Video: Kemi Badenoch dismisses Partygate furore in first TV interview as Tory leader

Kemi Badenoch dismissed the furore over Partygate, describing the scandal as "overblown" in her first television interview as the new Tory leader on Sunday, 3 November.

The MP for North West Essex criticised the then-government for fining people for what she described as "everyday activities" during coronavirus lockdowns.

She declined to be drawn into a “post-mortem” of the previous government but said there had been “serious issues” under Boris Johnson’s premiership — though she added that the Partygate scandal was not one of them.

Partygate saw Mr Johnson fined for attending a party in Downing Street, one of several that took place under his tenure in breach of Covid lockdown regulations.