Afternoon summary
Here’s a roundup of what has happened in UK politics today:
- Scotland Yard has said it has asked for references to matters it is now investigating to be removed from Sue Gray’s report on parties held in breach of lockdown restrictions at Downing Street. “For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report,” the Metropolitan police said in a statement on Friday morning.
- Key parts of the long-awaited report into allegations of parties in No 10 that broke Covid rules could be pared back, after Scotland Yard’s statement.
- Theresa May has broken her silence on partygate and said she is “angry” at the allegations of parties held in Downing Street during lockdowns. The former prime minister, who has so far not publicly commented on the saga engulfing No 10, told constituents that “nobody is above the law”, in a letter seen by her local newspaper.
- Downing Street said it was not the case that No 10 had asked Gray’s team to go back to the Metropolitan police to ensure her report did not interfere with police investigations. A spokesperson for Boris Johnson said: “We haven’t been privy to the details of that investigation or any of its content.”
- Senior lawyers were today split over whether the Met was justified in asking Gray to only make minimal references to events under investigation. Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor, wrote: “This is absolute nonsense from the Met police.”
- The Liberal Democrats have warned against giving the appearance of an “establishment stitch-up” between Scotland Yard and the Gray inquiry as the report publication plan was thrown into disarray.
- The Treasury is becoming increasingly alarmed that Boris Johnson may be preparing to scrap the national insurance rise in a desperate attempt to placate rightwing Tory MPs, as he fights to save his job. The Guardian understands Rishi Sunak has privately stressed to MPs that the tax rise must go ahead as planned.
- The veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gale has accused Boris Johnson of being a “lame duck” prime minister as Downing Street is investigated by police over allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in No 10. Gale told BBC Radio 4’s The World at One programme that the cost of living crisis and Russian aggression towards Ukraine required the “full and undivided attention” of the UK prime minister.
- The Conservative MP Peter Bone said he could not follow the logic of the Commons leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg, who in comments made to BBC Newsnight earlier this week insisted Britain’s parliament has moved to “an essentially presidential system”.
- A senior official at the Foreign Office has apologised for misleading MPs over whether Boris Johnson’s views had been sought over the evacuation of animals from Kabul during the chaotic retreat from Afghanistan last August.
- A proposal to give British Sign Language (BSL) legal recognition and enhance its use in public services has been backed in the Commons. The measures are included in a private member’s bill which has the backing of the Strictly Come Dancing champion and EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Thanks so much for joining me today and for all the comments, emails and tweets. We are closing this liveblog now.
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Updated
Society Syndrome, a transparency thinktank, has put in a complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) relating to the apparent delay in Sue Gray being able to release her report on Downing Street parties.
The complaint is as follows:
We have been extremely concerned that the Metropolitan Police have seemingly delayed publication of Sue Gray’s important report into breaches of lockdown in and around Downing Street, by requesting that any potential criminal events be excluded.
As a report from a senior civil servant, it should contribute to any evidence required by the police, not adversely affect enquiries in any way.
Nazir Afzal, a former chief Crown prosecutor for the North West, said: “This is absolute nonsense from the Met Police. A purely factual report by Sue Gray cannot possibly prejudice a police investigation. They just have to follow the evidence, of which the report will be a part.”
Whilst the Met is very welcome to conduct any investigation, the public needs to have swift information - as will be provided by an un-redacted report from Ms Gray - in order to form an opinion in a democracy - as do Members of Parliament.
There is no reasonable likelihood of any trial by jury arising from the police investigation, it could either lead to fixed penalty fines or a magistrates hearing, there is therefore no rational reason for the report not to be published in full as soon as it has been completed.
If publication is being obstructed by the Metropolitan Police, we wish the IOPC to investigate and recommend appropriate action to enable the report to be published.
The IOPC has been contacted by The Guardian for comment.
