Boris Johnson is under fresh pressure to reveal what was said in a “sleekit” meeting he held with Sue Gray ahead of the publication of the report into partygate breaches of lockdown rules.
The Liberal Democrats will table a “humble address” motion in the Commons on Monday demanding that the Government publishes details of the meeting between Boris Johnson and Sue Gray.
The Sue Gray report is expected to be published this week but the PM faces calls to explain the purpose of a ‘secret’ meeting with the senior civil servant tasked with investigating his lawbreaking.
Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain has demanded the minutes of the meeting to be released and for details of who arranged it.
By the vote on a humble address in the Commons, if carried, obliges the government to publish.
Chamberlain, the MP for North East Fife, said: “The public would be rightly angry if it turns out Boris Johnson put pressure on Sue Gray to water down her report into illegal Downing Street parties. A lack of transparency at this pivotal moment risks undermining the entire inquiry.
“We deserve to know whether this meeting really was an attempt to turn the report into a Downing Street stitch-up.”
Cabinet ministers failed to shed light on the circumstances of the controversial meeting as opposition MPs demanded details.
It is understood the pair met at least once for an update on the report’s progress while it was being drafted.
SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford has demanded that Boris Johnson must come before Parliament on Monday to explain his rule-breaking now that the Metropolitan Police investigation into partygate has concluded.
Blackford described weekend reports of a meeting between Gray and the PM as “sleekit” and also demanded the report into the parties be published and include the names of those within the UK Tory government who broke the rules they made.
Blackford said: “The Sue Gray report, which must be published today, but it is beyond doubt that laws were broken at Downing Street and the Prime Minister misled Parliament.
“For as long as Tory MPs allow Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to remain in post, the Westminster government is continuing to stick two fingers up to all those who followed the rules and made sacrifices.”
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