Rishi Sunak is finalising plans for his leadership campaign after telling allies he believes Partygate could be “unsurvivable” for Boris Johnson, The Independent has learnt.
The chancellor is understood to be preparing a PR-led campaign, with a draft version of a campaign website already built.
He and his close circle are also believed to have tried to gauge his chances of victory by speaking to former No 10 staffers and MPs about the recent scrutiny of Downing Street in the wake of revelations of lockdown parties.
Sue Gray’s report into the parties is expected to be delivered to the prime minister as soon as this weekend.
The Metropolitan Police said it had received the material requested from the Cabinet Office to support their separate investigation, adding that it had not delayed publication of Ms Gray’s report.
References to parties under police investigation will be removed from the report on the Met’s orders. There are no plans to public an unredacted version.
Tobias Ellwood, Tory chair of chair of the Commons defence committee, said public “fury” over the No 10 parties would not be satisfied if the most serious aspects of the report remain private.
Ex-attorney general ‘dismayed’ over police’s hesitancy over Partygate
The Metropolitan Police have been “vacillating” about alleged Downing Street lockdown parties in the face of major public concern, Lord Morris of Aberavon said.
The former attorney general commented after Scotland Yard limited the Sue Gray inquiry report into the alleged gatherings over concerns that its contents may impact the police investigation into possible lockdown breaches.
The Met have admitted to asking Ms Gray, a senior civil servant, to make only “minimal reference” to No 10 events which are subject to a criminal investigation.
Lord Morris told the PA news agency: “I am dismayed with the vacillation of the Metropolitan Police.
“Surely it is in the public interest that major concerns over events in Downing Street be investigated and reported on.
“Any prejudice that might result in fines would be a disproportionate concern.”
Boris Johnson will face a reckoning soon enough – the odds are against his survival | Voices
From John Rentoul, chief political commentator:
[Boris Johnson] cannot have foreseen how the farce of police incompetence would have bought him time this week, although he may have a sense of the deeper rhythm of politics and know that he who waits is sometimes rewarded by the turning up of the unexpected.
The question now is whether the sacrifice of an assortment of victims around him, some innocent, some less so, will be enough to assuage the public anger enough to persuade Conservative plotters to hold back. Johnson has an interest in confusing matters as much as possible.
Read the full piece from The Independent’s Voices section here:
Rishi Sunak puts final touches on leadership bid and says Partygate could be ‘unsurvivable’ for Boris Johnson
Rishi Sunak is putting the finishing touches on a PR-led leadership campaign after telling allies he believes Partygate could be “unsurvivable” for Boris Johnson, The Independent has learnt (Anna Isaac reports).
The chancellor is understood to have built a draft version of a campaign website, taking inspiration from his weekly No 11 newsletter, and developed a marketing strategy.
He and his close circle are also believed to have had informal conversations with former No 10 staffers and MPs about the recent scrutiny of Downing Street, in order to gauge his chance of winning a leadership contest, sources said.
Tories would lose more than 100 seats in general election, poll suggests
The Conservative Party would lose 133 seats – taking away its majority – if a general election were held today, a new poll suggests.
Labour would be on 318, a few seats short of the 326 needed for a majority.
All six of the Conservatives seats in Scotland would go to the SNP.
Boris Johnson discusses his ‘brilliant strategy’ for confusing media in 2006 resurfaced clip
‘Furious’ public will not accept ‘cover-up’ of Partygate scandal, senior Tory MP warns
A furious public will not accept a “cover-up” of the Partygate scandal, a senior Tory MP is warning – amid a growing belief that crucial parts of Sue Gray’s inquiry will never be revealed (Rob Merrick writes).
There are no plans to publish an unredacted version of the report, once the police have finished their investigation, which means the most serious aspects may never see the light of day.
Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chair of the Commons defence committee, said such an outcome would not satisfy the “deluge of fury” about the lockdown-busting gatherings in No 10, nor Conservative MPs.
“We must not forget this is all happening under the gaze of the nation and they’re looking for evidence that we are going to change, that we want to rebuild trust, that we’re fit to govern,” he said.
“So this discussion, this talk, this suggestion, that somehow the Sue Gray report – which we’ve waited for for so long – might be redacted, or somehow watered down, will not go down well with colleagues.
“There remains a deluge of fury with the British public, appalled by what’s happened, and they want to see that we’re on the road to change – that the command, the discipline, the cultural changes, will actually be introduced to No 10.”
Quick round-up of what Tories said today on Partygate so far:
- Tobias Ellwood MP says it would be “simply wrong” for the Sue Gray report to be redacted on the police’s request
- Tom Tugendhat MP first to throw his hat in the leadership ring as Boris Johnson’s reputation continues to crumble
- Adam Holloway MP defended the PM, saying “I believed him when he said he didn’t know it was a party”
Sue Gray should ‘ignore police and publish report in full’ – Tory MP
The idea that some of Sue Gray’s report into Downing Street lockdown gatherings will be redacted due to an investigation by Metropolitan Police is “simply wrong,” Tory MP Tobias Ellwood said.
The chair of the Defence Select Committee chair was asked by LBC radio whether Ms Gray should “publish her report and ignore the Metropolitan Police are saying [about redacting it]?”
Mr Ellwood replied: “A hundred percent.”
He suggested that failure to publish all the details would hinder any progress for “the culture of change that needs to come into effect”.
Peer who quit government ‘very angry’ over handling of fraud
A minister who quit last Monday over the “schoolboy” handling of fraudulent Covid-19 business loans said: “I didn’t want to blow my top, but I was very angry.”
Lord Agnew of Oulton resigned as the Tories’ anti-fraud minister during a speech at the despatch box in the House of Lords.
He told peers he was quitting his Cabinet Office and Treasury posts because of the government’s “egregious” failure in its handling of bounce-back loans.
Today, he told The Times that ahead of his speech, he “was nearly sick going into the chamber”.
“This isn’t natural for me, I took no pleasure from it but the failure of Government to tackle fraud felt so egregious, and the need for remedy so urgent, that I felt my only option left was to smash some crockery to get people to take notice,” Lord Agnew added.
“In life one should try to stay inside the tent to win the arguments but ultimately there comes a breaking point.”
More here by Rob Merrick
More Holyrood powers would be Starmer’s ‘early priority’ as PM
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wants more devolved powers for Holyrood “quickly” if he becomes Prime Minister.
Sir Keir has asked former Labour PM Gordon Brown to recommend improvements to devolution across the UK to counter nationalist support for independence.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Sir Keir said giving the Scottish Parliament more powers would be an early priority for him, were he to become Prime Minister.
He said: “We need change without a referendum, but we need change quickly.”
With Labour consistently polling ahead of the Conservatives, who are embroiled in sleaze scandals and the so-called partygate affair, Sir Keir has accused Boris Johnson’s Government of being “paralysed”.
Reflecting on his visit to Glasgow’s Forge Market on Friday, the Labour leader said: “We’ve been in the market, we’ve been walking around the streets.
“Every single person who has come up to me has said ‘you’ve got to get Johnson out’. Every single person.
“People recognise that we are now in a position to form a Labour government.”
