Markus Andrews

One reveller stayed in No 10 until 4.20 am on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, the Sue Gray report has found.Another left the now notorious party, in which a swing in the Downing Street garden was broken, just after 3am, her long-awaited findings show.The report found that individuals were encouraged to leave by the rear exit of No 10, but some “remained in the building and carried on drinking alcohol until the early hours”. “Exit logs indicate that some left after midnight and others between 01.45-02.45. Two members of staff stayed later still, with one leaving at 03.11 and the last leaving at 04:20” the report states. The prime minister has been accused of presiding over Covid lockdown breaches on a “record-breaking scale”, after the Metropolitan Police issued 126 fines for events over eight dates during its investigation into the partygate scandal.Mr Johnson himself received just a single fine, over his birthday party during lockdown.The report criticises a “ serious failure” to abide by the “standards expected of the entire British population” during the Covid pandemic.It also shows one individual threw up and a scuffle broke out at a leaving do for a No 10 official. Sue Gray also said that she had learned of multiple examples of “unacceptable” treatment of security and cleaning staff during her investigation into partygate. “I found that some staff had witnessed or been subjected to behaviours at work which they had felt concerned about but at times felt unable to raise properly,” she wrote. “I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable.”Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry has called for today to “be the day” Mr Johnson resigns.Speaking to Times Radio, she said he could not “front” this out by “wriggling and lying and trying to drag other people in” to cover up for his own actions. “Today should be the day he takes responsibility for coming to Parliament and lying to us.,” she said. “Our democracy depends on politicians not being allowed to lie like that.Ms Thornberry added: “He should do the right thing today and resign.” More

Sue Gray’s report into Covid lockdown-busting parties at Downing Street has been published in full. It comes after a heavily-redacted version was released in January as the Metropolitan Police carried out its investigations into Partygate. The much-antipated full report gives the clearest picture so far of the events that have caused widespread public anger.It is more than 40 pages long and contains nine photos of Partygate incidents, some which show Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak present. Below are the first few pages and her conclusions, as well as a link to the full report:FINDINGS OF SECOND PERMANENT SECRETARY’S INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED GATHERINGS: REPORT1. On 8 December 2021 the Prime Minister asked the Cabinet Secretary to carry out an investigation into allegations reported in the media relating to gatherings in No 10 Downing Street and the Department for Education during November and December 2020. 2. On 17 December 2021 the Cabinet Secretary recused himself from the investigation as a result of allegations concerning an online quiz held by his private office in the Cabinet Office on 17 December 2020 in 70 Whitehall. It was at this point that I was asked to lead this work. 3. The terms of reference for the investigation were published on 9 December 2021. The primary purpose of the investigation was to establish a general understanding of the nature of the gatherings including: attendance; the setting; and the purpose, with reference to adherence to the guidance in place at the time.4. On 31 January 2022 I published an update (appended to this report and including the detailed terms of reference and the timeline of regulations) which set out the methodology of the investigation; the 16 gatherings within its scope; and a number of limited, general findings. It also confirmed that the Metropolitan Police Service had decided to investigate events on the following dates: 20 May 2020: a gathering in the garden of No 10 Downing Street for No 10 staff; 8 June 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a No 10 official; 19 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet room in No 10 Downing Street on the Prime Minister’s birthday; 3 November 2020: a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat; x 13 November 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser; 17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office;17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official and a No 10 official; 17 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 officials; 18 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street ahead of the Christmas break; 14 January 2021; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 officials; 16 April 2021; A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a senior No 10 official; 16 April 2020; gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of another No 10 official.The Metropolitan Police assessed that the following gatherings did not reach the threshold for criminal investigation: 15 May 2020: photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of No 10; 27 November 2020: a gathering in No 10 on the departure of a special adviser; 10 December 2020: a gathering in the Department for Education ahead of the Christmas break; 15 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 for an online Christmas Quiz. Outcome of the Metropolitan Police investigation 5. As I said in my 31 January update it was not for me to make a judgment on whether the criminal law had been broken: that is properly a matter for law enforcement bodies. Further to that on 19 May 2022 the Metropolitan Police announced that they had concluded their investigation. They confirmed that they had made 126 referrals for Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to the ACRO Criminal Records Office for breaches of Covid-19 regulations in relation to events on the following eight dates:20 May 202018 June 2020 19 June 2020 13 November 2020 17 December 2020 18 December 2020 14 January 2021 16 April 2021 6. They did not specify to whom or in relation to which events those FPNs were issued, nor have they shared that information with me. They did confirm that a total of 83 individuals received FPNs and that some people received more than one. In order to refer for an FPN, officers were required to have a reasonable belief that the individual had committed an offence under the regulations. 7. The prime minister and the chancellor each confirmed that they had received an FPN in relation to the event on the 19th June 2020. The Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service confirmed that he has not received an FPN. 8. Now that the police have concluded their enquiries I am able to set out in more detail, and in line with my terms of reference, my findings with respect to the gatherings within the scope of my investigation.Conclusions1. The general findings set out in my update of 3 January 2022 still stand2. Whatever the initial intent, what took place at many of these gatherings and the way in which they developed was not in line with Covid guidance at the time. Even allowing for the extraordinary pressures officials and advisers were under, the factual findings of this report illustrate some attitudes and behaviours inconsistent with that guidance. It is also clear, from the outcome of the police investigation, that a large number of individuals (83) who attended these events breached Covid regulations and therefore Covid guidance. 3. I have already commented in my update on what I found to be failures of leadership and judgment in No 10 and the Cabinet Office. The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen. It is also the case that some of the more junior civil servants believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders. The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.4. In my update I made a number of general limited findings, I am pleased progress is being made in addressing the issues I raised. I commented on the fragmentary and complicated leadership structures in No 10. Since my update there have been changes to the organisation and management of Downing Street and the Cabinet Office with the aim of creating clearer lines of leadership and accountability and now these need the chance and time to bed in. 5. I found that some staff had witnessed or been subjected to behaviours at work which they had felt concerned about but at times felt unable to raise properly. I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable. I am reassured to see that steps have since been taken to introduce more easily accessible means by which to raise concerns electronically, in person or online, including directly with the Permanent Secretary in No 10. I hope that this will truly embed a culture that welcomes and creates opportunities for challenge and speaking up at all levels. 6. I also made a recommendation that steps should be taken to ensure that every government department has a clear and robust policy in place covering the consumption of alcohol in the workplace. Since then guidance has been issued to all government departments.7. The matter of what disciplinary action should now take place is outside of the scope of this report and is for others to consider. Nothing set out in this report can be taken as constituting a disciplinary investigation or findings of fact appropriate for such a purpose. However, I do offer a reflection: while there is no excuse for some of the behaviour set out here it is important to acknowledge that those in the most junior positions attended gatherings at which their seniors were present, or indeed organised. I have no doubt that they will have taken the learning from this experience and, while this is not a matter for me, I hope this will be taken into account in considering any disciplinary action.8. Many will be dismayed that behaviour of this kind took place on this scale at the heart of Government. The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this. It is my firm belief, however, that these events did not reflect the prevailing culture in Government and the Civil Service at the time. Many thousands of people up and down the country worked tirelessly to deliver in unprecedented times. I remain immensely proud to be a civil servant and of the work of the service and the wider public sector during the pandemic.Read her full report here. More

Several hundred climate protesters disrupted a TotalEnergies shareholders meeting in Paris and blocked the entrance to the gathering Wednesday to denounce the oil and gas giant’s stake in Russia despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine.TotalEnergies tweeted that due to activists impeding access to the meeting, “it unfortunately won’t be possible for our shareholders to join us.” It said interested viewers could follow the meeting on the company’s website.Protesters representing Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and other environmental organizations denounced TotalEnergies for its huge presence in Russia as well as an oil pipeline project in Uganda and Tanzania that the protesters denounced as a “climate bomb.” TotalEnergies, a subsidiary of Total, published in March its “principles of conduct” in Russia, which said the company would “gradually suspend its activities in Russia” and strictly comply with European Union sanctions “no matter what the consequences on the management of its assets in Russia.” The statement said TotalEnergies does not operate oil or gas fields or liquified natural gas plants in Russia but has numerous stakes in various Russian companies. It said the company continues supplying Europe with liquefied natural gas from a plant in Russia’s Yamal Peninsula to honor long-term contracts “as long as Europe’s governments consider that Russian gas is necessary.”___Follow AP’s coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate and of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine More

No 10 has received the long-awaited report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the Partygate scandal, the Cabinet Office has confirmed.“We can confirm that Sue Gray has provided her final report to the prime minister,” a spokesperson said on Wednesday morning.The findings of the inquiry — first launched in December — will soon be made public by Downing Street, before Boris Johnson addresses MPs in the Commons.It comes after the Metropolitan Police concluded its own investigation into breaches of the Covid regulations in Downing Street last week, with the force issuing 126 fixed penalty notices.Both the prime minister and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, received fines for attending a birthday gathering in the Cabinet Room of No 10 in June 2020 during England’s first national lockdown.Ms Gray is expected to be highly critical of the culture in Downing Street which led to the repeated violations of Covid restrictions over the course of 2020 and 2021.The report is also expected to criticise cabinet secretary Simon Case, but he has made clear he will not be resigning and the prime minister will not sack him.Published in January, Ms Gray’s heavily redacted interim update, she said at times “there was too little thought given to what was happening across the county in considering” the risks of gatherings to public health.“There were failures of leadership and judgement by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times,” she added.“Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did”. More

The British government says a long-awaited report into lockdown-breaching parties in government offices has been handed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It is due to be published later Wednesday, and Johnson will address Parliament on its findings.Johnson’s future may hinge on the conclusions of senior civil servant Sue Gray. She investigated 16 gatherings attended by Johnson and his staff in 2020 and 2021 while people in the U.K. were barred from socializing under coronavirus restrictions imposed by Johnson’s Conservative government.A separate police investigation saw 83 people hit with fines, including Johnson — making him the first British prime minister ever found to have broken the law while in office.Johnson has apologized, but insisted that he didn’t knowingly break the rules. That is hard to square with accounts by staffers of “bring your own booze” parties and regular “wine time Fridays” in the prime minister’s 10 Downing St. office at the height of the pandemic.In his statement to Parliament, Johnson will have to explain why he told lawmakers last year that no parties were held in Downing Street and no rules were broken.Critics, some of them inside Johnson’s Conservative Party, say the prime minister lied to Parliament — traditionally a resigning matter.Claims that Johnson and his staff enjoyed illegal office parties while millions in the country were prevented from seeing friends and family in 2020 and 2021 have dogged the government since they first surfaced late last year.Johnson has clung on to power so far, partly because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine diverted public and political attention. Some Conservatives who had considered seeking a no-confidence vote in their leader said it would be rash to push Johnson out in the middle of a war that is destabilizing Europe and fueling a cost-of-living crisis.Johnson got a further reprieve when the Metropolitan Police told him last week that he wouldn’t be getting any more fines, even though he attended several events under investigation.Environment Secretary George Eustice defended the prime minister on Wednesday, but acknowledged that the “boundary between what was acceptable and what wasn’t got blurred, and that was a mistake.”“The prime minister himself has accepted that and recognizes there were of course failings and therefore there’s got to be some changes to the way the place is run,” he told Times Radio. More

A new study has revealed that people in the UK are more likely than those in any other European nation to declare that their government “ignores rules”.In the wake of Boris Johnson’s Partygate scandal, a large EU-funded study across six states in Europe showed that 62 per cent of people in the UK think their government ignores rules and procedures.In Poland, where the administration has often been accused of authoritarianism, 50 per cent of the respondents believed that their government has no regard for the rules. The study was conducted by King’s College London (KCL). It surveyed 12,000 people in the UK, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Norway this January.People in both Poland and the UK felt that their government’s values were different from theirs and that their governments also usually ignored people like them. The respondents were also more likely than not to believe that their government acts unfairly towards people like them.According to the study, 66 per cent of people in the UK and 70 per cent in Poland felt their government was not well respected.The respondents were also asked about their attitudes towards media in their countries. In the UK, 31 per cent of the public said they felt negatively towards news and media organisations.In Poland, the media was similarly viewed in a poor light. At least 32 per cent of respondents said they viewed the media negatively.At least 37 per cent of the people in the UK — the highest proportion of people among the six states surveyed — said that their feelings towards the EU were negative. The six-country average on this question was 26 per cent.The study’s release comes amid the so-called Partygate scandal of Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Senior civil servant Sue Gray’s full report into the allegations was expected to be published later on Wednesday.“None of the countries in the study does particularly well, with large proportions in each saying they’re cautious in trusting their government, disagreeing that they are honest, truthful and provide unbiased information – although people do tend to be more positive in Norway and Germany than other nations,” Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at KCL, told The Guardian.He continued: “The key point of difference that stands out in the UK is that six in 10 say the government ‘ignores rules and procedures’, compared with an average of 44 per cent across the countries as a whole and only 34 per cent in Norway – which will likely reflect the widespread coverage of ‘Partygate’.”Mr Duffy added that it was important to “focus on rebuilding this perception, as it could affect the legitimacy of government and the public’s willingness to comply with the rules themselves”. More

Downing Street has prepared a response in anticipation of the resignation of top civil servant Simon Case over Sue Gray’s report into Partygate. The planning document, seen by The Independent, comes despite the findings from Ms Gray’s report into lockdown-busting parties across Whitehall and Westminster not yet having been made public. The findings are also not meant to have been shared with No 10 at this stage. The drafted letter notes Mr Case’s contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It also notes he took on the role from Sir Mark Sedwill in September 2020, when the country was in the midst of facing Covid, its greatest challenge since the Second World War. The preparations in No 10 have emerged after weekend news reports suggested Mr Case, Britain’s most senior civil servant, would become a scapegoat for No 10 in the aftermath of the Partygate probe. An exclusive poll for The Independent found two-third of voters believe Mr Johnson should resign if he is heavily criticised by Ms Gray’s report.Downing Street did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication. Ms Gray’s full report could be made public as soon as Wednesday. Fresh claims of chaotic lockdown parties and all-night drinking at No 10 have piled further pressure on the PM as the publication of the report looms.Former staffers described “wine-time Friday” drinking sessions which left bins overflowing with empty bottles. More

The Treasury is understood to be finalising plans for a new windfall tax on energy firms that would be used to help those who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.Boris Johnson is reportedly poised to announce a multibillion-pound package of measures to alleviate some of the pressures facing households across the country, who are being hit with the soaring cost of energy and food.The move has previously been suggested by Labour and some senior Tories, but has until now been resisted by ministers. The Times said measures which could be introduced include increases in the warm homes discount, winter fuel allowance and a cut in council tax, while a VAT cut is said to be being mooted.Downing Street is hoping the announcement will take the heat off the prime minister following the publication of Sue Gray’s full report into Partygate, which is expected on Wednesday.Earlier on Tuesday, the energy minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, said a windfall tax on energy companies was not necessarily the right way to fund help for consumers struggling with the rising cost of living.When asked if he supported a windfall tax, he told a parliamentary committee: “I have been very clear about a windfall tax: I don’t think it supports investment, I don’t think it’s necessarily the right thing.”However he stressed any decision would be for the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to make. More