For months, Sue Gray’s report on rule-breaking at the heart of Downing Street during the Covid pandemic has hung over Boris Johnson’s government like a dark cloud. Every time a new picture leaked or another allegation surfaced, there was one message from No 10: wait for Sue Gray’s report. Even as members of the government – including Johnson – and the civil service were being issued with police fines, the message stayed the same.
On Wednesday, it finally arrived. As our political correspondent Peter Walker tells Nosheen Iqbal, the day felt an important one from the very start. As the report landed on desks around Westminster, it was clear that the details were damning for Johnson’s government.
The columnist Jonathan Freedland was among those trying to quickly digest the report, which included details of a leaving party at which “one individual was sick”, partying until 4am and messages warning drunken staff to leave via the back entrance.
Standing up to give his statement to parliament on the report, Johnson said: “We are humbled”, and then corrected himself to say: “I am humbled.” But he did not say he would be resigning. Instead, he attempted to put the matter behind him, insisting lessons had been learned and it was time to move on. And while there are those in his party who feel the episode could cost them the next election, as the sun set on Sue Gray day, Boris Johnson remains, for now, in office
Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP
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