Sue Gray is expected to deliver her report on parties held in Downing Street and across White Hall imminently (Gov.uk/PA
(Picture: PA Media)Sue Gray is expected to deliver her report on “partygate” to the Prime Minister as early as this weekend.
The publication of the long-awaited report was thrown into disarray on Tuesday after the Metropolitan Police announced a probe into the alleged parties.
Police asked for “minimal reference” to be made to events being investigated in order to “avoid any prejudice into our investigation”.
But the force rejected suggestions on Friday evening that it had delayed the publication of the report.
Commander Catherine Roper, who leads the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Command, said the timing of the document’s release was a matter for the Cabinet Office.
The document is expected to be sent to officials at Number 10 shortly.
However, it is understood that certain details could be excluded in line with police requests.
Ms Roper said the force had asked for the report to be watered down in order to “protect the integrity of the police investigation” and be “as fair as possible to those who are subject to it”.
“This will only be necessary until these matters are concluded, and is to give detectives the most reliable picture of what happened at these events. We intend to complete our investigations promptly, fairly and proportionately,” she said.
“We have not delayed this report and the timing of its release is a matter for the Cabinet Office inquiry team.”
SNP Westminster group leader Ian Blackford tweeted: “No one will accept a Westminster cover-up. If the UK government refuses to publish the full unredacted report it will prove, yet again, that Westminster is utterly corrupt and broken beyond repair. It won’t save Boris Johnson’s skin. It will only add to the calls for him to go.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Anything short of the full report would be a Whitehall whitewash not worth the paper it is written on.”
The Met had previously said the constraints imposed on the report were necessary “avoid any prejudice to our investigation”.
Many took this as an indication that the report would be watered down or delayed.
However, a new statement issued by the force on Friday contained no mentioned of the word “prejudice”.
Ms Roper said the offences under investigation, if proven, could result in fixed penalty notices.
“Individuals who are identified as having potentially breached these regulations will normally be contacted in writing and invited to explain their actions including whether they feel they had a reasonable excuse,” she said.
“Following this process, and where there is sufficient evidence that individuals have breached the regulations without reasonable excuse, officers will decide if enforcement action is appropriate.
“If the decision is to take enforcement action then a report will be sent to the ACRO Criminal Records Office which will issue the fixed penalty notice. Recipients can pay the fixed penalty and the matter will be considered closed.
“Should a recipient dispute the fixed penalty notice then the case will be referred back to the Met where officers will consider whether to pursue the matter in a magistrates’ court.
“As the Commissioner said, we will not be giving a running commentary but we will continue to update when significant progress is made in the investigative process.”
