Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Six of the worst bits from Sue Gray’s report

Six of the worst bits from Sue Gray’s report

Politics' longest-running farce is at a close. Sue Gray, that pillar of Whitehall officialdom, has today delivered her report into whether Boris Johnson did indeed break lockdown rules during the pandemic. And while there will no doubt be some relief for those in No. 10 that Gray's inquiries didn't investigate any further parties to those previously reported, some of the details contained in her findings do make for excruciating reading. Below are six of the lowlights from the Sue Gray report....
1. The Met torpedoed Gray's probe

Few institutions emerge well from partygate but the Metropolitan Police probably came out worst. Constantly derided for being too opaque, too slow to act and too selective in its judgement about who got fined, London's finest arguably saved Boris Johnson by announcing its investigation when they did in January and thus killing off the momentum that was building on the backbenches against him. Now Gray reveals that the Met's announcement meant she did not fully investigate some of the No 10. gatherings, including the infamous ABBA flat party of 13 November 2020 to mark Dominic Cummings' departure. Gray writes:

“The information collected on this gathering is limited as the process of obtaining evidence had only just been commenced when the Metropolitan Police announced their own investigations, which included events on the 13 November 2020. At this point I stopped my investigation, given the need to avoid any prejudice to the police investigation. Following the Metropolitan Police announcement on 19 May 2022 I considered whether or not to conduct any further investigation into this event but concluded it was not appropriate or proportionate to do so.

Given that the ABBA flat party was considered by many to be the most egregious breach of lockdown rules, questions will surely be asked as to why it was 'not appropriate or proportionate' to conduct any further investigations. Will any explanation be forthcoming as to the grounds on which Gray took this decision?

'I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff.'
2. 'No excuse for behaviour'

Gray is damning about the parties in the No. 10 and writes that 'there is no excuse for some of the behaviour set out here.' She adds that: 'Many will be dismayed that behaviour of this kind took place on this scale at the heart of Government. The public have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this.'

3. Martin Reynolds's incriminating messages

Boris Johnson's former principal private secretary Martin Reynolds – who is now reportedly lined up to be our man in Saudi Arabia – probably comes out worst of all from this report. The ex-ambassador was at the centre of not one but two of the parties which Gray details in her report. The first of these was the 20 May 2020 'BYOB' garden party, which Reynolds helped organise – as subsequent emails now show. One staff member thanks him for 'organising the drinks and for providing the wine' while Reynolds himself subsequently texted a colleague to gloat that 'we seem to have got away with' having a drinks party.

The other event was 18 June 2020 and a leaving do for an unnamed colleague. Messages between Reynolds and No. 10 director of communications Lee Cain show that the latter was against having a party but that it was still organised away.

Of this event, Gray notes acidly 'Helen MacNamara, Deputy Cabinet Secretary, attended for part of the evening and provided a karaoke machine which was set up in an adjoining office to the waiting room,.'

4. Staff were so drunk they vomited

That karaoke party on 18 June 2020 did not end well, according to Gray. She writes that 'the event lasted for a number of hours. There was excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. One individual was sick. There was a minor altercation between two other individuals.'

5. Wine bottles were hidden from the press

Much of the debate about partygate has focused on civil servants and whether they knew what they were doing was wrong. Clearly, there was some awareness of that fact, as one No. 10 official told colleagues on the 15 May 2020 ahead of the 20 May gathering that a press conference was due that day so 'just be courteous with sound.' Others shared concerns that the gathering might be reported by the media. One message unearthed by Gray to Martin Reynolds shows an unnamed special adviser referencing these concerns. 'Press conference will probably be finishing around that time' writes the unknown civil servant 'so helpful if people can be mindful of that as speakers and cameras are leaving, not walking around waving bottles of wine.' Reynolds replied 'Will do my best!'

6. They were rude to cleaners and security staff

Ok – so it didn't break any laws but the treatment of lower-paid employees in Downing Street apparently leaves a lot to be desired. Following the 18 December 2020 'Wine & Cheese evening' Gray writes that 'a cleaner who attended the room the next morning noted that there had been red wine spilled on one wall and on a number of boxes of photocopier paper.'

That same night, a panic alarm button was accidentally triggered by a member of staff which prompted one of the policemen on the No. 10 door to investigate. According to Gray 'they observed a large number of people in the area outside of the main Press Office and one individual giving a speech. Inside the Press Office a further 15-20 people were present.' Nothing happened as a result.

In her conclusions, Gray summarises that 'I found that some staff had witnessed or been subjected to behaviours at work which they had felt concerned about but at times felt unable to raise properly. I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable.'
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×