Partygate stormclouds are gathering for Boris Johnson after Downing Street police gave ‘extremely damning’ evidence to Sue Gray – with former No10 aide Dominic Cummings due to meet her today.
As the highest civil servant finishes her investigation into Whitehall lockdown violations, and furious Tories plan for another coup attempt, PM faces another week of hell.
According to reports, guardian No10 officers from Scotland Yard’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command were ‘only too eager’ to give accounts during the investigation.
In the meantime, Mr Cummings already stated that he will swear that Johnson was warned about a “BYOB” bash that would take place in May 2020.
But, the prime minister has defied and is said to have reunited his team of friends who helped secure his leadership for support from the MPs. They have given the group the nickname of the “Avengers” by Wags. It includes Nigel Adams and Conor Burns ministers.
He will likely push Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker) to reply to Ms Gray’s conclusions within 24 hours of their publication, so that he can control the narrative.
One Johnson loyal MP told The Times that Johnson is feeling confident. He believes that Johnson didn’t violate any rules. [on May 20, 2020]To say “Thank You.”
Although the official inquiry into the “Partygate” scandal will be published within the next few days, it has been delayed by new allegations. This is causing growing anxiety in Downing Street about Ms Gray’s future views.
Many Conservatives won’t send the letter of confidence until after the official results have been revealed.
Johnson also has to fight on many fronts, after Nusrat Khani, former minister of Nusrat Ghani said she was told that Johnson’s ‘Muslimness was partially responsible for her dismissal in the 2020 reshuffle.
Mark Spencer, chief whip of the House has claimed that he had a conversation about Ms Ghani but flatly denied making the remarks.
Interview with Downing Street Police officers who were present at the lockdown-breaking events that the PM is accused of attending have taken place.
Expect to publish this week the official inquiry by Sue Gray, Whitehall’s ethics chief, into Partygate.
Pictured: A garden party was held in May 2020 by members of parliament.
An anonymous source said to the Telegraph that they’d be “very surprised” if Johnson wasn’t still in power at the end of this week.
The source stated that the Met officers had spoken with Sue Gray and could provide lots of information.
“Put this in a different way: If Boris Johnson was still Prime Minister at the end of week, then I would be surprised.”
Whitehall heavyweight Ms Gray is conducting inquiries into three alleged gatherings at Number10 and the Department for Education last November and December, respectively. This was when indoor mixing was prohibited.
The civil servant spoke to MPs and the Prime Minister as part of the investigation.
In the course of this probe, she has also looked at the official diaries of the Prime Minister.
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 swipecard transactions.
He is expected to also speak with the senior official about Cummings’ bombshell claims.
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.
The former chief aide claimed that the PM is ‘disabling his own support’ earlier this month after complaining that no one had told him that the May 2020 ‘BYOB’ bash at Downing Street’ was not an official work event.
Johnson denies lying to Parliament regarding whether or not he was warned of possible lockdown breaches in advance.
David Davis, a senior Tory MP and who told Johnson last week to “in the name of God go” at PMQs this morning revealed that he still has not written a letter in no confidence.
When Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 committee receives 54 letters from members, it automatically triggers a vote. He never divulges his running total.
Today, Mr Davis stated that he will await the Sue Gray Report’s outcome before taking a final decision about whether to appoint the Prime Minister.
He claimed that Boris is a good friend and that I have known him for thirty years. However, the truth of it all is that we now face trust issues. The trust issue I have seen is not present in any of the people proposed to replace Boris as Prime Minister.
An ex-Brexit secretary Mr Davis indicated that he will wait “three or four” days after Sue Gray reports before asking Prime Minister for his resignation.
Yesterday, Mr Davis called the Prime Minister and demanded that he ‘go.’ He said: “You’ve sat here too long for anything you’ve been doing. Please, in the name God, get up.
He said this: ‘It is pretty probable I would want him go. However, I will wait until those few days.
“At this moment he is a hero for having delivered Brexit and brought us through the pandemic. The Conservative Party will suffer a lot if we keep going, as we might, month after month.
There may be few choices for Mr Johnson depending on what Ms Gray (a senior civil servant) finds.
With widespread public anger and collapsing opinion poll ratings for the Conservatives – and for Mr Johnson in particular – many Tory MPs are in a mutinous mood.
Many of the so-called ‘red wall’ MPs – who took traditional Labour seats in the 2019 – are said to fear they now look set to lose them again in the resulting backlash against the party.
With Christian Wakeford’s departure from Bury South to Labour as MP, an attempt against the Prime Minster seemed to be put on hold. MPs rallied to the party colours.
Some in No10 fear a frenzy of letters to Sir Graham Brady (chairman of backbench 1922 Committee) if the report is not published.
Under party rules, once the total reaches 54 – 15 per cent of Tory MPs – Sir Graham must call a vote of confidence in the leader.
Although Mr Johnson might win this vote, it will be yet another blow to his authority already fragile, which raises questions about how much longer he can continue.
Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary to the Daily Express said that the Prime Minister “recognizes the need for change within the Downing Street operation”.
According to him, the newspaper was able to see that he deeply regrets the pain this has caused. It is not what he wants to do.
If there’s clear evidence of Covid restrictions being violated, the report could also prompt the Metropolitan Police back to the drawing board to launch a criminal investigation.
Ms Gray is currently investigating a “bring your own wine” event in Downing Street’s garden during May 2020’s first lockdown.
Mr Johnson has admitted he was there but said he thought it was a ‘work event’ – an explanation that was met with widespread derision.
Her attention was also drawn to two departing staff members on April 16, last year, on the eve the funeral of Duke of Edinburgh.
The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Ms Gray had expanded her inquiry to address claims by parties in Mr Johnson’s Downing Street Flat, where he lives with Carrie and his two children.
The final form of Ms Gray’s report is still not clear. Dominic Raab (Deputy Prime Minister) stated on Sunday that Ms Gray’s report would have ‘full disclosure’, but declined to make the full publication commitment.
He stated that the process would be decided by the Prime Minister.
Labour stated that the report should be made public in its entirety, with all supporting evidence.
A further twist is that William Wragg the Tory leader MP, who accuses the Government whips, of trying to ‘blackmail” MPs to get rid of Mr Johnson, will talk with a Scotland Yard detective about his allegations early in the week.
After making a string of accusations at the PM about Partygate, Mr Cummings has been scheduled to talk to Ms Gray.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson today ordered the Cabinet Office to investigate allegations an ex-minister was sacked over ‘Muslimness’.
Following the unusual claims made by Nusrat Ghani (Tory MP), the PM directed the civil service.
This was after Nadhim Zhawi joined the call for a proper inquiry, with other suggesting that it should remain fully independent.
An official at No10 stated that Johnson takes the accusations’very seriously.
According to the spokesperson, the Prime Minister asked Cabinet Office to investigate the claims made by Nusrat Khani MP.
‘At that time, these accusations were made for the first time, Prime Minister suggested to her that she file a complaint to CCHQ. The offer to her was not accepted.
“The Prime Minister asked the officials to verify what actually happened.
“As he stated at the time: The Prime Minister takes such claims seriously.
Ms. Ghani claimed that Mark Spencer, chief whip, said she got the boot because of her faith – something Spencer flatly denies.
According to No10, she has contradicted her version of events. She claimed that the PM was unwilling to be involved in any way and attempted to fool her.
Ms. Ghani demanded that the terms for the probe include “all that was said at Downing Street, and by the Whip”.
Ms. Ghani stated that she wanted this matter to be treated seriously, and for the Prime Minister to conduct an investigation.
“I appreciate his decision to do this now.
“The inquiry’s terms must contain all of what was spoken in Downing Street or by the Whip.
“I look forward seeing the terms and conditions.”
In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Zahawi welcomed the news, but stressed he did not think the allegations had been taken lightly before.
He stated that he has never experienced racism within the Conservative Party.
Sky News received the following statement from the Education Secretary: “She made a serious allegation. Last night, the Prime Minister spoke with her and indicated that the Cabinet Office will look into this.
“She made a statement last evening saying that, in fairness to herself, these could have been people who were not even Conservative Party members. This is why it’s important to quickly get to the bottom.
“And of course Chief Whip Mark Spencer (Mark Spencer), has came out and identified himself as this individual. We work together, and it is important that somebody like a Cabinet Office Senior Civil servant examines this thoroughly, because the Chief whip has categorically denied all this.
An independent think tank has asked the Government for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, (EHRC), to investigate these claims.
Runnymede Trust (a thinktank for race equality) says that the matter is too significant to be left up to a civil service-led investigation.
The Guardian was informed by Dr Halima Begum, chief executive: “This is an extremely serious situation. The allegation that Dr Halima Begum was fired as minister to the Crown for her “Muslimness” would be a serious challenge to equality and labor laws.
“The truths and legalities of this event must be investigated immediately by the highest authority. It is not possible to leave this for another civil servant inquiry. If true, Nusrat will have to endure discriminatory behavior.
‘[Her]All 3 million Muslims and members of religious minority groups will experience distress. Each political party needs to be more aggressive in demonstrating zero tolerance of discrimination and to ensure that religious minorities within this country are treated with respect regardless of their religion.
Caroline Nokes was chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee. She described Ms Ghani’s treatment as “appalling”.
The Telegraph also reported that she supported calls for an EHRC investigation. She said: “Her faith has not made me [or any other coworker] uncomfortable.”
“At the minimum EHRC should take a look at it.”
According to an EHRC spokesperson, the Commission is continuing to investigate the Conservative Party’s handling last year of the Singh inquiry regarding Islamophobia complaints. A full investigation could also be undertaken.
A spokesperson added that if progress is not satisfactory, we will reconsider our decision [not to begin an immediate review]We do not exclude the possibility of using our legal power.