Michael Gove and Ed Balls filmed dancing Gangnam Style at Christmas party

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has been filmed throwing off the shackles of the government crisis and dancing Gangnam Style with former Labour minister Ed Balls.

The footage, believed to be filmed at the Christmas party for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where Gove is Secretary of State, shows the pair mimicking the horse-riding, lassoo-twirling dance in unison as onlookers cheer them on.

The video has been viewed nearly 500,000 times on Twitter.

“I am never going to be able to unsee that,” replied one Twitter user.

“Is there anyone in British politics who hasn’t gone completely bonkers?” wrote another.

Pictures from the event also appear to show the Defra secretary judging a department fancy dress costume at the same time as the Prime Minister was in Brussels trying to renegotiate her Brexit deal.

Journalist John Stevens captioned the pictures: “Crisis, what crisis? Michael Gove is currently judging a fancy dress contest featuring a dancing monkey and crocodile in Defra.”

Gangnam Style was a viral hit for Korean pop star Psy in 2012, largely thanks to the bizarre dance moves in the accompanying music video.

Ed Balls delighted viewers of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 when he performed Gangnam Style with partner Katya Jones.

Neither Mr Gove nor Mr Balls responded to requests for comment.