UK Politics

A controversial meeting between Boris Johnson and Partygate report author Sue Gray was instigated by a Downing Street official, No 10 has admitted.The secret meeting sparked a furious row over the weekend, as Downing Street sources insisted that the senior civil servant requested to see the prime minister to discuss the timing of publication, amid claims that close Johnson allies are accusing her of “playing politics” with the report.But Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson today said that the idea of a meeting was first raised by a senior No 10 official, who suggested to Ms Gray’s team that it would be “helpful” for her to request a meetingd about the “timings and publication process”. Ms Gray followed the suggestion up, and the meeting with Mr Johnson took place early in May.The prime minister himself was not aware that the proposal for him to speak with Ms Gray for a second time – following an earlier meeting at the time of the publication of her interim report in January – had initially come from his own team, said the spokesperson. And asked if Mr Johnson suspected Ms Gray of “playing politics”, the spokesperson replied simply: “No.”He added: “I wouldn’t normally get into source-quote briefings, but this is an independent investigation which is being led and overseen by an experienced civil servant working in line with their civil service code obligations.”Neither Downing Street nor the Cabinet Office would comment on suggestions that pressure from No 10 resulted in the removal on Sunday of a senior official with responsibility for briefing the media about the activities of the Gray team.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said reports that the row over the secret meeting represented a “new low” for the government. “I always had a concern that as we got to the publication of the Sue Gray report, there will be attempts by the Government to undermine her and undermine the report,” said Sir Keir.“That’s what we’ve seen going on over the weekend in recent days, a new low for the Government.“What we do know is there was industrial-scale law-breaking in Downing Street – over 120 fines. So what we need now is the full report, all of the evidence. It’s the least the public is entitled to from this Government.”Liberal Democrats tabled a motion demanding the publication of the minutes of the meeting. The party’s chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “The public would be rightly angry if it turns out Boris Johnson put pressure on Sue Gray to water down her report into illegal Downing Street parties.“We deserve to know whether this meeting really was an attempt to turn the report into a Downing Street stitch-up.”The full Gray report into 16 lockdown-breaching events in Downing Street and Whitehall is expected to be published within days, following the completion of a separate police inquiry last week, with 126 fines handed out.There is tension over the civil servant’s plan to publish names of as many as 30 of those involved. Neither Ms Gray’s team nor Downing Street would confirm today whether any of them had taken advantage of the opportunity to raise objections over the weekend to the way in which their behaviour is charactised in the report.In a TV interview this morning, Treasury minister Simon Clarke said that he understood the Whitehall mandarin “instigated” the meeting with the PM.But just hours later, the PM’s spokesperson said that iin fact it was a No 10 official – reported to be permanent secretary Samantha Jones – who “suggested it might be helpful” for Ms Gray to speak with Mr Johnson.“This was not a request of the prime minister, it wasn’t framed in that way,” said the spokesperson. “It was suggested it may be helpful to have that meeting.“Obviously Sue Gray is independent. It’s up to her whether she proceeds with any meetings with regards to her investigation.”Appearing on Sky News, Mr Clarke said he condemned briefing against Ms Gray, saying: “By repute she’s one of the most fiercely independent and professional civil servants in the whole of government. I don’t think there’s any politics”.Speaking to broadcasters on Monday, Mr Johnson said he would “not give any running commentary” on the report until its published when quizzed on what was discussed at the “secret meeting”.“To be frank, the moment is not very far enough, it can’t be long now before I’ll be able to say something,” he said.Asked whether he initiated the meeting with Ms Gray, he replied: “I’m not giving any running commentary on the process in any way until the independent report is produced. That is reasonable”.No 10 said that minutes of the meeting were taken, but would not be published.Asked if the meetings between the pair could create the perception that Ms Gray’s report is not fully independent, the No 10 spokesperson said: “I point you to the coverage of the interim report which certainly didn’t suggest a lack of independence.“And I think it is then for the public to judge following the conclusion and publication of the report itself.” More

Sue Gray’s “update” on her report into parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall, published on 31 January, said that some of the social gatherings held during lockdown by staff 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 was 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 would 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 did 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 PM 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 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.”Ahead of the belated publication of her full report now that the Met investigation has concluded, here are some of the details reported about the 16 events that her update mentioned but did not cover closely, many of which were subsequently placed under scrutiny by the police.15 and 20 May 2020 – No 10 ‘garden parties’ITV News had reported that the PM’s principal private secretary, Mr 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 was duly 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. The PM later said: “Those people were at work talking about work”. This gathering was not looked at by officers.18 June 2020 – Cabinet Office gatheringThe Gray update mentioned a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, on the departure of a No 10 private secretary, which was investigated by police.19 June 2020 – PM’s ‘birthday party’Up to 30 staff reportedly gathered at No 10 to sing ”Happy Birthday” to Mr Johnson, despite a ban on most social indoor gatherings involving more than two peopleAccording to ITV News, the PM was presented with an M&S party cake. The Met police team investigated this event too.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 flatly denied any gathering took place.Ms Gray’s update said her team had been examining a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat and a gathering in No 10 on the departure of a special adviser. Police subsequently looked at both of 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 said police would not be 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 were not looking into this event.15 December 2020 – Downing Street quizMr Johnson was pictured hosting a Christmas quiz in Downing Street via Zoom. An image obtained by The Sunday Mirror showed the PM leading the quiz and sitting with two colleagues underneath a portrait of Margaret Thatcher.Ms Gray said her team has been looking at the gathering in No 10 for an online Christmas quiz, but police would 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 alcohol. He later apologised and stepped down as head of the police and crime committee at the London Assembly. The Met did look into this alleged breach of rules.17 December 2020 – Cabinet Office eventsKate Josephs, ex-head of the Covid taskforce, 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 that 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 said her team was looking at a gathering in Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 private secretaries. The police examined that 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 communications, 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 were also investigating those events. More

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is expected to finally publish her full report into the “Partygate” scandal over lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street this week after the Metropolitan Police completed its own investigation into the affair.The Met issued 126 fixed-penalty notices to 83 individuals in total over the series of parties that took place behind closed doors in Westminster while the rest of the country was asked to observe the same administration’s strict social distancing rules at the height of the pandemic, a moment in which many people were unable to visit sick or dying loved ones because of the measures in place to contain the spread of Covid-19.The scandal first erupted in December last year, forcing the tearful resignation of the prime minister’s spokesperson Allegra Stratton after she was caught on film joking about it, and raged into January thanks to a slew of stories in the press about 12 different events packed with lurid details, most notoriously a suitcase filled with Co-op wine, with only a brief respite provided by Christmas and a fresh surge in cases sparked by the arrival of the Omicron variant.Boris Johnson apologised to the public while repeatedly denying any wrongdoing, batting away fierce calls for his resignation from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, from bereaved families outraged at the apparent culture in the corridors of power and from his own backbenchers.Ms Gray, a respected Whitehall mandarin, was assigned to investigate after Cabinet secretary Simon Case was forced to recuse himself, and she submitted a 12-page “update” on Partygate on 31 January, which was heavily-redacted at the request of the Met, in which she blasted “failures of leadership and judgement” in government, describing the behaviour of some personnel as “difficult to justify”.In a scathing comment on the culture at No 10 under Mr Johnson’s leadership, the senior civil servant 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.”Addressing the House of Commons that same day before an acrimonious gathering of MPs, the PM said he accepted Ms Gray’s “general findings in full” and “above all her recommendation that we must learn from these events and act now”.He said he was “sorry for the things we simply didn’t get right and also sorry for the way that this matter has been handled”.“I get it, and I will fix it,” he added. “I want to say to the people of this country I know what the issue is. It is whether this government can be trusted to deliver, and I say ‘yes we can be trusted to deliver’.”The eruption of Russia’s war in Ukraine the following month and the growing cost of living crisis drove Partygate from the headlines this spring until the Met began issuing its fines, with Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak all penalised for attending a gathering to celebrate the former’s 56th birthday in June 2020. More

Sue Gray released a 12-page “update” on her investigation into Downing Street‘s rule-breaking parties during the Covid-19 lockdown on Monday 31 January but was prevented from releasing a fuller version by the Metropolitan Police announcing is own probe into the affair.That has now ended, with the Met issuing 126 fixed-penalty notices to 83 individuals, including prime minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak.Ms Gray is now free to submit her final report for publication, which is due to take place in the coming days. Ahead of its release, Mr Johnson finds himself under pressure to explain a “secret” meeting he held with Ms Gray, seemingly to discuss the dossier’s progress, while initial reports suggest it could include previously unseen photographs and contain “stinging criticism” of Cabinet secretary Simon Case, despite his not being fined by the Met.Here are the key points already revealed in her January update about the investigation and what she concluded at the time.• Firstly, the initial 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 Met’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”. Ms 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”.• Ms 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 Ms 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.• Ms 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

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been shadowed by career-threatening scandal for months — but so far he has escaped unscathed.This week he faces one more threat to his political future: a comprehensive report into lockdown-breaching parties in government offices that is expected to be published within days.Senior civil servant Sue Gray is due to release her findings on “partygate,” the scandal over more than a dozen gatherings in Johnson’s No. 10 Downing St. residence and nearby buildings that took place when coronavirus restrictions barred people in Britain from mixing with others. Claims that Johnson and his staff enjoyed illegal office parties while millions in the country stuck to strict COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 have dogged Johnson’s Conservative government since they first surfaced late last year. Critics, including some within Johnson’s own ranks, have called for him to resign.Police investigated and said last week they had issued a total of 126 fines to 83 people. Most are thought to be junior staffers, but one 50-pound ($60) fine went to Johnson, for attending a surprise birthday party thrown for him in June 2020. That made him the first British prime minister ever found to have broken the law while in office.Johnson apologized, but insisted that he didn’t knowingly break the rules, saying “it did not occur to me” that the brief gathering was a party — a claim that drew derision from many.Police didn’t identify those who were fined, but Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, as well as Johnson’s wife, Carrie, have said they also paid fines for attending Johnson’s birthday party.While “partygate” threatened to topple Johnson’s leadership earlier this year, he has clung on to power, partly because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine diverted public and political attention. He got a reprieve when the Metropolitan Police told him last week that he wouldn’t be getting any further fines, even though he attended several of the events under investigation.Treasury minister Simon Clarke defended the prime minister on Monday, saying Johnson “had a fine for a slice of cake between meetings.”He said the context of the parties was a government under “extraordinary” pressure during the pandemic with people “working on questions of literally life and death” and operating under “exhausting strain.”Gray’s full report could renew pressure on Johnson if it heavily criticizes him and senior officials, or contains photos and other vivid evidence of Downing Street socializing.The government says it will publish Gray’s report in full once it is handed in.A partial version of the Gray report was published in January after police requested her to leave out details to avoid prejudicing police inquiries. The partial report didn’t name individuals, but it did criticize “failures of leadership and judgment” that allowed the parties to take place. About 30 people, including Johnson, have been contacted by Gray’s team over the past few days to warn them of the contents of the report before its publication.While the Gray report is closely watched, the civil servant’s scope for censuring Johnson is limited — and it’s unclear the extent to which its publication will help restore public trust in the Conservative government.On Friday, new questions were raised after British media reported that Johnson and Gray had met several weeks ago — though what exactly the two discussed is unclear. Defending Johnson on Sunday, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Gray is conducting an “independent” investigation.“The prime minister has made it very clear that he has never intervened or will seek to intervene or interfere with the investigation,” Zahawi told the BBC.Opposition parties urged Johnson to explain why he held a “secret meeting” with Gray.“Public confidence in the process is already depleted, and people deserve to know the truth,” said Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party.Johnson also faces a separate inquiry by lawmakers about whether he knowingly lied to Parliament when he told lawmakers earlier that no laws had been broken at Downing Street. Ministers found to have done so are generally expected to resign. More

The Sue Gray report into the so-called “Partygate” scandal over lockdown rule-breaking during the pandemic, which rocked Westminster in late 2021 and early 2022, was finally released in heavily-redacted form on 31 January.Ms Gray was prevented from releasing a fuller version at the time by the Metropolitan Police announcing is own probe into the affair.That has now ended, with the Met issuing 126 fixed-penalty notices to 83 individuals, including prime minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak.The veteran civil servant is now free to submit her final report for publication, which is due to take place in the coming days.Ahead of its release, Mr Johnson finds himself under pressure to explain a “secret” meeting he held with Ms Gray, seemingly to discuss the dossier’s progress, while initial reports suggest it could include previously unseen photographs and contain “stinging criticism” of Cabinet secretary Simon Case, despite his not being fined by the Met.Below, you can read Ms Gray’s complete January findings in full. 1. 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. Where there were credible allegations relating to other gatherings these could also be investigated.5. In line with those terms of reference the following events were in scope:15 May 2020; a photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of No 10 Downing Street;20 May 2020: a gathering in the garden of No 10 Downing Street for No 10 staff;18 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a No 10 private secretary;19 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet room in No 10 Downing Street on the Prime Minister’s birthday;13 November 2020:a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser;27 November 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street 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 Downing Street for an online Christmas quiz;17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office; a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official; 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 private secretaries16 April 2021; A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a senior No 10 official; A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of another No 10 official.Methodology6. There has been widespread public interest in, and concern about, a number of gatherings taking place in No 10 Downing Street and Whitehall during periods of national Covid restrictions, where their necessity for work purposes has been open to question. My task has been to establish, as far as possible, the facts surrounding these gatherings.7. In carrying out my investigation I have been supported by a small team of senior civil servants in the Cabinet Office, who have no connection with the events under examination and who are bound by the requirements of the Civil Service Code. We carried out interviews of over 70 individuals, some more than once, and examined relevant documentary and digital information, such as emails; Whatsapp messages; text messages; photographs and building entry and exit logs. This has also included searches of official records. As such, extensive substantive factual information is now available and has been compiled by me and my team to fulfil my obligation to establish the facts. The investigative work is now essentially complete.8. The Treasury Solicitor and Daniel Stilitz QC have provided independent advice as to the process.9. 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.10. The Metropolitan Police has now confirmed that as a result of information provided by the Cabinet Office investigation team, as well as assessments made by Metropolitan Police officers, they are investigating the events on the dates set out above with the exception of the gatherings on:15 May 202027 November 202010 December 202015 December 202011. The police have confirmed that on the basis of the information available the gatherings on these four dates are not considered to have reached the threshold for criminal investigation.12. No conclusions should be drawn, or inferences made from this other than it is now for the police to consider the relevant material in relation to those incidents. The police have also said this does not in itself mean that they will decide to take further action or that there has necessarily been a breach of the regulations.13. At the request of the police I have provided the material compiled in the course of my investigation relevant to the gatherings that they are now investigating. I have also been asked to retain all the other information collected in the course of this work, which I have confirmed that I will do. I will therefore ensure the secure storage and safekeeping of all the information gathered until such time as it may be required further. I will not be circulating the information internally within government, it has been provided in confidence to the Cabinet Office investigation team and it is important that this confidence is maintained to protect the integrity of the process.14. 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. More

The Sue Gray report into the so-called “Partygate” scandal over lockdown rule-breaking during the pandemic, which rocked Westminster in late 2021 and early 2022, was finally released in heavily-redacted form on 31 January.Ms Gray was prevented from releasing a fuller version at the time by the Metropolitan Police announcing is own probe into the affair.That has now ended, with the Met issuing 126 fixed-penalty notices to 83 individuals, including prime minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak.The veteran civil servant is now free to submit her final report for publication, which is due to take place in the coming days.Ahead of its release, Mr Johnson finds himself under pressure to explain a “secret” meeting he held with Ms Gray, seemingly to discuss the dossier’s progress, while initial reports suggest it could include previously unseen photographs and contain “stinging criticism” of Cabinet secretary Simon Case, despite his not being fined by the Met.Below, you can read Ms Gray’s complete January findings in full. 1. 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. Where there were credible allegations relating to other gatherings these could also be investigated.5. In line with those terms of reference the following events were in scope:15 May 2020; a photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of No 10 Downing Street;20 May 2020: a gathering in the garden of No 10 Downing Street for No 10 staff;18 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a No 10 private secretary;19 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet room in No 10 Downing Street on the Prime Minister’s birthday;13 November 2020:a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser;27 November 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street 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 Downing Street for an online Christmas quiz;17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office; a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official; 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 private secretaries16 April 2021; A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a senior No 10 official; A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of another No 10 official.Methodology6. There has been widespread public interest in, and concern about, a number of gatherings taking place in No 10 Downing Street and Whitehall during periods of national Covid restrictions, where their necessity for work purposes has been open to question. My task has been to establish, as far as possible, the facts surrounding these gatherings.7. In carrying out my investigation I have been supported by a small team of senior civil servants in the Cabinet Office, who have no connection with the events under examination and who are bound by the requirements of the Civil Service Code. We carried out interviews of over 70 individuals, some more than once, and examined relevant documentary and digital information, such as emails; Whatsapp messages; text messages; photographs and building entry and exit logs. This has also included searches of official records. As such, extensive substantive factual information is now available and has been compiled by me and my team to fulfil my obligation to establish the facts. The investigative work is now essentially complete.8. The Treasury Solicitor and Daniel Stilitz QC have provided independent advice as to the process.9. 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.10. The Metropolitan Police has now confirmed that as a result of information provided by the Cabinet Office investigation team, as well as assessments made by Metropolitan Police officers, they are investigating the events on the dates set out above with the exception of the gatherings on:15 May 202027 November 202010 December 202015 December 202011. The police have confirmed that on the basis of the information available the gatherings on these four dates are not considered to have reached the threshold for criminal investigation.12. No conclusions should be drawn, or inferences made from this other than it is now for the police to consider the relevant material in relation to those incidents. The police have also said this does not in itself mean that they will decide to take further action or that there has necessarily been a breach of the regulations.13. At the request of the police I have provided the material compiled in the course of my investigation relevant to the gatherings that they are now investigating. I have also been asked to retain all the other information collected in the course of this work, which I have confirmed that I will do. I will therefore ensure the secure storage and safekeeping of all the information gathered until such time as it may be required further. I will not be circulating the information internally within government, it has been provided in confidence to the Cabinet Office investigation team and it is important that this confidence is maintained to protect the integrity of the process.14. 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. More

A minister has condemned briefings which claim the senior civil servant Sue Gray is “playing politics” in the handling of the publication of her long-awaited reporting into rule-busting parties in No 10.It comes as Boris Johnson and his top team braces for the publication of the Whitehall mandarin’s internal report, which will reportedly contain photographs of some of the events held during Covid regulations.But amid a row over whether Ms Gray or No 10 instigated what has been described as a “secret meeting” to discuss the report, the prime minister’s “allies” have accused the civil servant of playing politics.“Sue Gray is supposed to be neutral but she’s been busy playing politics and enjoying the limelight a little too much,” one said, according to the Daily Mail.Appearing on Sky News, the chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, said he condemned the briefing, claiming: “By repute she’s one of the most fiercely independent and professional civil servants in the whole of government. I don’t think there’s any politics”.“Do I think in anyway the integrity of this report should be questioned? No because as I say Sue Gray has a reputation that dates back decades in terms of her ability to make judgements without fear of favour.”Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, added: “Desperate efforts to discredit Sue Gray are entirely predictable behaviour from this disgraceful excuse for a prime minister.“He doesn’t have a single scrap of integrity — and we all know it. He attempts to drag decent people down with him will backfire”.Pressed on a row over who called the meeting between Ms Gray and Mr Johnson — around one month ago — Mr Clarke said it was his understanding it was “instigated” by the senior civil servant.He continued: “There are lots of practical questions here that need to be bottomed out in terms of, for example, who can be named in this report and the extent to which photographic evidence can be included. It is important that those practical dimensions are resolved.”Mr Johnson is among around 30 people who have been told by Ms Gray that her report is likely to name them – with a deadline of 5pm on Sunday to lodge any objections having now passed.Publication is expected on Tuesday or Wednesday after the police investigation concluded with a total of 126 fines issued to 83 people, followed by a statement to the Commons by the prime minister.On Sunday, however, the education secretary Nadhim Zahawi, said he did not know who called the meeting after an embarrassing clash between Downing Street and Ms Gray’s team over the weekend. More