Markus Andrews

The leader of the SNP’s Westminster group has been ejected from the House of Commons for saying Boris Johnson misled parliament over No 10 parties.Ian Blackford refused to withdraw his comments in an exchange with the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and was excluded under standing orders.He had said Mr Johnson had “wilfully, wilfully misled parliament”.MPs are officially banned from accusing each other of lying or deliberately misleading the Commons during parliamentary debates.Speaker Sir Lindsay repeatedly challenged Mr Blackford to withdraw the comments and state that Mr Johnson had only “inadvertently” led the House of Commons. But Mr Blackford said: “It’s not my fault if the prime minister can’t be trusted to tell the truth.”Amid a backdrop of raucous shouting from the Tory benches, Sir Lindsay said: “Under the power given to me by standing order number 43 I order the honourable member to withdraw immediately from the House.”Mr Blackford walked out of the chamber before the Speaker had finished, with Sir Lindsay noting: “It’s all right, we don’t need to bother.”Following the episode, the senior SNP MP said: “This is what truth to power looks like at Westminster. A liar is allowed to keep his place – I am forced to leave for telling the truth. “He misled the house, he must go. Tories must look themselves in the mirror and ask if they can allow this to go on much longer. Remove him now.” More

Sue Gray’s “update” report into parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall said that some of the social gatherings held during lockdown represented a “serious failing” by those at the heart of government.But it did not say very much else. Boris Johnson was not mentioned once in the 12-page summary. The top civil servant deferred to the Metropolitan Police probe, conceding that she was “extremely limited in what I can say”. Ms Gray did reveal, however, that Scotland Yard is now investigating almost all of the events she was asked to look into when the partygate scandal reached fever pitch earlier this year.The Cabinet Office official said she had been asked to examine 16 gatherings on 12 different dates since the first lockdown.She said the police would look into 12 events – including the notorious “bring your own booze” event in May 2020 and the prime minister’s birthday celebration a month later in June.But Scotland Yard will not be picking up on gatherings held on 15 May 2020, 27 November 2020, 10 December 2020 or 15 December 2020, since they had not reached the “threshold” for criminal investigation.So what does the Gray “update” leave out? Well, almost everything, in terms of details. There is no particular criticism for any individuals, and the language is not of the scathing kind some at No 10 had feared.Ms Gray also chose not to name Martin Reynolds, the principal private secretary to the prime minister who sent the notorious email inviting No 10 staff to a “bring your own booze” event.But she did state: “Too much responsibility and expectation is placed on the senior official whose principal function is the direct support of the prime minister. This should be addressed as a matter of priority.”The Cabinet Office official also opted not to publish even basic, factual accounts about the four dates Scotland Yard has decided to ignore.Ms Gray added: “It is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather.”Here is some of what has been reported on the 16 events that Ms Gray’s update mentions, but does not cover in any detail, many of which are now under scrutiny by the Met police force.15 and 20 May 2020 – No 10 ‘garden parties’ITV News had reported that the prime minister’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds invited over 100 people by email to a “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden on 20 May.Mr Johnson was reportedly among 30 or people alleged to have attended the garden party – despite strict rules limiting people to meet only one person outside your household in an outdoor, public place. This event is being probed by police.The bash was scheduled just five days after another cheese and wine gathering reportedly took place in the Downing Street garden – with a photo showing Mr Johnson and staff at a table with a bottle. PM later said: “those people were at work talking about work”. This gathering is not being looked at by officers.18 June 2020 – Cabinet Office gatheringThe Gray update mentions a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a No 10 private secretary, which will be investigated by police.19 June 2020 – PM’s ‘birthday party’Up to 30 staff reportedly gathered at No 10 to sing ‘happy birthday’ to Boris Johnson, despite a ban on most social indoor gatherings involving more than two peopleAccording to ITV News, the PM was presented with a cake and M&S party was available. The Met police team is investigating this event.13 November and 27 November 2020 – Downing Street ‘leaving drinks’Dominic Cummings has alleged that No 10 staff members attended a party at Mr Johnson’s private flat on 13 December after he left – despite a second lockdown being in place that month. Downing Street has flatly denied any gathering took place.My Gray’s update says her team has been examining a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat, and a gathering in No 10 Downing on the departure of a special adviser. Police will be looking at these events.Sources have told the BBC there was also a leaving event held for No 10 staff member Cleo Watson on 27 November, while the second lockdown curbs were still in place. But Ms Gray’s update says police are not probing any event on this date.10 December 2020 – Education department eventThe Department for Education has already confirmed and apologised for a social gathering, featuring drinks and snacks, to thank staff. Police are not looking into this event.15 December 2020 – Downing Street quizBoris Johnson was pictured hosting a Christmas quiz in Downing Street via Zoom. An image obtained by the Sunday Mirror shows the PM leading the quiz and sitting with two colleagues underneath a portrait of Margaret Thatcher.Ms Gray she her team has been looking at the gathering in No 10 for an online Christmas quiz, but police will not be investigating this one.14 December 2020 – Shaun Bailey eventThe Conservative Party has already confirmed that an “unauthorised” social event was held by the team of former mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey. Photos showed Bailey gathered with staff, food and booze. He later apologised and stepped down as head of the police and crime committee at the London Assembly. The Met is looking into this alleged breach of rules.17 December – Cabinet Office eventsEx-head of the Covid taskforce Kate Josephs has admitted to and apologised for gathering staff at the Cabinet Office for her leaving do on 17 December, saying she was “truly sorry that I did this and for the anger that people will feel as a result”.18 December 2020 – No 10 ‘Christmas party’An alleged Downing Street Christmas event, first reported by The Mirror, was initially denied by No 10. Around “40 or 50” people were said to have attended, according to the report which sparked the partygate scandal.But a video then surfaced showing then-press secretary Allegra Stratton joking about an event she sarcastically described as a “business meeting”.14 January 2021 – No 10 ‘leaving drinks’Ms Gray’s update says her team is looking at a gathering in Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 private secretaries. The police will examine too.16 April 2021 – More ‘leaving drinks’Downing Street staff reportedly attended leaving drinks events the evening before Prince Philip’s funeral – which saw the Queen sit alone in accordance with strict Covid rules during a period socialising indoors with other households was banned.Witnesses told The Telegraph that “excessive alcohol” was drunk. One was reportedly held for James Slack, Mr Johnson’s then-director of comms, and the other for his personal photographer. No 10 has apologised to the Queen for the “deeply regrettable” events.Ms Gray’s update said she was looking into both leaving events. The police team will also investigate the events. More

Whitehall mandarin Sue Gray has said she is unable to present a “meaningful report” into allegations of rule-breaking parties in No 10 due to the ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation.Publishing an “update” of her report, Ms Gray insisted she was “extremely limited” over the information she could reveal after day of wrangling in the wake of Cressida Dick’s decision to launch a police probe.Scotland Yard last week asked Ms Gray to make only “minimal reference” to gatherings being investigated by its officers.However, she did reveal the 12 events being investigated by the police, including the “bring your own booze” gathering on 20 May, 2020 and the allegation of gathering in the prime minister’s residence on 13 November, 2020.And while heavily censored, the senior civil servant also blasted the “failures of leadership and judgement” in No 10 and the Cabinet Office.She stressed that some events “represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time”.“There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times,” she said.“A number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.“There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across government. This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded. “But she added: “As a result of the Metropolitan Police’s investigations, and so as not to prejudice the police investigative process, they have told me that it would only be appropriate to make minimal reference to the gatherings on the dates they are investigating. “Unfortunately, this necessarily means that I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather”.Her remarks were published in a 12-page “update” of the investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions, as Boris Johnson prepared to face MPs in the Commons.Downing Street has so far refused to commit to publishing a fuller version of Ms Gray’s findings once the police investigation has concluded. More

Sue Gray on Monday released her long-awaited report into Downing Street‘s rule breaking parties during the Covid lockdown. Here are the key points of the investigation and what she concluded.• Firstly, report is very short, just eight and a half pages long or 12 if you include a number of blank pages and the title page. This includes annexes simply re-stating the regulations at the time and the terms of reference of the inquiry. This short length may reflect the Metropolitan Police’s demand that key details be left out of the document. • The conclusion of the report simply says that “a number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did”. Gray adds that “there is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government”. Notably, she concludes that “This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded”.• Sue Gray says that it is “not for me to make a judgement on whether the criminal law has been broken” and that is properly a matter for the police. • She says the police have indicated to her that they are investigating parties 12 of the 16 reported parties, with the exception of those noted on 15 May 2020, 27 November 2020, 10 December 2020, and 15 December 2020. These four events were not thought to reach the threshold for criminal investigation.• The report also makes clear that Sue Gray considered that due to the police request that she not prejudice their investigation, she sees herself as “extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather”. She also decided not to publish factual accounts of the events.• Gray says that there was “too little thought given to what was happening across the country” by staff and that there “were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times”.• She also believes that the “excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time”.• The civil servant also believes that the number of staff working at Downing Street has increased too quickly and that “the structures that support the smooth operation of Downing Street, however, have not evolved sufficiently to meet the demands of this expansion”. She says leadership in the department has become too fragmented – but does not criticise any individuals. More

Sue Gray hands Boris Johnson a version of her partygate inquirySue Gray’s heavily-censored report into the partygate scandal has blasted “failures of leadership and judgment” in 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.The long-awaited report was published by Downing Street at 2.30pm after being delivered to Boris Johnson this morning.The prime minister is set to respond and face a grilling from MPs in the House of Commons at 3.30pm. After an eleventh-hour intervention by police, senior civil servant Ms Gray was required to strip the report of all but “minimal” references to alleged breaches of Covid regulations in parties and social gatherings in No 10 and Whitehall departments.The Met asked her to remove key details, saying this was necessary to avoid prejudicing its own probe.Earlier today, the prime minister refused to be drawn when asked if the report would be a “whitewash”.He said: “I stick absolutely to what I’ve said in the past”.Show latest update

1643640305What are the key findings of Sue Gray’s report?Jon Stone has a summary of the key findings of the civil servant’s inquiry here.Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:451643640146Boris Johnson’s birthday and flat party among dozen gatherings investigated by MetBoris Johnson’s birthday celebration is among a dozen gatherings being investigated by police.An alleged party in the prime minister’s private flat was also confirmed to be part of Scotland Yard’s probe by Sue Gray’s long-awaited report.Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:421643639995Sue Gray finds ‘failures of leadership and judgment’ in report on Downing Street partiesSue Gray’s heavily-censored report into the partygate scandal has blasted “failures of leadership and judgment” in 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.The long-awaited report was published by Downing Street at 2.30pm after being delivered to Boris Johnson at 11.20am on Monday. The prime minister is due to give his response in the House of Commons and be grilled by MPs in an hour’s time.After an eleventh-hour intervention by police, senior civil servant Ms Gray was required to strip the report of all but “minimal” references to alleged breaches of Covid regulations in parties and social gatherings in No 10 and Whitehall departments.Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:391643639857Sue Gray report: “Serious failure” to observe the high standardsA limited version of the report into No 10 and Whitehall parties during lockdown has criticised a “serious failure” to observe the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government.The version of Ms Gray’s report published online said: “It seems there was too little thought given to what was happening across the country in considering the appropriateness of some of these gatherings, the risks they presented to public health and how they might appear to the public”.The Downing Street garden was used for gatherings “without clear authorisation or oversight” in a way that was “not appropriate”.Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:371643639678Police investigating No 10 gathering on Boris Johnson’s birthday, inquiry update suggestsPolice are investigating the No 10 gathering in the Cabinet Room on Boris Johnson’s birthday in 2020, Sue Gray’s update on her inquiry suggests.More as we have it.Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:341643639378Sue Gray: ‘Behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify’Sue Gray says some of the behaviour around lockdown gatherings is “difficult to justify”.In the 12-page report, she writes: “Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify.”Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:291643639129Update on Sue Gray’s investigation publishedThe update on Sue Gray’s investigation has been published.The ‘Investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions – Update’ has been released here.More as we have it.Laurie Churchman31 January 2022 14:251643638486Will Boris Johnson resign?Boris Johnson is facing the most politically perilous moment of his premiership.As he prepares to address MPs about Sue Gray’s pared-back “update” on her investigation into No 10 lockdown parties, Ashley Cowburn and Joe Sommerlad have this blow-by-blow account of the allegations that have rocked Downing Street. More

Sue Gray’s heavily-censored report into the partygate scandal has blasted “failures of leadership and judgment” in 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.The report considered a total of 16 separate social events at 10 Downing Street and other government departments which took place while Covid regulations imposed strict limits on gatherings anywhere in the UK.In a scathing comment on the culture at No 10 under Boris Johnson’s leadership, the Whitehall mandarin wrote: “Some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time”.The long-awaited report was published by Downing Street at 2.30pm after being delivered to Boris Johnson at 11.20am on Monday. The prime minister was due to give his response and be grilled by MPs an hour later in a statement to the House of Commons.After an eleventh-hour intervention by police, senior civil servant Ms Gray was required to strip the report of all but “minimal” references to alleged breaches of Covid regulations in parties and social gatherings in No 10 and Whitehall departments. Ms Gray said that the police request had made it impossible for her to deliver a “meaningful report” on the full range of event which took place in No 10 during 2020 and 2021.“I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather,” she said.She described her 12-page report as an “update” on her inquiries, suggesting that a fuller report may be published when the police investigation is concluded.The report did not mention Mr Johnson by name and made direct criticism of individuals for what took place in No 10.But it said: “There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times.”And Ms Gray concluded: “A number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.“There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across government. This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded. “Ms Gray raised concerns about the ability of Downing Street staff to raise concerns about gatherings and breaches of social distancing rules over which they felt uneasy.“Some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so,” she said. “No member of staff should feel unable to report or challenge poor conduct where they witness it. There should be easier waysfo r staff to raise such concerns informally, outside of the line management chain.” More

Boris Johnson’s birthday celebration is among a dozen gatherings being investigated by police.The prime minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, reportedly helped organise a surprise event for him in Downing Street’s cabinet room on 19 June 2020, where attendees presented a cake and sang “happy birthday”.Covid laws at the time meant that large social gatherings were banned, unless they were between linked households.An alleged party in the prime minister’s private flat in November 2020 was also confirmed to be part of the probe by Sue Gray’s long-awaited report, alongside several leaving dos and Christmas parties.The senior civil servant wrote: “It is not for me to make a judgment on whether the criminal law has been broken; that is properly a matter for law enforcement. “In line with my terms of reference I have been in regular contact with the Metropolitan Police as my work has progressed in order for them to take decisions on the gatherings under examination, including whether to launch their own investigation.” More

Boris Johnson will this afternoon publish Sue Gray’s “partygate” report and make a statement to the Commons on alleged breaches of Covid regulations.The prime minister will face MPs’ questions on the scandal for around 90 minutes after the parliamentary statement, which is scheduled for 3.30pm. He is then due to face Tory MPs at a behind-closed-doors meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee at 6.30pm.The senior civil servant’s report was handed to No 10 at 11.20 on Monday morning, shorn of many key details at the request of the Metropolitan Police, which is conducting a parallel investigation.The Cabinet Office described the document as an “update” on Ms Gray’s inquiry, raising speculation that she intends to publish a full report following the conclusion of the police inquiry.However, Downing Street said it had not yet been decided whether the full Gray report will ever be made public.Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson said that today’s update will be published in exactly the form it was received from the Whitehall mandarin, with no further redaction by No 10.Asked if the PM was grateful to Ms Gray for her work, the spokesperson replied: “Yes. Obviously he commissioned this work to be carried out.” He said Mr Johnson spoke “briefly” with Ms Gray on Sunday to discuss the timing of the report’s presentation and publication, but said they did not talk about its contents.The report was commissioned by Mr Johnson into alleged rule breaking at No 10 during the various coronavirus lockdowns.Claims include birthday parties for the prime minister himself, a Christmas party, and staff raving in a basement while a special advisor acted as a DJ.Cheese and wine evenings, recommendations to ‘bring your own booze’, and regular so-called ‘Wine Time Fridays’ are among other claims been looked at.Opposition figures and some Tory MPs have said they do not need to wait for the report to know whether the prime minister broke the rules, given the wide extent of reported festivities.But some Conservatives are said to be waiting to see its findings before deciding whether or not to trigger a leadership challenge into the PM.Cabinet Office spokesman said on Monday morning: “We can confirm that Sue Gray has provided an update on her investigations to the prime minister.” More