DOWNING Street said the limited version of the partygate inquiry that Sue Gray has handed to Boris Johnson will be published this afternoon, but would not commit to publishing a fuller report after police have finished investigating.
Number 10 said the pared-back report into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street will be published in the format it has been received, ahead of the Prime Minister facing MPs at 3.30pm.
In a carefully-worded statement, the Cabinet Office said senior civil servant Gray had provided an “update” on her investigation to the Prime Minister, suggesting it was not the full report she was preparing before the Metropolitan Police intervened.
READ MORE: Partygate: Met receive requested material as Boris Johnson to be given 'redacted' report
But Downing Street did not commit at this stage to publishing a more complete report in the future, as opposition MPs demanded that the full inquiry is made public.
Downing Street said it received the update from the inquiry team at around 11.20am on Monday, after Gray and Johnson spoke briefly a day earlier.
Johnson insisted “I stick absolutely to what I’ve said in the past” when questioned about his reported denials of any wrongdoing to Tory MPs.
Gray’s report was thrown into disarray when Scotland Yard last week requested that she makes only minimal reference to events that officers are investigating.
Asked about fears the inquiry will be a “whitewash” because of the changes, Johnson said: “You are going to have to wait and see both what Sue says and of course what the Met says.”
The Prime Minister has publicly said he is “deeply sorry for misjudgements” surrounding events in No 10, but insisted no one warned him a garden party in the first lockdown would be against the rules.
In private, however, he is said to have told Conservative MPs who may oust him over the saga that he has done nothing wrong.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon attacks 'murkier by the minute' partygate after Met Police request
“You’re going to have to wait and see the outcome of the investigations but, of course, I stick absolutely to what I’ve said in the past,” he said, when asked about those remarks during a visit to a freeport in Tilbury, Essex.
Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick announced last week that officers have launched an investigation into alleged Covid-breaches in Downing Street and wider Government after being handed information from the Gray inquiry.
But it threw the publication of the Whitehall report into disarray when the force controversially asked Gray to limit what she writes about events under investigation by officers.
Concerned over the prospect of jeopardising a police inquiry, Gray was understood to have complied with the Met’s request.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel