Opposition lawmakers accuse Johnson of having knowingly misled Parliament.
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LONDON — A highly anticipated investigation into numerous Covid-19 lockdown-breaking parties at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office and residence has been released, intensifying pressure on the embattled Conservative Party leader.
The comprehensive report from senior civil servant Sue Gray found that many of the gatherings held in Downing Street and Whitehall during Covid lockdowns over the last two years should not have been allowed to happen.
It lays out in embarrassing detail how several events unfolded, including one leaving party on June 18 when a gathering of two or more persons indoors in England was prohibited. On this occasion, the event lasted for several hours and there was excessive alcohol consumption by some. “One individual was sick” and a “minor altercation” occurred between two others, the report said.
In a damning verdict, Gray said senior leadership “must bear responsibility for this culture.”
“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.”
Gray’s report reaffirmed the findings in her initial, redacted report from late January, which sharply criticized government leadership.
“Whatever the initial intent, what took place at many of these gatherings and the way in which they developed was not in line with Covid guidance at the time,” the report said.
“Even allowing for the extraordinary pressures officials and advisers were under, the factual findings of this report illustrate some attitudes and behaviours inconsistent with that guidance.”
Gray had launched an inquiry following media reports of gatherings and alleged parties in government buildings during Covid lockdowns over a 20-month period.
A full version of the report had been delayed due to a separate police inquiry. The Metropolitan Police’s investigation resulted in 126 fines to 83 people, including Johnson, his partner Carrie Johnson and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak.
Sterling fell to a session low against the U.S. dollar shortly after the report was published. The U.K. currency traded down 0.4% at $1.2489 during afternoon deals in London.
Johnson is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons later in the day.
Calls to resign
Gray’s full report comes after even more revelations in recent days of further alcohol-fueled social events held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns, with Johnson pictured raising a glass at a leaving do on Nov. 13, 2020.
The images, obtained by ITV News, prompted fresh claims from opposition lawmakers that Johnson had knowingly misled Parliament when he previously told the House of Commons that no rules had been broken.
Johnson has repeatedly resisted calls to resign from across the political spectrum, despite sustained public anger over a long and growing list of alleged lockdown breaches.
When asked on Wednesday whether public opinion likely reflected the end of the road for Johnson’s time in office, Ipsos CEO Ben Page said: “On the numbers I have at the moment, not yet.”
Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” in Davos, Switzerland, Page said Johnson “is unpopular but the fact that people think he may have lied in one way is priced in. Boris Johnson lying? Tell me a new story.”
“His opponent Keir Starmer is doing a bit better in the polls, the Labour Party has a small lead, but overall, none of the numbers indicate that an Australian-like event — where the Labor Party swept to power — is going to happen in Britain,” Page said.
“He might yet again get away with it,” he added.
Lawmakers who deliberately mislead Parliament are expected to offer their resignation to the prime minister, according to the Ministerial Code, an official set of principles on how politicians should conduct themselves. This guidance is not law, however, and it is ultimately up to the prime minister to decide on how to interpret and enforce it.
