Social media awash with gags after aides seen joking in video about party, but stories of grief also go viralToday’s politics news – live updatesThe unfolding government crisis over an alleged
Christmas party at Downing Street during lockdown last year has gripped
Social Media watchers, especially after the emergence of a video showing aides laughing and joking about it. But beyond the jokes, there have been searing messages comparing the idea of a No 10 staff party with the experiences people were having by following lockdown rules.
![No 10 Christmas party scandal prompts flood of memes online](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b677388dd28c6fdf1058b876b256afceb9b809f7/60_0_1800_1080/master/1800.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=fc8334114ef80ad3e3feecb71877b610)
Many were keen to point out that it was the first time the new No 10 briefing room, constructed with much fanfare and at a cost of £2.6m, had provided real value to the taxpayer.