PM Faces Backlash After Sue Gray’s Report Highlights ‘Failures of Leadership’ in No 10
The Metropolitan Police are now investigating a party held in Boris and Carrie Johnson’s flat, among other events, in connection with alleged breaches of lockdown rules. This comes after Sue Gray’s report, which criticized leadership failures in Downing Street during the pandemic, found that 16 gatherings were examined, with 12 now under police scrutiny. The report highlighted a troubling culture in the prime minister’s office that allowed social gatherings to continue despite strict lockdown measures, some of which were “difficult to justify,” according to Gray.
Gray’s report was released in a redacted form, with much of the detail being withheld as a police investigation continues. However, the revelation that one of the gatherings being scrutinized by the police took place in the prime minister’s own apartment has sparked further outrage, particularly from within the Conservative Party.
In the House of Commons, former Prime Minister Theresa May questioned Boris Johnson, suggesting that either he had not read, did not understand, or thought the rules did not apply to No 10. The controversy surrounding these gatherings, particularly as the UK grappled with rising COVID-19 death tolls, continues to damage the prime minister’s reputation, with some members of his own party openly criticizing his leadership.
