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ITV News political correspondent Daniel Hewitt is finishing the latest in the saga
Boris Johnson and Sue Gray had a private meeting on the partygate report, confirmed number 10.
A source told ITV News that it was a progress meeting to update the report on countries that violated the blockade on Downing Street and Whitehall, and did not include any details on the content.
Such meetings would not be considered unusual, a source said, in order to take stock of the stage of the report.
ITV News political correspondent Daniel Hewitt tells ITV News presenter Rageh Omaar about the latest question from the party scandal – why did Sue Gray and the prime minister have a private meeting?
Spokesman number 10 said: The Prime Minister has commissioned the investigation led by Sue Gray, and it is clear all along that it must be completely independent.
“As he reiterated today, the decision on what and when to publish is entirely up to the investigative team, and he will answer in parliament once it is over.”
Labor has called on the prime minister to “urgently explain why he held a secret meeting with Sue Gray to discuss her report, although he claims that her investigation was completely independent”.
Deputy leader Angela Raynor said: “Public confidence in the process has been exhausted and people deserve to know the truth.”
She called for Sue Gray’s report to be published “in full and with all supporting evidence”.
It also turned out that about 30 people, including the prime minister, were contacting the cabinet to warn them about the content of the report.
Most of the letters are believed to have been sent on Thursday. Mr. Johnson is expected to be among those approached by the cabinet team, but number 10 had no information on whether he received a letter Friday night.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister thanked Met for his investigation and said he was “looking forward” to Sue Gray’s report.
Scotland Yard’s four-month inspection of parties destroying the blockage in the heart of the government ended on Thursday, with a total of 126 fines handed out to 83 people.
The forces have confirmed that the prime minister will not be punished more than the £ 50 fine he received in April for attending his own birthday in June 2020, when indoor mixing was banned.
Boris Johnson thanked the Sofia police
A separate report on the meetings is expected next week from senior civil servant Ms. Gray.
Mr Johnson said on Friday: “I am very grateful to Met for their work, thank them for everything they have done, I think we just have to wait for Sue Gray’s report.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will happen very soon and I will say something else next week.”
Asked if No. 10 would block the release of any names, the prime minister said: “It will depend entirely on Sue Gray and I will be very much looking forward to seeing what he has to say.”
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ITV News understands that Ms. Gray’s investigation plans to identify senior government officials, and the document is likely to be published next week.
Sources told ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Astana that the letters Ms. Gray sent warning them that she planned to identify them in the report caused shock and anger because people believed their identities would be protected.
Understandably, Ms. Gray will point to senior figures in “factual context” when explaining what happened during the events.
However, it will abide by the convention not to name junior civil servants in the final document, which is still being finalized.
The Sofia police refused to identify anyone in their investigation for 460,000 British pounds.
Ms. Gray’s interim report, published in January, said there had been “failures in leadership and judgment” that allowed violating rallies to take place in №10, something that is expected to expand briefing.
Sue Gray’s report is likely to be published next week. Credit: PA
The prime minister used Thursday’s announcement by police in Sofia to complete his own investigation to push through reforms in his operation amid repeated criticism of Downing Street culture, which has allowed Covid to violate the law.
The prime minister’s attempt to restore order in Downing Street has led to the announcement of changes in the government that “will strengthen the support offered to the prime minister and the cabinet.”
According to officials, the current device in № 10 and the cabinet will be divided into two separate groups.
The existing Operation 10, along with cabinet teams supporting Mr Johnson and his top ministerial staff, will be placed in a group led by Samantha Jones, Permanent Secretary №10, which was recruited by the NHS in February.
A spokesman for the UK government said: “As we set out earlier this year, steps are being taken to further strengthen the work of both №10 and the cabinet so that they are best suited to make available to the public now. and in the future.
“Work on the implementation of these plans continues.”
Dominic Raab, who is justice minister and deputy prime minister, acknowledged that things should have happened on Downing Street that should not have been done, but told ITV News that the government was “getting to work” to fight crime and provides relief from the cost of living.
Northern Ireland Minister Connor Burns, a close ally of Mr Johnson, said the prime minister would make a statement to parliament after Ms Gray published his report, but said he wanted to focus on priorities such as tackling the crisis. of life.
Scotland Yard said it had issued 126 FPN notices to 83 people who attended events on Downing Street and Whitehall over eight separate days.
The study found that a team of 12 detectives examined 345 documents, including emails, door logs, diary entries, testimony and 204 questionnaires. They also viewed 510 photos and images for video surveillance.
Former Tory leader Sir Ian Duncan Smith said Mr Johnson “lost control of what was happening on Downing Street” during the pandemic after “an awful lot of government officials” were “caught” in the Met investigation.
He told BBC Radio 4’s PM program: “They have very clearly blurred the line between what is work and what is not work and they should not have done it and have been fined, a large number of them and that is quite right.”
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