Markus Andrews

Police fear that their investigation into alleged breaches of Covid laws in Downing Street could be hindered if key evidence is released in the Sue Gray report, The Independent understands.Scotland Yard confirmed on Friday that it had asked for “minimal reference to be made” to the events it is investigating.“The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed, but we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation,” a statement added.A source told The Independent the position was not new, but had not previously been made public.Officers leading the probe are concerned that they will not be able to investigate effectively if key details and pieces of evidence, such as photos, are released to the general public.It would mean that suspects may know what is held against them before being interviewed.The source said Scotland Yard is not seeking to influence parts of the Cabinet Office report covering events that are not under criminal investigation, and has only asked for “reasonable adjustments”.They said the Metropolitan Police has no objection to it being published, as long as it does not disclose evidence that will hinder its probe.The force has not yet disclosed which of the numerous alleged Whitehall and Downing Street parties it is investigating, but The Independent understands the Cabinet Office report will make the distinction clear.Criminal barrister Andrew Keogh said it was normal for police to control what information is disclosed to suspects during investigations.“In most cases you only have to disclose what’s necessary,” he told The Independent. “The more you put into the public domain, the more you give someone a heads up and the thinking time to provide an explanation.”Mr Keogh said there was no “legal impediment” to the Gray report fully publishing evidence, but that it would be unusual for a civil servant to turn down requests from the police.“If she accepts as a proposition that she may make the investigation harder, and make suspects’ lives easier, it would be a bizarre response from a public servant to refuse a request,” he added.Cressida Dick confirms ‘Met is now investigating’ Downing Street partygate allegationsThe barrister also cautioned that existing press reports and anonymous witness accounts are unlikely to reach the threshold needed for evidence in a criminal case, and that police may have to do substantial additional work to use the material.Mr Keogh said the Metropolitan Police’s position was “absolutely normal but given how they ended up being dragged kicking and screaming into this case, they open up space for conspiracy theories”.Several other legal experts questioned the difficulties that could be caused by the Cabinet Office publishing full detail of all incidents.There was initial confusion at the meaning of the word “prejudice” in the Metropolitan Police’s statement, which can refer to influencing juries. Jury trial is not possible for the Covid offences under investigation.Nick Aldworth, a former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent, said the report could prejudice the police investigation “by disclosing the evidence that they will gather and thereby giving the potential defendants an opportunity to conceal or alter evidence”. Barrister Matthew Scott wrote on Twitter: “Police should never want witnesses to be told what other witnesses have said, or certainly not in detail.”Anonymous author Secret Barrister commented: “Whatever the reason, it is an unedifying look for the Met to refuse to investigate despite clear evidence of criminality, then to subcontract the function to a civil servant, and then to frantically try to stem the flow of information when they change their minds.”Dame Cressida Dick announced the investigation on Tuesday, after weeks of mounting pressure as the force insisted it would only investigate if it received evidence of potential criminal offences from the Cabinet Office.The commissioner said the investigation was triggered “as a result firstly of information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team and secondly my officers’ own assessment”.Scotland Yard said Ms Gray’s team had provided “outline findings” from its inquiry in previous days, and that it had formally requested all relevant evidence.Its probe is currently focused on whether various events broke the health protection regulations that were in force at the time, and changed frequently through the pandemic.Dame Cressida told the London Assembly that fixed penalty notices, which varied between £100 and £10,000 in the period covered depending on a person’s role in an illegal gathering, would not “necessarily be issued in every instance and to every person involved”.Fines have been the main method of enforcing Covid laws throughout the pandemic, and were used as a “last resort” according to police guidance, but people can be prosecuted for offences and handed larger penalties if they refuse to pay. 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Downing Street has denied any role in the Metropolitan Police’s dramatic decision to block the release of all but “minimal” information about No 10 parties during lockdown.And a No 10 spokesperson said it was “not at all” the case that Boris Johnson is pleased that the intervention by Scotland Yard could delay the full release of Sue Gray’s report by weeks or months.The police move was today described as “disproportionate” by a former director of public prosecutions, who said it could have the “grave” consequence of delaying the resolution of a significant scandal.Liberal Democrats have warned that any appearance of an “establishment stitch-up” between government and police to cover up wrong-doing would be “profoundly damaging”.And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for the Gray report to be published in full as soon as possible, warning the government had been thrown into “paralysis” by continuing uncertainty.The publication of the Whitehall mandarin’s report into alleged breaches of Covid regulations has been thrown into doubt by police insistence on removing details relating to events which are covered by their separate criminal investigation.No 10 today said it was unable to say when the Gray report will now be published or how complete it would be.But a spokesperson said it was not the case that Downing Street put any pressure on either the police or Cabinet Office to halt publication, which had been expected earlier this week. And he said he was “not aware” of any direct contact between No 10 and the Met on the issue.Asked if No 10 asked the investigatory team to check with the Met whether publication would cut across its inquiries, the spokesperson said: “No. The terms of reference clearly set out that the Cabinet Office would keep in contact with the Metropolitan Police.”It’s an independent investigation. We haven’t been privy to the details of the investigation or any of its content… We are not involved in these conversations.”Asked if Mr Johnson would be pleased at the prospect of the findings on his handling of the partygate affair being kicked into the long grass, the spokesperson replied: “No, not at all. We appreciate it is independent work. “The prime minister said earlier this week that it’s entirely right for the police to investigate these matters and they should be given time and space to do that.”Former DPP Ken Macdonald – now a crossbench peer – told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “The risk of the police intervention this morning is that this leaves things hanging in the air for weeks and months. And that seems, obviously not to be in the public interest.“To take the grave step of delaying a report which is going to shed public light on the subject matter of what may be a major public scandal, I think is undesirable and I think it may be a misjudgment. If we are simply talking about lockdown breaches and fixed penalty notices, this move by the police seems to be disproportionate.”Sir Keir said: “The government is paralysed because of the prime minister’s behaviour in Downing Street and the attempts of his cabinet to save his skin.“The Gray report must be published in full as soon as possible and the police have to get on with their investigation. But Britain faces huge challenges as we emerge from the pandemic and it is offensive that the government’s sole focus is on cleaning up after themselves.“The country deserves better. Boris Johnson is unfit for office and must resign.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “A stitch-up between the Met leadership and No 10 will damage our politics for generations and it looks like it is happening right in front of our eyes.”And the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “People are understandably concerned that this increasingly looks like a cover-up.“This cannot be another Whitewall whitewash. There must be maximum transparency.” More

‘I really don’t know’: MP Thérèse Coffey unaware of when Sue Gray report will be publishedThe Metropolitan Police’s decision to limit the findings of the unpublished Sue Gray party report has been described as “absolute nonsense”, with public anger over the issue growing. Shortly after it launched its own inquiry into reports of illegal lockdown parties in Downing Street, the police instructed the Cabinet Office to remove some details from its long-awaited report, which had been due to be released this week.The move was taken to avoid prejudicing the Met Police’s criminal investigation, the force said in a statement on Friday morning. As a result, Sue Gray’s inquiry can now only make “minimal reference” to events currently being investigated by the police. Lawyers were quick to rubbish the Met’s justification. “This is absolute nonsense from the Met Police. A purely factual report by Sue Gray cannot possibly prejudice a police investigation,” former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families For Justice campaign group suggested the force had “broken the trust of the public”. Show latest update

1643381104Corruption experts warn Boris Johnson’s government is worst since WWIIBoris Johnson’s administration is the most corrupt in Britain since the Second World War, experts have said. Experts have warned that Boris Johnson‘s administration is more corrupt “than any UK government since the Second World War”.An “absolute failure of integrity at No 10” could have potentially serious consequences for the UK if allowed to fester, researchers at Sussex University’s Centre for the Study Corruption warned. Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has this report: Rory Sullivan28 January 2022 14:451643380804Met police move ‘disproportionate’, says former prosecutions chiefLord Macdonald, former director of public prosecutions, suggested the Metropolitan Police stance – that the Sue Gray report should omit details that “could avoid any prejudice” – was “disproportionate”.He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “If we’re talking about fixed penalty notices – like parking tickets, essentially – if we’re talking about that kind of resolution, then to take the rather grave step to delay a report that is going to shed public light on the subject matter of what may be a major public scandal, I think that is undesirable and I think it may be a misjudgment.“It is really to say that if we are simply talking about lockdown breaches and fixed penalty notices, this move by the police this morning seems to be disproportionate.”Adam Forrest28 January 2022 14:401643379849Watch: Raising national insurance ‘wrong’, says StarmerRaising National Insurance in April is ‘wrong thing to do’, says StarmerRory Sullivan28 January 2022 14:241643379664Downing Street denies involvement in police decision on partygate reportNo 10 has denied that it played any role in the Met Police’s dramatic decision to block the release of all but “minimal” information about parties in Downing Street. A government spokesperson said it is “not at all” true that Boris Johnson is pleased by the likely delay to the full release of Sue Gray’s report. Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more details: Rory Sullivan28 January 2022 14:211643378584Sturgeon responds to latest partygate developments More reaction is in on the Met Police’s decision to water down the Sue Gray report. Here’s what Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has to say: Rory Sullivan28 January 2022 14:031643377504Public support national insurance rise, Downing Street claims The government has said the British public will support the national insurance rise. A No 10 spokesperson said: “Of course we understand that people may not want to pay more in tax.“But we’ve set out the rationale for this and I think it’s clear that one of the public’s number one priorities is to support the NHS and to help the NHS.”Rory Sullivan28 January 2022 13:451643376372Bereaved families: partygate investigation becoming a ‘circus’The investigation into No 10 lockdown parties is becoming a “circus”, according to the spokeswoman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group.Fran Hall, whose husband served in the police for more than three decades before dying with coronavirus, accused the Metropolitan Police of letting bereaved families down. The Met has asked for Sue Gray’s partygate report to make “minimal reference” to events it is investigating to avoid prejudicing inquiries – but this has led to criticism that the findings will be watered down. Ms Hall said the force had “broken the trust of the public”. You can read the full story below.Laurie Churchman28 January 2022 13:261643375507Tory MP criticises Met Police’s decision over Sue Gray report Tory MP Roger Gale has joined the chorus of criticism against the Met Police’s interference with the Sue Gray inquiry. See his tweet below: Rory Sullivan28 January 2022 13:111643374488Tory MP: Gray report will give public ‘all the information they need’Sue Gray’s report into No 10 lockdown parties will give the public “all the information they need”, a junior minister has claimed.The Met police has requested that the report makes “minimal reference” to events officers are investigating.But Croydon South MP Chris Philp told the BBC: “I think what is clear is that between Sue Gray’s report and the police investigation, everything will be fully covered and that will give parliament, and indeed the public, all of the information they need about these incidents.” Laurie Churchman28 January 2022 12:541643373457How many Tory MPs have called for Boris Johnson to quit?So far seven Tory MPs have publicly called for Boris Johnson to quit, but others are believed to have done so privately in letters to the chairman of the Conservatives’ 1922 Committee.If the number of letters received by Sir Graham Brady hits 54, representing 15% of all Tory MPs, then a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership will be triggered.Mr Johnson would then have to win the support of half of Conservatives MPs in order to stay in No 10.Laurie Churchman28 January 2022 12:37 More

Experts have warned that Boris Johnson’s administration is more corrupt “than any UK government since the Second World War”.Researchers at Sussex University’s Centre for the Study Corruption warned that the “absolute failure of integrity at No 10” could have potentially serious consequences for the UK if allowed to fester.It comes as opposition figures warned of the “appearance of an establishment stitch-up” over an inquiry into rule-breaking at Downing Street.The Metropolitan Police on Friday said it had asked civil servant Sue Gray to remove key details of potential illegality from her long-awaited report into the Partygate scandal – citing a need not to prejudice its own separate investigation.The development means some aspects of behaviour at Downing Street may not be made public at a key moment of political danger for the PM – and even raises the prospect that some facts might never see the light of day at all.Robert Barrington, Professor of Anti-Corruption Practice at the Centre for the Study of Corruption in the University of Sussex said: “There is more corruption and corruption risk in and around this government than any UK government since the Second World War. “The PM has direct influence on this through personal example and through what he allows amongst his Ministers and No. 10 staff. “There has been an absolute failure of integrity at No 10 which has consequences for democracy and Britain’s global influence – and longer term, if unchecked, for the economy and national security. “The enablers of this are any MPs or Ministers that allow the failure of integrity to go unchecked. But – although standards have slipped, they can still be restored, if there is the political will to do so.”The latest row over the Partygate inquiry came just 48 hours after new evidence suggested that the prime minister misled the public over his role prioritising the evacuation of animals from Afghanistan last year. He had previously denied any involvement.The prime minister has also found himself embroiled in a scandal over private donors financing a lavish refurbishment of his private Downing Street flat.And last year the government was forced to back down after it moved to abolish a standards watchdog which had recommended mild sanctions against a Tory MP who broke lobbying rules.Dr Sam Power, a lecturer in corruption analysis at the anti-corruption centre, said: “We didn’t really need a detailed inquiry to know what Partygate is. Either having a party, or indeed a work event, is in blatant contravention of the rules as written, and the commonly understood way in which the British public was expected to behave during the height of the pandemic. “Partygate is indicative of Johnson’s reckless approach to the rules and the kind of behaviour that the public expects of those in the highest office. “Whilst this cavalier approach to ethics is, in part, baked into his wider electoral appeal his standing is now damaged beyond repair with the British people. “Whether Conservatives decide Gray’s report is enough to warrant a change of leadership, is an open question. But his standing is now so damaged with the voters that MPs may well consider if one of Johnson’s core strengths, his electability, is now a fatal weakness. To many, the joke simply isn’t funny anymore, if it ever really was.”The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group on Friday said the the investigation into No 10 lockdown parties was becoming “circus”. Fran Hall, whose husband served in the police for more than three decades before dying with coronavirus, accused the Metropolitan Police of letting bereaved families down.The Met has asked for Sue Gray’s partygate report to make “minimal reference” to events it is investigating to avoid prejudicing inquiries – but this has led to criticism that the findings will be watered down.Tory MP Roger Gale meanwhile described the latest development as a “farce created in Scotland Yard”, while Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said the proceedings risked giving the “appearance of an establishment stitch-up”.”First the police were waiting for Sue Gray, now Sue Gray has to wait for the police?” he said.”Any appearance of an establishment stitch-up between the Met Commissioner and the Government is profoundly damaging. Police officers need the trust and confidence of the public to do their jobs and keep our communities safe.”That’s why we called for the police to investigate Number 10 weeks ago and put this whole sorry business behind us, instead of waiting for Sue Gray.”The Sue Gray report must be published in full, including all photos, text messages and other evidence. If it is redacted now, a full, unredacted version must be published as soon as the police investigation is complete.” More

Boris Johnson’s former Brexit minister David Frost has said there will be “no way back” for the prime minister if he is found to misled parliament about Downing Street parties.The PM’s former ally – who dramatically quit as Brexit negotiator at the end of last year – suggested Conservative MPs should decide Mr Johnson’s future on the basis of the Sue Gray report.Writing before the Metropolitan Police’s bombshell statement requesting that Ms Gray make “minimal reference” to gatherings which officers are already investigating, Lord Frost said “matters need to be brought to a head”.“Sue Gray’s report must be published and judgments must be made,” the Tory peer wrote in his latest column for The Sun. “Her report may provide evidence to condemn the prime minister.”Asking MPs to weigh up the report “seriously”, the Tory peer added: “If they conclude the PM has misled parliament, then I am afraid there will be no way back.”Lord Frost also said there had been “too much chaos”, adding: “The future of Boris Johnson’s government needs to be settled in the next few days.”The former cabinet minister remarks go further than his tweets on Thursday, in which he called for a clear-out of staff and a complete change in direction at No 10.Highlighting a column in The Telegraph, Lord Frost said he agreed “the neo-socialists, green fanatics and pro-woke crowd” should be “exiting immediately”.The Tory peer also suggested that the government should “get back” on the track of delivering post-Brexit changes, whoever is prime minister.“Some say: ‘If Boris goes, Brexit goes.” I strongly disagree. We are not going back into the EU. But it is true that some still want us to run the country just as if we were a member of the EU,” he wrote in his latest column.“Whatever the future holds, we must resist that. If we go down that road, we will not get the benefits of doing things differently and Brexit will fail. Brexit was about change … We need to get back on that track.”Scotland Yard has asked for the Whitehall inquiry into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street to make only “minimal reference” to the events being investigated by police.The Liberal Democrats have warned that any appearance of an “establishment stitch-up” between government and police to cover up wrong-doing would be “profoundly damaging”.And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for the Gray report to be published in full as soon as possible, warning the government had been thrown into “paralysis” by continuing uncertainty.Downing Street has denied any role in the Met police’s dramatic decision. More

Downing Street today insisted that the 2.5 per cent hike in National Insurance will go ahead in April “no ifs, no buts”, despite a government minister admitting that “everybody” is opposed to it.Boris Johnson’s repeated refusal to commit himself publicly to the tax rise has sparked concern in Whitehall that the prime minister may be wobbling over the plan to raise £12bn a year for the NHS and social care.Today’s comments represent a hardening of Downing Street’s position and appear designed to dispel speculation that the prime minister may cave in to pressure from Tory MPs to drop the levy in the hope of saving his own skin in the partygate row.Many backbenchers oppose the National Insurance hike – costing £455 a year to the average worker and imposing costs on employers too – with some making it a condition of support in any confidence vote on the PM’s future.Speaking on BBC1’s Question Time, defence minister James Heappey defended the NI rise, but acknowledged that all of the audience were opposed to it.”I don’t think it’s a majority. I think it’s absolute,” he told host Fiona Bruce.”Everybody in the room is against it. Everybody in the room is feeling the squeeze.”The tax hike will hit workers in April at the same time as a forecast rise of £600-700 in energy bills, adding to a cost-of-living crisis hitting millions of Britons.Mr Heappey indicated that ministers are ready to take action to soften the blow, saying that the government is “in listening mode”.”You’ll have noticed the top of the government is in listening mode at the moment,” he said.”There are plenty of people that are on good salaries that are starting to worry about how they’re going to make ends meet and the government is seeking to address that. We’re going to need to do a lot over the next few years to help people with this.”In two TV interviews this week, Mr Johnson has dodged repeated calls to guarantee that the 2.5 per cent hike – split equally between employees and employers – will go ahead as planned.But a Downing Street spokesperson today insisted that it will do.Asked at a regular Westminster media briefing if rise will come into force in April “no ifs, no buts”, he replied: “Yes.”He added: “The prime minister and chancellor are fully committed to introducing the health and social care levy in April. “We’ve spoken before about why we are doing that, in order to give the NHS the funds it needs to tackle the backlog that has built up, as well tackling the long-term issue of social care.”We are committed to introducing that in April.”The NI hike will add £130 a year to the tax bill of workers on a £20,000 salary, and £255 for those who earn £30,000.People on £50,000 will pay an additional £505 a year, those on £80,000 will lose £880 and those earning £100,000 face a £1,130 bill.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it would be “the wrong thing to do” to raise national insurance in April.Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to Glasgow, Sir Keir said: “The prime minister needs to act on this. “We’ve got a very serious issue here with everybody facing prices going up – whether that’s fuel, energy bills at home, inflation going up to something like 6 per cent, the worst it’s been since the John Major years.”And at that very moment, Boris Johnson and his government want to impose a tax hike on people in April.“It was the wrong thing to do and we argued strongly it shouldn’t have happened. So I’m glad if anybody is reconsidering this, but it should never have happened in the first place.” More

Theresa May has broken her silence over Downing Street lockdown parties and said she is “angry” at the revelations.In a letter shared with her local constituency newspaper Boris Johnson’s predecessor declared that “nobody is above the law”.The comments mark her first intervention over the so-called “Partygate” scandal, which she had notably avoided commenting on so far.”I have said previously that it is vital that those who set the rules, follow the rules. Nobody is above the law,” the Maidenhead Advertiser reported Ms May as having written.”This is important for ensuring the necessary degree of trust between the public and Government.”Like so many, I was angry to hear stories of those in Number 10, who are responsible for setting the coronavirus rules, not properly following the rules.”The letter was sent before the Metropolitan Police launched its own inquiry into the alleged parties, referred to the investigation by top civil servant Sue Gray.The former prime minister said that “if there is evidence of deliberate or premeditated wrongdoing, I expect full accountability to follow”.She added: “All those working at the heart of Government should conduct themselves with the highest of standards which befits the work they do, and this applies as much to those working in Number 10 as to other parts of Government.”The ex-prime minister has been a persistent critic of Mr Johnson’s government on issues including planning reform and cuts to international aid.During Ms May’s tenure as prime minister Mr Johnson served as foreign secretary.But he resigned from her Cabinet over over what he said was her policy of enacting a “semi-Brexit” that would leave the UK with the “status of a colony”. More

Foreign secretary Liz Truss has said the UK government would not intervene to prevent DUP ministers in North Ireland halting checks required under the Brexit deal.Ms Truss said it would be up to the Northern Ireland Executive to decide if officials in the province should stop inspections on goods if ordered to do so by DUP agricultural minister Edwin Poots.First minister Paul Givan said on Thursday that his DUP colleague Mr Poots would order a stop to the checks – a move branded a stunt by Sinn Fein and other parties on the executive at Stormont.Sinn Fein deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill claimed the proposal would expose the DUP to “public ridicule” – and said civil servants would be obliged to defy any order from Mr Poots as such a direction would be unlawful.Asked if Boris Johnson’s government would intervene, Ms Truss told the Belfast Telegraph it was a “matter for the [Northern Ireland] executive” to decide upon.The dispute centres on whether Mr Poots requires the authority of the wider executive to conduct the checks and inspections on goods arriving from Great Britain necessitated by Northern Ireland Protocol agreed between the UK and the EU.Claiming that recent court rulings have clarified that such authority is required, Mr Poots tried to secure the approval of the executive by asking for it to be voted on at a meeting on Thursday.However, Sinn Fein used its own veto to prevent the issue from even getting on the agenda in the first place.Mr Poots now claims that – in the absence of wider executive backing – he does not have the legal authority to continue the Brexit checks. It is unclear when he will formally announce that he has directed a halt to them.But Mr Givan made clear the DUP intend to stop inspections. “Edwin Poots is going to act … That is something that the DUP have said that we were going to do, and we are going to do that.”If protocol checks were to stop, it would put the UK government at odds with its obligations under the terms of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.In such circumstances, the government could use its authority to direct that the checks resume.However, that could place it in an uncomfortable position politically, given Ms Truss is currently involved in intensive negotiations with Brussels in a bid to significantly reduce the number of checks required under the protocol.The DUP has targeted 21 February as a fresh deadline for Ms Truss to deliver a solution to protocol problems.The foreign secretary told the Belfast Telegraph she was hopeful both sides would find a “sweet spot” in negotiations next month.The prime minister risked heightening the row once more on Wednesday when he accused the bloc of implement the protocol in an “insane” and petty way.EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said Mr Johnson and his team “know exactly what they signed up for … they are the ones who negotiated”.Mr Barnier told Politico that Mr Johnson must stop the theatrics over to reach a deal on the protocol. “The British government must adopt a pragmatic attitude, without ideology” in order to “de-dramatize” the current tension. More