Boris Johnson allies branded the Commons probe into Partygate ‘a farce’ today as it released an update repeatedly citing Sue Gray’s evidence.
The cross-party Privileges Committee made clear the civil servant’s report will be a key plank of its investigation into whether the ex-PM misled the House.
It revealed that Mr Johnson is being called to give evidence in public in the week of March 20 – and outlined the key questions he will face.
The report said: ‘The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings.’
But Tories immediately questioned how the process could be ‘credible’ after Ms Gray quit to become Keir Starmer‘s new chief of staff.
Mr Johnson said in a statement that he was confident of being cleared. ‘I note that the Committee has emphasised their wish to be fair. They have made reference on new fewer than 26 occasions to a personage they bashfully describe as ‘the Second Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office,’ he said.
‘That is of course, Sue Gray. So it is surreal to discover that the Committee proposes to rely on evidence culled and orchestrated by Sue Gray, who has just been appointed Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Labour Party.’
An ally of Mr Johnson told MailOnline: ‘The privileges committee has admitted that its central focus is the evidence of Sue Gray, who is now Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff.
‘This is beyond a farce and totally lacks credibility. All Conservative MPs should take note: apparently it’s OK to be put through a parliamentary process which is reliant on material provided by the leader of the opposition’s chief of staff.’
The update says Mr Johnson will be quizzed on ‘the rules and guidance relating to Covid that were in force at the relevant time’, his ‘knowledge of the rules and guidance in force’, ‘attendance at gatherings that were not socially distanced and those for which fixed penalty notices were issued’.
It added: ‘We will compare that with what Mr Johnson said to the House of Commons, particularly on 1 December 2021, 8 December 2021, and subsequently.’
Sue Gray, who was in charge of ethics at the Cabinet Office, sparked fury among the Conservatives after resigning to take a job in Labour’s top team
Allies of Boris Johnson (pictured in Westminster today) branded the Commons probe into Partygate ‘a farce’ as it released an update repeatedly citing Sue Gray’s evidence
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen holding a drink at a gathering in 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser amid Covid restrictions
Calls have been mounting to Rishi Sunak to ensure the appointment does not go ahead, with claims it does not pass the ‘sniff test’.
A respected think-tank today said Ms Gray taking such a senior political job was ‘unusual’ and ‘surprising’.
However, shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Ms Gray is widely regarded as an ‘incredibly professional, impartial and generous person who was really good at her job’.
Former Labour Deputy Leader is heading the Privileges Committee investigation into Mr Johnson’s conduct at Downing Street. It could start having public hearings soon.
If the MPs suspend him for ten days or more, on the grounds that they believe Mr Johnson misled Parliament in December 2021 when he denied parties had taken place in No 10, that would automatically trigger a recall petition.
And if that petition was to be signed by more than ten per cent of the local electorate, it could lead to a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat.
Supporters of Mr Johnson mounted a coordinated attack on the Privileges Committee process today.
Tory MP Mark Jenkinson said: ‘The privileges committee document reveals that the material written by Sue Gray, who we now know is Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, is at the heart of its work.
‘This is a total circus. How can the work Keir Starmer’s top political adviser be used against Boris like this? This cannot possibly be a fair process.’
Former minister Peter Bone said: ‘The privileges committee has today admitted its key witness is none other than Sue Gray, Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff.
‘How can she possibly be called before the committee to answer all the points that it makes about her evidence – mentioning her dozens of times?’
The PM can theoretically stop a senior civil servant from taking up a job outside Whitehall if the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments warns him it is ‘unsuitable’.
However, the power has never been used and mandarins have only ever been told to wait up to two years before starting a controversial new role.
Labour said Ms Gray will abide by the verdict of ACOBA anyway, meaning Mr Sunak might not need to take action to enforce it.
When Ms Gray was in charge of ethics at the Cabinet Office, she forced the head of the Downing Street honours team, Laura Wyld, to wait almost a year before she took up a seat in the Lords.
Earlier, Alexander Stafford – a former parliamentary aide to Mr Johnson – described the manoeuvring over Ms Gray as ‘dodgy’.
‘This really doesn’t pass the sniff test, it really undermines the work that she’s done, undermines the civil service and really puts in question Sir Keir’s complete judgment,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
The MP claimed it discredits the partygate scandal but sidestepped questions on whether Ms Gray herself had anything to do with lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.
Ms Powell told Times Radio the appointment was being used by Mr Johnson in an attempt to ‘vindicate himself further’ after he was ousted over a series of scandals.
Asked about Conservative concerns Ms Gray could bring privileged material from Whitehall to Sir Keir’s office, Ms Powell said: ‘Absolutely not. And, of course, there’s no suggestion whatsoever that Sue would reveal any of that information.’
Senior Conservatives say Ms Gray’s desire to work for Labour discredits her report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, published less than a year ago, and raises concerns about her passing sensitive information on the Government to the opposition in the future.
She served as director general for propriety and ethics in the Cabinet Office from 2012 to 2018, meaning she was involved in reshuffles and inquiries into rule-breaking by ministers.
Former Cabinet Office minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘It is such an obvious conflict of interest that it should be blocked.’
Ms Gray, who was second permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities until her abrupt resignation yesterday, is also facing accusations she may have broken civil service rules by not declaring the approaches she had received from Sir Keir or her acceptance of the job before asking approval from the ACOBA watchdog.
The Cabinet Office said it was ‘reviewing the circumstances under which she resigned’.
An ally of Mr Sunak said: ‘The ACOBA process exists to ensure that people with access to privileged information cannot simply depart government and go to work for organisations that will benefit from that privileged information.
‘The Prime Minister believes passionately in the principle of civil service impartiality and would not countenance anything that would compromise that.’
Senior Whitehall officials are said to be furious about the damage done to the civil service’s reputation for political neutrality. Cabinet Office permanent secretary Alex Chisholm issued a reminder to staff to stay out of politics.
‘You serve the elected government of the day,’ he said.