London:  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to publish in full the findings of an official report into alleged breaches of lockdown rules with parties in his Downing Street office and across government as pressure mounted on him to step down.
The much-anticipated Cabinet Office inquiry report, being compiled by top civil servant Sue Gray and said to be in its final stages, is expected to be handed to Downing Street imminently.
The Opposition and members of Johnson’s own Conservative Party have insisted that it should be published in its entirety once handed in by the Cabinet Office.
During a visit to North Wales, when asked by reporters if it would be published in full, Johnson said: “Of course. I can’t go beyond what I said yesterday, but I stick to what I said to the House of Commons.”
In the Commons on Wednesday, Johnson, 57, said “when I receive it, I will do exactly what I said”, construed by some to fall short of a full commitment.
But on Thursday, the embattled Prime Minister sought to dismiss such inferences and also that Downing Street was somehow behind a delay in the report’s ultimate publication this week.
“Absolutely not. But you’ve got to let the independent inquiry go on,” he said, with reference to any attempts to delay the report’s release.
The Opposition Labour Party has demanded that anything other than the document being published “in full” would amount to a “cover up”.
“We will pursue every option to make sure that report is out in full,” said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
“The findings will be made public in line with the terms of reference. It is our intention to publish those findings as received,” a Downing Street spokesperson insisted.
And on the perceived delay in its release, the spokesperson added: “It is simply a reflection of the fact that we have not received the findings and don’t know its format, that’s why it remains our intention to publish it as received.”
Gray, described as a no-nonsense and dedicated civil servant, is understood to want the report to be published in full and also that her findings will cover all alleged events during lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, not just those now being investigated by the Metropolitan Police for the “most serious and flagrant breach” of coronavirus regulations.
The so-called “partygate” scandal, which erupted towards the end of last year, has dominated much of this month with a string of allegations around parties organised at 10 Downing Street and other Whitehall government departments despite strict lockdown restrictions on gatherings under the coronavirus legislation in force at the time.AGENCIES