PM issues partial apology for boozy culture including wine spilled over walls and drunken staff told to leave by back entrance.
When Scotland Yard’s inquiry ended, Gray said she considered continuing to look into the event “but concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate to do so”. Tight-knit groups of officials and advisers worked long hours under difficult conditions in buildings that could not be easily adapted as Covid-secure workplaces.” At one point, Johnson said: “We are humbled,” but after being jeered by MPs, corrected himself to say: “I am humbled.” Speaking to MPs, the prime minister said he was “renewing my apology to the house, to the whole country”, for the birthday gathering in June 2020 for which he was fined, and took “full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch”. “Whatever the initial intent, what took place at many of these gatherings and the way in which they developed was not in line with Covid guidance at the time,” the report says. Sue Gray has issued a damning verdict on the party culture in Boris Johnson’s Downing Street, in a 37-page report that includes nine photographs and names a string of senior civil servants.
'Empty words will be no consolation to the hard-working cleaners and security guards who have suffered,' worker says.
His empty words will be no consolation to the hard-working cleaners and security guards who have suffered under his leadership.” This is unacceptable.” Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The United Voices of the World union, which represents cleaners and security guards who work in other government buildings, said it was “not in the least bit surprised”. “Frankly, I have been appalled by some of the behaviour, particularly in the treatment of the security and the cleaning staff,” he told MPs. “I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff – this was unacceptable,” the report said.
The long-awaited report into the breaking of coronavirus rules in Downing Street has finally been published. | ITV National News.
The two groups eventually "joined together" in the Downing Street garden. Today is clearly not a great day". Aaron Bell asked: “I was very surprised to read in the Times that he may have asked Sue Gray not to publish a report at all. UK editor Paul Brand reported on what one critical Tory MP said about what the prime minister had to say: “Saying sorry at 1922 & then reducing everything to a joke. Tractors & farmers, drinking at work and something about the Second World War. Everything is a joke & some laugh along. This was unacceptable." Some of the lockdown parties went on until 4.20am, the report found. It has not been possible to identify these individuals, but there is no reason to suggest that this was anything other than a further work meeting." Martin Reynolds subsequently returned to the office to continue working," she wrote. Mr Johnson apologised but sought to downplay the significance of Covid breaches in government and his role in them. Seeking to explain his role in attending some events, he said part of his leadership duty is to "recognise them and thank" staff when they are leaving government. He said "they think it is everyone else's fault but theirs.
No 10 insiders given time to read printed copies of report, before it is published at approximately 11am.
The cabinet secretary, Simon Case, the most senior civil servant in Downing Street, was not fined but sources have said his leadership is expected to be criticised. Earlier on Wednesday the cabinet minister George Eustice conceded there was a “blurring of the boundary” in Downing Street between work and socialising. No 10 insiders are being given time to read printed copies of the report, before it is published at approximately 11am.
The Prime Minister addressed the Sue Gray report as he leads a press conference from Downing Street this afternoon.
I believed it was a work event and indeed there has been no fine issued to me as a result of my attendance at that event because that is what I was doing.” “She asked him if he had been to a party on November 13 in 10 Downing Street, he said he hadn’t and that no party had happened. He said: “What Sue Gray has published is entirely for Sue Gray. She did a wholly independent report”. Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron said: “I believe both leaders have a lot to answer for with regards to this issue. “For instance, a lot of the stuff that I saw in the report this morning was news to me. “And the most despicable thing of all is that Sue Gray says she saw multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff because they knew what the rules meant even if nobody else does. I think her interim report was extremely useful to the Government in making the changes that we have.” And it simply doesn’t wash and it won’t wash with the British public who are sick and tired of being taken for fools. “I don’t think the flaw was with the rules,” he said. Indeed, Downing Street said its intention was to publish the report in full in its entirety unchanged. “I take that responsibility and I continue to make sure we make changes. The report is heavily critical of the culture in No 10.
Senior civil servant Sue Gray has delivered her completed report into Downing Street lockdown parties to the prime minister. The final report - which is 37 ...
You can also get in touch in the following ways: Nobody wants to be in this scenario, but let's get it done and move forward." Ms Gray contacted senior civil servants she intends to name in her final report over the weekend. I am humbled by the whole experience. We have learned our lesson." And our political editor says that the prime minister is expected to tell the Commons that he commissioned the report to set the record straight and "allow us all to move on".
The Prime Minister is under renewed pressure after the publication of the senior civil servant's full report into lockdown-breaking parties across ...
More so when you find out when one of the individuals, in fact, has ended up being fined.” The Privileges Committee will investigate after Mr Johnson told Sir Keir Starmer in the Commons: “I have been repeatedly assured that the rules were not broken. Mr Babu told i: “I think the IOPC should carry out a review. In her scathing report, which looked at 16 events in Whitehall during the pandemic, Ms Gray wrote: “The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government, many of these events should not have been allowed to happen. I don’t see how we can have some kind of party, though” adding “it comes with a rather substantial comms risk.” Ms Gray said food and drink was available at the “noisy and crowded” party which saw “some members of staff drank excessively. They saw a large number of people outside of the main Press Office and one individual giving a speech with 15-20 people present. Ms Gray’s investigation was told that the event was for the purposes of boosting staff morale following a challenging period for staff, with an email sent to around 200 staff on behalf of key aide to the PM Martin Reynolds inviting people to “socially distanced drinks” and for guests to “bring your own booze”. A No 10 Director declined the invitation and told the investigation that they had raised with either Mr Reynolds or his office that it was not a good idea. At the gathering in the Cabinet Secretary’s Waiting Room on that evening, Ms Gray reported that “one individual was sick” and “there was a minor altercation between two other individuals”. Then-No 10 Director of Communications Lee Cain warned against the gathering held in No 10 and in the Cabinet Office to mark the departure of a Downing Street official. And one leaving do on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, saw the last reveller depart No 10 at 4.20am after a party raged until the early hours.
Weeks after Boris Johnson was fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaking lockdown rules, and months after Sue Gray suddenly became a household name, ...
On the morning, he sent an email to a number of No 10 staff, telling them: “For the PM’s birthday today we are having sandwiches and cake in the Cabinet room so do come along and wish the PM happy birthday.” Reynolds later told a special adviser that “we seem to have got away with” the drinks. Gray’s findings about Reynolds raise serious questions about the integrity of one of the most senior officials in the land. Steve House, the acting Metropolitan Police commissioner, said in February that the officer was spoken to by Met investigators as well as Sue Gray’s team and “if we find officers knew what was going on and should have intervened we will follow up on that”. The Times has asked for an update. Johnson, who was surprised by the event, was fined as was Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, who was not informed in advance but had turned up early for a meeting. John Baron, an individualistic backbencher, asked the prime minister: “The British army believes at its very core that you serve to lead and you lead by example. The report, he said, meant he was “now unable to give the prime minister the benefit of the doubt”. May 25: Sue Gray Day. The report was meant to land with a crash that sent shockwaves throughout SW1 and the country beyond. However, the event was not investigated by Gray because it “was not appropriate or proportionate to do so”. In this way, not for the first time, Boris Johnson has demonstrated the power of delay and confusion. When it comes to Gray delivering a clear and consequential conclusion, she fails to hit the target. Sturdy said: “The Sue Gray report clearly shows that the prime minister has presided over a widespread culture of disregard for coronavirus regulations.
Press Gazette has been reporting on British journalism without fear or favour since 1965. Our mission is to provide a news and information service which ...
Given the piecemeal manner in which events were brought to my attention, it is possible that events took place which were not the subject of investigation.” She wrote: “It was also unfortunately the case that details of some events only became known to me and my team through reporting in the media. A leaving speech and drinks event for Lee Cain from his role as Downing Street Director of Communications was held on 13 November 2020, the day that it was announced he and fellow special adviser Dominic Cummings would be leaving No 10. The Telegraph revealed the two leaving events, including Slack’s, the night before Prince Philip’s funeral. Afterwards, some returned to work “but others continued chatting and drinking” until the building was being locked down for the night, at which point they moved into the garden. Most staff who attended left the party between 10pm and 11pm that night. A leaving party for director of communications Slack was held on 16 April last year ahead of his departure to join The Sun as deputy editor-in-chief. I don’t see how we can have some kind of party though.” Gray found that some staffers left No 10 at around 9.30pm but others kept drinking into the early hours. This event should not have happened at the time that it did. Around 45 people attended, mostly in person but with some online. Regardless Slack’s role is understood to be not in question.
Sue Gray's report has triggered a fresh wave of fury among officials in Whitehall, outraged at the lack of punishment for senior civil servants.
“I want people to know that this is not how all civil servants were behaving during lockdowns. He then sent a message saying the party was something “we seem to have got away with”. They said that they “feel very let down”. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. He did not receive a fine from the police. The fury the message and Ms Gray’s report provoked was not limited to London or “the bubble of Whitehall”, one senior civil servant based in Northern Ireland said.
The senior official's report into lockdown parties in Downing Street has been published in full.
Here's what she wrote about some of the gatherings: - Regardless of "initial intent", many of the events investigated were not "in line with Covid guidance at the time" - The pandemic "had a seismic impact on every aspect of life in the country", and restrictions were put in place to control the spread of the virus and keep the most vulnerable safe
The prime minister looks to have survived the day, but the privileges committee and the public will soon also deliver a verdict.
In June, there will be two by-elections, probably on the same day. And even if the committee does decide Johnson misled parliament, he does not have to resign. Ultimately it seems unlikely the prime minister would resign. Johnson being fined by police for breaking Covid laws did not cause that threshold to be met. The Metropolitan Police investigation is over. Later that month he also told parliament he was “sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times”.
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The Prime Minister is currently reading the report with his senior staff in Downing Street, the Cabinet Office has confirmed. As the report will be published in full soon, here is all you need to know ahead of the findings. Sue Gray's final report into parties in and around Downing Street during the pandemic has been handed to the prime minister, the Cabinet Office has confirmed.
"The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture," she said. Ms Gray said that she was disappointed ...
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the prime minister it was "time to pack his bags" and that the Tories had "set the bar for his conduct lower than a snake's belly". At a pre-Christmas event on 18 December involving the Downing Street press office - featuring a "secret Santa" gift event, a quiz and an award ceremony, a panic alarm button was accidentally triggered by a member of staff - which was responded to by police and security staff. At another gathering on 18 June 2020 - featuring a karaoke machine, pizza and prosecco - Ms Gray found that an "excessive amount of alcohol" was consumed and that "one individual was sick" and there was a "minor altercation between two other individuals". Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the report "will stand as a monument to the hubris and arrogance of the government that believes it was one rule for them and another for everyone else". Ms Gray concluded that many of them should not have been allowed to happen and that "some of the more junior civil servants believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders". Some of the events were attended by Boris Johnson - who apologised again to parliament over the partygate scandal after the findings were published but said he knew nothing about events going on longer after he had briefly attended and was "appalled" when he later learned of them.
What do people in a town which switched from Labour to Conservative make of Sue Gray's findings?
"This country needs to move forward," she says. "It's affected people, people living in care homes and stuff like that didn't get to see their families, didn't get to say goodbye and thousands of women have gone unsupported throughout pregnancies and took appointments by themselves every day. "It was his birthday for heaven's sake. These appointments included electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Its current MP is Tom Hunt who won in 2019 with a 5,479 vote majority. Ms Kersey's father died four weeks after her mother.
Many front pages take Boris Johnson to task for the lockdown-busting gatherings, but others try to draw a line under the affair.
The Yorkshire Post is not quite so bloodcurdling but it is nevertheless damning of a government with many seats in the region. now help our readers through the cost of living crisis”. Its headline is “Gray report vindicates me over No 10 parties, claims Johnson”. “Really … is this what all the fuss is about?” is its front page headline over a picture of him toasting his staff. Yet after her report’s innocuous photos of him with juice and M&S sandwiches, even they must be asking …” A good man cast adrift in a world he barely understood”.
The Prime Minister resisted calls to quit – including from his own side – as he was accused of presiding over a “culture of boozy rule-breaking”. The long- ...
The Prime Minister was also grilled on why the media were told by officials no parties had taken place. “The failure of leadership came directly from the top. “The Prime Minister’s misconduct brings shame on the office he currently clings on to. But mystery remains over one key event – the “Abba party” held in the Downing Street flat, which was reportedly attended by Johnson, his wife Carrie and five special advisers. Johnson responded: “The flat has a dual use … the event in question was a work meeting and that was what the Met Police did investigate and that was certainly the outcome of their investigation.” And the Prime Minister – in the words of the report – must bear responsibility for the culture.”
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 ...
8. Many will be dismayed that behaviour of this kind took place on this scale at the heart of Government. The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this. Many thousands of people up and down the country worked tirelessly to deliver in unprecedented times. However, I do offer a reflection: while there is no excuse for some of the behaviour set out here it is important to acknowledge that those in the most junior positions attended gatherings at which their seniors were present, or indeed organised. I commented on the fragmentary and complicated leadership structures in No 10. I am reassured to see that steps have since been taken to introduce more easily accessible means by which to raise concerns electronically, in person or online, including directly with the Permanent Secretary in No 10. Even allowing for the extraordinary pressures officials and advisers were under, the factual findings of this report illustrate some attitudes and behaviours inconsistent with that guidance. The Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service confirmed that he has not received an FPN. In order to refer for an FPN, officers were required to have a reasonable belief that the individual had committed an offence under the regulations. Further to that on 19 May 2022 the Metropolitan Police announced that they had concluded their investigation. 3. The terms of reference for the investigation were published on 9 December 2021. It also confirmed that the Metropolitan Police Service had decided to investigate events on the following dates: 5. As I said in my 31 January update it was not for me to make a judgment on whether the criminal law had been broken: that is properly a matter for law enforcement bodies.
Boris Johnson says he is "humbled" by Sue Gray's account of rule-breaking but rejects calls to resign.
And even when he was present and raising a glass at some of the controversial events, he was merely showing ''leadership" - wishing departing staff well. You can also get in touch in the following ways: It's his own MPs who will decide the prime minister's future. He has since left Downing Street, returning to his job at the Foreign Office. - At another party, in June 2020, there was "excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. He added that he had been "shocked" and "appalled" by some of Ms Gray's findings, especially over the treatment of security and cleaning staff, but it was now time to "move on".
Former minister Tobias Ellwood and backbencher Julian Sturdy described partygate as a 'distraction' during a challenging time for the country.
In one picture Mr Johnson is seen raising a can of beer aloft. And we are.” Earlier, Mr Ellwood, a prominent critic of the Prime Minister, challenged Mr Johnson over the “damning report” which revealed an “absence of leadership, focus and discipline in No 10”. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons the report “laid bare the rot” in No 10 and called on Tory MPs to tell Mr Johnson “the game is up” and that it is “time to pack his bags”. The report said the “senior leadership” in No 10 must “bear responsibility” for the culture which led to lockdown rules being broken at a series of events in 2020 and 2021. The MP said of the report into lockdown-busting parties in No 10: “This is a damning report about the absence of leadership, focus and discipline in No 10 - the one place where you expect to find those attributes in abundance.
A separate investigation by the Metropolitan Police has also concluded with a total of 126 fines being issued to 83 people, including one to Prime Minister ...
There was a leaving party for the Director General in the Covid Task force on December 17, 2020. The report says that around 20 people were there around 9.30pm. A child's swing was damaged on the night, and logs revealed that some left after midnight, and others between 1.45am and 2.45am. Two members of staff had stayed on, with one leaving at 3.11am and the other at 4.20am. The report said the event started at 6.30pm and adds: "It began with speeches in the Press Office. He wished to thank his team members individually and to set out future direction for the team. The report said that between 20 to 30 staff gathered in the canteen at around 5pm. It adds: "The outdoor part of the meeting lasted for 40 minutes to an hour and they were briefly joined by the Prime Minister's wife, during which time the photograph was taken. Before this he was appointed Permanent Secretary at No10, focusing on Covid-19 and the response to the pandemic. He said he was waiting for a “Covid strategy committee meeting, which was being held in the same room". The report says: "The Prime Minister finished a meeting at 18.19 and then attended the Press Office to say goodbye. Whilst she believed that she was acting in accordance with the rules at the time, Mrs Johnson accepts the Met Police’s findings and apologises unreservedly." This had been agreed in principle in advance and was confirmed on the day. It adds: "The outdoor part of the meeting lasted for 40 minutes to an hour and they were briefly joined by the Prime Minister's wife, during which time the photograph was taken. There are a number of photographs of the event.."
Chancellor expected to unveil at least £10bn of support less than 24 hours after damning verdict on No 10 lockdown breaches published.
I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. Sunak has been promising further support measures for a week, but no one at Westminster believes that its timing, less than 24 hours after Boris Johnson made his statement to MPs about the Sue Gray report, is a coincidence. Some of the measures announced today will be targeted at the poorest households, but the overnight briefing suggests there will also be a strong universal element too it as well, with every household in the getting extra support. But this is the third fiscal event on this scale already this year - after the £9bn energy support package announced in February, and the spring statement, which included further giveaways worth around £10bn - and we have not even had the 2022 budget. Whether it’s needed for all households, I think, is more of a difficult point. He is not calling it the “emergency budget” that Labour has been demanding, but the size of the giveaway - at least £10bn, according to overnight briefing - makes it more significant than many of the budget we’ve had over the last decade or so. For me the most serious charge against the prime minister is that of knowingly misleading parliament. Parliament is the beating heart of our nation. A bedrock principle of our constitution is that we can trust the responses receive in parliament to be truthful and accurate. Once 54 letters are in (15% of the parliamentary party), a ballot will take place. But it is thought that more than 40 MPs have privately submitted letters to Brady demanding a no confidence vote. That means there are now three Tory MPs who have, for the first time, joined those saying Johnson should go follow the publication of yesterday’s report.
The i carries a striking photograph of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, putting him at the centre of the scandal as it notes lurid revelations of "vomiting, ...
The move - which the paper points out will still be "dwarfed" by the expected rise in energy bills - will be funded by an oil and gas windfall tax.Image caption,Government sources have told The Times Scotland that under Mr Sunak's "mix-and-match" support deal, the value of the discount on energy bills could be boosted to as much as £400, at a cost of £10bn. But another government source warns the measures will be "temporary and targeted" as ministers want to avoid a big increase in state support for what they see as a "short-term crisis".Image caption,A trial in Inverness has been adjourned due to a witness being absent because of a suspected case of monkeypox, reports The Press and Journal.Image caption,A farmer has survived being crushed by an 800kg cow, according to The Courier. The paper says Euan Baird, 52 was giving medicine to dozens of cows on his Fife farm when the incident happened in April.Image caption,The Edinburgh Evening News carries the news that the historic Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh is to close after 153 years. Image caption,The Daily Record reports that while the nation was "making sacrifices", Downing Street staff were "drinking until they threw up, fighting" and "laughing at the rest of us".Image caption,The National reports that the 37-page report by Sue Gray placed Boris Johnson at eight out of the 15 events covered in the document.Image caption,Boris Johnson has "defied fresh calls to quit" after the report was published and has told MPs to "move on", according to The Scottish Sun.Image caption,The Scottish Daily Mail reports that the PM has issued an apology to both MPs and the public, saying he took "full responsibility for everything that took place" and had been "humbled by the whole experience" and had learned lessons.Image caption,Douglas Ross has said Boris Johnson should remain as PM because ousting him would help Vladimir Putin, reports the Scottish Daily Express. The Scottish Tory leader said that if the PM was ousted, it would take months to replace him, which would "destabilise the situation and only help Vladimir Putin".Image caption,The Daily Star of Scotland questions how Boris Johnson is still in office, saying he must "wonder why he's getting away with being PM".Image caption,In other news, The Daily Telegraph leads on a preview of Rishi Sunak's announcement of measures to help families struggling with the cost of living. The paper says its owners said the Victorian infrastructure at the plant meant it was no longer economically viable amid falling production in the last decade.Image caption,After 20 years of issues, an Aberdeen resident has reached breaking point after human waste caused her bathroom ceiling to cave in, reports the Evening Express.Image caption,The Evening Telegraph asks "why is it so hard to see a GP" as its readers tell of their struggles to get face-to-face appointments with their GPs. The i carries a striking photograph of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, putting him at the centre of the scandal as it notes lurid revelations of "vomiting, fighting, partying until 4am plus laughing at security and cleaners".Image caption,The Scotsman reports that Mr Johnson was "bruised but seemingly safe" following the publication of Sue Gray's report.
Boris Johnson calls Sue Gray's findings are "painful" but says it is now time to "move on".
But once the police investigation finished Ms Gray "concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate" to carry out further inquiries. And we are." - At another party, in June 2020, there was "excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. At the press conference later on Wednesday, he said a lot of the report which he had only seen for the first time on Wednesday had been "news to me". "But clearly this was not the case for some of those gatherings after I had left and at other gatherings when I was not even in the building," he added. He told MPs that when he had previously said "the rules and guidance had been followed at all times", it had been "what I believed to be true".
The Prime Minister now faces the Commons Privileges Committee's investigation into whether he misled Parliament in statements that he made to the House ...
If Mr Johnson is found to have misled Parliament in breach of the ministerial code, he would be expected to resign. It has the power to call for evidence, such as documents and photographs relating to the events under investigation. The committee will investigate whether Mr Johnson deliberate misled Parliament in statements that he made to the House about alleged rule-breaking parties. But as his support base has all but disappeared, no clear successor now remains and Tory MPs are less inclined to force a leadership challenge if they are unsure who will replace the PM. Some who attended the event were fined for breaching Covid rules, but the Prime Minister was not. Though Mr Johnson has given no indication of doing so, he could decide to resign over the damning revelations made in the report. Equally, the Privileges Committee could decide that Mr Johnson did not knowingly mislead Parliament and did not lie to Parliament. If he is found to have misled MPs, Mr Johnson would be found in contempt of Parliament. His spokesman said he had asked the police “to take steps to also reassure Londoners by making this explanation to them directly, because he is concerned that the trust and confidence of Londoners in the police is being further eroded by this lack of clarity”. Now Ms Gray’s report has been published and the Met Police investigation has concluded, MPs are free to launch their investigation under the Commons Privileges Committee. Boris Johnson has so far managed to survive the publication of the document, as opposition MPs repeated their usual criticism of Partygate and the bulk of Tory MPs stayed relatively quiet. But backbenchers still have time to reconsider their support in the Prime Minister and a fierce backlash from constituents may be enough for them to put a letter in.
BORIS Johnson has remained clinging to office after the scale of the partygate scandal was revealed in a damning report by senior civil servant Sue…
The Prime Minister was also grilled on why the media were told by officials no parties had taken place. “The failure of leadership came directly from the top. “The Prime Minister’s misconduct brings shame on the office he currently clings on to. But mystery remains over one key event – the “Abba party” held in the Downing Street flat, which was reportedly attended by Johnson, his wife Carrie and five special advisers. Johnson responded: “The flat has a dual use … the event in question was a work meeting and that was what the Met Police did investigate and that was certainly the outcome of their investigation.” And the Prime Minister – in the words of the report – must bear responsibility for the culture.”
Prime minister Boris Johnson has faced calls for him to resign over a report that laid bare the extent of illegal socialising at Downing Street during Covid ...
Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The Sun declares that “The party(gate) is over”, calling on the PM to now turn his full focus to the cost of living crisis. The i leads on Ms Gray’s findings that the lockdown events in Downing Street ammounted to a “failure of leadership” by the PM and other senior officials.
Outstanding issues include event in Downing Street flat and Boris Johnson's seeming lack of awareness.
As well as the extent of lockdown socialising – 15 events on eight dates – there is also the issue of the scale and premeditation. This does not seem to make sense given Gray did look into other events investigated by the Met, prompting concerns Downing Street may have leant on her. That leads to the second issue: why Gray chose not to look into the flat gathering.
Boris Johnson has insisted he will remain as prime minister despite the "bitter and painful" judgement of a report into parties held in Downing Street ...
But once the police investigation finished Ms Gray "concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate" to carry out further inquiries. And we are." - At another party, in June 2020, there was "excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. At the press conference later on Wednesday, he said a lot of the report which he had only seen for the first time on Wednesday had been "news to me". "But clearly this was not the case for some of those gatherings after I had left and at other gatherings when I was not even in the building," he added. He told MPs that when he had previously said "the rules and guidance had been followed at all times", it had been "what I believed to be true".
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The publication stated: “There was food and alcohol available which had been bought and brought in by staff. It goes on to say the gathering was made up of different groups and was a number of “separate meetings”. It was dubbed the “Abba party” due to reports Abba songs could be heard blaring. Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, spokesperson Lobby Akinnola, whose 60-year-old father Olufemi died with coronavirus in April 2020, said: “There we have it. Mr Johnson brought the infamous cheese and wine pictured from his flat, the report said. Mr Johnson, along with his wife, and Rishi Sunak were fined over the gathering on 19 June 2020. Those attending consumed food and drink, and some drank alcohol.” The report found that whatever the “initial intent many of the gaterings and the way they developed were not “in line” with Covid guidance at the time. 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. Here’s what you need to know. The report said the “senior leadership” in No 10 must “bear responsibility” for the culture which led to lockdown rules being broken at a series of events in 2020 and 2021. She also said there were “multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff” during the events, which was “unacceptable”.
Here, Sky News takes a look at her key criticisms of the government. Deputy political editor Sam Coates has provided his analysis on the most important sections ...
The adviser said in a WhatsApp message to Martin Reynolds: "Drinks this eve is a lovely idea so I've shared with the E & V team who are in the office. "This was noticed the next morning and reported to No 10 staff. The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this. It began at around 7.50pm and "lasted several hours". Ms Gray reveals: "There was excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. There was a minor altercation between two other individuals." "Given the piecemeal manner in which events were brought to my attention, it is possible that events took place which were not the subject of investigation." It began between 6.30pm and 7pm and had ended by 7.40pm. "It was also unfortunately the case that details of some events only became known to me and my team through reporting in the media. A Number 10 special adviser warned staff attending the 'socially distanced drinks' on 20 May 2020 to be "mindful" that the TV press conference may still be going on and not to have alcohol on display. "A cleaner who attended the room the next morning noted that there had been red wine spilled on one wall and on a number of boxes of photocopier paper." She elaborates by saying that many of the events she investigated were "attended by leaders in government" and "should not have been allowed to happen".
The senior official's report into lockdown parties in Downing Street has been published in full.
Here's what she wrote about some of the gatherings: - Regardless of "initial intent", many of the events investigated were not "in line with Covid guidance at the time" - The pandemic "had a seismic impact on every aspect of life in the country", and restrictions were put in place to control the spread of the virus and keep the most vulnerable safe
Prime minister feels it is his 'job to get on with my job' despite report detailing major leadership failures at No 10.
Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, was one of the first Tory MPs to call for Boris Johnson’s resignation when the Partygate scandal first erupted. Then, when Russia invaded Ukraine, he retracted his call for Johnson’s resignation, saying it would be wrong for him to go at a time of crisis. If they reach a conclusion that the prime minister deliberately and intentionally went to the House of Commons to mislead people, then the ministerial code is actually very clear. To help achieve this we must recover the principles of mutual flourishing and the common good in the way we are governed. They’re obviously a group of very privileged people with limited experience.” “I think it is raucous and savage behaviour from the people that are leading us and supposed to be protecting us,” she added. Were any changes made, following requests, to the section relating to the gathering in the No 10 flat on 13 November 2020? Did anyone in No 10 receive a copy of the report yesterday, and were any requests made for sections to be removed or altered? We need to be able to trust our national institutions, particularly in times of great trouble. On [David’s] second point about the events on 13 November, I have addressed those several times. Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, says Boris Johnson should stay as prime minister until the war in Ukraine is over. It makes me embarrassed to be British. “The Government is completely out of touch with what real people are experiencing and it’s unsurprising. Safiah Ngah, 29, wept as she recalled how restrictions in place last February meant she was denied a final goodbye in person with her father, Zahari Ngah, before he died.
Detailed summary of civil servant's report into lockdown-breaching parties in and around Downing Street.
The latter event, held in the No 10 basement, was especially rowdy, with music played and a number of people drinking excessively. The two parties later merged in the No 10 garden. Billed as a “wine time Friday” event, this was pre-planned and involved a mock awards ceremony and secret Santa gift exchange. One was for James Slack, Johnson’s then head of communications, and the other for a “private office official”, believed to be one of Johnson’s personal photographers. This was the event that included someone being sick and the altercation. This was for Kate Josephs, the outgoing head of the Covid taskforce. The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this.” This is the only event for which the prime minister received a fine. The morning after, Reynolds sent a message saying “we seem to have got away with” holding it. At a leaving do on 18 June 2020 there was karaoke, “excessive alcohol consumption” in which someone was sick and “a minor altercation between two other individuals”, with staff staying beyond 3am. At a Christmas party in December 2020 red wine was spilled on a wall and on stationery supplies. Gray opted to not investigate claims of a party inside Johnson’s Downing Street flat on 13 November 2020.
Boris Johnson says he is "humbled" by Sue Gray's account of rule-breaking but rejects calls to resign.
And even when he was present and raising a glass at some of the controversial events, he was merely showing ''leadership" - wishing departing staff well. You can also get in touch in the following ways: It's his own MPs who will decide the prime minister's future. He has since left Downing Street, returning to his job at the Foreign Office. - At another party, in June 2020, there was "excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. He added that he had been "shocked" and "appalled" by some of Ms Gray's findings, especially over the treatment of security and cleaning staff, but it was now time to "move on".
Others show the Prime Minister toasting with a can of what appears to be Estrella beer, next to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case. Mr Johnson, along with his wife ...
People present at the leaving party at which Mr Johnson was pictured next to bottles of alcohol told the BBC’s Panorama they felt they had the Prime Minister’s permission to gather because “he was there… Pictures show Mr Case, Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak at the event on 19 June 2020, with jugs of fruit juice and sandwiches. Four of the photos depict the gathering held for the Prime Minister’s birthday, with sandwiches and fruit juice laid out on a table.
Boris Johnson claims he's been 'vindicated' by the Sue Gray Partygate report. But the litany of findings about rule-breaking in Downing Street shows he's ...
“Wine had been provided and those attending, including the Prime Minister, were drinking alcohol. While the PM was not personally accused of drunk or rowdy behaviour, the report said: "Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen… At the time, flags were at half-mast over No10. It says 20 to 45 people attended with a Secret Santa, awards ceremony, alcohol and food. But the report highlights a culture in which junior staff felt “permitted” to party by their boss. At a later date Mr Reynolds boasted about the media: “Better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with)”. Sue Gray notes drily: “ Dominic Cummings has also said that he too raised concerns, in writing. The Mirror revealed custodians sent an e-mail warning. It wasn’t the only brazen exchange. This was unacceptable." That’s fine.” There was wine on the walls, vomiting, a fight, a “back exit” cover-up, prior planning of parties, and a “lack of respect” for cleaners and security staff.
The prime minister says he takes full responsibility for the goings-on in Downing Street during lockdown, which included people drinking so much they were ...
Mr Johnson said much of the report was "news to me" as he said he was unaware of many of the events that went on after his own brief appearances. And we are." He told Mr Johnson it was "time to pack his bags" and the Tories had "set the bar for his conduct lower than a snake's belly". Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the report "will stand as a monument to the hubris and arrogance of the government that believes it was one rule for them and another for everyone else". He said he "overwhelmingly" believes he should remain in office despite public anger at the "bitter and painful" conclusions of the inquiry. The prime minister said he took "full responsibility" for the scandal but defied renewed calls to resign as he sought to play down his personal involvement in the gatherings.
Partygate revelations greeted with anger in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton, where Tories face election tests.
“They were partying when people were dying.” Sweeping from Exmoor in the north to Lyme Bay in the south, Tiverton and Honiton has returned a Tory MP since its creation in 1997. You can’t make the law up then break it yourself,” he said, petting his yorkshire terrier, Albert. “He ought to be in a circus, that Boris. He’s a full-class berk.” At the Independent Coffee Trader cafe, the owner, Leigh Parker, said she usually voted Tory but wasn’t sure who she would opt for in next month’s byelection. One of the elements of the Gray report that hit home for Nneka was the poor treatment of cleaners and security staff. “Of course he must resign.” “And I’ll probably vote for them again but it’s only a probably this time. A bit will be down to Partygate but a lot of people didn’t vote last time who would this time.” “Whether I’ll vote for them again, I’m undecided, but a lot of people won’t. I think Labour will get in. “Boris was in charge; he should have stopped it. “It’s disgraceful,” said Spawforth, 80. “Disgusting,” added her husband.
It is 37 pages long and is backed up by nine photos of Partygate incidents, some of which show Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak present. The photos focus on ...
The prime minister attended on his way to his Downing Street flat, having left his office at 19:17. No 10 special adviser Cleo Watson told Ms Gray’s investigation that she had been asked to organise the event. He had no advance knowledge about what had been planned.”