Sue Gray's partygate report: Senior leadership must 'bear responsibility'
Sue Gray's report into 'partygate' has finally been released
Last updated 25th May 2022
Sue Gray's report into the partygate scandal has pointed to senior leadership in the Government saying they must “bear responsibility” for the culture which led to lockdown rules being broken.
“The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen,” she said.
The official report was released today and said the public would be “dismayed” by a series of breaches of coronavirus rules in No 10 and Westminster.
The Metropolitan Police has issued 126 fines for rule breaches in No 10 and Whitehall, with the Prime Minister receiving a single fixed-penalty notice for his birthday party.
Political culture condemned
Senior civil servant Ms Gray condemned the wider culture that had been allowed to develop under Mr Johnson’s leadership.
She said some of the more junior officials who attended parties “believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders”.
“The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture,” Ms Gray said.
She also said there were “multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff” during the events, which was “unacceptable”.
“Many will be dismayed that behaviour of this kind took place on this scale at the heart of Government,” she said.
“The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this.”
Mr Johnson takes 'full responsibility'
In a Commons statement, the Prime Minister said he takes “full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch”.
Making a statement in the House of Commons on the Sue Gray report, Boris Johnson said: “I want to begin today by renewing my apology to the House, to the whole country, for the short lunchtime gathering on June 19, 2020 in the Cabinet Room, during which I stood at my place at the Cabinet table and for which I received a fixed penalty notice.
“I also want to say above all that I take full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch. Sue Gray’s report has emphasised that it is up to the political leadership in Number 10 to take ultimate responsibility and, of course, I do.”
Boris Johnson said staff were working “extremely long hours” and “doing their best” to help the country in the pandemic, adding to MPs: “I appreciate this is no mitigation but it’s important to set out.”
He added: “I’m trying to set out the context, not to mitigate or to absolve myself in any way.
“The exemption under which they were present in Downing Street includes those circumstances where officials and advisers were leaving the Government and it was appropriate to recognise and to thank them for the work they had done.
“I briefly attended such gatherings to thank them for their service, which I believe is one of the essential duties of leadership and particularly important when people need to feel that their contributions have been appreciated and to keep morale as high as possible.”
As he was heckled, the Prime Minister said: “I’m trying to explain the reasons I was there. It’s clear from what Sue Gray had to say that some of these gatherings then went on far longer than was necessary and they were clearly in breach of the rules and they fell foul of the rules.”
Mr Johnson added: “I had no knowledge of the subsequent proceedings as I simply wasn’t there.”
Boris Johnson will later hold a press conference to apologise directly to the public and will also address a meeting of Tory MPs this evening.
Pictures included in Sue Gray's report
The report issued by Ms Gray includes a series of photos, with Mr Johnson pictured at the surprise birthday party in the Cabinet Room on June 19, 2020 for which he received a fine.
He is seen with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, with sandwiches, juices and what appears to be Estrella lager – in one picture Mr Johnson is seen raising a can of the beer aloft.
Other photos include the previously-seen images of Mr Johnson raising a glass of wine at a leaving do for his former spin doctor Lee Cain on November 13, 2020.
A gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report
Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.
Partygate
Covid restrictions may have been lifted in 2022, but they were very much in place when Boris Johnson and others attended gatherings at Downing Street in what became known as Partygate. Downing Street admitted two parties, one which took place the day before the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral and it eventually came out that there had even been a brief birthday gathering for Boris Johnson.
The then Prime Minister (you can probably see where this is going) was fined along with (spoiler alert) future Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for breaking Covid rules.
Sue Gray's report
According to an earlier, shortened version published in January, Ms Gray’s investigation analysed events from May 15 2020 to April 16 2021.
The full publication into the parties was sidelined as the Metropolitan Police conducted its own partygate probe, dubbed Operation Hillman.
The force concluded its investigation on May 19, with 126 fines being issued in total to 83 people.
Mr Johnson received one for an event held on his 56th birthday and was told he would face no further action over other gatherings covered by the inquiry.
Earlier this week, a new photograph was published of Boris Johnson at a leaving do although MP Grant Shapps has defended the Prime Minister saying Boris Johnson doesn't believe he was at a lockdown-breaking party and that he only "popped in" and left "pretty quick".
How 'partygate' became public
First party is discovered
Claims first emerged of a party in Downing Street at the end of November, when several parties were alleged to have taken place in November and December 2020 while England was in tight Tier 3 restrictions. A spokesperson from Downing Street then denied the party had happened, but it was alleged the parties were attended by the Prime Minister, something that Johnson categorically denied.
Allegra Stratton controversy
After denying that other parties had taken place, a leaked video by ITV showed the Prime Minister's press secretary Allegra Stratton appearing to joke about a staff party which took place on December 18th, 2020. The video, showing Stratton in a mock press conference, caused public outrage and condemnation and lead to Stratton's emotional resignation from her post.
Johnson seen attending garden party
After denying his involvement or knowledge of any parties in the Downing Street garden, pictures emerged of the Prime Minister socialising with other staff. The photo dated to the 15th of May 2020, where people could only meet one other person outdoors according to the rules. Johnson denied the nature of the photograph, saying that it had been a quick break after a long day at work. Stock picture for illustrative purposes only.
"Bring your own booze" party
The 'Partygate' scandal continued for Boris Johnson into 2022 with details of a "bring your own booze" party organised by Downing Street staff being leaked to the public. Responding to the allegations, the Prime Minister refused to admit he had been present at the party on the 20th of May 2020, but went on to say that he believed the party was a work event.
Kier Starmer hits back
With increasing allegations of numerous parties taking place in Downing Street, Labour leader Kier Starmer attacked Johnson during Prime Minister's Questions, saying that the man had "run out of road". Facing backlash from the opposition and from some in his own party, Johnson continued to deny responsibility for the occasions, but apologised to the public for attending. The Prime Minister then instructed that people wait for an independent report from civil servant Sue Gray.
Met Police investigates
It soon emerged that another party had taken place on Boris Johnson's birthday, when restrictions only allowed up to six people outdoors. As a result of the growing allegations, Dame Cressida Dick from the Metropolitan Police announced that the force would be investigating some of the alleged parties. As a result, Sue Gray's report was subsequently postponed from publication while the police investigation was underway.
Sue Gray's report published
On 31st January 2022 the initial findings from Sue Gray's report into lockdown parties in Downing Street were released. In the report she describes some of the gatherings as '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' and that the behaviour was 'difficult to justify'.
First fines are handed out
Following a three-month investigation, the Metropolitan Police announced it would begin to hand out fines, saying that lockdown rules had indeed been broken by Downing Street staff. On March 29th, 2022 the Met Police said that twenty fines had been issued to staff and would be referred to the ACRO Criminal Records Office, with more fines potentially being issued as more evidence is discovered.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are fined
On 12th April, it was announced that Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were each issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) by the Met Police for breaking lockdown rules in June 2020. FPN for breaches of Covid-19 restrictions can range from £30 to as much as £10,000, but the three were only fined £100, with the amount they actually had to pay being £50 if paid within 14 days.
Boris apologises
On April 19th, one week after he had been fined, Boris Johnson addressed MPs and offered a 'wholehearted apology' for breaking the law. Labour branded the apology as "dishonest", before being asked to withdraw the remark by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. MPs were due to vote on whether the Prime Minister misled Parliament, but the government tried to delay the vote until after the Metropolitan Police's investigation concluded.
Police investigation concludes
In May 2022 Downing Street confirmed that the Met Police had concluded the partygate investigation and that Boris Johnson would face no more fines for lockdown breaches. Scotland Yard said it had issued 126 fixed-penalty notices for events in Downing Street and across Whitehall spanning eight separate days, with 28 people receiving between two and five fines.
Sue Gray report says senior leadership must 'bear responsibility'
On the 25th May, Sue Gray finally published her report into the partygate scandal, pointing to senior leadership in the Government saying they must "bear responsibility" for the culture which led to lockdown rules being broken.
She wrote: "The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen."
Sue Gray's full report is released
On 25th May 2022, Sue Gray's full report is published. An initial report was released at the end of January, but the full report was pushed back until the Met Police concluded its investigation into some of the events. The report looks into 16 events between May 2020 and April 2021, it's reported that many of the gatherings were not in line with Covid-19 guidelines at the time. Sue Gray directly links failure of leadership at Downing Street to the covid rule breaking at the heart of government. It describes a series of events including one in June 2020 - which involved excessive drinking, someone being sick after having too much to drink, and a fight breaking out. There are also photos - including of the surprise birthday party in the Cabinet Room for which the PM got his one fine for. At another event, the night before Prince Philip's funeral, some partied until 4am. The Prime Minister said he takes full responsibility, saying there have been changes since gatherings he admits shouldn't have happened. He also said sorry for examples of poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. After the report's release, Boris Johnson said he was "surprised" to get a partygate fine and insists it would be irresponsible of him to step down.
Boris Johnson faces a no confidence vote
On 6th June 2022, Boris Johnson faced a no confidence vote. The vote was called because more than 15% of Conservative MPs (54), sent letters saying that they no longer have confidence in Boris Johnson as the parties leader, after the publication of Sue Gray's report. Alongside Conservative MP's, opposition MP's and party leaders called for the Prime Minister to resign. To remain as leader, he required the majority of votes which was a secret ballot.
Boris Johnson survives his no confidence vote
On the evening of 6th June 2022, it was confirmed that Boris Johnson survived a no confidence vote, which means he can remain in the role of Prime Minister. He insisted the government can 'move on' after surviving the vote in his leadership. He won the vote by a majority of 63. But 148 of his own MPs (41%) said they wanted him out, despite remaining in his position it seems his authority's been damaged.