Live Sue Gray latest news: Boris Johnson vows to publish 'partygate' report in full

Tory MPs insist
Sue Gray report stuck in legal limbo
Cries of ‘cover-up’ amid demands from unions
Rishi Sunak ‘captured by the Treasury’ on tax
Meet Sue Gray: A woman who doesn’t suffer fools
Camilla Tominey: Will establishment sink Boris?
Allister Heath: We need the old Boris back

Boris Johnson has pledged he will “of course” publish Sue Gray’s report into alleged Covid rule-breaking parties at Downing Street in full.

On a visit to north Wales, Mr Johnson told reporters he was “absolutely not” seeking to delay the publication of the report.

“I can’t go beyond what I said yesterday but I stick completely by what I stick with what I said in the House of Commons,” he said. “While all that’s going on, we’ve got to get on and the Government is getting on with our work.”

Mark Harper, the Tory backbencher, warned this morning: “The report must be published in full. Any attempt to conceal or suppress crucial details would be wrong.”

Meanwhile Ms Gray’s report continues to remain in limbo as legal checks delay publication, which looks increasingly unlikely to be today with Mr Johnson currently hundreds of miles away in Wales and no statements expected in the Commons.

Asked if he was “personally delaying the report”, which he has committed to publishing in full, the PM said: “Absolutely not but you’ve got to let the independent inquiries go on.”

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On Off 2:38PM

You must publish Gray report in full, Boris Johnson told

Boris Johnson must publish Sue Gray’s report into alleged Covid rule-breaking parties at Downing Street in full and not “suppress” key details, Tory MPs have warned.

Mark Harper, who chairs the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown sceptics, described footage of a widower who lost three of his relatives to Covid within three weeks as “heartbreaking to watch”.

In a social media post shared by Steve Baker, the Wycombe MP, Mr Harper wrote: “This happened to families up and down our country. That’s why Sue Gray’s report matters.

“The report must be published in full. Any attempt to conceal or suppress crucial details would be wrong.”

2:21PM

‘Hypothetically possible’ today could still be Sue Gray day

It remains “hypothetically possible” that the Sue Gray report will be published today or tomorrow, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“We have committed to publishing in the House.” he said. “I think, hypothetically, it is not a requirement under the terms of reference. Obviously we would want to do so at the earliest possible opportunity but we are not in control of at which point we are in receipt of the report.”

As for what happens if the report is received on Friday night, he said a decision would need to be made by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, and Downing Street “about what he thought was acceptable, obviously balancing the significant public interest in having sight of the report”.

2:16PM

Boris Johnson: I was very proud of Afghan airlifts

Boris Johnson has dismissed accusations he authorised the controversial evacuation of animals from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul as “total rhubarb”.

The Prime Minister sought to distance himself on Thursday from the claims, which appear to contradict his previous denials that he instructed staff and animals at Pen Farthing’s Nowzad charity to be brought back to Britain during last year’s Operation Pitting evacuation.

“This whole thing is total rhubarb,” Mr Johnson said during a visit to North Wales, adding that he was “proud” of the military airlifts.

“I was very proud of what our armed services did with Operation Pitting and it was an amazing thing to to move 15,000 people out of Kabul in the way that we did,” he said. “I thought it was also additionally very good that we were able to help those vets who came out as well.”

Matthew Robinson has this report

2:11PM

Satisfaction with Boris Johnson ‘at record low’ as it falls below Theresa May nadir

Satisfaction with Boris Johnson’s performance is at a record low and matches the worst figures of Theresa May’s leadership, a new poll suggests.

Seventy per cent of adults were found to be dissatisfied with Mr Johnson, according to an Ipsos Mori survey carried out for the Evening Standard.

Twenty-four per cent were satisfied, down by four points on December’s figure, while dissatisfaction with Boris Johnson has rise by five per cent.

Boris Johnson (C) is given a site tour during a visit to Hanson Aggregates in Penmaenmawr, North Wales

Credit: Peter Byrne/AFP

Sixty-nine per cent of people were dissatisfied with Theresa May in June 2019, her final full month as Prime Minister.

It does not quite match John Major or Margaret Thatcher’s low points in August 1994 – amid the “sleaze” scandal – or March 1990 – the year of Thatcher’s departure from office – respectively.

1:59PM

‘Total rhubarb’: Johnson denies claims he approved Afghanistan animal airlift

1:39PM

Report will come in full, but we don’t know when

Boris Johnson said he would publish the Sue Gray report in full but could not give a timescale.

He told reporters during a visit to North Wales: “I can’t really say any more than what I said yesterday about that.”

Asked if he was personally delaying the report, he replied: “Absolutely not but you’ve got to let the independent inquiries go on.”

He added: “What I hope people understand is that while we wait for all that to go on, you’ve got to get on, and the Government is getting on with our work.

“So it’s clearing the Covid backlogs but also making sure that we help to fix the cost of living crisis and help to address the issues with inflation by helping to move people off welfare into work.”

1:29PM

‘Imminent’ progress needed on NI protocol

Stormont First Minister Paul Givan has said there has to be progress made “imminently” in negotiations between the UK Government and the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Givan was speaking after he and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill had a meeting with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is leading the negotiations with the EU.

He said: “I pressed the Foreign Secretary about the need to take action in the absence of there being progress and an agreed outcome with the European Union.

“The Foreign Secretary indicated that the UK Government does stand ready to take action, she mentioned the use of Article 16, but she prefers to get an agreed position with the European Union.

“I have emphasised the absolute critical nature of that progress being made, because the protocol is causing instability to these institutions, it is damaging our economy and this is having a real impact on Northern Ireland.

“So, we need to see that progress, we need to see that imminently and we also need to see action taken by the UK Government if there isn’t an agreed outcome.”

First Minister Paul Givan said Liz Truss “has indicated that she is making progress with the European Union” Credit: PA /Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye 1:16PM

Shortage of key workers ‘helping to push up’ cost of living

Boris Johnson suggested that a shortage of workers in key roles was pushing up the cost of living.

Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to North Wales, the Prime Minister said: “We’re coming out of Covid now, and it’s a fantastic thing, but everybody can see the pressures on our economy, the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in hospitality, in retail, in road haulage.

“That’s helping to push up prices, that’s affecting the cost of living, it’s affecting inflation.

“Now, what we can do, we’ve got 1.25 million job vacancies in this country, 1.25 million jobs, that aren’t being done. But we’ve also got 1.8 million people who are on welfare. Now, many of them can be helped rapidly into work. That’s why we’re launching the Way to Work scheme today, to help them faster into the jobs that need doing across the UK.”

1:08PM

Boris Johnson: ‘So important’ to raise funds for NHS through National Insurance

Boris Johnson mounted his strongest defence to date of the National Insurance rise, and said it is “so important to raise the funding to cope with the Covid backlogs, the damage Covid has done in particular to our NHS”.

“Every penny of this goes to tackling our NHS backlogs and fixing social care.”

Asked if he is taxing work, Mr Johnson repeated “every penny” would go towards fixing backlogs and the social care.

Boris Johnson stood out perhaps more than usual on a site visit to Hanson Aggregates in north Wales Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

“If you go around hospitals as I have done a lot in the last 18 months or more, two years, so much of the problem is caused and aggravated – made worse – by the numbers of people that are waiting in hospital because they can be discharged but they can’t be let out of hospital because we can’t find the right package of social care. And it does need to be sorted out.

“We have to fund the Covid backlogs, we have to fix social care. I don’t think there’s a family in this country that hasn’t been affected by the Covid backlogs in one way or the other. I bet you know somebody who’s had their treatment, their scan, delayed by what we’ve been through in the last 18 months. We had to spend £400 billion keeping the British economy going during lockdowns… I think that’s the right thing to do.”

1:02PM

Sue Gray report must come ‘in full’, says Keir Starmer

The Sue Gray report should be published “in full and as soon as possible”, the Labour leader insisted this lunchtime.

Speaking on a visit to Grimsby, Sir Keir Starmer told PA that it must be released “in full – not redacted, not edited, not a summary, not parts left out… in full.”

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the Prime Minister to commit to publishing Sue Gray’s report “in full” Credit: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/Handout/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

“After what everybody in the country’s been through in the last year or two with the pandemic, huge sacrifices have been made, the least that they’re entitled to is the truth about what the Prime Minister was up to.”

Sir Keir said during a visit to Grimsby of Ms Gray’s findings: “The most important thing is that we see the full report as it was delivered to the Prime Minister so that everybody can see for themselves her (Sue Gray’s) understanding, her establishment of the facts of what actually happened.”

12:57PM

‘Total rhubarb’

Boris Johnson has described claims that he approved the controversial airlift of animals from Afghanistan as “total rhubarb”.

Mr Johnson previously claimed reports of his intervention were “nonsense”.

However, leaked emails that were published by the Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday from a member of staff in Lord Goldsmith’s private office included a claim that the “the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated” in reference to Nowzad, the animal charity that was based in Kabul.

12:44PM

Downing Street will not ‘conceal’ Sue Gray report, it insists

Downing Street has rejected any suggestion it would “conceal or suppress crucial details” of the Sue Gray report.

“We are in no way seeking to block the report nor are we seeking to do as Mark Harper suggests,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“It remains our intention to publish the report as it is received from the investigation.”

12:38PM

Breaking: No 10 has still not received Sue Gray report

Downing Street has still not received the Sue Gray report, according to Lucy Fisher, our Deputy Political Editor.

When it does, “the intention is to publish the report as received”, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters.

If the Metropolitan Police gives assurances to Sue Gray’s team that the report can be published in full, No 10 will accept that and not seek its own assurances, No 10 signalled after calls from Steve Baker and Mark Harper for it to be released in its entirety.

Asked for a guarantee that the names of senior civil servants would not be redacted, the spokesman said: “We wouldn’t seek to carry out anything against convention.”

There was no confirmation or denial that police have interviewed Boris Johnson as part of their own investigation into “partygate”.

12:19PM

Don’t ‘pressurise’ Sue Gray over her report, urges Jacob Rees-Mogg

Sue Gray should be “given the time she needs” to ready her report into alleged rule-breaking parties at Downing Street, Jacob Rees-Mogg urged opposition MPs.

“It’s wrong of members of this House to pressurise the independent investigator over the speed of her report,” Mr Rees-Mogg said during questions in the Commons today.

“It would be wrong for the government to put pressure on her, it is wrong of the opposition to do it. Sue Gray is doing it independently, and she must be given the time that she needs to do it.

Earlier this week Jacob Rees-Mogg said he was “honoured” to be led by Boris Johnson Credit: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty

“But of course, as the prime minister has said, when the report is released he will come to the House, he will make a statement, and he will be open to questions. That is the proper parliamentary procedure.”

12:08PM

‘Boris Johnson deserves the blame for the National Insurance debacle’

Boris Johnson is still fighting for his political life, writes Kate Andrews, especially following reports of his birthday celebrations during the first lockdown.

Soon there will be an official report to grapple with too, when senior civil servant Sue Gray unveils the findings of her investigation into Downing Street’s lockdown soirees.

As his premiership grows more vulnerable by the day, there are already plans afoot amongst potential successors to get their teams – and factions – ready for a leadership contest.

Policy is moving as fast as politics, with increasing attempts to nail the Tory party’s least popular policies from the past few years to the mast of the PM’s sinking ship.

Kate Andrews: Time for the state to step back

12:00PM

Boris Johnson rapped for ‘fatphobic’ joke aimed at Ian Blackford

Boris Johnson has been accused of “body-shaming” the SNP’s Westminster leader after appearing to joke about his weight during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Ian Blackford again challenged Mr Johnson to resign over “partygate” and alluded to allegations that the Prime Minister attended a short party to celebrate his birthday during the first lockdown on June 19, 2020.

Ian Blackford, the leader of the SNP at Westminster, clashed with Boris Johnson at PMQs yesterday Credit: House of Commons/PA Wire

Mr Johnson’s wife, Carrie, was said to have presented him with a cake and Mr Blackford tried to link this with the cost of living crisis.

Attacking the Tory Government, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP said: “The impending National Insurance tax hike hangs like a guillotine while they eat cake.”

In response, the Prime Minister appeared to joke about Mr Blackford’s appearance, saying: “I don’t know… who has been eating more cake.”

Simon Johnson, our Scottish Political Editor, has more

11:50AM

‘Save Boris’ fightback gathers pace as contrite PM meets rebel MPs

Boris Johnson has privately pleaded with at least 30 potential rebels in a bid to head off a leadership challenge, while allies have set up a 100-strong “save Boris” WhatsApp group, The Telegraph understands.

Several of the Prime Minister’s most loyal supporters are running a “shadow whipping operation” to bring wavering MPs back on side. They are telling rebels they do not have enough support on the Tory benches to reach the 54 letters of no confidence required to mount a challenge.

Boris Johnson has been meeting privately with potential rebel MPs Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Mr Johnson is insisting to colleagues that he will not resign over the latest allegations of parties in Downing Street during the pandemic, which are being investigated by both Sue Gray, a civil servant, and the Metropolitan Police.

Those close to the Prime Minister now believe the Gray report, which is complete, may not be published until next week, because Parliament is operating on a reduced schedule for the next two days. Many MPs are now back in their constituencies until Monday.

Tony Diver and Christopher Hope have this report

11:35AM

‘The rules were ludicrous – but we managed to stick to them’

Telegraph columnists Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, have made no secret of their scepticism over the use of repeated Covid lockdowns on their weekly Planet Normal podcast. But unlike the Prime Minister, you wouldn’t have caught them breaking the rules.

“We have been absolute sticklers,” Liam Halligan tells this week’s episode, which you can listen to at the link below.

“I thought many of these rules were absolutely bonkers,” admits Allison Pearson. “But the reason I almost entirely abided by them was because they were the law and I didn’t want to do anything to bring my employer into disrepute.”

For Halligan, the true damage of the rule breaking is its power to distract at a time “when financial markets are extremely rickety, when the country is screaming out for leadership”.

The pair are joined by Bob Seely, the Isle of Wight MP, who condemned “hysterical” Covid modelling scenarios set out by some scientists.

Listen now: Covid modelling was a ‘national scandal’, says Tory MP

11:20AM

Baker urges Boris to come clean over cake claims

Steve Baker has suggested Sue Gray’s report should be published in full, becoming the second Tory MP to break ranks in doing so.

He retweeted a post by Mark Harper (see 10.48am), which called for Ms Gray’s findings to appear in their entireity.

“Any attempt to conceal or suppress crucial details would be wrong,” said Mr Harper – and Mr Baker then put his agreement in his own words:

?I agree with @Mark_J_Harper https://t.co/kf8idxrCXZ

— Steve Baker MP FRSA (@SteveBakerHW) January 27, 2022 9:02AM

Boris Johnson unmasked as he leaves Downing Street

Boris Johnson was seen leaving Downing Street this morning – and, according to the Times’ Red Box newsletter, has a “day trip several hundred miles out of London planned” today.

This would only appear to lessen the chances of a report today or this week (see 8.50am).

Will today be the day? Not if the PM travelling “several hundred miles” is anything to go by Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Mr Johnson – no longer wearing a face covering now Plan B rules have come to an end – was pictured as he was driven away from No 10 Credit: Nigel Howard/Nigel Howard Media 8:50AM

The question on everyone’s lips as they woke up

Has she been??????

— Richard Osman (@richardosman) January 27, 2022

Take the strength of the briefing around Ms Gray’s desire to see her investigation published in full. In theory, it should be in a Prime Minister’s gift to decide when and how an inquiry he has called should report back to the public.

Yet suggestions by Cabinet Office sources of a “row” with No 10 over whether the full report or just a summary should be published may have succeeded in boxing Mr Johnson into a corner.

Camilla Tominey: The establishment has never been fond of Boris

8:03AM

PM did not ‘individually’ intervene on Nowzad, claims Cabinet minister

The Prime Minister did not make “individual decisions” on evacuations from Afghanistan, Therese Coffey insisted after he faced accusations yesterday in wake of an email published by the foreign affairs committee.

Mr Johnson previously claimed reports of his intervention were “nonsense”, but leaked exchanges yesterday showed that an individual in the Private Office told colleagues on August 25 that “the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated”, in reference to “charity Nowzad, run by an ex-Royal Marine”.

Pen Farthing, a former Royal Marine, made headlines last August as he was evacuated along with his animals from Afghanistan Credit: Omar Sobhani/Reuters

As the Taliban took over last August, Paul “Pen” Parthing – who founded the Nowzad charity and ran its animal shelter – campaigned to get his staff and animals out of Afghanistan via a crowdfunding campaign.

“The PM didn’t make any individual decisions about evacuations,” Ms Coffey insisted. “A lot of people will claim that the PM is involved in supporting their particular pet projects but the PM said he wasn’t involved in individual decisions, that is what the Defence Secretary, who was in charge of Operation Pitting overall, has said as well.”

Danielle Sheridan and Lucy Fisher have the inside track

7:56AM

What would a vote of no confidence look like?

With Tory MPs threatening to sink Boris Johnson, there is only one question in Westminster – will they reach the magic number of 54? asks our Whitehall Editor, Harry Yorke.

After the failure of the ‘pork pie plot’ instigated by aggrieved 2019 MPs, that number of letters is now most likely to go in after the “partygate” report is published – and only then if enough of Boris Johnson’s own ranks deem it sufficiently damning.

Boris Johnson will hope his own MPs continue to support him through the current “partygate” scandal Credit: Jessica Taylor/AFP

If that threshold is reached, Sir Graham Brady will then meet Mr Johnson to inform him and to discuss the timing of a vote. Once the pair have finalised the details, an announcement will be made publicly.

At this point events could move rapidly. This has been the case in the past, with Theresa May facing a confidence vote on 12 December 2019 – the same day that the threshold of 48 MPs was reached.

Take a look at what might happen next

7:50AM

The six scenarios for Boris Johnson after Sue Gray’s report

Sue Gray’s report on allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street is expected at any moment, with No 10 and Tory rebels alike already planning their next steps, writes Ben Riley-Smith, our Political Editor.

There is a near-universal belief among Tory MPs, government advisers and those who have Mr Johnson’s ear that an overhaul of his inner circle is coming.

Boris Johnson has some big calls to make if he is to ride out the current crisis Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

The move in part reflects the Prime Minister feeling let down by his team at the scale of drinking in Downing Street, according to sources who have talked to him.

But it also comes after months of moaning from Tory MPs about the No 10 operation, both in its engagement with the Tory backbench and whether it stands up to Mr Johnson enough.

And it is worth noting that the line from scores of MPs when asked publicly and privately whether they are considering submitting letters of no confidence in Mr Johnson is “wait for Sue Gray”.

Analysis: Boris Johnson’s response to report key is to his future

7:45AM

National Insurance raise ‘important way’ to fund NHS and social care

Boris Johnson’s planned National Insurance rise is an “important way” of clearing the NHS backlog and reforming social care, the Work and Pensions Secretary said.

Therese Coffey noted the measure – which has caused discontent on the backbenches and among some grassroots activists – was already voted through by Parliament in September 2021.

A total of 318 Conservative MPs backed the raise while just five opposed it as they voted on the Health and Social Care Levy.

“It’s an important way of making sure initially we support the NHS but also that longer-term social care support we’ve committed to doing,” Ms Coffey told Sky News.

“It’s important to recognise I think it’s one in seven of earners will be paying more than half of the levy that will be generated, so the top 14 per cent of earners will pay more than half of what will be collected through that.

“And actually six million of the lowest earners won’t be paying anything extra at all. There’s a number of ways we’re helping people – the household support fund, getting people into work, they’ll be helping them and their families to make sure that they can continue to have a better life and also improve their better wellbeing too.”

7:39AM

When will the report land? I have no idea, says Cabinet minister

Therese Coffey suggested she knows just as little about the timing of Sue Gray’s report as the rest of us during this morning’s broadcast round.

The Work and Pensions Secretary, who first appeared on Sky News just after 7am, said she does not know when the long-awaited document will be made public.

“I know that the Government’s committed to publishing the full findings of the report but the timing I have absolutely no idea about,” Ms Coffey said.

“I’m not aware of any parties at Downing Street but it’s important that Sue Gray’s report is allowed to be published and the police be allowed to do the investigation.”

The last party Ms Coffey recalled going to at No 10 “was the celebration of when the UK left the EU following the referendum and that’s because Boris got Brexit done and he will continue to deliver”, she added.

7:35AM

What are the papers saying?

“Publish and be damned” is the line on the front of the i newspaper this morning as it emphasises the nail-biting wait for Boris Johnson – and his party – ahead of the Sue Gray report.

Mocking up a headstone, the Daily Star goes with “Here lies the Prime Minister’s credibility. And lies and lies and lies and lies…”

STAR: Here lies the Prime Minister’s credibility #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/S9r6EH9KHa

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 26, 2022

The pressure on the Prime Minister is framed by the Daily Mail through the issue of National Insurance. Tory MPs are pledging their support to Mr Johnson on the condition of scrapping April’s planned tax hike, the tabloid reports.

The Sun emphasises the PM’s defiant refusal to resign at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, while the Mirror focuses on the delays to the “partygate” report as legal work takes place.

The Guardian and the Independent focus on accusations that Mr Johnson faces over personally intervening in the rescue of animal charity staff and pets from Kabul last year as Afghanistan – a claim denied by Downing Street – which have only served to generate more negative publicity.

7:28AM

Good morning

Is today finally Sue Gray Day? After frenzied SW1 speculation came to nothing yesterday, Westminster is once again on tenterhooks waiting for the report into alleged rule-breaking parties at Downing Street during lockdown to become public.

Here is the front page of your Daily Telegraph:

?️The front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph:

‘National Insurance rise will push up prices, PM warned’#TomorrowsPapersToday

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 26, 2022 2:38PM