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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jan/25/boris-johnson-birthday-party-live-news-partygate-covid-coronavirus-omicron-politics
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| Downing Street parties: Sue Gray report could come this week as police signal no objection – as it happened | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Latest updates: prime minister welcomes Met police investigation into allegations of lockdown rule-breaking | Latest updates: prime minister welcomes Met police investigation into allegations of lockdown rule-breaking |
| 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: | 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: |
| Here is a summary of the latest key developments: | |
| Boris Johnson is braced for the most perilous 48 hours of his premiership, with exasperated Conservative MPs due to see an official inquiry by the senior civil servant Sue Gray, reportedly set to be published this week. | |
| The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into alleged parties held in Number 10 during lockdown. Officers were looking into “potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations” in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020, Commissioner Cressida Dick said. | |
| Number 10 said it had not yet received Sue Gray’s report but reports say the PM could make a statement on it in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon. | |
| Many Conservative MPs said they are waiting for the report before deciding whether to try to remove Johnson. North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said he hoped the report would be published “unredacted” on Wednesday. | |
| Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns claimed the prime minister had been “ambushed with a cake” during his birthday when, according to reports, his wife Carrie Johnson organised a surprise birthday get-together on 19 June 2020 against Covid restrictions. | |
| Labour leader Keir Starmer said trust in Boris Johnson is at an “all-time low”, adding that some members of the Cabinet “need to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves why they are still supporting this prime minister.” | |
| Tory MPs have told The Telegraph that Boris Johnson would have to go as prime minister if he was fined for breaching Covid laws. One said: | Tory MPs have told The Telegraph that Boris Johnson would have to go as prime minister if he was fined for breaching Covid laws. One said: |
| And another told the paper: | And another told the paper: |
| From their associate editor, Christopher Hope: | From their associate editor, Christopher Hope: |
| The findings of the Sue Gray inquiry will not be handed to Downing Street this evening, according to reports. | The findings of the Sue Gray inquiry will not be handed to Downing Street this evening, according to reports. |
| The Times’ Steven Swinford says this means the report will likely not be published before Thursday. | The Times’ Steven Swinford says this means the report will likely not be published before Thursday. |
| The Daily Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith also quotes sources that the report has not been handed to Downing Street. | The Daily Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith also quotes sources that the report has not been handed to Downing Street. |
| The Daily Mirror’s Pippa Crerar maintains there is still speculation that the report will be published tomorrow. | The Daily Mirror’s Pippa Crerar maintains there is still speculation that the report will be published tomorrow. |
| From ITV News’s Anushka Asthana: | From ITV News’s Anushka Asthana: |
| Tory whips have reportedly told MPs that Sue Gray’s report will be published tomorrow. | Tory whips have reportedly told MPs that Sue Gray’s report will be published tomorrow. |
| From PoliticsHome’s senior correspondent, Adam Payne: | From PoliticsHome’s senior correspondent, Adam Payne: |
| But the Daily Telegraph’s Christopher Hope said there is a huge amount of uncertainty in parliament and that no one really knows when the report will be published. | But the Daily Telegraph’s Christopher Hope said there is a huge amount of uncertainty in parliament and that no one really knows when the report will be published. |
| As Boris Johnson prepares to face possibly his most difficult day in politics, Tory MPs said his fate was “hanging in the balance”. | As Boris Johnson prepares to face possibly his most difficult day in politics, Tory MPs said his fate was “hanging in the balance”. |
| Two tumultuous months could come to a head with the publication of a report by the senior civil servant Sue Gray, whose gathering of evidence and interviewing of key witnesses for her inquiry into Downing Street parties could provide the spark for a leadership challenge. | Two tumultuous months could come to a head with the publication of a report by the senior civil servant Sue Gray, whose gathering of evidence and interviewing of key witnesses for her inquiry into Downing Street parties could provide the spark for a leadership challenge. |
| Arch-critics of the prime minister are hopeful that Gray’s findings will be damaging enough to trigger what they believe will be the final trickle of letters needed to get to 54 and force a no confidence vote. | Arch-critics of the prime minister are hopeful that Gray’s findings will be damaging enough to trigger what they believe will be the final trickle of letters needed to get to 54 and force a no confidence vote. |
| One said: “No 10 has shifted the goalposts so far now, but it’s clear Johnson misled the House when he assured us no rules were broken in Downing Street. There’s no chance many others will be able to escape that conclusion.” | One said: “No 10 has shifted the goalposts so far now, but it’s clear Johnson misled the House when he assured us no rules were broken in Downing Street. There’s no chance many others will be able to escape that conclusion.” |
| Another was confident that colleagues would take the choice to “end this nightmare ourselves” and when asking themselves “how much they are willing to put up with”, decide this week that inaction was “not sustainable”. | Another was confident that colleagues would take the choice to “end this nightmare ourselves” and when asking themselves “how much they are willing to put up with”, decide this week that inaction was “not sustainable”. |
| Read the full article here: | Read the full article here: |
| Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns, one of the PM’s staunch allies, has claimed that Boris Johnson was “ambushed with a cake” when, according to reports, his wife Carrie Johnson organised a surprise birthday gathering on 19 June 2020. | Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns, one of the PM’s staunch allies, has claimed that Boris Johnson was “ambushed with a cake” when, according to reports, his wife Carrie Johnson organised a surprise birthday gathering on 19 June 2020. |
| Speaking to Channel 4 News this evening, he said: | Speaking to Channel 4 News this evening, he said: |
| Here’s a clip from the interview: | Here’s a clip from the interview: |
| Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said he hoped Sue Gray’s report would be published on Wednesday. | Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said he hoped Sue Gray’s report would be published on Wednesday. |
| Speaking to Channel 4 News, he said the conclusions of the civil servant’s inquiry should be published “unredacted”. He added: | Speaking to Channel 4 News, he said the conclusions of the civil servant’s inquiry should be published “unredacted”. He added: |
| Referencing the threat of Russian invasion into Ukraine, he continued: | Referencing the threat of Russian invasion into Ukraine, he continued: |
| Boris Johnson spent several hours today meeting with a number of Tory MPs who were wavering in their support of him, PoliticsHome reports. | Boris Johnson spent several hours today meeting with a number of Tory MPs who were wavering in their support of him, PoliticsHome reports. |
| Sources told the website that MPs have apparently been in and out of his office all day and that those invited are a “real mixture” of the Tory cohort, including several less rebellious MPs that may seem “surprising”. | Sources told the website that MPs have apparently been in and out of his office all day and that those invited are a “real mixture” of the Tory cohort, including several less rebellious MPs that may seem “surprising”. |
| An update from ITV News’ Robert Peston | An update from ITV News’ Robert Peston |
| The Sue Gray report will “make for very uncomfortable reading” for Boris Johnson and Tory MPs, ITV News reports. | The Sue Gray report will “make for very uncomfortable reading” for Boris Johnson and Tory MPs, ITV News reports. |
| Its political editor, Robert Peston, said the PM may have already seen the report, adding that it would “make clear that it is up to the police to decide if the law has been broken, civil service HR to decide whether officials should be punished and Tory MPs whether the PM should be sacked”. | Its political editor, Robert Peston, said the PM may have already seen the report, adding that it would “make clear that it is up to the police to decide if the law has been broken, civil service HR to decide whether officials should be punished and Tory MPs whether the PM should be sacked”. |
| Rishi Sunak accidentally attended Boris Johnson’s birthday gathering on 19 June 2020, Yahoo News UK reports. | Rishi Sunak accidentally attended Boris Johnson’s birthday gathering on 19 June 2020, Yahoo News UK reports. |
| According to a Treasury source, the chancellor went to the cabinet room for a Covid strategy committee meeting, and happened upon the celebration. | According to a Treasury source, the chancellor went to the cabinet room for a Covid strategy committee meeting, and happened upon the celebration. |
| From their political correspondent, Nadine Batchelor-Hunt: | From their political correspondent, Nadine Batchelor-Hunt: |