A TORY minister was unable to give a clear answer when asked if there were Christmas parties in Downing Street last year.

The UK vaccine minister Maggie Throup was appearing on Question Time where the first item the panel were asked about was reports of multiple festive events at the Prime Minister's official residence.

It was reported that, despite guidance from his own government, Boris Johnson and staff at Downing Street held several gatherings at No 10 last year while the rest of the UK was under various levels of restrictions and large gatherings were banned.

The programme was broadcast from Weston-super-Mare and an audience member, who said he lives at number 10 on his street, asked if he could have Christmas parties, regardless of restrictions.

Labour's Thangam Debbonaire said that "it really hurts" that this time last year when regulations were in place that there were Christmas parties in No 10 and that Johnson seems to think he can just "blag his way out of trouble".

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"The joke is not funny anymore," she added, saying that it would not be appropriate at this time for Labour to have a Christmas party.

Businessman Theo Paphitis, famous for appearing on Dragons' Den, said his team had cancelled their Christmas party, opting for a summer get-together because they "can't take the risk".

"I'd rather they have a safe Christmas with their family and friends rather than something happen at a massive works Christmas do," he said.

He added: "I am concerned that this government is not treating it seriously.

"Whichever minister you speak to, you get a different answer, so we can't actually tell and the best thing is to be safe."

Another audience member spoke about how she was unable to see her parents last Christmas and said that the news of parties in Downing Street made her "sick".

Throup was asked to react. She said: "I respect that people have put up with a lot over the past 20 months. Nobody could have predicted what was going to happen."

Pressed on the parties in particular, she said that the PM "was clear" at PMQs on Wednesday that "all guidance was followed".

Some audience members laughed at this response, which host Fiona Bruce acknowledged before asking directly if there was a Christmas party.

Throup said she "wasn't there" and "wasn't invited" to which the audience was asked who wanted to know if there was a party. Everyone raised their hands.

Throup stumbled over her words and said she was not "aware" of a party while Debbonaire could be seen mouthing "there was" and Paphitis exasperatedly told her it was a yes or no question.

Throup said No 10 is a workplace, where parties were also not allowed last year, and repeated that guidance was followed.

The audience was asked if that answered their questions, they replied: "No."

Pressed further, Throup indicated that there was an "event" and attempted to back peddle, saying that this was all "rumour and hearsay", to which she was laughed at by the other panel members.

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Another audience member was appalled at the suggestion that this story was a rumour and told Throup: "Your Prime Minister has got you all in a little bubble so you have to say what you think he wants you to stay."

Also on the panel was immunologist and professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, Peter Openshaw. He was asked about Johnson telling the public to not cancel festive events and if he would be comfortable going to a party.

He said: "Personally I wouldn't feel safe going to a party at the moment if it involves being indoors in an enclosed space where you're close to other people and people are not wearing masks. Even if they've been tested and vaccinated, I wouldn't feel safe."

Later on, Paphitis summed up the issue most people have with the current Tory government's attitude.

He said: "We have got an economy to look after as well. There will be life after Covid, for most people anyway, as long as we're sensible.

"Someone said about 'Tory-bashing', it's not Tory-bashing, it's called frustration from people who are at the coal face, working in the economy, running the economy, worried about their colleagues.

"We need clear guidance and we can't just have nonsense and spin when people's lives are at stake and the future of our children is at stake. Alls we're getting is Peppa Pig and spin and that is not good enough."