An image has appeared showing 24 Tory aides crowded together at the Tories Westminster HQ in room during lockdown last year.
The event was organised by Shaun Bailey who was running for the London Assembly police and crime committee.
Bailey was approached by the Mirror on Tuesday evening after the blatant breach of Covid laws on 14 December 2020 and then immediately resigned as chair of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee.
The image show 24 people including Tory aides and the billionaire Tory donor Nick Candy who can be seen raising a glass of wine.
Tory staff had a catered buffet and drank alcohol late into the evening at the party which was descirbed as a “raucous” event.
The Tory Party said that “formal disciplinary action” was taken against four CCHG staff.
A spokesman said: “Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of [CCHQ] organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of 14th December.
“Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.”
A GLA Conservative spokesman said, “Shaun Bailey AM has today stood aside as Chairman of the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee.
“He does not want an unauthorised social gathering involving some former members of the London mayoral campaign team last December to distract from the Committee’s important work holding the Mayor of London to account.
“He will continue to speak up for Londoners who no longer feel safe in our city and push for a strategy to tackle the disproportionate level of crime in London’s black community.”
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said, “This is damning new evidence of a party, with a buffet, drinks, Christmas attire and absolutely no social distancing held at Conservative Party HQ.
“Shaun Bailey is an elected official that is clearly breaking Covid regulations in this photo and encouraging the same of his staff.
“Whilst everyone else was making sacrifices to keep their community safe, the chair of the Police and Crime committee in the Greater London Authority was partying.
“His position as chair was untenable and he knew that.”
