Downing Street police who were on duty when the alleged lockdown-breaking gatherings took place have given ‘extremely damning’ evidence to Sue Gray, according to a source.
The accounts of officers with the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command who guarded Downing Street at the time the alleged illegal gatherings took place have been provided by Ms Gray.
According to one source, the testimonies were given just days before Gray released her findings.
The source went on to claim that while officers could not be compelled to speak to Ms Gray they were ‘only too willing’ to provide cooperate with the probe.
Next week will see the publication of Sue Gray’s official inquiry into Whitehall’s ‘partygate row. There is increasing anxiety in Downing Street about what this report might reveal.
The news comes at a time when Dominic Cummings (the former adviser to the PM) is set to be interviewed Monday by Ms Gray, according to reports.
Interviewed Downing Street officers on duty at the time of the alleged lockdown breaking gatherings that the PM attended have been
Next week will see the publication of Sue Gray’s official inquiry into Partygate by Whitehall ethics chief.
Pictured: In May 2020, members of Parliament are said to have been at a party in the garden
Yesterday’s claims suggested that Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie may be drawn into the partygate row. This is amid allegations that an inquiry into illicit gatherings could examine the events occurring in her Downing Street apartment with the Prime Minster.
Mrs Johnson was already present at several “work events” in No10 Gardens in 2020, where drinks were consumed. This is in contravention to the Covid Rules.
The Sunday Times reports that Sue Gray, a senior Cabinet Office official, has widened her investigation to cover allegations that other parties may have been held at his home.
One source said last night that they’d be “very surprised” if Boris Johnson wasn’t still in power at the end of this week.
They told The Telegraph: ‘Met officers have spoken to Sue Gray now, as you would expect, and have been able to provide a lot of information.’
Source: “Put this in a different way: If Boris Johnson was still Prime Minister at the end of week, then I would be surprised.”
Sue Gray, a Whitehall heavyweight, is investigating three alleged gatherings at Number10 and the Department for Education last November and December. These were during prohibitions on indoor mixing.
In the course of her investigation, she spoke with fellow MPs, Prime Minister and other political advisors.
In the course of this probe, she has also looked at the official diaries of the Prime Minister.
Yesterday The Sunday Times reported Ms Gray had widened her inquiry to include allegations that parties were held in Boris Johnson’s own official home.
According to the paper, Henry Newman (a Tory senior aide) and Josh Grimstone (a friend of Mrs Johnson) visited No. 11 multiple times during lockdown.
Initially, Ms Gray said that she accepted that the visits were intended for work. However investigators are reported to have asked why the couple were so busy in Downing Street during their time working at the Cabinet Office.
Mr Newman is a former protégé of Michael Gove who worked on Dominic Cummings’ Vote Leave campaign in the run-up to the referendum and is now a senior adviser at No 10. Josh Grimstone works as an adviser for Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove.
The Guardian also reported that Ms. Gray was granted access to the data regarding Downing Staff employees’ movements within and outside the building. This includes their swipecards.
A senior official from the cabinet office is expected to also speak with Mr Cummings regarding his outrageous claims.
The Mirror was told by a source that Ms Gray wants the inquiry to be as strong as possible. They also said: ‘Cummings will interview you when the inquiry ends.
Cummings claimed that the PM had held a meeting at his grace-and favour apartment on November 13, last year, which was the date the adviser was removed from Downing Street. Cummings also claimed that there were ‘other flat parties.
Cummings claimed that the PM had a dinner at his grace-and favour apartment on November 13, last year
Sue Gray, a Cabinet Office official has stated that she has widened her investigation to cover allegations that Boris Johnson hosted parties at his home.
Johnson flatly refuted Mr Cummings claim that Johnson lied about his knowledge of the lockdown violation in advance to Parliament.
The former chief aide to the Prime Minister also turned the knife earlier this month, insisting that the PM is ‘destroying himself’. He had complained about the fact that no one told him that the May 2020 ‘BYOB’ bash at Downing Street’ was not an official work event.
He desperately tried to calm the situation, but a miserable Johnson denied that Mr Cummings claimed he had lied to Parliament about whether or not he was aware of the possibility lockdown breaches in advance.
However, he kept avoiding saying that he would resign in the event of a civil servant probe finding that he didn’t tell the truth.
As he was forced to apologize to Queen Elizabeth for the No10 departure do on Prince Philip’s funeral last April, the Premier lowered his head, breathed deep for several seconds and then seemed to be able to compose himself before expressing deep regret for the events.
Johnson answered the question, “No.
“I would like to start by apologizing to everyone for any misjudgments I made.
‘Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something that … was not a work event, and as I said in the House of Commons when I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.’
As Rishi Sunak fueled speculation about his unhappy state by stalking out an interview, he was questioned about Partygate. He also said that he supported the PM ‘unambiguously’.
When asked if he believes the Premier’s claims that he didn’t know Downing Street was hosting a “BYOB” gathering in May 2020, Mr Sunak replied: “Of course.
When pressed about the details, he simply referred people to Mr Johnson’s words. When asked if Mr Johnson would be forced to resign if he misled Parliament, he replied: “The ministerial code on these subjects is clear.”
As he answered questions this week for the first, Mr Johnson seemed in pain. He was being isolated because a family member had tested positive for Covid.
“I deeply regret the mistakes that were made.” Johnson admitted that he was fully responsible for all the incidents during his visit to a hospital in north London.
“Nobody told me that this event was against the rules. It is in violation of everything we ask everyone else to do. This should be stopped.
“What I can remember was going into the garden and spending 25 minutes saying thank you to staff for their work on Covid. Then, going back to my office.
“If it was my turn again, I would have stopped things from developing in this way.”
Questioned on his verbal warnings about the Downing Street event, Johnson stated: ‘I can tell, categorically and categorically that nobody has told me or said that we were doing anything that was contrary to the Covid Rules or breaching the Covid rules. We were not performing something that was work-related because frankly, it’s something I haven’t thought, nor can I imagine how that could happen.
‘My memory of this event, as I’ve said, is going out into the garden for about 25 minutes for what I implicitly thought was a work event and talking to staff, thanking staff, I can’t remember exactly how many – but for about 25 minutes I was there. After that, I returned to work and went back in my office.
He stated, “I do humblely apologize to anyone for the misjudgments they made.” That is my best recollection of the event.
Johnson was asked whether Johnson would quit if Gray presented a different view. He said that it is up to her to decide. It is my opinion that Ms Gray should have enough space for her to move forward and finish her inquiry.
“I urge everyone who knows this or has memories about it to let her know.”
“Let us see the report”
This week a senior government source confirmed the ‘scope of the inquiry has broadened’ but suggested that Ms Gray was prepared to accept the explanation offered by Mr Newman and Mr Grimstone.
Ms Gray said she was keen to interview the witnesses who were key to her investigation. This will ensure that the final report, which is due to be published next Tuesday, is credible.
Whitehall’s mood music is said to be “darkening” as she collects more evidence.
The Grim YouGov polls have shown that 64% believe Johnson should resign. That’s an improvement on the already dire 48% in November.
Bur this week Liz Truss insisted that Boris Johnson should continue as Prime Minister for ‘as long as possible’ as Downing Street braced itself for the publication of the Partygate report.
Boris Johnson was close to tears when he admitted that he had not lied about Partygate, but that he felt ‘deeply sorry for’ his’misjudgements.
According to the source, officers were not compelled by law to talk to Ms Gray but they were willing to cooperate in this probe.
A Grim YouGov poll has shown that 64% believe Johnson should resign. That’s up from 48% in November.
The Foreign Secretary is a leading contender to replace the PM but scotched talk of any leadership contest – despite fears he could be challenged as early as next week.
In an effort to stop any threats, Mr Johnson will likely speak this weekend to many wobbling Tory MPs from Chequers, his retreat in the country.
According to insiders, similar meetings were held earlier in the week and helped disarm the threat from the Red Wall MPs’ ‘Pork Pie Plot’ coup.
Sue Gray, Whitehall’s ethics chief, is expected to publish the official inquiry into Partygate.
According to reports, she found an email from Martin Reynolds, Mr Johnson’s private secretary principal, warning him against having a party at the No. 10 garden in the initial Covid lockdown.
According to ITV News, the email was sent by a top official and stated that Reynolds should cancel the event because it violated the rules.
Johnson admitted that he attended the meeting in question 25 minutes ago on May 20, 2020. However, he maintained that it was a work event for him and that it wasn’t against the rules.
Multiple MPs are waiting for the report’s publication to determine whether or not to send letters of confidence to Sir Graham Brady (1922 Committee Chairman).