Quiz of The Week: 4 - 10 December

Spokesperson Allegra Stratton may have been the first high-profile resignation following the No. 10 Christmas party scandal, but she may not turn out to be the last.

MPs and the public exploded in fury this week when a video of Stratton and other Downing Street aides joking about an apparent festive bash in No. 10 last year was leaked to ITV.

Boris Johnson first denied any such party took place, then stated that he was “furious to see” the recording. However, his denial soon fell apart following reports that party planning began in November 2020, while the UK was under lockdown restrictions.

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The resignation came during another tumultuous week for the prime minister, with yesterday’s announcement that the government is introducing stricter Plan B Covid-19 measures provoking further fury among Conservative backbenchers.

And even the birth of Johnson’s second child with wife Carrie was somewhat overshadowed, with the Electoral Commission announcing that the Conservatives would be fined over his Downing Street flat redecoration within minutes of the happy news being made public.

Need a reminder of some of the other headlines over the past seven days?

• Joe Biden has pledged support for Ukraine in the event of an attack from Russia. During a 90-minute call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the pair discussed “possible formats for resolving the conflict” in eastern Ukraine amid heightened threats from Moscow.
• The US Supreme Court could be on the cusp of overturning two landmark decisions that allow millions of women access to abortions.
• The UK is facing an outbreak of avian influenza as the “largest number of premises ever” reported cases of infection, the chief veterinary officer warned.
• Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted over his involvement in a vigil to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre.
• A man claiming to be the inventor of bitcoin won a court case that will preserve his $57bn fortune.
• And more evidence was released in the ongoing trial of Jeffrey Epstein associate and former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.