Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing fresh calls for his resignation following the publication of Sue Gray’s Partygate report.
Renfrewshire MP Gavin Newlands grilled the UK premier in the House of Commons this week as he also repeated calls for the PM to go.
The SNP Paisley and Renfrewshire North politician described Ms Gray’s report - which outlined a devil-may-care partying culture in Downing Street during the Coronovirus lockdown and disrespect towards staff who objected - as “damning”.
Civil Servant Ms Gray’s dossier uncovered evidence of numerous parties and gatherings at 10 Downing Street while the rest of the country was in lockdown.
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And it outlined issues for staff lower down the ladder who objected, finding “multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff” in the building, after they raised concerns about the appropriateness of the parties.
The unveiling of the report has prompted renewed calls for Tory, Mr Johnson, to go.
But the Prime Minister braved questions in Parliament over the report, despite a host of MPs calling for his resignation.
One MP to make that call was Westminster-based Mr Newlands, who had the opportunity to question the PM at Wednesday’s sitting.
He said: “This week I challenged the Prime Minister on his conduct following the publication of Sue Gray’s report on Partygate.
“Collectively huge sacrifices were made by all of us during the pandemic. Major life events were missed, whether than be the start of a life or the end. Measures like this helped stop the spread of covid and saved lives.
“While this was going on the PM and his staff were partying in Downing Street, fighting and vomiting their way through the night.”
He added: “Sue Gray’s report is damning about the culture and behaviour within Number 10, and Boris Johnson is ultimately responsible for that.
“The entitlement and arrogance of senior staff and their political masters is written throughout the report, and there are still many questions still to be answered about why the Prime Minister and his colleagues thought it appropriate to host parties in the middle of a national crisis.
“To date the only person to lose their job over this has been the PM’s Press Secretary, Allegra Stratton, who joked about the parties at a press conference rehearsal. If the PM had a shred of integrity, he would follow suit.”
Ms Gray found that many events taking place at Downing Street as the rest of the nation was in lockdown: “should not have been allowed”.
She uncovered a culture of partying, featuring excessive drinking resulting in vomiting, disrespect toward ancillary staff and lack of interest in warnings that bashes would breach rules.
But Boris Johnson said he took “full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch”, told MPs he had been “humbled by the whole experience” and had learned lessons.
And, speaking at a Downing Street press conference, he ruled out resigning, saying: “I’ve got to keep moving forward.”
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