and joking about the meeting at Downing Street during the COVID-19 lockdown last Christmas 2020.

The Downing Street celebrations came as Britain banned tens of millions of people from meeting close family and friends for Christmas. The public reacted strongly to the appearance of the video.

On Twitter, they cursed and said they were disgusted that Downing Street seemed to laugh at breaking the rules. Some have questioned whether the public should comply with Johnson if he imposes more COVID-19 restrictions.

Quoted from The Guardian, Wednesday, December 8, Johnson admitted that he was very angry when he saw the video. Even though since the appearance of this video, he has repeatedly denied there was a party.

"I apologize unconditionally for the offenses that have caused the ups and downs of the country and I apologize for the impression this has caused," he told parliament.

He promised that there would be disciplinary action if the rules were found to be violated.

Johnson and his ministers have repeatedly denied any rules were broken by the meeting at the end of 2020. Yet the Mirror newspaper said Johnson spoke there and his team held a meeting with a wine banquet for 40 to 50 people.

But in a video broadcast by ITV, Allegra Stratton, then Johnson's press secretary, is shown at the 2020 Downing Street rehearsal for the daily briefing laughing and joking about the meeting.

In the video, a Johnson adviser asks Stratton: "I just saw a report on Twitter that there was a Christmas party in Downing Street on Friday night - do you recognize the report?"

Stratton, standing in front of the British flag on the official Downing Street podium, chuckled and said: "I'm home." He then laughed and smiled.

"Wait. Wait. Um. Er. Arh." He seemed lost for words and looked up.


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