UK Politics

‘I overwhelmingly feel it is my job to get on and deliver’, says Johnson after Gray reportBoris Johnson must resign in “the public interest”, a Tory MP has said, as the fallout from Sue Gray’s damning inquiry into raucous No 10 parties during lockdown continued.MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy tweeted that he felt “unable” to give Mr Johnson the benefit of the doubt and “feel it is in the public interest for him to resign”.Despite pressure from his own side to quit, the prime minister said he “overwhelmingly” believed he should remain in office despite public anger at the “bitter and painful” conclusions of the Partygate saga.Mr Johnson issued a televised apology over the scandal in an address to the nation after the report attacked “a serious failure” to abide by the “standards expected of the entire British population” during the pandemic.The findings of the report revealed raucous parties in No 10 where staff sang karaoke, dozens of people attended a drunken party at which red wine was spilled on a wall and that “winetime Fridays” were regular events.One individual was sick due to “excessive alcohol consumption”, partygoers were rude to cleaning and security staff, and there was a “minor altercation” between two other partygoers. Show latest update

1653518451Boris Johnson’s full statement after Sue Gray reportBoris Johnson’s full statement after Sue Gray reportJoe Middleton25 May 2022 23:401653516951Lib Dems focus Tiverton and Honiton by-election campaign material on PartygateThe Liberal Democrats campaign material for the upcoming Tiverton and Honiton by-election focuses heavily on the Partygate scandal.The ad has a picture of an elderly person grieving with the words “while people grieved alone..” above her and then a picture of a smiling Boris Johnson that says “they partied in Downing Street”.Richard Foord, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the seat told The Independent he felt the campaign material highlighted what voters were talking about on the doorstep.He said: “People are telling us they just want honesty and integrity from their prime minister and it is quite obvious he has just not shown that and what this does is act as a mouthpiece for what those people are saying; that they are fed up with that lack of integrity. And we are saying they don’t have to put up with it, there is an alternative.“Johnson set the rules and the hypocrisy in not following them and then not being honest about that with parliament or the British people shows a complete lack of moral courage. It is right to acknowledge to that.”Joe Middleton25 May 2022 23:151653515410Boris Johnson set to pay tribute to ‘remarkable’ QueenBoris Johnson will pay tribute to the “remarkable” Queen in an address to Parliament ahead of her Platinum Jubilee.The prime minister will say that the Queen’s length of service and dedication to duty are “without parallel”.It comes as the nation prepares to celebrate the Jubilee over the June bank holiday.Mr Johnson will make his tribute to the Queen while proposing a Humble Address in Parliament.He will say: “Today we pay tribute to a head of state whose length of service and dedication to duty to are simply without parallel.“The only monarch most of us in this country have ever known and the rock to which our nation and our people have been anchored throughout all that the past 70 years have thrown at us.”He will add that the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth will be “unabashed” in celebrating her.“That is why next week the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth will be unabashed in celebrating not the institution of the Crown but the individual who wears it,” he will tell Parliament.“This remarkable woman who by God and her right has led her country through good times and bad.“Who has dedicated her life to her people, to her beloved Commonwealth, to the very idea of what a constitutional monarchy can and should be.”Joe Middleton25 May 2022 22:501653513845Tory peer Zac Goldsmith criticises Archbishop of Canterbury’s Partygate interventionTory peer and former MP Zac Goldsmith has criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury for his comments on Sue Gray’s Partygate report.Justin Welby said the report shows that “culture, behaviour and standards in public life” matter. In a statement, the archbishop added that “we need to be able to trust our national institutions” in times of trouble.On Twitter, Mr Goldsmith responded to Mr Welby’s statement and said: “War, hunger, environmental devastation, collapse of the natural systems we all depend on… But great to see the head of the Church focusing on the things that really matter.”Joe Middleton25 May 2022 22:241653513035Labour peer calls on Tory members to stop ‘out-of-touch’ PMResponding to the Sue Gray report in the Lords, Labour frontbencher Lord Collins of Highbury called on Conservative members to act “to stop this out-of-touch, out-of-control Prime Minister from driving Britain towards disaster”.He said: “When the dust settles and the anger – strongly felt by many of our communities – subsides, this report will stand as a monument to the arrogance of a government that believed it was one rule for them and another rule for everyone else.“It is pretty clear the Prime Minister knew exactly what was happening in Number 10 throughout the lockdown periods and that it was wrong both legally and morally.”Appealing to Tory peers, he said: “They must now use their influence on colleagues to stop this out-of-touch, out-of-control Prime Minister from driving Britain towards disaster.”Joe Middleton25 May 2022 22:101653511631Sue Gray report: Fury in Whitehall as senior officials escape Partygate punishmentSue Gray’s report has triggered a fresh wave of fury among officials in Whitehall, outraged at the lack of punishment for senior civil servants.A host of officials told The Independent that Ms Gray’s lack of recommendations for disciplinary actions has left them unable to clean up the civil service’s reputation.“Simon, Martin, Helen and others have brought the service into disrepute,” a senior Whitehall source said.Anna Isaac reports.Joe Middleton25 May 2022 21:471653510567Tory MP thinks Boris Johnson will lead party into the next electionA Tory MP has said she thinks Boris Johnson will lead the Conservatives into the next election, despite the fallout from the Partygate scandal.In a clip posted to Twitter, ITV’s Robert Peston asks Victoria Prentis: “It sounds like you believe the prime minister will lead your party into the next election?”She responds: “Yes I think he will, today is clearly not a great day…”Joe Middleton25 May 2022 21:291653509135ICYMI: PM refuses to say what he was doing at the ‘Abba party’ in his flatPM refuses to say what he was doing at the ‘Abba party’ in his flatJoe Middleton25 May 2022 21:051653508627Tory MP accuses NHS staff of ‘letting hair down’ under Covid lockdownA Conservative MP has accused NHS workers of “letting their hair down” during the UK’s Covid lockdowns in a similar way to government staff during the events detailed in Sue Gray’s Partygate report.According to a BBC journalist, Richard Bacon, MP for South Norfolk, told its Look East programme “you haven’t gone and investigated it, but there are 1.5m people working in NHS” and he bets that, if the broadcaster tried hard enough, it “could find some people who were letting their hair down who were working 24/7 in the NHS as well.”Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has hit out at the comments, which he described as a “grotesque insult to the people who work for the NHS.”“He should withdraw this and apologise,” he added.Emily Atkinson25 May 2022 20:571653507473Opinion: Sue Gray has given Boris Johnson’s critics enough ammunition to move against himIn her long-awaited report on Partygate today, Sue Gray has given Boris Johnson’s critics enough ammunition to move against him, writes Andrew Grice.The senior civil servant concluded: “The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.”In other words, Johnson as well as senior civil servants must take the rap for a drinking and party culture in Downing Street and for the “many” events which Gray said “should not have been allowed to happen” because they broke the government’s Covid laws.Her 37-page report is typically forensic, matching up the detailed preparations for events and what happened at them (the last person leaving No 10 at 04:20 or 03:13, for example). It could have been worse for Johnson; his friends will argue there is no smoking gun telling us something new about his involvement and the photos of parties Gray published were not damaging.Emily Atkinson25 May 2022 20:37 More

Sue Gray’s full report has been published to offer the clearest look at the Partygate scandal which has sparked anger across the UK. The civil servant has released her findings into parties held at the top of government during the Covid pandemic, concluding there was “a serious failure” to abide by standards expected of the public. Her report offers an insight into leaving dos and other boozy gatherings, including drinking until the early hours of the morning, a scuffle breaking out and even a staff member vomiting. More

Rishi Sunak has been branded “out of touch” after reportedly paying more than £10,000 to fly by private helicopter to a Tory dinner in Wales.The chancellor is said to have shelled out of his own pocket for the round-trip from Battersea heliport in London to the Conservative conference event in Newtown, Powys, at the weekend.Labour has called Mr Sunak “out of touch” with ordinary voters, with shadow financial secretary James Murray saying he should “start paying attention to the problem most families face – soaring bills and rising prices”.Mr Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty just this week made the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time with their joint £730m fortune.Last month, The Independent revealed how Ms Murty claimed non-domicile status in order to save on her tax bill.Ms Murty, whose family business is estimated to be worth around £3.5bn, continued to use the valuable tax status even after Mr Sunak was put in charge of setting taxes for the country in February 2020.It is not known exactly how much has been saved by Ms Murty but sources told The Independent it could have saved her millions of pounds in tax on foreign earnings over several years.Ms Murty later announced she would pay UK taxes on her overseas income – but insisted the contentious non-dom arrangement had been “entirely legal”.And just last week Mr Sunak claimed there was nothing the government could do to stop rising inflation impacting Britain’s families, as it rose to 9 per cent for the first time in 40 years. More

Legal action has been launched over the Metropolitan Police’s alleged failure to “adequately investigate” Boris Johnson’s attendance at illegal Downing Street parties.The Good Law Project has given the force two weeks to respond to its legal letter before applying for a judicial review in the High Court.The group is representing Lord Paddick, who is a former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and is now a Liberal Democrat peer in the House of Lords. More

Inflation for Britain’s poorest households could hit as high as 14 per cent this autumn amid surging energy bills, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.The stark warning from the respected think-tank comes after the energy regulator, Ofgem, told MPs that gas and electric bills could rise again in October, from £1,971 to £2,800 a year.After intense political pressure, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is poised to unveil a package of measures within days, in an attempt to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis. More

Boris Johnson’s full statement after Sue Grey reportBoris Johnson has issued a televised apology over the Partygate scandal in an address to the nation as Sue Gray’s damning report attacked “a serious failure” to abide by the “standards expected of the entire British population” during the Covid pandemic.As he faces calls from his own side to step down, the long-awaited inquiry findings revealed dozens of staff attended a drunken party, planned two weeks beforehand, where red wine was spilled on a wall, and that “winetime Fridays” were regular events.One individual was sick due to “excessive alcohol consumption” and there was a “minor altercation” between two other partygoers. Former minister Tobias Ellwood warned the Conservatives were on course to lose the next general election, questioning whether fellow Tory MPs could still defend Mr Johnson’s behaviour over lockdown-busting events, including having initially denied parties took place.“There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times,” Ms Gray writes.But the prime minister claimed to have been vindicated, even though he has been fined for attending a birthday party for him in the Cabinet room in June 2020.However, Mr Johnson said there was no excuse for bad behaviour by workers towards security and cleaning staff, insisting those guilty would be made to apologise.Mr Johnson urged the public to “move on” from Partygate, as he said that lessons had been learnt from the scandal. He added that he takes “full responsibility” for the law breaking events.A meeting with the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers scheduled for 5pm, at which he is expected to attempt to calm any rebellion.Show latest update

1653490323PM ‘personally apologised to cleaners and security staff’The Prime Minister said he had personally apologised to No 10 cleaners and security staff who were subjected to “disrespectful and poor treatment” highlighted in Sue Gray’s report.Mr Johnson told the news conference: “I was appalled to learn that there have been multiple examples in Sue Gray’s phrase of disrespectful land and poor treatment of cleaning and security personnel.“I personally apologised to those dedicated members of staff for what happened and I expect anyone who behaved in that way to do the same.”Jane Dalton25 May 2022 15:521653490233PM avoids question of pressuring Sue Gray Mr Johnson swerved the question of whether he tried to pressure Sue Gray not to publish her report.Shaking his head, he said: “The terms of reference make it absolutely clear that Sue has to publish a report and I think it’s entirely right that she has, and I think that the… I don’t think anybody could reasonably say that reading that report that an awful lot has been swept under the carpet.”He also avoided questions of what his personal failings were, but added that he bitterly regretted what had happened.Jane Dalton25 May 2022 15:501653489896I regret how things went, says PMBoris Johnson said he bitterly regretted what had happened in the Partygate scandal, which was why his government had changed some of the staff members. He said he still believed the parties were work events but he appreciated things did not go the way he wanted.Jane Dalton25 May 2022 15:441653489459Boris Johnson repeats apology in live press conferenceThe prime minister has repeated his apology over lockdown-breaking parties, as he addressed the nation on live television, saying he had been humbled by what had happened.He said he thought it was right to thank staff who were leaving, but that it was unacceptable and “utterly intolerable” to be rude to cleaning staff, and those responsible should apologise.Jane Dalton25 May 2022 15:371653488539Johnson to address nationBoris Johnson is due to hold a press conference soon.Jane Dalton25 May 2022 15:221653487693Sue Gray halted Abba party probeSue Gray abandoned her investigation into the “Abba party” in Boris Johnson‘s flat despite finding that alcohol was there on the evening Dominic Cummings was forced out of Downing Street.The senior civil servant found the Prime Minister did attend the mid-lockdown gathering, along with five special advisers but halted her work having only collected “limited” information when the Metropolitan Police began their investigation.There was no mention in her report of The Winner Takes It All and other Abba songs reportedly heard blaring from the Downing Street residence after the departure of Mr Cummings as chief adviser was announced following a bitter power struggle.Carrie Johnson, the Prime Minister’s wife, was reportedly at the event in the flat during England’s second national lockdown on November 13 2020.Ms Gray said a “meeting” was held in the Prime Minister’s residence from “some time after” 6pm to discuss “the handling of the departure” with five special advisers.She found that Mr Johnson joined the event where “food and alcohol were available” at around 8pm.But she said she had not long been investigating the evening when Scotland Yard began its criminal investigation.Boris Johnson ducked questions about his actions during the so-called ‘Abba party’ in Downing Street as he erroneously claimed it had been probed by Sue Gray, reports Kate Devlin:Jane Dalton25 May 2022 15:081653485996More Tories will join me in defecting, MP predictsA Labour MP who defected from the Conservatives suggested that more may cross the floor as a result of the Sue Gray report.Christian Wakeford said: “Wine-time Friday, karaoke, grown men drinking shots of Apple Sours. How can anyone on the benches opposite honestly describe these as work events?“Misleading the House is a very serious issue, as the prime minister well knows, but taking the people of this country for fools is far worse.“Whilst he is busy trying to defend the indefensible, I would like to know how many of my former colleagues does he think will be joining me on these benches after today?”Boris Johnson replied: “He will find the answers to his questions in the Sue Gray report. I really don’t have anything more to add.”Jane Dalton25 May 2022 14:391653484039‘Gaseous Zeppelin of Sir Beer Korma punctured,’ claims PMThe prime minister slated Labour’s Keir Starmer for what he said were double standards because it can be difficult to separate work and leisure time, he claimed.Referring to Durham police’s investigation into the Labour leader’s having food and drink with staff in lockdown, Mr Johnson said: “After months of his frankly sanctimonious obsession… the great gaseous Zeppelin of his pomposity has been permanently punctured and irretrievably by the revelation that he is himself under investigation by the police… and yet… Sir Beer Korma is currently failing to hold himself to the same high standards that he demanded of me.”’Sir Beer Korma’: Johnson calls Starmer ‘sanctimonious’ over takeaway investigationJane Dalton25 May 2022 14:071653483620Your Sue Gray questions answeredThe Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul will answer questions live tomorrow on Partygate.Submit your question now or when at 1pm tomorrow for the “Ask Me Anything” event, here:Jane Dalton25 May 2022 14:001653483423No 10 ‘cesspit of arrogant, entitled, narcissists’Downing Street has become “a cesspit full of arrogant, entitled, narcissists” under Boris Johnson, according to Labour MP Chris Bryant.Dismissing the PM’s statement as “baloney”, Mr Bryant said one of the most damning features of the report was the many examples of cleaners and security staff being treated with a lack of respect and poor treatment. Those people knew what the rules meant, even if Downing Street staff did not. He asked whether Mr Johnson had no shame that No 10 had become “a cesspit full of arrogant, entitled, narcissists”.The prime minister said it was disgraceful to be rude to cleaning or security staff and anyone guilty would be disciplined or made to apologise.Jane Dalton25 May 2022 13:57 More

Boris Johnson ducked questions about his actions during the so-called ‘Abba party’ in Downing Street as he erroneously claimed it had been probed by Sue Gray.The prime minister said the event had been “extensively investigated to the best of my knowledge” and he could not improve on the Gray report. But the damning dossier on the extent of the partygate scandal at the heart of government makes clear it did not look into the event.The party became notorious after it was reported that songs including The Winner Takes It All could be heard through the building.Ms Gray said she had just started the “process of obtaining evidence” about the event when the Metropolitan Police began its own probe.“At this point I stopped my investigation, given the need to avoid any prejudice to the police investigation,” she said.Following the police announcement earlier this month that it would issue no more fines for rule braking over the scandal, she said she considered whether or not to conduct any further investigation into the event “but concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate to do so.”Describing the party, the report found: “Following the announcement of the departure of Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain, a meeting was held in the No 10 flat from some time after 18.00 to discuss the handling of their departure.“Five special advisers attended. The prime minister joined them at about 8pm. Food and alcohol were available. The discussion carried on later into the evening with attendees leaving at various points.”Asked about reports he was conducting a “job interview” at the party, Mr Johnson said: “That evening was extensively investigated to the best of my knowledge and I don’t believe I can improve on what Sue Gray has had to say.”The event took place on November 13 2020, a week after a second national lockdown for England began on November 5. More