Kate Josephs Partygate: Sheffield Council chief executive's leaving do under police investigation

While Ms Gray's update into the scandal does not directly name Ms Josephs, it does state that one of the events in the scope of her investigation was a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official on December 17, 2020.

The report goes on to confirm that event, along with two others on the same day, are among those being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

It adds: "No conclusions should be drawn, or inferences made from this other than it is now for the police to consider the relevant material in relation to those incidents. The police have also said this does not in itself mean that they will decide to take further action or that there has necessarily been a breach of the regulations.

"At the request of the police I have provided the material compiled in the course of my investigation relevant to the gatherings that they are now investigating. I have also been asked to retain all the other information collected in the course of this work, which I have confirmed that I will do.

"I will therefore ensure the secure storage and safekeeping of all the information gathered until such time as it may be required further. I will not be circulating the information internally within government, it has been provided in confidence to the Cabinet Office investigation team and it is important that this confidence is maintained to protect the integrity of the process.

"As a result of the Metropolitan Police’s investigations, and so as not to prejudice the police investigative process, they have told me that it would only be appropriate to make minimal reference to the gatherings on the dates they are investigating.

"Unfortunately, this necessarily means that I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events and it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather."

The event involving Ms Josephs took place the day after London had been moved into Tier 3 restrictions, with indoor gatherings of two or more persons from different households prohibited and social distancing required in workplaces.

Ms Josephs has been on paid leave from her £190,000-a-year job at Sheffield Council since her involvement with the leaving do emerged.

She has already admitted and apologised for hosting a drinks gathering in her former role as director general of the Government’s Covid Taskforce.

The Daily Telegraph reported the event was attended by "dozens" of officials from the Covid-19 taskforce which Mrs Josephs had led as director-general and involved the consumption of alcohol.

Sheffield Council has established a cross-party committee to decide whether to take no further action, give an informal warning or if further investigation is required in her case. The authority has said it would take account of Sue Gray's findings.

Following the news, Liberal Democrat peer and former Sheffield Council leader Paul Scriven said Ms Josephs should now be suspended if she doesn't resign.

He said: "Kate Josephs' position is now untenable. If Ms Josephs doesn't do the decent thing and hand in her resignation, then she should be suspended immediately, pending the outcome of the Council investigation.

"How on earth can she continue when all she has got Sheffield into the national and international press for is her lack of leadership and personal judgment? Sheffield deserves far better than this from its council chief executive."

Sheffield Council leader Terry Fox said: “It’s clear from Sue Gray’s update today that the event from December 17, 2020, is going to be investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

“The council’s cross-party committee is due to meet again tomorrow, and they will consider Sue Gray’s update as part of their deliberations. We now need to let the committee, chaired by Cllr Julie Grocutt, do its work.”