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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Kelly-Ann Mills

Thousands back petition for Boris Johnson to publish Sue Gray report in full

Almost a quarter of a million people have signed an online petition that says Prime Minister Boris Johnson should be 'compelled' to publish the Sue Gray report in full.

The senior civil servant's report was published yesterday and has prompted further calls for Mr Johnson to resign.

Ms Gray said the Met Police's own probe into allegations surrounding gatherings at Downing Street during lockdowns meant she couldn't produce a full report.

A petition on change.org set up by Douglas Moxon calls for the full report to be published and by 10am on Tuesday (February 1) had been signed by 243,800 people.

It reads: "As the days pass, the independence of Sue Gray's report is being questioned, but what is far more concerning is that if Boris Johnson feels the report is too damning of the culture he presided over in Number 10 Downing Street, namely holding multiple drinks parties and social events whilst enforcing lockdown on the rest of the country, the Prime Minister has the power to withhold the findings from the public, or redact the report for any reason he chooses.

Boris Johnson faced MPs (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)

"This is not transparent in any way, and it is not democratic. It undermines trust in government. The easy way to involve the electorate, and show this government is not corrupt, and is not actively involved in a cover up to protect Boris Johnson's position is to publish Sue Gray's findings in their entirety."

Mr Johnson apologised to MPs in the House of Commons on Monday after Ms Gray's report warned she has “extensive substantive factual information” on No10 parties after interviewing more than 70 people and checking e-mails, WhatsApps, texts, photographs, official records and entry and exit logs.

Last night Mr Johnson agreed he will publish a second Sue Gray report on Downing Street parties after he faced outrage over the "update" put out by No10 today.

Downing Street tonight committed to publishing another "update" by the top civil servant once Scotland Yard finish a police investigation.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (AFP via Getty Images)

It is a U-turn after Downing Street spent hours today refusing to guarantee it would publish a second report at a later date.

Police revealed Ms Gray had gathered, and given to them, "well over 500 pieces of paper, about a ream and a half, and over 300 photographs".

But the report was stripped of almost all details after the Met Police asked Ms Gray to make only "minimal reference" to the 12 gatherings it was probing.

Last night a No10 spokesperson said: "Given the police have said they are investigating a number of events, it would not be appropriate to comment further while the Met’s investigation is ongoing.

British civil servant Sue Gray (via REUTERS)

“But, at the end of the process, the Prime Minister will ask Sue Gray to update her work in light of what is found. He will publish that update.

“However the Prime Minister is clear we must not judge an ongoing investigation and his focus now is on addressing the general findings.”

But the No10 statement is unlikely to satisfy all the Prime Minister's critics, as it still stops short of committing to publishing a "full report".

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