London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Downing Street says it instigated Sue Gray meeting about party report

Downing Street says it instigated Sue Gray meeting about party report

The civil servant is expected to publish her findings on lockdown breaches in government within days, after having secret dubious meeting with Boris Johnson.

No 10 has confirmed it initiated a meeting between the PM and Sue Gray - the senior civil servant leading a much-anticipated report into lockdown parties in government offices.

The meeting took place weeks ago but only came to light over the weekend.

On Monday morning, Treasury Minister Simon Clarke said it had been instigated by Ms Gray.

However, the PM's spokesman later clarified that No 10 officials had suggested the meeting.

He said the aim had been to discuss the "timings and publication process" of the report - and that while it had been "minuted in the usual way", the notes would not be released as it was a private meeting.

Explaining the confusion, the spokesman said the "technical request" had come from Ms Gray's office.

No 10 also insisted Boris Johnson did not support allegations, attributed to his allies, accusing Ms Gray of "playing politics".

Speaking to reporters, the prime minister said he would not be giving a "running commentary", but insisted Ms Gray was able to act independently.

However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of trying to "undermine" Ms Gray and her report.

"That's what we've seen going on...in recent days - a new low for the government," he said.

And Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: "The public would be rightly angry if it turns out Boris Johnson put pressure on Sue Gray to water down her report into illegal Downing Street parties."

The release of the Ms Gray's full report, expected within days, had been delayed until an inquiry by the Metropolitan Police wound up last week.

The four-month police inquiry led to 83 people, including PM Boris Johnson, sharing 126 fines for Covid breaches.

A deadline for top officials Ms Gray wants to name in her report to lodge objections has now passed.

The BBC understands that no one is yet known to have lodged a complaint - something that has the potential to further delay the report's release.

Ms Gray's inquiry was established by the prime minister, and the terms of reference are set by him.

The prime minister is among those who received fines for lockdown breaches


Ms Gray's report is expected to be critical of those overseeing a culture in No 10 in which lockdown breaches could occur.

An interim version, published in January, did not name individuals but did criticise "failures of leadership and judgement", and said some events should not have "been allowed to take place".

The Met inquiry began in January after Ms Gray's inquiry passed on a trove of evidence, including 300 photos, to the force.

The BBC understands it is unlikely all the images will be released in the report, although it is possible some will be published to illustrate the nature of the gatherings.

The prime minister faces a further inquiry by the Commons' Privileges Committee about whether he deliberately misled MPs when he previously told them no Covid rules had been broken in Downing Street.

Under government guidelines, ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×