The highly anticipated report into Downing Street lockdown parties looked set to slip into next week as the final draft is thrashed out.
Top civil servant Sue Gray was tonight still locked in discussions with lawyers and senior officials over which details she can publish.
There are fears parts of the report could prejudice a criminal case after Scotland Yard launched a probe into “a number” of the social gatherings.
Boris Johnson, who faces being thrown on the scrapheap, said during a visit to an eco-park today that he was “absolutely not” behind the delay of the review.
The PM insisted “of course” it would be published in full but No10 would only say that was the “intention”.
Downing Street has the power to cut out words although Ms Gray is likely to redact personal or security details first.
It is understood the paper will not contain all the evidence she received, only a summary, and might leave out staff names.
This means it might not include elements such as text exchanges or photos of Mr Johnson with wine bottles, which could leak out later.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “The Sue Gray report needs to be published in full and as soon as possible. And I mean in full – not redacted, not edited, not a summary, not parts left out. In full.”
The Mirror understands confusion over the release date was worsened by a mix-up over what the Met Police were saying about the report.
Police sources suggested on Tuesday they had no objection to it being published in full because lockdown breaches are punished with fixed penalty notices rather than in court.
But Government insiders have since claimed Scotland Yard still had questions over Ms Gray’s findings.
The PM’s deputy official spokesman refused to rule out the report being delayed until the Met probe finishes.
Mr Johnson is expected to concede “serious mistakes” were made when he gives a statement on the Partygate scandal in the Commons.
He has told allies he regrets lax enforcement of lockdown rules at Downing Street as he attempts to convince angry Tory MPs not to oust him.
One said: “He knows he has made serious mistakes but believes he is still the right man to lead this country.”
However, senior Tory Tobias Ellwood added: “We are going to have to look at our electorate and each other in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘Is this the right decision or will it come back to haunt us?’”
It came as ex-chief whip Mark Harper described footage of a widow-er who lost three relatives to Covid within three weeks as “heartbreaking”.
He added: “This happened to families up and down our country. That’s why Sue Gray’s report matters.
“Any attempt to conceal or suppress crucial details would be wrong.”
