Nottingham has reacted to the findings of Sue Gray's damning report published over the partygate scandal at Number 10 Downing Street. Mr Johnson said he takes “full responsibility” for the scandal but sought to play down his personal involvement in the gatherings detailed in the report by the senior official.
Sue Gray said she learned of multiple examples of “unacceptable” treatment of security and cleaning staff during her partygate investigation. Staff were also found to drink excessively in the workplace on some occasions, with staff carrying on drinking until the early hours of the morning and one senior advisor - Martin Reynolds - boasting that "we seem to have got away with" one party.
The report said the “senior leadership” in No 10 must “bear responsibility” for the culture which led to lockdown rules being broken at a series of events in 2020 and 2021.
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Ms Gray wrote: “I found that some staff had witnessed or been subjected to behaviours at work which they had felt concerned about but at times felt unable to raise properly. I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable.”
Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: “I understand why people are indignant and why people have been angry at what took place.” But pressed whether he ever considered resigning, he responded: “I overwhelmingly feel it is my job to get on and deliver.
“No matter how bitter and painful that the conclusions of this may be – and they are – and no matter how humbling they are, I have got to keep moving forward and the Government has got to keep moving. And we are.”
Predictably, Nottingham MP's who spoke out about the report were split - with Labour MP Nadia Whittome criticising the Prime Minister and the police, while Conservative MP Mark Spencer offered his support to Mr Johnson.
Sherwood MP Mark Spencer said: "Met investigation over, Sue Gray report delivered, its now clearly time to move on and deal with the huge global challenges the country faces. I’m squarely behind the PM, he’s the right man for the job. He has consistently made the big calls correctly."
Meanwhile Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome tweeted out a part of the report, which referred to a panic alarm button accidentally being triggered by a member of staff during a gathering outside the press office, with police responding. She said: "Here it is in black and white: the police witnessed these parties in Downing Street directly and turned a blind eye.
"Meanwhile, when police found a care worker sitting alone in her car at a beauty spot after her shift, she was fined £200. One rule for them."
Amid chaos, people across Nottingham said they feel "betrayed" and have called for the Prime Minister to do the "honourable thing and resign". Sara Naeem, a lawyer in West Bridgford, said: "I think the report was more critical than I expected. I also thought it was surprising to see the lack of response from other Tory MPs."
The 28-year-old added: "I think they just no there is no alternative to Boris. Sue Gray did a decent job."
She said she read the report and felt "betrayed, let down and disgusted". Ms Naeem added: "They would do something like this while other people were feeling nervous about using their mates' bathroom.
"I think people are just desensitised now. He just lost people's confidence. If there was any other person in his position they would have been gone."
Abdel Mahmad, a delivery driver from Hyson Green, added: "People were dying and our Prime Minister was partying and enjoying life. He should sort himself out."
The 45-year-old went on and said: "He should do the honourable thing and resign. All he does is playing games. As a Prime Minister, that is just not acceptable."
Harry Potton, a Journalism student in Derby who lives in Nottingham, was sat in the Old Market Square and said: "Boris Johnson used to be a journalist and he knows that the industry wants this story and he is trying to stop it. He is trying to say that we should move on. We cannot move on from something like that.
"He should resign definitely. Keir Starmer said he would resign. Other MPs have called him out, even top Tory MPs and former Prime Minister Theresa May."
The 20-year-old added: "A lot of people have had enough of him. And Nottingham is Labour, so people here condemn his actions."
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