Downing Street officials charged of trying to dilute the Sue Gray report with the Partygate scandal, with requires staff anonymity who broke coronavirus rules and change how the so-called “Abba party”It has been reported.
Partial drafts of the results were allegedly circulated in No. 10 the day before final the report was submitted over on The Sunday Times reported on Wednesday.
Sources told the newspaper that Gray was persuaded by three people. senior public servants do not publish names of a little of those who attended 12 events under investigation.
“On Tuesday evening, one last the attempt was made persuade her [Gray] omit the names in the report, but she made it’s clear to them only way what would happen if they let her out with instruction,” a Whitehall source said.
The newspaper claimed that key passages have been changed at the request of No. 10, including “Abba Night” party allegedly held in in prime minister apartment in November 2020 Previous draft with reference to music the reproduction and timing of its end was allegedly altered by Steve Barclay, Johnson’s superior. of employees.
BUT government a source told the Guardian that Barclay did not edit or influence the report. in Any way.
The cabinet rejected allegations that the report was redacted due to pressure or that any events not explored because of Requests made on senior numbers.
They referred back to the wording of a report in which Gray explained her rationale for stop her investigating what happened in apartment johnson shares with his wife Carrie. Gray said she stopped her work collecting only “limited” information about the gathering when the Metropolitan Police launched their own investigation.
Gray’s 37-page report on in party culture in Ultimately, Downing Street included nine photographs and named some of them. senior civil servants.
Detailed Findings how each event turned around including care party on June 18, 2020 when “one the person was sick” and “there was a minor quarrel between two other people.”
The report included security logs showing that some employees were carrying on party until 4am after check out do for in director of bond, james slack, cleaners testifying of spilled wine on walls on another occasion and messages warning drunk staff leave via in back entrance to avoid journalists will see.
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Grey also singled out a number of cases in which members of None of the 10 employees asked questions about events should forward, or about drunkenness in Downing Street, and their concerns were dismissed.
Johnson apologized to MPs for a culture that developed in Downing Street during the pandemic on Wednesday, saying he took “full duty”.
Nonetheless prime minister insisted that he considered it “one of main responsibilities of leadership” to be present at the departure events and to thank departing employees because “it was appropriate to recognize and thank them for in work what did they do”.
He also told at the briefing on Wednesday: “In first saw and read the report in entirely – and best of my knowledge, first Any of my team saw it – when we received it shortly after 10 am this morning.”
