Sue Gray's Report
The long awaited Sue Gray report was released yesterday (coincidentally Brexit day) and the 12 pages were telling of what is to come.
The British public is currently enduring the party politics of Westminster, with the Conservatives rallying around the PM who refuses to admit whether he was at a number of parties held in No 10, instead using the Met investigation as an excuse to avoid the truth. The scenes in the House today during PMQs demonstrate that the government has no regard for the public's views. The PM says he wants to 'deliver on the priorities of the people', but one of those priorities is having an effective government which follows the rules it sets.
Many comments have been made regarding the PM’s conduct as well as calls for resignation. Gray’s report states that there were “failures of leadership by parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times”. This clearly means the conduct of the government has been inadequate, and this report is the version that does not take into consideration any parties under investigations by the Met.
MPs today questioned the PM at length and demanded answers, only to be met with “wait until the police investigation has concluded”. It is clear that this is not a party political issue, with all sides advocating for transparency in light of Gray’s findings, which include a Downing Street culture of staff being unable to voice concerns over conduct. In spite of this, some Conservative MPs have chosen to remain loyal to the PM, focusing on his apology and other issues such as Ukraine.
In terms of “tangible” solutions, the PM is setting up an “Office of the Prime Minister”, a recommendation of Gray’s report. However, there is no more information on how this would operate.
The report in its limited form has shown us just how many Downing Street parties were “difficult to justify”. It confirms what many already knew; that the government of the day broke COVID rules whilst members of the public suffered from bereavement and health issues.
Given that the PM is adamant to remain (ironic given he was a Brexiteer), we will have to wait for this Met investigation to get answers and see Sue Gray’s full report. Nevertheless, the PM did not promise the House the opportunity for the full report to be published in its entirety for the public, so even if such a report is created, it is not guaranteed that we will have access to its contents.
From the PM and government‘s actions, it is clear that the apology over the lockdown parties is not sincere and a desperate attempt as part of Operation Save Big Dog. We deserve a leader and government that serves with integrity. The public has been lied to repeatedly, and even former PM Theresa May and former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson have demanded answers over why the government has behaved in this way. This widespread frustration is not only within the public but within the Conservative Party.
The headlines today all state the 'failure of leadership' excerpt from Sue Gray's report. And with Conservative MPs turning on the PM, we could see a vote of no confidence triggered and a leadership election.
We will just have to wait and see.
*All quotes are taken from civil servant Sue Gray’s official report, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigation-into-alleged-gatherings-on-government-premises-during-covid-restrictions-update
*All rights reserved to the images, one from Prime Minister’s Questions and one from Sky News
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