Barrister Steven Barrett wrote in the Spectator magazine that the alleged party at No 10 in December 2020 may not have breached the law. The commentator highlighted how section 73 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 states that Covid regulations do not apply to Crown Land.

       Mr Barrett said this would have only changed if Downing Street made a written agreement to be voluntarily bound, which he added it is not thought No 10 did.

       The barrister wrote: "So the regulations almost certainly never applied to No 10 anyway."

       But the suggestion prompted a strong reaction on Twitter.

       User @JohnGillibrand commented: "I don’t think you’ve got the public mood on this one.

       "I’ll give you a clue - most, most unlikely to be impressed with a legal technicality."

       Another Twitter user, @copybot, said: "So it is literally one rule for them and another rule for the rest of us, and they have no obligation to lead by example regardless?

       "I think this may not be a great defence."

       A third, @HaveRomans, replied: "Looking forward to the optics on this if No 10 uses this as defence."

       READ MORE: ‘From one disaster to next!’ Trust lost over Christmas party scandal

       Another, @Rick_Turner, commented: "The ACTUAL person who wears the crown managed to stick to them…"

       User @sodslawyer added: "So the point you're trying to make is that it really is one rule for them, and one for the rest of us."

       Other Twitter users shared a moving picture of the Queen sitting on her own at her beloved husband Prince Philip's funeral.

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       Boris Johnson has come under fire over claims of a Christmas party at Downing Street last year where staff and aides are alleged to have drunk together, eaten cheese and swapped secret Santa presents.

       The Prime Minister, who has repeatedly insisted the rules were followed, has ordered an investigation into the alleged gathering.

       The alleged bash came less than 24 hours before Mr Johnson announced people could not see loved ones from other households over Christmas.

       On Wednesday, Mr Johnson announced Plan B restrictions would be introduced in England in response to the Omicron variant.