London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

No 10 staff facing police over Partygate can see notes on their evidence

No 10 staff facing police over Partygate can see notes on their evidence

Staff allowed ‘limited access’ before Sue Gray inquiry evidence passed to police

Downing Street staff being questioned by police about alleged lockdown breaches will be allowed to view notes on the evidence they gave to the Sue Gray inquiry.

Those spoken to as part of the Cabinet Office probe were told they could see the notes with a member of Gray’s team present but would not be allowed to bring a phone into the room, to be accompanied by a lawyer, or to request any changes.

Gray admitted that it was not “standard practice in internal investigations such as this” to share notes with interviewees, but said in a letter seen by the Guardian that she had decided “as an exceptional measure” that they would get “limited access”.

This will let interviewees view the evidence they gave to her before it is passed to police, who have opened a separate criminal investigation nicknamed Operation Hillman.

Dave Penman, head of the FDA trade union that represents many civil servants, said he had made the request on the interviewees’ behalf. He clarified: “They will only be able to access notes of their own internal interview – their own words – to assist them in completing the Met Q&A.”

It is understood the Met had no objection.

The deadline for Boris Johnson to submit the questionnaire sent out to all those believed to have attended gatherings passed on Friday night. No 10 confirmed the prime minister had returned his questionnaire.

He was sent the document by the Metropolitan police last Friday, and given seven days to complete. He is expected to argue he broke no rules because he used No 10 as part of his working day, given that it is both his home and an office shared with hundreds of others.

More than 50 questionnaires have so far been issued to Downing Street staff, and the outgoing Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, said last week that “some but probably not all may very well end up with a fixed penalty notice”.

Alec Shelbrooke, the MP for Elmet and Rothwell, became the latest backbench Conservative to express his anger with the prime minister. In an email to a constituent seen by the Guardian, he said: “I’ve always sought to be straight-talking with my constituents, so you will not hear me attempting to defend the indefensible. I am angry at events of recent weeks in Westminster, as I know others are.”

Shelbrooke said he had followed Covid rules “to the letter”, adding that he had not seen his parents for 15 months, “even when I technically could when rules relaxed”, because he believed the public holds MPs to a higher standard.

He would not reveal whether he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the prime minister.

Another senior backbencher told the Guardian they did not believe the respite for the prime minister would continue indefinitely. “Even if we have up to a month of calm, all the underlying issues remain,” said the former minister, who suggested the pressure on Johnson was “coming in waves”.

Commenting on claims by the prime minister’s allies that he believed the events he attended were work functions, they said: “That won’t wash; ignorance is no defence.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×