Watch live: Boris Johnson faces MPs amid lockdown party claims

The Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party has called for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign, following the release of a video showing senior government aides joking about a Christmas party which is alleged to have taken place at 10 No. 10 last year amid coronavirus restrictions.

The UK government has come under fire amid claims that a party was held at No.10 last December at a time when people were banned from socialising indoors with anyone not in their household.

Footage released from a mock press briefing on December 22 last year showed Johnson's then press secretary, Allegra Stratton, joking with aides about a "fictional party".

EXCLUSIVE: Video obtained by ITV News shows Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party on 18th December last year.

No 10 has spent the past week denying any rules were broken. This new evidence calls that into question. pic.twitter.com/nKYK0tG0dQ

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) December 7, 2021

She was asked by the special adviser to the Prime Minister, Ed Oldfield, about reports of a "Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night".

"I went home," she said whilst appearing to pause to work out her answer.

Oldfield then asked if the Prime Minister would condone staff having a Christmas party to which Stratton replied: "What's the answer?"

A Downing Street employee could also be heard saying it was a "wine and cheese" event.

"Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting," Stratton went on to say before adding: "This is recorded. This fictional party was a business meeting... and it was not socially distanced."

Britain's opposition Labour Party wrote to London's Metropolitan Police asking them to investigate reports that two parties were held at No. 10 Downing Street in the run-up to last Christmas.

The police force said that it was aware of "widespread reporting" of "alleged breaches of health protection regulations" at a government building last November and December.

It said although it did not routinely investigate "retrospective" breaches of COVID-19 regulations, it was considering the complaints.