Sue Gray party report: What are the findings?

31 January 2022

Initial findings from Sue Gray's inquiry into lockdown socialising in government buildings have finally been published.

They point to "failures of leadership and judgement" and excessive drinking at work against the backdrop of the pandemic.

Sue Gray said 16 events fell within her investigation's remit and 12 of those are now being investigated by the Met police.

This includes three events that have not previously been reported.

When were the gatherings?

The 16 events took place over a dozen dates between May 2020 and April 2021
They all took place in 10 Downing Street or the Cabinet Office, apart from one in the Department for Education
Two of three previously unreported events took place in No 10, with the other in the Cabinet Office
The 12 events being investigated by police include the drinks in the Downing Street garden attended by the PM on 20 May 2020
Other events subject to police inquiries include a birthday celebration for Mr Johnson in the Cabinet Room on 19 June 2020
Officers are looking into a gathering in the No 10 flat on 13 November 2020

At the heart of the report are the general findings, a few concise paragraphs that set out the main thrust of Sue Gray's critique.

She says some events should not have been allowed to take place and others should not have been allowed to develop as they did.

Four main areas stand out:

A nation in pandemic

Some behaviour at the gatherings is "difficult to justify" given the public was being asked to "accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives"
Some of the events represent a "serious failure to observe" standards for government and those expected of the public at the time
At times it seems there was "too little thought" given to what was going on in the country, the risk to public health, and how the events might appear to the public

Failures of leadership

There were "failures of leadership and judgement" by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times
Some of the events "should not have been allowed to take place". Other events "should not have been allowed to develop as they did"
There should be "easier ways for staff to raise... concerns informally, outside of the line-management chain"

A drinking culture

The "excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time"
Every government department should have a "clear and robust policy in place covering the consumption of alcohol"

Her team interviewed 70 individuals, some more than once - although none is named
They also examined emails, Whatsapp messages, and text messages
Photographs and building entry and exit logs were also looked at
She did not comment on whether individual events were in line with Covid rules, adding it was "inappropriate" while the police investigate
What she can say about the events under police investigation is "extremely limited"