A TORY minister has said he does not “recognise” reports that Downing Street pressured Sue Gray into watering down her report into the partygate scandal to save Boris Johnson’s skin.
Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, told Sky News that he would not “question Sue Gray’s independence” – despite the senior civil servant reporting to the Prime Minister.
Reports in The Times say that multiple sources, both political and in the civil service, insist that changes were made to the report before it was published.
They further allege that three top civil servants – Samantha Jones, the permanent secretary at No 10, Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, and Alex Chisholm, the permanent secretary in the Cabinet Office – all lobbied Gray to water down her report.
The damning investigation found Tory government staff had knowingly flouted lockdown rules, including vomiting, brawling, and partying until 4am on the day of Prince Philip’s funeral.
It also alleged that Johnson’s law-breaking officials had abused Downing Street’s cleaning and security staff.
When lobbied to make changes, Gray reportedly said she would only do so if “instructed” officially by a minister, which would leave a paper trail. Johnson’s top team ultimately decided against doing this.
However, sources told the paper that changes had been made to an earlier draft.
Emails showing staff had discussed beforehand a gathering to which a karaoke machine was brought and for which fines were issued, and were warned it would break the law.
Mention of the notorious “Abba party” – including what time it ended – was reportedly removed by Steve Barclay, a Tory MP and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff.
Gray also reportedly warned as many as 30 people they would be named in her report, but ultimately only 15 were.
There were also allegations of couples having had sex on the premises during the lockdown-busting parties, but The Times reported that Gray was unable to find sufficient evidence to include that in her final report.
Downing Street, and Lewis, have denied the claims.
The Northern Ireland Secretary told Sky News: “I don’t recognise any of that.
“I’ve got to say, we’ve had a police investigation into all of these issues now, they’ve come to their conclusion, made their decisions, and we’ve had Sue Gray.
“I don’t think anybody would question the independence and the probity of the police and, having worked with Sue Gray in her previous roles and my previous roles, I wouldn’t in any way question Sue Gray’s independence and determination to deliver a report that she is comfortable is a full and complete report, which is what she’s done.”
He added: “If Sue Gray wasn’t comfortable, she wouldn’t be putting the report out.
“She has put a report out that she is comfortable with, she is independently minded as well as doing this in an independent kind of capacity and a very professional civil servant, so I don’t believe that anybody, and knowing Sue Gray, I don’t believe that anybody would be able to pressure Sue Gray into putting any kind of report out that she wasn’t comfortable was the full and proper report.”
The Gray report was not independent, as the Tory government has often claimed, but internal.
Lewis also said he did not think Johnson would face a confidence vote, despite a steady number of MPs calling for one in the wake of the partygate fiasco.
He said: “I don’t think he will actually. I don’t think it is in the interests of the country, I don’t think it is in the interests of the Conservative Party, and obviously I’m somebody that was chairman of the party through the last prime minister having not only a confidence vote but I was the chairman who ran that leadership campaign [won by Johnson].
“I’ve seen this from both sides, I don’t think it is in anybody’s interest.
“No, I don’t think we will see that happen.”
