OFFICIALS at Number 10 are said to be in a "state of panic" over further recordings of Boris Johnson's former spokeswoman Allegra Stratton that include her responses to questions about the Prime Minister's personal life, it is being reported.
Stratton's now-infamous mock press conference, filmed in December last year, showed staff joking about holding a Christmas party in No 10 which "was not socially distanced' – after a week of denials that any party had taken place.
It forced Johnson into a humiliating Commons apology, led to Stratton's tearful doorstep resignation and contributed to the loss of the 23,000-vote Tory majority at Thursday's North Shropshire by-election.
But former and current No 10 staff fear that further damning tapes, including embarrassing material for the Prime Minister, might also be in circulation.
Allegra Stratton delivered a tearful resignation statement outside her home.
A source told The Mail on Sunday that the recorded sessions included mock questions aimed at Stratton referring to "mistresses" and "love children'" of Johnson.
The source said: "Allegra is of course well aware she was asked more than just the one question we have all seen.
"She is feeling very anxious and has totally gone to ground, she is speaking to hardly anyone."
"She and her former colleagues in Downing Street have convinced themselves they know the source of the leak.
"They believe that a confidentiality agreement has been breached. They are living in fear every day that the rest of the questions put to her will come out, because they know they were filmed.
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"Any further breach would be in the public interest, so they feel they cannot stop it. They are just waiting like sitting ducks. To say they are on tenterhooks is an understatement."
The source added: "The worst could be yet to come. Other mock scenarios included fictional questions about the mistresses of Boris and his love children.
"No 10 will need to brace themselves. They are absolutely s******* themselves about what else is around – and Allegra is too. She knows what was asked and how she answered.
"That was not a failing on the part of the teams involved in the process – they would not be doing their jobs properly if they hadn't worked out what the most difficult questions were likely to be and prepared for them."
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The December 22 rehearsal was circulated to nine people working in Downing St who were tasked to scrutinise Stratton's performance in front of the cameras. The footage was obtained by ITV and aired on ITN news.
Johnson said he was "furious to see that clip" and asked the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to "establish all the facts and report back as soon as possible".
Case stepped aside after it emerged an event was held in his own office last December.
At the time of the 2020 video, Stratton was gearing up to become a White House-style spokeswoman to lead daily press briefings on behalf of the Prime Minister.
But the role never materialised as the television briefings were axed. Stratton became the Government's COP26 spokeswoman instead.
Stratton was filmed joking that she "went home" when asked by a Downing Street special adviser about the possibility that a Christmas Party had taken place.
Another source added: "It didn't take the No 10 lot very long to establish one very alarming fact – that there are more tapes just waiting to come out."
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