Publication of Sue Gray’s report questioned after Met Police intervention

Scotland Yard said it wanted to avoid “prejudicing” its investigation into various alleged booze hits in Downing Street and Whitehall during the lockdown.

The intervention left the Cabinet Office wondering if it should publish its findings until officers have completed their investigation.

Talks were underway on Friday morning, according to the Standard, and Ms Gray’s team has not ruled out finalizing a version for publication.

But it is understood that anything published will take account of Scotland Yard’s request.

In an unexpected twist of the ‘partygate’ storm, the force said in a brief statement that it wanted the limitations of the Gray report to avoid ‘prejudicing’ its investigation into various watered-down gatherings at Number 10 during the lockdown.

The intervention appeared to ease the pressure on Boris Johnson as it could delay the report and even if it is published shortly it will almost certainly exclude details of the most serious alleged breaches of Covid laws in Downing Street when Britain was on lockdown or under other Covid restrictions.

However, if published, it could identify whether the parties in which the prime minister participated are under police investigation.

In this morning’s statement, Scotland Yard said: ‘For the events which the Met are investigating, we have requested that a minimum reference be made in the Cabinet Office report.

“But we have been in constant contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation.”

Publication of the senior civil servant’s report into the ‘Partygate’ scandal is believed to have so far been delayed as the Cabinet Office discusses with lawyers and human resources what information may be released after detectives launch an investigation.

In an explosive intervention on Tuesday, Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said there was reason to suspect “gross and flagrant” breaches of the law.

She added that her officers were “investigating a number of events which have taken place in Downing Street and Whitehall over the past two years in relation to potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations”.

Ms Gray is believed to have investigated reports from more than a dozen alleged parties, while around six rallies are believed to be part of the Met’s investigation.

Officers are believed to have asked for key details to be omitted by Ms Gray while they conducted witness interviews.

However, Dame Cressida was today being criticized for making the request after initially resisting calls for an investigation.

People who committed the most serious breaches of Covid rules were fined £10,000. Cases are handled by magistrates, which means there is no threat of prejudicing a jury trial by publishing details of alleged offences.

Solicitor Rupert Myers said: ‘The Met has absolutely no power or authority to prevent the publication of the Sue Gray report in its entirety. If they are concerned about their investigation, they should pursue their investigation.

Human rights lawyer Adam Wagner added: “How does a factual report from the public service into the events the police are investigating ‘prejudice’ their investigation?

“It’s safe to say that all of this would have been avoided if the police had done what was sensible and started investigating in December when the allegations emerged. Now we’re in a limbo of public accountability and there’s a messy dynamic between the internal Gray report and the police investigation.

However, lawyer Andrew Keogh suggested the force could investigate more serious issues, including the withholding or removal of evidence. “Everyone assumes the Met is only investigating ‘Cake Gate’,” he tweeted.

“What recent history tells us is that mobile phone loss and data deletion in the Westminster area appears to be much higher than the national average… There may be a bigger problem serious.”

The delay of the Gray report may have assuaged the anger of Tory backbenchers who expressed concern over the Prime Minister during ‘Partygate’ and scandals over lobbying, renovation of Downing Street flat and the government writing off billions of pounds in Covid loan fraud when the country faces a cost of living crisis.

When asked why the delivery of the Gray report had been delayed, Technology Minister Chris Philp told LBC today: ‘You’ll have to ask Sue Gray that because the timing of the report depends on she. “You will have seen, as I have seen, the speculation from the press is that it is because they are talking to lawyers and police officers about exactly what can and cannot go into it.”

Mr Philp added: “Like everyone else, I’m just going to wait for it to be published, I’ll read it very carefully when it comes out and I’m not going to speculate… what the report may or may not contain and what it may or may not mean.

“Let’s just wait for him to come out.” I hope it will be soon because I think we all want to be able to get over this.

It comes as former Prime Minister Theresa May launched a scathing intervention into the partygate scandal, saying ‘no one is above the law’.

Speaking to the Maidenhead Advertiser, Ms May said she was ‘angry’ to hear reports that Downing Street staff had been hosting parties during the lockdown.

“I’ve said before that it’s vital that those who make the rules follow the rules,” she said. “No one is above the law.

This is important to ensure the necessary level of trust between the public and the government. Mr Johnson promised the official report would be released “in full”. But the Prime Minister said he did not know when the results would be released.

“We just have to let the independent investigations continue,” he said on Thursday.