What actually goes on at Downing Street’s Christmas social gathering?

Christmas parties are the strange culmination of colleagues, alcohol, and dry nibbles. However, when you spend every day with MPs – you might expect something a little different.

Political Editor of the Mirror, Lizzy Buchan explained what it’s like to attend one of these affairs. She recalled: “Whilst reporting on Partygate, people asked ‘Have you ever been to a party in number 10?'”

Speaking on The Division Bell podcast she admitted that although she has, “they’re very formal. It’s the Prime Minister inviting most members of the lobby and everyone kind of stands in these ornate rooms and the Prime Minister walks around.”

She admitted that they’re “strange”, as the PM does the rounds and individuals “sort of stand in little donuts sort of hoping that he will come and speak to you.”

Whilst most can relate to awkward small talk over the festive period, most offices don’t have the budget for the “ornate rooms” that the Westminster bunch uses.

As it is well known, different Prime Ministers have different styles at parties. Lizzy said that out of the four PM’s parties she’s been to, one stuck out.

“Theresa May clearly hated it,” Lizzy said, “She would sort of be dragged around making very very awkward small talk. I remember someone once told me they asked whether she nipped nextdoor to borrow sugar from the Chancellor.”

“She just gave them a sort of steely stare and said: ‘I’m diabetic.’ I think we were more saying if you’re matey!” Lizzy joked.

That night Lizzy admitted she spent most of the evening talking to Dominic Cummings, who was “leaning against a wall at the back with un-tied Doc Martens and a rumpled shirt.”

Christian Calgie, Senior Political Correspondent for the Express, admitted that he once went to Churchill’s war bunker underneath Downing Street for Nadhim Zahawi’s leadership launch.

He said: “When a fellow member of the lobby fainted because it was so hot and a BBC journalist became so delirious with the heat he went up to a mannequin asking for directions!”

Christian revealed that “you’re not allowed any sort of technology. When you go, you have to leave your phone at the door so you all lose track of time. Once, I remember asking if I could sit down at the Downing Street Communications team were like: ‘No, that was Pitt the Younger.”

Whilst the average work-do isn’t as interesting, be sure to listen to this week’s episode of The DIvision Bell on Spotify, Apple and wherever you get your podcasts to hear all about what it’s like in Westminster from opposing sides of the political divide.