Sue Gray’s investigation into alleged Covid rule-breaking parties in Downing Street during lockdown has been published.
The findings will cause a fresh headache for Boris Johnson and members of his No 10 team, revealing that the gatherings that took place were “difficult to justify”.
Ms Gray was tasked with investigating the alleged parties on behalf of the Government’s propriety and ethics team.
She has interviewed police officers who guard No 10, civil servants and political advisers who work in the building, reportedly confiscating mobile phones to search for evidence.
Ms Gray has also spoken with the Prime Minister himself, and released her preliminary findings to the Metropolitan Police, which has launched its own criminal investigation.
Here are the key points from the update:
Behaviour was ‘difficult to justify’ during the pandemic
Ms Gray’s first finding is that the gatherings that took place were “difficult to justify” during the pandemic, when the Government had asked the public to follow the rules.
“Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the Government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify,” she wrote.
“At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time.
“At times it seems there was too little thought given to what was happening across the country in considering the appropriateness of some of these gatherings, the risks they presented to public health and how they might appear to the public.”
She added that there had been “failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No10 and the Cabinet Office at different times,” while “some of the events should not have been allowed to take place” and “other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did.”
Alcohol consumption was ‘excessive’
Ms Gray said that the consumption of alcohol in Downing Street and Cabinet Office during the pandemic was “excessive” and “not appropriate”.
“The excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time,” she said.
“Steps must be taken to ensure that every Government Department has a clear and robust policy in place covering the consumption of alcohol in the workplace.”
The Telegraph has previously reported that staff bought wine for a party in Downing Street from a local corner shop, and transported it back to the office using a suitcase.
Use of the Downing Street garden for gatherings was ‘not appropriate’
The report says staff in No10 should not have used the building’s garden for gatherings, even though the policy of using them for meetings was “sensible”.
“The use of the garden at No 10 Downing Street should be primarily for the Prime Minister and the private residents of No 10 and No 11 Downing Street,” Ms Gray wrote.
“During the pandemic it was often used as an extension of the workplace as a more Covid secure means of holding group meetings in a ventilated space.
“This was a sensible measure that staff appreciated, but the garden was also used for gatherings without clear authorisation or oversight. This was not appropriate.
“Any official access to the space, including for meetings, should be by invitation only and in a controlled environment.”
The police are investigating 12 events – but we don’t know if the law was broken
Ms Gray’s report says that 12 of the 16 gatherings she investigated are also being examined by the Metropolitan police.
“It is not for me to make a judgment on whether the criminal law has been broken; that is properly a matter for law enforcement,” she said.
“In line with my terms of reference I have been in regular contact with the Metropolitan Police as my work has progressed in order for them to take decisions on the gatherings under examination, including whether to launch their own investigation.”
No one has been named and shamed
Although the report says many of the events in No10 should not have taken place, there is little information about what exactly happened and who was involved.
Where some of the events involve specific people – such as special advisers who were leaving Downing Street – they are named by their job titles only.
There is also very little detail about what happened at the parties, other than their date, location and general purpose.
Structure and management of Downing Street criticised
Ms Gray also made recommendations about the management structures in Downing Street in place at the time the parties took place.
“In terms of size, scale and range of responsibility it is now more akin to a small Government Department than purely a dedicated Prime Minister’s office,” she said.
“The structures that support the smooth operation of Downing Street, however, have not evolved sufficiently to meet the demands of this expansion.
“The leadership structures are fragmented and complicated and this has sometimes led to the blurring of lines of accountability.”
Ms Gray appeared to make reference to Martin Reynolds, Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, who is accused of organising gatherings.
“Too much responsibility and expectation is placed on the senior official whose principal function is the direct support of the Prime Minister,” she said.
“This should be addressed as a matter of priority.”
Ms Gray also said that “some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so” and recommended that new processes be created for whistleblowing “outside of the line management chain”.
Reform can happen before police investigation
The report’s conclusion says that the Government should not wait for the outcome of the Metropolitan Police’s investigation before implementing Ms Gray’s reforms.
“There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government,” it says.
“This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded.”
