The transport secretary has denied all knowledge of the party, which The Mirror reports took place on Wednesday 16 December 2020. The new rules introduced that same day banned people from different households from mixing.
A DfT spokesperson apologised for the "inappropriate" event and its staff’s "error of judgement", while adding: "The secretary of state wasn’t involved in any gathering at the department."
The department said "fewer than a dozen staff" were involved, adding the gathering took place "in a large open-plan office".
