North East MPs have shared their reaction to the publication of Sue Gray's report into the series of alleged lawbreaking parties to have taken place at Downing Street during the coronavirus lockdown.
The long-awaited report was published in full on on the Government website today following it's completion in January. Publication of the report was delayed to allow Metropolitan Police to investigate potential breaches of Covid laws and 126 people were issued with fines as a result of the investigation, including Boris Johnson.
In her report Sue Gray said "many will be dismayed that behaviour of this kind took place on this scale at the heart of Government" and "what happened fell well short" of the standards expected. Today the Prime Minister outlined a number of changes that have been made at Downing Street as a result of the report and said he feels "an even greater weight of responsibility to deliver on the priorities of the British people."
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Now MPs have shared their reaction to the publication of Sue Gray's report into 'partygate'.
Wansbeck Labour MP, Ian Lavery, said he didn't think the country were any further forward in relation to 'partygate', despite the publication of Sue Gray's report. He also criticised the inquiry for not fully investigating parties alleged to have happened at Downing Street during the pandemic.
It comes after it was reported that Sue Gray failed to fully investigate an alleged party held in Boris Johnson's flat above 11 Downing Street on 13 November 2020, reportedly with alcohol, food and Abba songs. The senior civil servant concluded in the report that little was known about what took place in the flat and it would not be "appropriate or proportionate" to investigate further.
Mr Lavery said: "The most important party that happened - the 'Abba party' - Sue Gray admits that she didn't investigate. So, what on Earth is going on? It's not a complete report, despite the fact that it is now concluded. She's admitted herself that she didn't investigate all of the issues, so I don't think we're any further forward."
He added: "I think people are now just accepting that Boris Johnson can break the law, tell lies and do what he wants and the only people who can make any difference to that are Conservative MPs themselves. As long as they are prepared to be led by someone who has basically brought the country to its knees and made us a laughing stock in many ways - as long as they are prepared to sit on their hands, then we'll continue to have a Prime Minister who is not fit for office."
"He's the Prime Minister of a very proud nation and he's the first Prime Minister ever to be found to be breaking the law. It's very seedy and a lot of people are finding it very difficult at this moment in time.
"But he'll not leave [parliament] come hell or high water, no matter what the situation is, unless the Conservative MPs take decisive action and get rid of him.", Mr Lavery added.
One thing that Labour and Conservative MPs appear to agree on is that there needs to be a greater focus on issues outside of 'partygate', such as the cost of living crisis, which is expected have a significant impact on millions of additional households by autumn.
Mr Lavery said: "We've spent a lot of time on Boris Johnson, not only through 'partygate', but also before that with Owen Paterson [who Mr Johnson defended, despite repeatedly breaking lobbying rules], as well as other things.
"We need to be focusing on the cost of living crisis and ordinary people in the communities out there who haven't got a clue how they're going to meet the bills that they've got coming through in the months ahead. They can't even put bread on the table or buy the bairns new shoes. We need to be focusing on that, not on Boris Johnson."
Darlington Conservative MP, Peter Gibson, told ChronicleLive that now the report has been published "we can move on" and concentrate on issues such as the cost of living crisis. He added that Prime Minister has apologised, made changes at No.10 and "faced the penalty levied by the police".
Mr Gibson said: "Now that the Sue Gray report has been published we can move on. The PM has faced the penalty levied by the police, he's apologised, and following recommendations, has made changes at number 10.
"We've all expressed our anger and disappointment but the important thing now is to move on with the job of Government and tackle the serious issue of the cost of living concerns that the businesses and people of Darlington have."
Catherine McKinnell, the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North, said Sue Gray's report "rightly criticised the serious failures of leadership and judgment at the heart of Government", adding: "Nobody could read this report and conclude that the Prime Minister upheld the standards the public rightly expect from those that hold high office."
She called for the Prime Minister to go and said that the "country deserves so much better".
Ms McKinnell said: "Today the Prime Minister made it abundantly clear, yet again, that he has no shame whatsoever. He told MPs and the country the lockdown-busting partying in Number 10 was everybody's fault but his – despite already being fined by the police.
"Sue Gray's report, published today, rightly criticised the serious failures of leadership and judgment at the heart of Government.
"She found that some parties continued until the small hours of the morning, there were regular "Wine Time Friday's", broken property, "excessive alcohol consumption" and a drunken confrontation. Worst of all, she mentions multiple examples of a "lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff".
"Nobody could read this report and conclude that the Prime Minister upheld the standards the public rightly expect from those that hold high office.
"It is difficult to imagine any other Prime Minister in living memory presiding over a culture of partying and lawbreaking at a time when the rest of the country endured such severe restrictions on their freedoms. It's even harder to imagine them failing to resign if they had. It could not be clearer that the Prime Minister misled Parliament and the British people when he assured us no rules were broken. This Government has treated the sacrifices of the British people with utter contempt.
"In the middle of an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis and a war in Ukraine that threatens the future of democracy in Europe, it's more important than ever that we have competent, trusted leadership. We cannot continue with a Prime Minister who has demonstrated time and time again that his only priority is saving his own career. This country deserves so much better – he must go."
North East MPs also took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the inquiry into 'partygate' following the publication of Sue Gray's report.
Newcastle Central Labour MP, Chi Onwurah, said: "In the Chamber for #PMQs & the #SueGray Statement found it so distressing that in a #CostOfLivingCrisis w the #UkraineRussiaWar, the day after #TexasSchoolMassacre & facing many other issues, we have this vain #Partygate egoist as the nation's leader w the Tories vocal support."
While North West Durham Conservative MP, Richard Holden, took to Twitter to share photos published in the report of "a gathering in the Cabinet Room in No.10 Downing Street on the Prime Minister's birthday", which took place on June 19, 2020.
He shared the photos, which showed Boris Johnson at the gathering with a number of other people who have been pixelated out of the photo, along with a statement referring to an investigation being carried out by Durham Constabulary into whether Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules during a visit to the county in April 2021.
Mr Holden tweeted: "Photos from the birthday "party" which @metpoliceuk fined both the Prime Minister and Chancellor for I'm sure @DurhamPolice will be taking note of the nature of the pictures of the event in their investigations into @Keir_Starmer & @AngelaRayner in their #Beergate investigation"
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