Number 10 denies Johnson asked for Gray to drop partygate report
Number 10 has denied claims that Boris Johnson asked Sue Gray to drop her report into the partygate scandal at a recent meeting.
Johnson’s official spokesman told journalists today that the “Prime Minister wants the report to be published, he’s looking forward to the conclusion of the report and for it to be put in the public domain”.
The Times reported last night that the Prime Minister pushed Gray to abandon her report in a meeting earlier this month, with one Whitehall source saying that “[Johnson] asked her is there much point in doing it now that it’s all out there”.
Another source told The Times that the pair were “exploring this idea of not having any report” in their meeting.
It was revealed last week that Johnson met with the senior civil servant to speak about the report, expected this week, with Number 10 claiming the meeting was to iron out the “processes around timing and publication”.
Johnson’s spokesman said: “The Prime Minister did not ask her to drop the report or not proceed with the report. It was the Prime Minister who commissioned the report and he wants it to be published.
“It was a private meeting, but it was a legitimate meeting about process … rather than the contents [of the report].”