Tag: partygate

INFAMY, INFAMY: JOHNSON RESIGNS AS MP

‘they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament’

Former Prime Minster Boris Johnson has announced that he is standing down as an MP, with immediate effect.

The announcement came this evening after Johnson received a report from the House of Commons Privileges Committee into whether he misled Parliament over lockdown parties at Downing Street.

THIS IS JOHNSON’s STATEMENT:

I have received a letter from the Privileges Committee making it clear – much to my amazement – that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament. 

They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons. 

They know perfectly well that when I spoke in the Commons, I was saying what I believed sincerely to be true and what I had been briefed to say, like any other minister. They know that I corrected the record as soon as possible; and they know that I and every other senior official and minister – including the current Prime Minister and then occupant of the same building, Rishi Sunak – believed that we were working lawfully together. 

I have been an MP since 2001. I take my responsibilities seriously. I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts, the Committee know it. But they have wilfully chosen to ignore the truth, because from the outset, their purpose has not been to discover the truth, or genuinely to understand what was in my mind when I spoke in the Commons. 

Their purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts. This is the very definition of a kangaroo court. 

Most members of the Committee – especially the chair – had already expressed deeply prejudicial remarks about my guilt before they had even seen the evidence. They should have recused themselves. 

In retrospect, it was naïve and trusting of me to think that these proceedings could be remotely useful or fair. But I was determined to believe in the system, and in justice, and to vindicate what I knew to be the truth.

It was the same faith in the impartiality of our systems that led me to commission Sue Gray. It is clear that my faith has been misplaced. Of course, it suits the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP to do whatever they can to remove me from Parliament. 

Sadly, as we saw in July last year, there are currently some Tory MPs who share that view. 

I am not alone in thinking that there is a witch hunt under way, to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately to reverse the 2016 referendum result. 

My removal is the necessary first step, and I believe there has been a concerted attempt to bring it about. I am afraid I no longer believe that it is any coincidence that Sue Gray – who investigated gatherings in Number 10 – is now the chief of staff designate of the Labour leader. 

Nor do I believe that it is any coincidence that her supposedly impartial chief counsel, Daniel Stilitz KC, turned out to be a strong Labour supporter who repeatedly tweeted personal attacks on me and the government.  

When I left office last year, the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls. That gap has now massively widened. 

Just a few years after winning the biggest majority in almost half a century, that majority is now clearly at risk. 

Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do. 

We need to show how we are making the most of Brexit and we need in the next months to be setting out a pro-growth and pro-investment agenda. We need to cut business and personal taxes – and not just as pre-election gimmicks – rather than endlessly putting them up. 

We must not be afraid to be a properly Conservative government. 

Why have we so passively abandoned the prospect of a Free Trade Deal with the US? Why have we junked measures to help people into housing or to scrap EU directives or to promote animal welfare? 

We need to deliver on the 2019 manifesto, which was endorsed by 14 million people. We should remember that more than 17 million voted for Brexit. 

I am now being forced out of Parliament by a tiny handful of people, with no evidence to back up their assertions, and without the approval even of Conservative party members, let alone the wider electorate.

I believe that a dangerous and unsettling precedent is being set. 

The Conservative Party has the time to recover its mojo and its ambition and to win the next election. I had looked forward to providing enthusiastic support as a backbench MP. Harriet Harman’s committee has set out to make that objective completely untenable.

The Committee’s report is riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice, but under their absurd and unjust process, I have no formal ability to challenge anything they say. 

The Privileges Committee is there to protect the privileges of Parliament. That is a very important job. They should not be using their powers – which have only been very recently designed – to mount what is plainly a political hit job on someone they oppose. 

It is in no one’s interest, however, that the process the Committee has launched should continue for a single day further. 

So I have today written to my Association in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to say that I am stepping down forthwith and triggering an immediate by-election. 

I am very sorry to leave my wonderful constituency. It has been a huge honour to serve them, both as Mayor and MP.

But I am proud that after what is cumulatively a 15-year stint, I have helped to deliver, among other things, a vast new railway in the Elizabeth Line and full funding for a wonderful new state of the art hospital for Hillingdon, where enabling works have already begun. 

I also remain hugely proud of all that we achieved in my time in office as prime minister: getting Brexit done, winning the biggest majority for 40 years and delivering the fastest vaccine roll out of any major European country, as well as leading global support for Ukraine. 

It is very sad to be leaving Parliament – at least for now – but above all, I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically, by a committee chaired and managed, by Harriet Harman, with such egregious bias.

ONE of Johnson’s last acts – a final two-fingered salute to the British people – was to reward his cronies with peerages and other ‘honours’.

Some of Boris Johnson’s closest allies – including Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg – were awarded peerages in the former PM’s honours list, published just hours before Johnson stepped down as an MP.

Former secretaries of state Simon Clarke and Mr Rees-Mogg were knighted, while Ms Patel was made a dame.

Controversial Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and London Assembly member Shaun Bailey are among seven new peers.

No serving MPs were given peerages, thus avoiding tricky by-elections for the Tories. But there will now be one in Mr Johnson’s own constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip and another one in Nadine Dorries’ constituency.

Johnson devotee Nadine Dorries was not put forward for the House of Lords, despite widespread speculation she would be on the published list.

Ms Dorries stood down as an MP “with immediate effect” just an hour before the honours list was released, oddly enough.

Day of Reckoning? Ex-PM Boris Johnson faces Partygate grilling

Westminster’s Committee of Privileges has published written evidence submitted by Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, ahead of hearing his oral evidence today (Wednesday).

The Committee initially received the written evidence from Mr Johnson on Monday afternoon at 2.32pm in unredacted form.

The evidence submitted had a number of errors and typos, and, a final corrected version was not submitted to the Privileges Committee until 8.02 am yesterday morning.

Redactions have been made in the published version to protect the identity of some witnesses, in consultation with Mr Johnson, particularly junior-ranking civil servants.

Mr Johnson’s written submission contains no new documentary evidence.

The Committee has set out its own views of its processes in reports published in July and September 2022. The Committee will consider carefully the further arguments made by Mr Johnson and respond to them in its final report.

Throughout this inquiry the Committee has received and followed the advice of its legal adviser, former Senior President of Tribunals and Lord Justice of Appeal Rt Hon Sir Ernest Ryder, as well as the impartial Clerks of the House. The Committee remains confident in the fairness of its processes and in its compliance at all times with the rules and practice of the House of Commons.

From the start of its inquiry the Committee has offered Mr Johnson the opportunity to provide written evidence. In its report published on 2 March 2023, the Committee set out a summary of principal issues to be raised with Mr Johnson in oral evidence, at his request, and at the same time disclosed to him all the evidence received by the Committee and the identities of all witnesses.

Mr Johnson has now provided written evidence, which can be read here.

Ahead of the oral evidence session on Wednesday, the Committee will be publishing, again by agreement with Mr Johnson, a “core bundle” of documents to which the Committee and Mr Johnson may refer in the course of the questioning.

These documents will be published on the Committee website at 9.00 am today.

The Committee of Privileges will hear oral evidence in public from Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP from 2pm today (Wednesday 22 March).

The session can be watched on Parliament TV here. There is no approximate end time for the session.

Carry On Regardless!

Prime Minister vows to ‘continue delivering on what matters to the British public’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will bring together his Cabinet today and pledge to continue delivering on what matters to the British people – despite a significant revolt that saw 148 Tory MPs vote against him in a vote of confidence at Westminster last night.

He will call on Ministers to drive forward progress on the government’s priorities – easing financial pressures on families, making access to NHS care quicker and easier, making the streets safer and levelling up and uniting the country.

Speaking at Cabinet, he will set out his vision for the coming weeks, which will see government deliver new policy commitments that will continue to make a real difference to people’s lives. This will include measures to reduce childcare costs for parents and a renewed drive to get more people onto the housing ladder.

The Prime Minister will also thank dedicated NHS staff as he highlights the progress made by the biggest catch-up programme in the health service’s history.

The Health and Social Care Levy, announced by the government last year, promised £39 billion of investment over the next three years so the NHS has the funding it needs to recover from the pandemic, treat patients quickly and end spiralling social care costs.

This represents more funding for health and social care than any government has ever invested before.

This money is already making a difference, with the NHS confirming yesterday that 90 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are now open across the country and have delivered 1 million checks and tests on patients so far.

These centres are vital to clearing the Covid backlogs because by identifying and diagnosing problems as early as possible, patients can progress to treatment and care more quickly, which will reduce waiting lists.

Speaking ahead of Cabinet, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “This is a government that delivers on what the people of this country care about most.

“We have pledged £37 billion to support households with their finances, made our communities safer through hiring 13,500 more police officers, and tackled the Covid backlogs in the NHS by opening nearly 100 Community Diagnostic Centres so people can access care closer to home.

“Today, I pledge to continue delivering on these priorities. We are on the side of hard-working British people, and we are going to get on with the job.”

Getting On With The Job? Prime Minister rallies employers to help get 500,000 into work

Over 347,000 unemployed people on benefits have found work in just four months through the government’s Way to Work campaign – an ambitious national push to get half a million more people into jobs by the end of June.

  • new figures show 347,000 people have moved into work since January – thanks to a government-backed drive to fill vacancies
  • with one month to go until the campaign ends, the government is calling on UK employers to join forces with Jobcentres to help more people find work
  • alongside vital job support to lift incomes, the new £15 billion package to help with the cost of living will help millions of households

The Prime Minister and Work and Pensions Secretary haveurged employers of all sizes to use the free recruitment support from their local Jobcentre to help fill the record number of vacancies in the jobs market and support the continued economic recovery by getting people into work.

Since January, DWP jobcentres across the UK have been ramping up operations with weekly jobs fairs – bringing employers in for face-to-face appointments and offering jobs on the spot to thousands of people.

Jobseekers walking away with roles have also secured an income, with those getting full time work set to be thousands of pounds better off than if they were on benefits. Helping households improve their finances and manage current cost of living pressures is a key priority for the government, with a £15 billion package announced on Thursday to support almost all of the eight million most vulnerable households across the UK.

On a visit to the North East of England, the Prime Minister and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey visited CityFibre, a new employer to the Way to Work campaign who have already benefitted from 200 new recruits from around the UK, hired through their local Jobcentres.

During the visit, they also met local employees who have secured skilled jobs as a result of the campaign and the support of their local Jobcentre.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ““I was only ten years old when unemployment was last this low.

“But with a vast number of vacancies in the jobs market, it is more critical than ever to access the huge pool of untapped talent in towns and cities right across the country, which is why I am thrilled with the progress we have made with the Way to Work scheme.”

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “Unemployment is at its lowest since the 1970s with full time workers across the UK £6000 better off than if they were on benefits.

“And there are still vacancies to fill. That’s why our jobcentres are helping employers short circuit the recruitment process so they can get talent in fast.

“So, if you’re hiring, make the most of the help on offer from us.”

Greg Mesch, Chief Executive at CityFibre said: “CityFibre is rolling out the UK’s finest digital infrastructure to millions of homes and businesses nationwide. To build these new Full Fibre networks, we’re creating thousands of new network construction  jobs and providing industry training to those that need it.

“We and our construction partners are working closely with DWP nationally, and local Jobcentres, by engaging with schemes like Way to Work. We look forward to increasing our involvement in the future.”

Alongside vital job support to help jobseekers secure an income, the new £15 billion cost of living support package will help almost all of the eight million most vulnerable households across the UK as they are set to receive help of at least £1,200 this year, including a new one-off £650 cost of living payment.

The government has also announced a £500 million increase for the Household Support Fund, delivered by local authorities, extending it to March 2023. This brings the total Household Support Fund to £1.5 billion.

To find out more about how DWP can help fill vacancies with quality candidates, please visit the Way to Work page on GOV.UK

A trickle of Tory MPs have submitted letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson following the publication of the Sue Gray report.

Unless that trickle becomes a flood over the weekend as MPs attend constituency surgeries it appears Johnson has got away with it. Again.

SUE-GRAY-REPORTDownload

Sue Gray report: Shameless Johnson to carry on regardless

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s response to Sue Gray’s scathing report into multiple parties in Downing Street during lockdown

Earlier today Sue Gray published her final report, which I commissioned to get to the bottom of things and set the record straight, and I’m grateful to her for her work.

She has identified a number of failings, some official, some political, – and some that I accept are entirely my own, for which I take full responsibility.

I want to start by saying that I am humbled by what happened, and I renew my wholehearted apology for the gathering in the Cabinet Room on the 19th June 2020 – my birthday, for which I received a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Now that Sue Gray has completed her inquiry and everyone can read her report, I want in all humility and without mitigating what has happened to offer a few points of context.

10 Downing Street is not just my official residence but the headquarters of the Government, where hundreds of people work, and because they directly support the Prime Minister, the regulations allowed them to continue attending their offices for work purposes throughout the lockdowns.

Sue Gray describes them as “tight knit groups of officials and advisers” who “worked long hours under difficult conditions”.

These were the public servants who secured the PPE that saved many lives, established the biggest testing programme in Europe, and enabled the development and distribution of the vaccines that succeeded in protecting so many people.

When some of these officials and advisers were leaving their jobs, I briefly attended gatherings to thank them for everything they had done because I believe that recognising achievement and preserving morale are essential duties of leadership.

The police did not find my attendance at these occasions to be in breach of the rules, but they found otherwise in respect of some of those gatherings after I had left, or when I was not in the building.

Downing Street and the Cabinet Office together have hundreds of rooms, and again I say this not in any way to extenuate my personal responsibility, but to give the context of these events.

And I was appalled to learn that there have been “multiple examples” in Sue Gray’s phrase of disrespectful and poor treatment of cleaning and security personnel, and this afternoon, I personally apologised to those dedicated members of staff for what happened. and I expect anyone who behaved in that way to do the same.

As Sue Gray acknowledges, I have acted on her recommendations to make a series of changes.

10 Downing Street now has its own Permanent Secretary charged with upholding the highest standards.

I have appointed a new leadership team, including a new Chief of Staff and a new Principal Private Secretary and I have made it easier for any member of staff to voice any worries they may have and Sue Gray writes that she is “reassured” by this reform.

And it is precisely because I have learned this lesson that I feel an even greater weight of responsibility to deliver on the priorities of the British people, and lead our country through some of the most challenging times in recent history.

I will work every hour to ease the hardship caused by the rising cost of living, To protect our nation from the aftershocks of Covid, stand firm against Putin’s aggression, and to unite and level up across our United Kingdom, that is the mission that drives this government and that is the mission that I will continue to pursue.

THE SUE GRAY REPORT IN FULL:

2022-05-25_FINAL_FINDINGS_OF_SECOND_PERMANENT_SECRETARY_INTO_ALLEGED_GATHERINGSDownload

You’ve got a friend … PM ‘gets on with the job’ on eve of damning report

PM hails £10 billion Qatari ‘vote of confidence’ in the UK

  • The PM hosted the Amir of Qatar yesterday to develop our historic partnership and agree new joint work on trade, energy and defence
  • Strategic Investment Partnership will see Qatar invest up to £10 billion in key industries across the UK, creating jobs and growth
  • UK and Qatar agreed to work together improve the stability of energy supply chains and support security at the 2022 World Cup

It was all smiles when The Prime Minister welcomed the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, to Downing Street yesterday for discussions on driving economic growth and addressing global challenges together.

The meeting was surely a welcome distraction from the latest Partygate revelations and the imminent publication of the Sue Gray report into Downing Street lockdown parties, which is expected to be extremely critical of Boris Johnson’s conduct.

The UK and Qatar signed a new Strategic Investment Partnership (SIP) which will see Qatar invest up to £10 billion over the next five years in key sectors of the UK economy, including fintech, zero emissions vehicles, life sciences and cyber security. The investment is expected to create high-quality jobs in new industries across the country.

The Prime Minister and the Amir also had a wide-ranging discussion on geopolitical issues. They were united in their condemnation of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and discussed issues of regional security, including relations with Iran.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Today’s announcement of up to £10bn in new investment from our Qatari friends is another vote of confidence in the UK’s brilliant businesses and cutting-edge industry.

“The new UK-Qatar Strategic Investment Partnership will create quality job opportunities across the country in key sectors, delivering on our vision of economic growth through trade and investment.

“Qatar is a valued partner for the UK, supported by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad’s leadership.  We had a rich discussion on the issues that matter to both of our countries, including boosting the economy, ensuring regional stability and improving energy security following Russia’s appalling invasion of Ukraine.”

UK-Qatar trade was worth £4.8 billion last year and Qatari investment in the UK economy is already estimated to be worth over £40 billion, supporting jobs and growth across the country.

Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone said: “It is excellent news that Qatar is targeting up to £10 billion investment into the UK through our new Strategic Investment Partnership.

“Not only will it boost local economies and support jobs, but it supports our green economy and decarbonisation – crucial in meeting our Net Zero targets. It also strengthens our relationship with Qatar ahead of our UK-Gulf Cooperation Council trade negotiations.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng also signed an MoU on energy cooperation with Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs at Downing Street. Qatar is a major energy supplier for the UK, providing 40% of our liquefied natural gas – the new MoU commits us to work together to boost innovation and collaboration, supporting the security of global energy supplies.

UK Secretary of State for Business and Energy, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: “I am delighted to further the UK’s energy cooperation with the State of Qatar as we work to stabilise international energy markets and boost energy security in the context of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“Qatar is already a valued trading partner, recently investing in the future of British low-carbon nuclear technology through the Rolls Royce consortium developing small modular reactors. Today’s meeting will deepen our relationship even further, reinforcing the UK’s energy security and delivering cleaner and affordable energy in the years ahead.”

The Prime Minister and Amir discussed the upcoming 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, and the UK committed significant new military and counter-terrorism support for the safe running of the event.

A joint UK-Qatar Typhoon Squadron will provide additional air security, and the Ministry of Defence with advanced venue search training and operational planning support.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that the UK will ensure Qatari nationals can access the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation system from early 2023, facilitating easier travel for business visitors and tourists.

KEIR STARMER: I followed the rules

A statement by Labour Party leader KEIR STARMER:

Ever since the first covid lockdown, I have always followed the rules. 

In that time, the British people have made heart-wrenching sacrifices. 

People were left desperately lonely. 

They were separated from family and friends tragically, many were unable to see dying loved ones. 

This was a collective sacrifice. 

People were entitled to expect that politicians would follow the same rules as everyone else. 

When my mother-in-law passed away suddenly just before the lockdown, my wife and I were unable to provide her father with the support we wanted to afterwards, because we followed the rules.  

Barely a day has passed where we haven’t agonised over that decision, but we did it, because we followed the rules.  

We all found those rules frustrating at times –

And I’m no exception to that. 

I had to isolate six times during covid, pulling me away from my work and the things that I love. 

But I did it, because we followed the rules.  

The idea that I would then casually break those rules is wrong. 

And frankly I don’t believe those accusing me believe it themselves. 

They are just trying to feed cynicism, to get the public to believe all politicians are the same. 

I am here to say they’re not. 

I believe in honour, integrity and the principle that those who make the laws must follow them. 

And I believe that politicians who undermine that principle, undermine trust in politics, undermine our democracy, and undermine Britain. 

I am absolutely clear that no laws were broken. 

They were followed at all times. 

I simply had something to eat while working late in the evening. 

As any politician would do days before an election. 

But if the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, 

I would, of course, do the right thing and step down. 

This matters. 

It matters because the British public deserve politicians who think the rules apply to them. 

They deserve politicians who hold themselves to the highest standards. 

And they deserve politicians who put the country first, rather than themselves. 

They will always – always – get that from me. 

Thank you. 

KEIR STARMER

Leader of the Labour Party

GUILTY!

Prime Minister Boris Johnson admits guilt at last – but serial liar refuses to resign

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak have both been fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaching Covid regulations.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the following statement yesterday:

Today I have received a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police relating to an event in Downing Street on 19th June 2020, and let me say immediately that I have paid the fine and I once again offer a full apology.  

And in a spirit of openness and humility, I want to be completely clear about what happened on that date.

My day began shortly after 7am, and I chaired eight meetings in No10, including the Cabinet Committee deciding Covid strategy, I visited a school in Hemel Hempstead, which took me out of Downing Street for over four hours.  

And amongst all these engagements, on a day that happened to be my birthday, there was a brief gathering in the Cabinet Room shortly after 2pm, lasting for less than 10 minutes, during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes.  

And I have to say in all frankness, at the time, it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules.

But of course the police have found otherwise and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation.  

I understand the anger that many will feel that I myself fell short when it came to observing the very rules which the Government I lead had introduced to protect the public, and I accept in all sincerity that people had a right to expect better.  

Now I feel an even greater sense of obligation to deliver on the priorities of the British people:

strengthening our economy,  

creating jobs and opportunities,  

levelling up the whole United Kingdom,

now, of course, ensuring that Putin fails in Ukraine, and easing the burden imposed on hard-working families caused by higher energy prices.

I will take forward that task with due humility, but with maximum determination to fulfil my duty and do what is best for the country I serve.

Whether this short statement, which addresses transgressions commited on just ONE day during lockdown, will be enough to save his political life is now in the hands of Conservative MPs, and Conservative MPs alone.

If it was left to the people of the country to decide Johnson’s fate – those millions of people who stuck to the Covid rules imposed by this government – there can be little doubt Johnson would be finished.

The Prime Minister said it himself: people had a right to expect better. If he had a scintilla of honour, Johnson would resign without delay.

A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP: Shameless Johnson battles to save his political life following scathing report

PM Boris Johnson made a statement on the long-awaited Sue Gray report in the House of Commons yesterday:

Mr Speaker, with permission I would like to make a statement.

First I want to express my deepest gratitude to Sue Gray, and all the people who have contributed to this report, which I have placed in the Library of this House and the government has published in full today, for everyone to read.

I will address its findings in this statement – but firstly I want to say: sorry. Sorry for the things we simply did not get right and sorry for the way that this matter has been handled. It is no use saying that this or that was within the rules. It is no use saying that people were working hard.

This pandemic was hard for everyone. We asked people across this country to make the most extraordinary sacrifices, not to meet loved ones, not to visit relatives before they died, and I understand the anger that people feel.

But, Mr Speaker, it is not enough to say sorry. This is a moment when we must look at ourselves in the mirror and we must learn. And while the Metropolitan Police must yet complete their investigation – and that means there are no details of specific events in Sue Gray’s report – I, of course, accept Sue Gray’s general findings in full, and above all her recommendation that we must learn from these events and act now.

With respect to the events under police investigation, she says – and I quote – “No conclusions should be drawn, or inferences made from this other than it is now for the police to consider the relevant material in relation to those incidents.”

But more broadly she finds that – “There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government. This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded.”

That is why we are making changes now to the way Downing Street and the Cabinet Office run so that we can get on with the job, the job that I was elected to do and that this government was elected to do.

First, it is time to sort out what Sue Gray rightly calls the “fragmented and complicated” leadership structures of Downing Street which she says have not evolved sufficiently to meet the demands of the expansion of Number ten.

And we will do that, including by creating an Office of the Prime Minister, with a Permanent Secretary to lead Number ten. Second, Mr Speaker, it is clear from Sue Gray’s report that it is time not just to review the Civil Service and Special Adviser codes of conduct wherever necessary to ensure they take account of Sue Gray’s recommendations but also to make sure those codes are properly enforced.

And third, I will be saying more in the coming days about the steps we will take to improve the Number ten operation and the work of the Cabinet Office to strengthen Cabinet Government and to improve the vital connection between Number ten and parliament.

Mr Speaker, I get it and I will fix it. And I want to say to the people of this country. I know what the issue is, it is whether this government can be trusted to deliver and I say yes we can be trusted yes we can be trusted to deliver.

We said we would deliver Brexit and we did. We are setting up freeports across the whole United Kingdom, I’ve been to one of them today, which is creating tens of thousands of new jobs Mr Speaker.

We said we would get this country through Covid and we did, we delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe and the fastest booster programme of any major economy so that we have been able to restore people’s freedoms faster than any comparable economy and at the same time as we have been cutting crime by fourteen per cent and building 40 new hospitals and rolling out gigabit broadband, and delivering on all the other promises of that 2019 agenda so that we have the fastest economic growth in the G7.

We have shown that we can do things people thought were impossible and that we can deliver for the British people.

The reason we are coming out of Covid so fast is at least partly because we doubled the speed of the booster rollout and I can tell the House and this country, that we are going to bring the same energy and commitment to getting on with the job to delivering for the British people and to our mission to unite and level up across the country.

And I commend this Statement to the House.

Opposition leader Keir Starmer’s response:

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

I would like to thank Sue Gray for the diligence and professionalism with which she has carried out her work.

It is no fault of hers that she only been able to provide an update. And not yet the full report.

The Prime Minister repeatedly told the House that all guidance were followed at all time.

We now know that 12 cases, 12 cases, have reached the threshold for criminal investigation – which I remind the House means that there is evidence of serious and flagrant breaches of lockdown, including:

The party on 20 May 2020, which we know the PM attended, and the party on the 13 November 2020 in the PM’s flat. There can be no doubt the Prime Minister is now under criminal investigation.

The PM must keep his promise to publish Sue Gray’s report in full when it is available, but it is already clear that the report discloses the most damning conclusion possible.

Over the last two years the British public have been asked to make the most heart wrenching sacrifices.

A terrible collective trauma. Endured by all, enjoyed by none.

Funerals have been missed. Dying relatives unvisited.

Every family has been marked by what we’ve been through.

And revelations about the Prime Minister’s behaviour have forced us all to relive and rethink those darkest moments.

Many have been overcome by rage, grief, and even guilt.

Guilt – that because they stuck to the law they did not see their parents one last time.

Guilt – that because they didn’t bend the rules their children went months without seeing friends.

Guilt – that because they did as they were asked they didn’t go and visit lonely relatives.

But people shouldn’t feel guilty. They should feel pride in themselves and in their country. Because by abiding by those rules. They have saved the lives of people they will probably never meet.

They have shown the deep public spirit. And the love and respect for others that has always characterised this nation at its best.

Our national story about Covid is one of a people that stood up when it was tested. But that will forever be tainted by the behaviour of this Conservative Prime Minister.

By routinely breaking the rules he set, the Prime Minister took us all for fools. He held people’s sacrifice in contempt. He showed himself unfit for office.

His desperate denials since he was exposed have only made matters worse.

First, the Prime Minister said there were no parties. Then he said he was sickened and furious about the parties.

Then it turned out he was there. Rather than come clean, every step of the way he has offended the public’s intelligence.

Finally, he’s fallen back on his usual excuse – it’s everybody’s fault but his. They go, he stays.

Even now, he is hiding behind a police investigation into criminality in his home, and in his office. He gleefully treats what should be a mark of shame as a welcome shield.

But, Prime Minister, the British public aren’t fools.

They never believed a word of it. They think the Prime Minister should do the decent thing and resign.

Of course, he won’t. Because he is a man without shame.

And just as he has done throughout his life. He is damaging everyone and everything around him along the way.

His colleagues have spent weeks defending the indefensible.

Touring the TV studios parroting his absurd denials. Degrading themselves and their offices.

Fraying the bond of trust between the Government and the public, eroding our democracy and the rule of law.

Margaret Thatcher once said: ‘The first duty of Government is to uphold the law. If it tries to bob and weave and duck around that duty when it is inconvenient, then so will the governed.’

To govern this country is an honour. Not a birth-right. It’s an act of service to the British people. Not the keys to a court to parade to your friends.

It requires honesty. Integrity. And moral authority.

I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me that this Prime Minister’s lack of integrity is somehow “priced in”.

That his behaviour and character don’t matter. I have never accepted that. And I never will accept that.

Whatever your politics. Whatever party you vote for. Honesty and decency matter. Our great democracy depends on it. And cherishing and nurturing British democracy is what it means to be patriotic.

There are members opposite who know that. And they know the Prime Minister is incapable of it.

The question they must ask themselves is what are they going to do about it?

They can go on degrading themselves. Eroding trust in politics. And insulting the sacrifice of the British public.

They can heap their reputations, the reputation of their party, and the reputation of this country, on the bonfire that is his leadership.

Or they can spare the country from a Prime Minister totally unworthy of his responsibilities.

It is their duty to do so.

They know better than anyone how unsuitable he is for high office.

Many of them knew in their hearts that we would inevitably come to this moment.

And they know that as night follows day, continuing his leadership will mean further misconduct, cover-up, and deceit.

It is only they who can end this farce. The eyes of the country are upon them. They will be judged on the decisions they take now.

SUE GRAY’S INTERIM REPORT IN FULL:

Investigation_into_alleged_gatherings_on_government_premises_during_Covid_restrictions_-_Update-2Download

Searches for ‘Boris Resign’ soar 458% after Sue Gray report is released

Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for ‘Boris Resign’ exploded 458% in the UK on the 31st of January, hours after Sue Gray’s report was published on the Downing Street parties, held whilst lockdown restrictions were in place. 

A new finding by online tax calculator Income Tax UK reveals that online searches for ‘Boris Resign’ skyrocketed to almost five times the average volume in a matter of hours, an unprecedented spike in people Googling for the Prime Minister to leave his position in No.10.  

The report, published on Monday 31st January, detailed the breaches of lockdown rules by members of the government including the Prime Minister, resulting in calls for Boris Johnson to step down.

A spokesperson for Income Tax UK commented on the findings: “The Sue Gray report finds that events held by senior members of the government ‘shouldn’t have been allowed to take place’, leading Brits to question the leadership of those running the country. 

“These findings reveal the bitter taste that the public hold towards the actions of the Prime Minister and his cabinet, with the report prompting the highest rise in searches calling for the Prime Minister to resign in the last year. It will be fascinating to see if these searches will translate to votes in future elections.”