A defiant Boris Johnson claimed that Sue Gray’s report had “claimed” her even though she exposed “leadership failures” at the heart of the government for which the prime minister must take responsibility.
Gray’s report described 15 meetings while Britain was under coronavirus restrictions, one of which spread beyond four in the morning, and another involving karaoke, vomiting and a “minor altercation”.
He also reported “multiple examples of disrespect and mistreatment of security and cleaning staff,” which he said was “unacceptable.”
The prime minister insisted he took “full responsibility for everything that happened under my guard,” he told lawmakers, “I am humble and I have learned a lesson.”
But he was also defiant, arguing that it was his “duty” to gather staff to leave the parties. He repeatedly pointed out that the Metropolitan Police had fined him only once. He denied that he had lied to the deputies.
Despite personal criticism from several senior officials in the report, none are known to face disciplinary action. Martin Reynolds, then Johnson’s chief private secretary and now lined up to become ambassador to Saudi Arabia, boasted to a colleague that “it looks like we’ve gotten away with his” meeting. .
Conservative MPs held the language for the most part, and even a few spoke in the Commons debate that followed the publication of the report. Although Julian Sturdy, the York Outer MP since 2010, has joined the Conservative ranks calling for a new leader. The report, he said, meant that “now I could not give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt.”
Sturdy said: “Sue Gray’s report clearly shows that the Prime Minister has presided over a widespread culture of contempt for coronavirus regulations. ask about these events.
“Speaking to voters, it’s clear that discussions about the Downing Street festivities are still a damaging distraction at a time when our country is facing massive challenges…. This is clearly a time when we can’t have any. I doubt the honesty, integrity and personal character of the Prime Minister. “
Read the full report and The timescoverage of how it happened next.
The cabinet comes out in defense of the prime minister
As on any complicated day for the Prime Minister, it seems that the Cabinet was instructed to give Boris Johnson his public support (writes Henry Zeffman).
As is often the case, Nadine Dorries, the secretary of culture, was the quickest to defend Johnson, writing on Twitter: “The Prime Minister has made a total and unreserved apology. in the war in Ukraine, helping with the rising cost of living that has resulted from the war and the post-pandemic … The Met has completed its investigation Sue Gray has published her report. they’ve learned and they’re learning and it’s time to move on, focus and keep giving them. ”
The next fastest was Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, who said: “The Prime Minister has apologized and is implementing all of Sue Gray’s recommendations. We must now move forward and offer the British: to grow our economy. to address the cost of living, funding the NHS to eliminate Covid delays and reduce crime to make our streets safer. “
The third was Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, who wrote: “The Met investigation has been completed and Sue Gray has completed and published his report. The Prime Minister has apologized unreservedly and is already implementing “We need to move forward and offer it to the British public, as they rightly expect.”
Carrie Johnson is only mentioned once in the report
BEN STANSALL / AFP / GETTY IMAGES
Boris JohnsonThe Prime Minister attended nine meetings that were investigated by Gray. He concludes the report by criticizing the “leadership and judgment failures” in issue 10.
Rishi SunakThe chancellor is only mentioned in passing when Gray is heading to a surprise birthday party for Johnson in June 2020.
Cas SimonThe top Whitehall official attended an outing party on June 18, 2020, though not at the back of the most controversial event, and a surprise birthday party for the prime minister a day later. He also drank a beer while briefly attending a Christmas contest held at his office in December 2020.
Martin ReynoldsThe Prime Minister’s chief private secretary emerges as one of the leaders involved in organizing parties. Reynolds is said to be in line for a large ambassador, possibly in Saudi Arabia.
Stuart GlassborrowThe Reynolds MP identifies himself as a party organizer and someone who delivered speeches at outings.
James SlackThe former Prime Minister’s communications director is being called in reference to an outing party on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
Lee CainSlack’s predecessor warned Reynolds that a “BYOB” party in May 2020 was “a communications risk in today’s environment.” He discouraged another meeting, saying it had a “fairly substantial communications risk”. A drink party organized for Cain himself in November 2020 is where this photo was taken:
Dominic CummingsAs chief adviser to the prime minister, Cummings did not try to prevent the festivities from taking place in the same way as Cain, according to Gray. He highlights the example of the “bring your own drink” party in May 2020. “Dominic Cummings also said he also expressed his concern in writing. We have not found any documentary evidence of this,” says Gray.
Kate JosephsThe general manager of the Covid working group had an outing party attended by 20 to 30 people on December 17, 2020. Attendees enjoyed Prosecco, beer and chips while playing music through a phone.
Helen MacNamaraThe former director general of ethics and property brought a karaoke machine to an outing party on June 21, 2020.
Carrie JohnsonThe Prime Minister’s wife is mentioned once, in reference to a meeting in the Downing Street Garden on June 15, 2020, which she attended “briefly.” She and her friends are believed to have been heard singing Abba songs at a party at her Downing Street apartment on the evening of Cummings’ departure. However, the event was not investigated by Gray because “it was not appropriate or proportionate to do so.”
Our writers give their opinion
Daniel Finkelstein: Setting the rules and then breaking them is unacceptableWhen the party scandal began, Conservative MPs said they would have to wait for Sue Gray’s report before handing down a verdict on what had happened. And now we have it.
Did staff members hold a number of non-compliant events? Yes. Did they know they were breaking the rules? Yes. Were these events planned in advance? Yes. Did the Prime Minister attend several of them? Yes. Would it have been obvious to him that these facts broke the rules? Yes.
And did Gray believe that he and Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, were responsible for the culture that allowed it? Yes. Unless he is referring to another person when he speaks of “high leadership in the center, both political and official.”
So when the parliamentarians hinted that they would act once the facts were known, what else did they expect? How much worse it could have been.
This report is not only shocking if it allows familiarity with events to produce acceptance. I absolutely refuse to do that.
Rules to prevent the spread of Covid were designed to prevent people from dying. Setting the rules and then breaking them is completely unacceptable. I learned little from this report that I did not know. But that’s what makes it so bad.
Iain Martin: Gray’s soft waffle doesn’t hit the targetNever, it is said, underestimate Sue Gray’s research skills. She is never missing.
Well, Gray is lost. The report released at the Downing Street party during Covid’s restrictions contains a lot of embarrassing evidence. Inside was a cheap tap wine. In the usual clashes held while the country was closed, employees drank too much. There are reports in the report that someone is ill and an altercation.
When it comes to Gray who offers a clear and consistent conclusion, he does not reach the goal. It ends up being pretty bland, concluding with a bureaucratic waffle of the kind that is always used when something has gone wrong, but the person in charge, it has been decided, will not pay the final price.
The report on poor culture is taken very seriously. And lessons to be learned. Gray is encouraged that this seems to be happening, with the lessons learned being implemented, it is claimed, in the form of various reorganizations and rule changes. This is the code for an official who refuses to blame the Prime Minister for what happened under his watch.
In this way, not for the first time, Boris Johnson has shown the power of delay and confusion. He has such a great gift for tying his critics in knots, delaying accounts until everything becomes so enraged, or boring or depressing that he will probably get away with it. Again.
Clare Foges: Nothing new makes her a wet squirrelMay 25: Sue Gray Day. The report was meant to land with a crash that sent shockwaves across SW1 and beyond. He was expected to present the truth without varnish in a way that would send public outrage to new heights. In fact, there is something like a wet squirrel. While official reports can hardly be flowered, there is something in the turgidity of the language that feels like punches: “leadership and judgment failures.” . . behavior “incompatible with the rules.” . .
There is nothing new here. We have known the contours for months. Color is fun — advisers vomiting and fighting and pouring red wine into the photocopier — but we’ve known for a long time that many in the heart of the government didn’t care at all about their hypocrisy, just about being caught. This is…