The future of Prime Minister Boris Johnson hangs in the balance again today as a report into allegations of lockdown-busting gatherings in Downing Street awaits publication.
Senior official Sue Gray is understood to have completed her investigation but the findings were not believed to have been handed to Downing Street overnight.
There were concerns that if the report was not delivered on Wednesday, it may have to wait until next week as the Prime Minister had promised to address the Commons shortly after its release - and this runs into the issue of Parliamentary time.
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day and there is a debate in the Commons and many MPs will be due back in their constituencies from this afternoon and into Friday.
But the Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said the conclusions of Ms Gray's report would be important enough to bring to the House straight away.
He told the BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “Well as Leader of the House, ministers bid via the leader’s office for statements, and it’s absolutely true that I have discouraged statements on Holocaust Memorial Day because there is a debate for that.
“But this issue is of such importance that I think MPs would want to have a statement as soon as the report was available, and on days when the House is sitting MPs have a priority towards the House, even if they’ve got other arrangements first, the House comes first for Members of Parliament.”
Many Conservative MPs have held off judgement on Mr Johnson and alleged parties during lockdown until reading Sue Gray's report.
An investigation has also been launched by the Metropolitan Police into claims of gatherings during the England lockdowns.
It is not clear what the report has discovered but an indication of how damaging it could be for the Government came when Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick announced a police inquiry was being carried out, based in part on evidence obtained by the Gray investigation.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told ITV’s Peston of Sue Gray's report: “I read it might be the end of the week, but as you say it could be early next week. Let’s wait and see.”
The Daily Mail reported that Tories were urging the Prime Minister to scrap a planned hike in national insurance to win back their support.
When the Gray report is published, sources close to the investigation team expect it to be published in full, although ultimately it is a matter for Mr Johnson to decide.
Downing Street said it is the “intention” to publish the report in the format in which Mr Johnson receives it.
