New findings from the Sue Gray party report, which has recently been published, include details of lockdown socialising within government buildings throughout the pandemic. The report was ordered this past December and has been carried out by the Cabinet Office. The investigation was originally led by the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, who later resigned from the position after his office held a lockdown-breaching social event.
Sue Gray is a longtime civil servant who holds the position of second permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Gray used to lead the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team, where she headed investigations regarding disciplinary breaches by ministers and other civil servants.
The case was originally initiated to investigate two events that occurred on November 27 and December 18 in the winter of 2020. Claims of other social events have since been added to the investigation, including an alleged birthday party held for Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the 10 Downing Street flat. The investigation is being conducted in order “to establish swiftly a general understanding of the nature of the gatherings, including attendance, the setting and the purpose.” If the investigators find any evidence of criminality, they can contact the Metropolitan police and conduct other disciplinary action. However, ministers can only be held accountable by the ministerial code. The ministerial code is enforced by the prime minister, so it is unlikely that any ministers would be fired for involvement in the social events.
While the official report has not yet been released, it could be published within the next few weeks. Initial findings did indicate “failures of leadership and judgement,” as well as excessive drinking within the pandemic. A total of 16 events fell within the scope of the investigation, and 12 are currently being investigated by the Metropolitan police. Approximately 70 individuals have been interviewed, and building exit and entry logs are also being examined. The investigators are also reviewing personal text messages, emails, and Whatsapp exchanges.
A limited version of the report was published in January, but there are no confirmations regarding whether a full report will ever be made available to the public. Gray stated, “I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather.” While all of the information may not ever be released, the investigation has revealed that there are significant flaws within the parliamentary leadership structure that must be addressed. The investigation is, therefore, an attempt to reestablish accountability within the government, and is a case that will hopefully target the failures in leadership that have affected the public throughout the pandemic.