kitty donaldson, let's bring i journalists present. kitty. orter i go and — obviously as a reporter i go and see _ obviously as a reporter i go and see sources all the time and — and see sources all the time and ill— and see sources all the time and i'll coffee and i have lunches— and i'll coffee and i have lunches with senior politicians. and sometimes i go to parties— politicians. and sometimes i go to parties that i'm invited to come — to parties that i'm invited to come of— to parties that i'm invited to come of the prime minister usually— come of the prime minister usually has an objection christmas party for journalists. when not sure if that's— journalists. when not sure if that's good ahead this year. | that's good ahead this year. wonder if that's good ahead this year. i wonder if you'll be invited, pippa? i wonder if you'll be invited, pi i ta? ., , wonder if you'll be invited, pi ta? ., , wonder if you'll be invited, piua? pippa? i hope so, if it goes ahead. sorry _ pippa? i hope so, if it goes ahead. sorry kitty, - pippa? i hope so

michael crick, political commentator for mail plus, and kitty donaldson, the uk political editor foromberg news. let's start with pippa crerar from the mirror. it was your story which started all of this. when did you first hear that there had been a christmas party in downing street? well, i actually first heard rumours way back injanuary, but they were just that. and i wasn't able to substantiate, i tried my best but didn't manage to get there. and then about a month ago i got handed what i would describe as a metaphorical brown paper envelope which contained enough evidence in it for me to start asking questions again. so i then spent several weeks speaking to sources about whether a party had taken place and then once i'd established that it had, speaking to them about who was at it, what was done at the party, secret santa and the festive games and drinks and nibbles and so on. and then we were just really waiting for a moment that would be the right time to publish. so you come back to this story, you start having lots of conversations building on what you first heard about in