Cabinet minister Grant Shapps brands Shaun Bailey Christmas party ‘disgraceful’

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A Cabinet minister has branded a Christmas party attended by Shaun Bailey “disgraceful” after a leaked photograph appeared to show the former Conservative mayoral candidate at a bash at Tory HQ last December.

Grant Shapps said the picture of 24 people, including Tory donor Nick Candy, posing with what appeared to be a catered buffet was “wrong”.

At the time London was under Tier 2 restrictions banning household mixing.

When asked about the photograph, published by the Mirror, Mr Shapps told Sky News it was “absolutely right” that Mr Bailey had resigned his chairman role and it was “wrong to have held a party”.

The Transport secretary added: “This is something that was organised by, I guess, his London campaign team.

“I see in that picture apparently four Conservative party workers who were on secondment. Disciplinary action has already been taken.

“It’s disgraceful to have a party like that and break the rules, that’s unacceptable.”

A spokesman for Tory HQ said that “formal disciplinary action was taken” but did not say when the party became aware of the gathering.

Mr Bailey failed to turn up to the Police and Crime Committee, which met at 10am on Wednesday.

Despite stepping down from his chairman role he remains a member of the committee and the London Assembly.

Labour has demanded the Conservative party launch an inquiry into the bash and on Wednesday wrote to Co-Chairman Oliver Dowden calling for the investigation to be set up “urgently”.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case is already investigating alleged Covid-breaching Christmas parties in Downing Street, including a review of whether Boris Johnson broke the law by personally hosting a quiz night.

Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds said: “The Conservatives need to come clean about what went on at their HQ last winter in the light of damning evidence that dozens of people partied to the small hours in breach of Covid rules.

“It’s not enough for Oliver Dowden to feel ‘appalled’ by this evidence. He must launch an urgent investigation into why his predecessor allowed it to go ahead, why Shaun Bailey doesn’t appear to have been punished for it, and whether any other parties took place at CCHQ in breach of the rules.

“Whether it’s covering up Christmas parties in Downing Street or Matthew Parker Street, the Conservatives have acted like there’s one rule for them and another rule for everyone else.

“The public won’t be taken for fools any longer – they deserve transparency from a Conservative Party that has lost the moral authority to ask them to stick to the rules.”

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