Sue Gray report.

[Chippy_Tea]

BBC News Summary

1. An initial version of Sue Gray's highly-anticipated report into Downing Street parties during lockdown has been published
2. She finds that some lockdown gatherings in government represent a "serious failure" to observe what was asked of the public
3. She says there were "failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office"
4. Several gatherings "should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did", she adds
5. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the Commons at 15:30GMT
6. The report is seen as preliminary because the Met Police asked for it to make "minimal reference" to events it is investigating
7. Senior Tories have joined opposition MPs in demanding the report be published in full
8. Gray's findings are crucial for Johnson as they could see Tory MPs force a vote on his leadership

Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor
We know this report will just be the initial findings - the first version, not the full fat version of all the information that Sue Gray has gathered.
That's not to say it won't make some quite stringent conclusions for Downing Street.
I think there will be identification of what will be described as a "drinking culture" and a lack of leadership in Downing Street.
But it will not give the full chapter and verse of everything that was going on behind the black door during lockdown.
Nor will it detail the worse incidences of rule-breaking in the building where people were setting rules at the same time.
Right now, No 10 might be hoping that this will at least - as far as Sue Gray is concerned - signal the end of the beginning.
I imagine the prime minister will apologise again, accept her findings in full and make some promises about trying to clean up the culture in Downing Street.
But while Westminster loves nothing more than intrigue about process, the point of this really is many members of the public may have already made up their mind about what happened, about Johnson's own involvement, and how how much this matters to them.
The breathless Westminster process-ology may preoccupy the postcode of SW1, but that overall big picture is what matters, not the dotted i's or crossed t's that may prove to be the least of Downing Street's worries.

Jessica Parker
BBC political correspondent
One of the most serious things that could come from the investigation would be if the prime minister was found to have misled the House of Commons.
As well as of course, people will want to know if he personally broke the rules.
Some of his defence has been: I thought I was at a work event, nobody told me - basically pleading ignorance saying he did not know. So how can you prove that? How can you prove what might have been in Boris Johnson's mind?
I think Sue Gray's not likely to be diving into the mind of Boris Johnson but reaching more factual based conclusions.
I think something to watch out for is whether there is any suggestion or evidence that he misled the House of Commons because that is, in parliamentary politics, a pretty serious event.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I was limited so no meaningful report at present - Gray
In the report, Sue Gray refers to the Met Police's request that she only make "minimal reference" to the events they are investigating.
Because of that, it means she's been extremely limited in what she can say, the report says.
Sue Gray writes:
As a result of the Metropolitan Police’s investigations, and so as not to prejudice the police investigative process, they have told me that it would only be appropriate to make minimal reference to the gatherings on the dates they are investigating.
As a result of the Metropolitan Police’s investigations, and so as not to prejudice the police investigative process, they have told me that it would only be appropriate to make minimal reference to the gatherings on the dates they are investigating.

Unfortunately, this necessarily means that I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather."
Unfortunately, this necessarily means that I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather."

Lockdown parties 'should not have been allowed'
The report is 12 pages long, and makes clear that some of the events in Downing Street over the lockdowns "should not have been allowed to take place", while others "should not have been allowed to develop as they did".
It says the garden of No 10 was "used for gatherings without clear authorisation or oversight - this was not appropriate".
Here are some more of Sue Gray's findings:
Message: The excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time
The excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time

Some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so - no member of staff should feel unable to report or challenge poor conduct where they witness it
Some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so - no member of staff should feel unable to report or challenge poor conduct where they witness it

Quote Message: The leadership structures [in No 10] are fragmented and complicated and this has sometimes led to the blurring of lines of accountability
The leadership structures [in No 10] are fragmented and complicated and this has sometimes led to the blurring of lines of accountability

Gray report: Failures of leadership in No 10
The initial findings of Sue Gray's report into parties at Downing Street has just dropped, saying there were "failures of leadership and judgment" in No 10 and the Cabinet Office.
We are going through it with a fine-tooth comb to bring you all you need to know, but here are some stand-out lines from the document:
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
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

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 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
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

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent
At first reading, some of these conclusions are pretty damning of the culture in Downing Street around the time of various lockdown restrictions.
There's a lot of talk of events that shouldn't have taken place or shouldn't have been able to develop in the way they did.
There's talk of failures of leadership, significant things that need to be drawn from these events.
I think Boris Johnson will be under a lot of pressure when he comes to the Commons in just over an hour's time to set out what he thinks those lessons are.
There's a wider question about whether those leadership failures were the prime minister's himself.
I suspect we'll hear opposition politicians over the next few hours say exactly that, that the culture was created by the man at the top.
The thing to really watch out for, though, is exactly how Conservative MPs react to this. We know that many of them have been deeply uncomfortable about the stories they've heard of what went on in Downing Street.

Helen Catt
Political correspondent
Sue Gray's report lists 16 gatherings she's investigated; that's more than had been highlighted in the media.
Of those, four did not reach the threshold for the police to investigate.
One of those which it appears did, according to the document, is a gathering in the Downing Street flat on 13 November 2020.
That has the potential to be very damaging for the prime minister.
Much of his justification for what went on the building has so far rested on Downing Street also being a workplace.
That argument would seem more difficult to apply to the flat, which is his private residence.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Junior staff felt unable to raise concerns
We're still picking through the report and here's another thing that's jumped out on the culture at Downing Street.
"Some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so," Sue Gray writes.
"No member of staff should feel unable to report or challenge poor conduct where they witness it. There should be easier ways for staff to raise such concerns informally, outside of the line management chain."

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The events investigated by Sue Gray
Sue Gray investigated 16 events in Downing Street and other government offices over a 20-month period.
Of those, 12 are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
This list confirms the flat party of 13 November 2020 has been investigated, along with a separate event in No10 on the same day, when former advisors Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings left.

Here’s the full list:

15 May 2020: A photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of No 10 Downing Street

20 May 2020: A gathering in the garden of No 10 Downing Street for No 10 staff

18 June 2020: A gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, on the departure of a No 10 private secretary

19 June 2020: A gathering in the Cabinet room in No 10 Downing Street on the prime minister’s birthday

13 November 2020: A gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat

A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser

27 November 2020: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser

10 December 2020: A gathering in the Department for Education ahead of the Christmas break

15 December 2020: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street for an online Christmas quiz

17 December 2020: A gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office

A gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official

A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official

18 December 2020: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street ahead of the Christmas break

14 January 2021: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 private secretaries

16 April 2021: A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a senior No 10 official

A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of another No 10 official

 

[Justin Dean]

I agree there is casual attitude at best amongst teams at no 10. How many of the above did the pm attend or know about. I believe the birthday party was a surprise one where his partner and some people brought in a cake and began singing, 10 mins later he left. What would I do in the same circumstance, probably the same. Partner and team should get FPNs. The other gatherings how many involved the pm or did the PM know about. I think this was going on up done the country and anyone caught got a FPN.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

15:30 Boris makes a statement -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-60147988

 

[Chippy_Tea]

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Seems like a serious governance issue in government. Culture of fear and a blame culture exists behind a pack of lies.

 

[TonyT]

It’s always amazed me that Westminster seems to be the only workplace where it’s accepted that you can lie like a cheap watch, and the only people that get disciplined are those that attempt to challenge you on it.

 

[Brianbrewed]

Theresa May summed the whole thing up perfectly.

Also, why is the consumption of alcohol allowed on a workplace?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Paraphrasing
" I didn't realise that it was alcohol, I only had a few glasses and stayed for about ten minutes"

 

[Ale House Rock]

Do they really expect us to believe that the highest office in the land making decisions and plans that impact all of our lives does not have an 'alcohol at work' policy? Really? If that is true, this government is not fit for purpose.

 

[Eskimo John]

It seems to be a report that exposes poor leadership, incompetence and lies. And this at a time, given the issues in the Ukraine, that we need to demonstrate strong leadership, integrity and truth against an aggressive tyrant.

 

[Justin Dean]

Many a late night on tenders a beer is very welcome is my experience. That is reality

 

[Clint]

Do they really expect us to believe that the highest office in the land making decisions and plans that impact all of our lives does not have an 'alcohol at work' policy? Really? If that is true, this government is not fit for purpose.

They obviously do...

 

[TonyT]

Many a late night on tenders a beer is very welcome is my experience. That is reality

???

 

[Justin Dean]

It my job mate, I project mange new business tenders, they are deadline focused so sometimes it is long hours, Nothing special, loads of people are in the same position and harder roles