Sue Gray report: Boris Johnson must 'tidy up' his act over 'shameful' partygate revelations say Tory politicians

BORIS Johnson must ‘tidy up’ his act after a damning report laid bare the scale of raucous parties and ‘shameful’ activities taking place at No 10 during lockdown.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in Downing Street, London, following the publication of Sue Gray's report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in Downing Street, London, following the publication of Sue Gray's report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in Downing Street, London, following the publication of Sue Gray's report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2022.

After months of speculation and delay, senior civil servant Sue Gray finally revealed her probe into the ‘partygate’ scandal at Downing Street.

And the 37-page document painted a sorry picture of the debauched goings on at the heart of government.

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The bombshell report gave lurid details of gatherings at which officials drank so much they were sick, sang karaoke, became involved in altercations and abused security and cleaning staff at a time when millions of people were unable to see friends and family.

Prime minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.Prime minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.
Prime minister Boris Johnson at a gathering in 10 Downing Street for the departure of a special adviser, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.

Ms Gray concluded there was a ‘failure in leadership and judgment’ over the series of events in 2020 and 2021 and added: ‘The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen.’

The revelations left local Tories disappointed.

Councillor Sean Woodward, boss of Fareham Borough Council, said the culture of alcohol abuse in the government was ‘clearly out of control’ and needed to change.

He said: ‘Boris Johnson has to tidy up the operation. This is the heart of government. This is where every decision is taken and you can’t have a load of beer and wine swilling all over the place.

Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.
Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.
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'The eyes have got to be on the ball and Boris Johnson and his staff’s eyes were clearly off the ball on this occasion.'

The Metropolitan Police has issued 126 fines for rule breaches in No 10 and Whitehall, with the PM receiving a single fixed-penalty notice for his birthday party in the cabinet room in June 2020.

But Ms Gray condemned the wider culture that had been allowed to fester under Mr Johnson’s leadership.

She said some of the more junior officials who attended parties ‘believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders’.

Fareham Borough Council leader, Councillor Sean Woodward Fareham Borough Council leader, Councillor Sean Woodward
Fareham Borough Council leader, Councillor Sean Woodward
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‘The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture,’ Ms Gray said.

She also said there were ‘multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff’ during the events, which was ‘unacceptable’ and said the public would be ‘dismayed’ by the report’s findings.

Disappointed Tory trade minister Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North’s MP, said: ‘When others were making huge sacrifices, I am angry that those who blocked reasonable requests to relax restrictions - when the clinical evidenced clearly supported this - were at the same time ignoring the rules… It is incredibly sad and shameful.’

Despite the political maelstrom surrounding him, Mr Johnson rejected calls to resign but conceded he understood why people were ‘indignant’ over the scandal.

Penny Mordaunt MP: StatementPenny Mordaunt MP: Statement
Penny Mordaunt MP: Statement
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But he added: ‘I overwhelmingly feel it is my job to get on and deliver. No matter how bitter and painful that the conclusions of this may be – and they are – and no matter how humbling they are, I have got to keep moving forward and the government has got to keep moving. And we are.’

Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond said what occurred in Downing Street ‘simply wasn’t good enough’ and said: ‘This sort of behaviour from officials and the descriptions of raucous parties is unacceptable.’