Sue Gray report into Downing Street parties ‘really is damning’, top barrister says

A report by the civil servant Sue Gray into the Downing Street parties held during lockdown “really is damning” for Boris Johnson, the leading barrister Adam Wagner has insisted

Speaking only moments after an initial version of the report was published – without the allegations of up to 12 gatherings in Downing Street  now being investigated by the Metropolitan Police – human rights lawyer Wagner said of its impact on the Prime Minister: “There is no doubt that she (Sue Gray) has herself come to the conclusion that a significant number of the gatherings breached the guidelines and potentially breached the law – that’s why its been passed over to the Metropolitan Police.

“It terms of how it paints the picture, even though its not the full report, just an interim set of findings .. it is damning, it really is damning.”

Later the Metropolitan police revealed it has received 300 images and 500 pages of documents about the partygate allegations from the Sue Gray inquiry.

Police said they are working “at pace” to contact people present, who may face a fixed notice penalty.

Wagner said the fact that Gray confirmed she was “locking this report away” would prevent the government from gaining access to it.

The legal expert said these led to “tensions” and questions as to whether this was the “public’s report now – or the Prime Ministers?”

Damingly for the Prime Minister the Gray report found  there were “failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office.”

It said that some lockdown gatherings in government represent a “serious failure” to observe what was asked of the public.

The report said of the behaviour at the gatherings: ” The excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time.”

It also confirmed that “some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so.”

And it added:”No member of staff should feel unable to report or challenge poor conduct where they witness it.”

The report listed 16 different parties Gray had been called to investigate – and it concluded only four did not reach the threshold for police not to investigate.

The report also revealed that a “gathering” in the PM and his wife Carrie’s Downing Street flat on November 13 2020 is now being investigated by the police.

It said the the Met Police asked for it to make “minimal reference” to events it is investigatin. But Gray said the limits to what she could publish will police were investigating limited any “meaningful report” at this stage.

Wagner, a New North London Synagogue regular, said one of the most significant sections of the report was that amongst those gatherings under investigation by police were the Prime Minister’s June 2020 birthday party and an alleged  bring your own bottle gathering in May 2020 in the Downing Street garden.

“That is a really important bit of information we didn’t know, ” said Wagner. “At the time gatherings of more than one person – unless in a specific exception – were illegal. Those gatherings had to be reasonably necessary to work. It is difficult to see how a gathering  specifically for a celebration such as birthday with food and drink or whatever there was, would be within the rules.

“I think it probably wasn’t. The police have a very high threshold on what they are investigating. It is very telling what they have decided to investigate – and it tells us something about what is going to happen next.”

In the House of Commons, as he answered questions on the publication of the Gray report the PM came under severe pressure to explain himself.

Johnson said he accepted the report’s findings in full, in a statement to MPs.

“I am sorry for the things we simply didn’t get right and also sorry for the way this matter has been handled,” he said, as he promised a shake-up of the way Downing Street is run.

Sir Keir Starmer said the British people believe Johnson should “do the decent thing and resign” but he is “a man without shame”.

The SNP’s leader at Westminster Ian Blackford was ordered to leave the Commons chamber after accusing the prime minister of lying to MPs about the events.

Labour’s Diane Abbott led calls, backed by some senior Conservatives, for the PM to publish the report in full.

Former PM Theresa May said the public had a right to expect their PM “to have read the rules, to understand the meaning of the rules and indeed those around him to have done so too and to set an example in following those rules.”

Ex-Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell told MPs that the prime minister no longer has his support.

Dame Margaret Hodge, the Jewish Labour Movement’s parliamentary chair, tweeted:”The omissions in the Gray report are themselves damning.

“But what is left confirms Johnson is no leader. As the country rose to the challenge of the pandemic, he and his staff betrayed us all by partying during the lockdowns.

“When leadership was needed most, he failed.”