Sue Gray’s report has been made public, but has been limited in its scope to the extent that Gray referred to it as a mere “update” on the findings of the report.
The report states:
“Given the widespread public interest in, and concern about, these matters, and to avoid further delay, I am providing an update on the investigation and I am setting out some general findings now.”
The metropolitan police requested that details about many of the alleged parties, which the Met are conducting their own investigation of, be withheld so as not to bias their investigation.
This left the report able to comment on 4 of a total of 16 events of interest.
However, Gray said:
“I have decided not to publish factual accounts in relation to those four dates. I do not feel that I am able to do so without detriment to the overall balance of the findings.”
The conclusion of the ‘update’ is provided below:
“The gatherings within the scope of this investigation are spread over a 20-month
period – a period that has been unique in recent times in terms of the complexity
and breadth of the demands on public servants and indeed the general public. The
whole of the country rose to the challenge. Ministers, special advisers and the Civil
Service, of which I am proud to be a part, were a key and dedicated part of that
national effort. However, as I have noted, a number of these gatherings should
not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did. There
is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed
immediately across Government. This does not need to wait for the police
investigations to be concluded.”
The Prime Minister will give a statement in the commons on the report at 3.30pm.
The full report can be found here.
