Sue Gray: Failure of leadership over Downing Street lockdown parties

These include the 20 May 2020 “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street, which the PM has apologised for attending, and the PM’s birthday party on 19 June 2020.

The police are also investigating a gathering on 13 November 2020 at Mr Johnson’s Downing Street flat.

Asked by Labour MPs if he was at that party, Mr Johnson said he would not give a “running commentary” on something that was being investigated by the police.

Ms Gray says in her report that she has been “extremely limited” in how much she can say by the Met’s inquiries, and she could not publish a “meaningful” report at this stage.

But she does make pointed criticisms of the culture in Downing Street among senior civil servants and staff.

“At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time.

“At times it seems there was too little thought given to what was happening across the country in considering the appropriateness of some of these gatherings, the risks they presented to public health and how they might appear to the public.

“There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times.

“Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did.”

She adds that the “excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time”, likely to be a reference to reports of drunken behaviour in the Number 10 garden and staff filling a suitcase with bottles of wine.

Steps must be taken to ensure government departments have a “robust” policy on alcohol consumption, the report says.