British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced mounting pressure on Friday after his Conservatives lost their poll lead over Labour and it was revealed that his chief spokesman attended a festive gathering in Downing Street during a lockdown last year.
Johnson, who won a landslide victory in a 2019 election, has faced a barrage of criticism since a video emerged showing his staff laughing and joking about a Downing Street party during a 2020 Christmas lockdown when such festivities were banned.
Downing Street declined comment. Doyle, who at the time of the alleged party was deputy director of communications, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As he grappled with the furore, his Conservative Party lost its poll lead over the opposition Labour Party and dozens of his own lawmakers prepared to rebel over new COVID rules.
Another Survation poll of 1,178 people carried out on Wednesday and Thursday put Labour on 40% of the vote, up 1 percentage point, and Johnson's Conservatives down 2 to 34%.At the time of the Downing Street gathering, people across Britain were banned from meeting close family or friends for a traditional Christmas celebration - and even from bidding farewell to dying relatives. Nearly 146,000 people have died from COVID in the United Kingdom.
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