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Downing Street parties: Met police ‘did not object to publication of Sue Gray report’ – live updates Downing Street parties: Sue Gray report could come this week as police signal no objection – live updates
(32 minutes later)
Latest updates: prime minister welcomes Met police investigation into allegations of lockdown rule-breakingLatest updates: prime minister welcomes Met police investigation into allegations of lockdown rule-breaking
The decision to pause the publication of the parts of the Sue Gray report relating to events being investigated by the police seems to have been taken by government, not by the Met, my colleague Vikram Dodd reports. He has been told, by sources with knowledge of its discussions and actions, that the Met did not raise any objection to the publication of the Gray report. And the Times is now reporting this as definite. “Sue Gray, the civil servant investigating lockdown breaking parties in Downing Street, still intends to publish her report this week despite a police investigation into potential criminality,” Fiona Hamilton, Oliver Wright and Steven Swinford report in their story (paywall). They go on:
Opposition parties are renewing their calls for the Sue Gray report to be published in full this week.
Kirsten Oswald, the SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster, said:
And this is from Alistair Carmichael, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman.
At the afternoon lobby briefing the PM’s spokesman denied claims that No 10 wanted to delay publication of parts of the Sue Gray report. He told reporters:
(Actually, those reports were based on what Downing Street itself was saying this morning. See 12.55pm.)
But, in terms of what would be published, the spokesman said this was unresolved. He said:
At the afternoon lobby briefing No 10 insisted that it was not trying to block publication of the Sue Gray report. But it said that discussions between the police and the inquiry team were still ongoing as to what could be published.
And the Times is now reporting this as definite. “Sue Gray, the civil servant investigating lockdown breaking parties in Downing Street, still intends to publish her report this week despite a police investigation into potential criminality,” Fiona Hamilton, Oliver Wright and Steven Swinford report in their story (paywall). They go on:
The Sun’s Harry Cole also thinks we now may get the whole of the Sue Gray report this week (as originally expected at the start of the day).The Sun’s Harry Cole also thinks we now may get the whole of the Sue Gray report this week (as originally expected at the start of the day).
John McTernan, who worked for Tony Blair in Downing Street at the time of the cash-for-honours investigation (see 12.26pm), has posted a thread on Twitter with some advice for No 10 staffers who get questioned by the police. It starts here.John McTernan, who worked for Tony Blair in Downing Street at the time of the cash-for-honours investigation (see 12.26pm), has posted a thread on Twitter with some advice for No 10 staffers who get questioned by the police. It starts here.
Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, has renewed his call for Boris Johnson to resign. This is from the BBC’s Glenn Campbell.Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, has renewed his call for Boris Johnson to resign. This is from the BBC’s Glenn Campbell.
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg is getting the same steer that Sky’s Sam Coates has been getting. (See 3.19pm.)The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg is getting the same steer that Sky’s Sam Coates has been getting. (See 3.19pm.)
Despite what No 10 said at the lobby briefing (see 12.55pm) and Michael Ellis, the Cabinet Office minister, told MPs (see 12.41pm), Sam Coates from Sky News says he has been told that the Sue Gray report may now be published in full - and that the plan to publish the findings about the non-criminal No 10 events first, but to leave the findings about the events being investigated by the police until later (see 12.55pm) has been shelved.Despite what No 10 said at the lobby briefing (see 12.55pm) and Michael Ellis, the Cabinet Office minister, told MPs (see 12.41pm), Sam Coates from Sky News says he has been told that the Sue Gray report may now be published in full - and that the plan to publish the findings about the non-criminal No 10 events first, but to leave the findings about the events being investigated by the police until later (see 12.55pm) has been shelved.
Coates told on Sky News that publishing the full report was an option, but that it was not clear yet how probable an option it was.Coates told on Sky News that publishing the full report was an option, but that it was not clear yet how probable an option it was.
The terms of reference (pdf) for the Gray investigation say:The terms of reference (pdf) for the Gray investigation say:
No 10 seems to have been treating this as evidence that publication of the findings relevant to the Met inquiry should be paused.No 10 seems to have been treating this as evidence that publication of the findings relevant to the Met inquiry should be paused.
But the wording only says the Gray inquiry “may” have to be paused on these grounds.But the wording only says the Gray inquiry “may” have to be paused on these grounds.
The wording also talks about criminal offences. A breach of lockdown rules dealt with via a fixed-penalty notice (a fine) would not count as a criminal offence; for example, it would not have to be declared to an employer. (Dame Cressida Dick, the Met police commissioner, made it clear this morning that these were the sort of offences that would result in a fine - see 11.03am.)The wording also talks about criminal offences. A breach of lockdown rules dealt with via a fixed-penalty notice (a fine) would not count as a criminal offence; for example, it would not have to be declared to an employer. (Dame Cressida Dick, the Met police commissioner, made it clear this morning that these were the sort of offences that would result in a fine - see 11.03am.)
And the whole rationale for pausing a civil service investigation would be to avoid prejudicing a police inquiry and a possible court case. But the Met has signalled that it does not expect these matters to end up in court, and it is hard to see how the investigation would prejudice the police inquiry because the police inquiry seems to be almost entirely based on what the Cabinet Office has discovered.And the whole rationale for pausing a civil service investigation would be to avoid prejudicing a police inquiry and a possible court case. But the Met has signalled that it does not expect these matters to end up in court, and it is hard to see how the investigation would prejudice the police inquiry because the police inquiry seems to be almost entirely based on what the Cabinet Office has discovered.
YouGov has released polling suggesting 62% of Britons think Boris Johnson should resign. Two weeks ago it was 56%.
James Johnson, a pollster who worked in Downing Street when Theresa May was prime minister, reckons Keir Starmer is the big winner from today’s events. He explains why in a short Twitter thread.
Deputy assistant commissioner Jane Connors, the Metropolitan police’s lead for Covid-19, is responsible for the investigation into alleged rule-breaking parties in Downing Street, PA Media reports. A Scotland Yard spokesperson said:
Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative backbencher, has told Sky News that he thinks the mood in his party is more “stable” now than it was. He said he thought the flow of letters to the 1922 Committee chair calling for a no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson was drying up, and that the public were “moving on” from the partygate story.
In a statement on the police inquiry into parties at No 10 from the Green party, the Green peer Jenny Jones said:
Jones may have been reading these tweets from Adam Wagner, the lawyer and lockdown regulation specialist.
Here is the start of the PA Media story about Boris Johnson’s statement to MPs about the Russsian threat to Ukraine.
In a blog with his asssessment of the implications of the police decision to investigate the No 10 parties, Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, also concludes this is a bad development for the Conservative party. Here’s an extract.
Gavin Barwell, chief of staff for Theresa May when she was PM, has posted a thread on Twitter on the implications of the police decision to investigate No 10 parties. It starts here.
And here is one of his conclusions.
The decision to pause the publication of the parts of the Sue Gray report relating to events being investigated by the police seems to have been taken by government, not by the Met, my colleague Vikram Dodd reports. He has been told, by sources with knowledge of its discussions and actions, that the Met did not raise any objection to the publication of the Gray report.
In his response to Johnson, Keir Starmer said Labour supported the government’s moves to help Ukraine to defend itself, and to deter Russia from further aggression.
He said for too long the west had allowed Putin to think he could do what he liked. That message had to change, he said. Russia should be shown that further aggression would result in severe consequences.
Starmer also said the government should do more to stop the UK being used as a “laundromat” for illicit money from the Russian elite.