A senior British Conservative minister has apologised over footage of an event at Conservative Party headquarters in 2020 at which staff were filmed apparently joking about Covid-19 restrictions.
Two of those at the party were later awarded honours by former prime minister Boris Johnson.
Failed London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Tory aide Ben Mallett - will receive a peerage and an OBE respectively.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has said the pair should not be stripped of the honours, saying the former PM has a right to hand out resignation appointments which should not be blocked.
The video of the party has reignited criticism of Mr Johnson's list.
Mr Bailey reportedly left the event before the video was taken and has previously apologised for his involvement.
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mr Gove said: "The decision to confer honours on people was one that was made by Boris Johnson as an outgoing prime minister. Outgoing prime ministers have that right.
"Whether or not they should is a matter of legitimate public debate, but they do at the moment."
He added: "I just want to apologise to everyone really, who, looking at that image, will think 'Well, these are people who were flouting the rules that were put in place to protect us all'."
In the footage, one attendee can be heard joking about Covid restrictions, saying: "As long as we don't stream that we're, like, bending the rules" before laughing while a man and woman hold hands and dance.
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The pair crash into a buffet table stacked with food and wine glasses at one point while other guests walk past wearing paper crowns and clutching alcoholic drinks.
Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) said "formal disciplinary action" was taken against four staff members, who were seconded to Mr Bailey's mayoral campaign, over the "unauthorised" event.
Also speaking on Sky News, Mr Gove said: "It's terrible. I think it's completely out of order. As I understand it, this was an event that was organised by the people who were running the mayoral campaign for Shaun Bailey.
"They had obviously behaved in a way which is unacceptable."
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the footage shows Tories "openly mocked the rules the British people followed" while Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it should make ministers "sick to their stomachs".
A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of December 14 2020.
"Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign."
