No 10 apologises to Queen over parties on eve of Prince Philip funeral

Conservative MPs will hold crisis talks over the weekend about how to respond to allegations of a party culture in Westminster while the rest of the country was in lockdown.

On Friday night a poll released by Savanta Comres gave Labour a 10-point lead, on 42 points against 32 for the Conservatives.

Johnson chose to make no public statement on Friday, after news emerged of two leaving parties held in No 10 on 16 April 2021.

Two leaving parties in No 10, details of which emerged in the Daily Telegraph, involved a case of wine bottles, and continued into the early hours of the morning in the Downing Street garden.

The prime minister did not attend the parties, and his spokesperson said he was not aware they were taking place.

Several MPs including the Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, and the backbencher Andrew Bridgen have called for Johnson to resign.

MPs said they would be having calls and Zoom meetings over the weekend to discuss strategy.

* Additional reporting by Mark Brown