Sue Gray is expected to publish her report into No 10 lockdown parties within days with parts of it redacted after the Met Police’s controversial intervention.
The London force asked the senior civil servant to make only “minimal reference” to the gatherings it is now investigating in order to “avoid any prejudice to our investigation”.
However, the request has been heavily criticised amid concern it will delay proper scrutiny of Boris Johnson’s responsibility for the series of parties held in Whitehall during lockdown.
Gray, who is said to be angry at the Met’s request, fearing she will now seem to be concealing her findings, is understood to be redrafting parts of her report and a redacted version will be given to Downing Street, possibly as soon as tomorrow. It is then expected to be published.
On Tuesday, Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick announced that officers were investigating “potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations” at events held at Downing Street and in Whitehall in 2020.
The Met’s position was criticised by former attorney general Lord Morris of Aberavon and a number of MPs. Lord Morris said: “I am dismayed with the vacillation of the Metropolitan Police.
“Surely it is in the public interest that major concerns over events in Downing Street be investigated and reported on. Any prejudice that might result in fines would be a disproportionate concern.”
Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope said the Met’s actions were an “abuse of power” and accused the police of “interfering” with the content of the report to prevent it being released in full. Another Tory MP Adam Holloway, who said he backed Johnson but was willing to “run with” Gray’s findings, said: “If I was Boris I would be really quite desperate for the truth to get out.”
Johnson has vowed to continue as Prime Minister but Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss are considered frontrunners in any potential leadership contest.
They have refused to discuss leadership ambitions but Foreign Affairs Committee chairman and ex-soldier Tom Tugendhat yesterday said he would stand.
The MP for Tonbridge and Malling said: “I’m making it pretty clear that it’s up to all of us to put ourselves forward. And it’s up to the electorate, in the first case parliamentary colleagues, and in the second case the party, to choose.”
Tugendhat has previously been critical of the government’s handling of the UK withdrawal from Afghanistan. In December, he said there had been a “lack of leadership, urgency and adequate resourcing” in the evacuation from Kabul.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and his predecessor Ruth Davidson have said Johnson should resign.
A former Conservative MSP who is standing in May’s council elections echoed that call yesterday. Mary Scanlon, who represented the Highlands and Islands region at Holyrood for 16 years, said Johnson is now an electoral liability and council candidates have to work twice as hard to win votes.
She said: “I’ve been in the Conservative Party for well over 40 years and loyalty runs very deep. Initially, I thought there must be a reason for this – perhaps the staff did it and Boris didn’t know. I was willing to forgive misdemeanours.
“I would now go along with what Douglas Ross and the rest of the party in Scotland are saying. I think Boris has done enough damage and he has to go.”
The former Conservative health spokeswoman at Holyrood has followed Covid restrictions to the letter which means she hasn’t seen her daughter and grandchildren in America for more than two years.
She said: “Although Boris isn’t standing for the Highland Council, there is no doubt there will be an influence. I think people understand that prime ministers come and go but in all elections people vote on national issues. We’ve just got to work twice as hard and let people know we’re representing them locally.”
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