THE SNP have said the partygate investigation must be published without any “hint of interference” after it emerged Boris Johnson held a “secret” meeting with report author Sue Gray.
The Prime Minister is under pressure to explain the talks with the senior civil servant, who is this week expected to publish her report – which has been repeatedly described as independent.
It is understood the pair met at least once to give an update on the document’s progress while it was being drafted.
A Whitehall source is said to have claimed that its contents were not discussed at any point, but the exact nature of the talks remains unclear.
The BBC reported that the discussions touched on whether photos would be revealed to the public, and that Gray initiated the meeting “to clarify her intentions” for what would happen once the police investigation concluded.
However, a spokesman for the Gray inquiry disputed this account of events.
They confirmed that a meeting took place, but added they would not characterise the talks in that way.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the “Downing Street briefing war” was a sideshow to “the one thing that people actually want to know – the truth”.
He added: “We know we won’t get it from Boris Johnson – who can be trusted as much as a fox in a hen house – so the Sue Gray report must be published in full immediately and without any hint of interference from the Prime Minister or his team.
“Let’s not forget the heart of this scandal – the public stayed at home, following the rules, while the Prime Minister and his Downing Street staff partied.”
Around 30 people, including Johnson, are being contacted by the Cabinet Office to warn them of the contents of the document ahead of its publication. It is thought that most of the Cabinet Office letters were sent out on Thursday, as the Metropolitan Police concluded its investigation into lockdown breaches in Downing Street and across Whitehall.
It has been reported that two civil servants had indicated they were considering legal action to prevent themselves being identified in the report.
Earlier, Johnson had insisted he would not seek to block names appearing in the document, and said he was “looking forward” to seeing its contents “pretty soon”.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, called on the Prime Minister to “urgently explain” why the “secret meeting” had taken place.
She said public confidence in the process had already been “depleted”, and people “deserve to know the truth”.
“The Sue Gray report must be published in full and with all accompanying evidence,” she added.
Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine also called on Johnson to throw light on the meeting, saying: Any whiff of a stitch-up would make an absolute mockery of the report.”
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister commissioned the investigation led by Sue Gray and has been clear throughout that it should be completely independent.
“As he reiterated again today, the decision on what and when to publish rests entirely with the investigation team and he will respond in Parliament once it concludes.”
The Met Police issued 126 fines over gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall, including to Johnson, his wife Carrie and Rishi Sunak.
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