'No justification' for Government to 'airbrush' Sue Gray report, says Yorkshire Conservative Julian Sturdy

Julian Sturdy, MP for York Outer, shared his “disappointment” having read the senior civil servant’s “stripped back update” into potentially lockdown-breaking events that was released yesterday, adding the findings “confirm repeated failures in judgement and leadership.”

Police are investigating 12 separate gatherings – including three that Boris Johnson is known to have attended and one in the Prime Minister’s Downing Street flat – to find out whether coronavirus lockdown laws were broken.

Last night, Number 10 committed to publishing a fuller version of Ms Gray’s report once the police investigation has concluded – although it is not clear how detailed that will be and whether it will include the evidence submitted to the police.

Scotland Yard have been handed more than 300 photos to help with their investigations.

When asked about the issue in the Commons yesterday afternoon, Mr Johnson had stopped short of committing to publishing the full evidence.

Mr Sturdy has now said “the unredacted report needs to be published as soon as possible so our actions in response can be fully informed.”

In a statement this morning, the MP of more than a decade said: "Having waited for the conclusion of Sue Gray' s investigation for some weeks now, I read with disappointment the stripped-back update that was published yesterday.

“While it is not clear how much of Sue Gray's report is being withheld for the duration of the Metropolitan Police investigation, we can say for certain that an overhaul of how Downing Street and the Prime Minister's private office operates is needed.

“To have the privilege of working as an elected representative or as a civil servant comes with the responsibility of observing the highest standards, yet the limited findings published yesterday confirm repeated failures in judgement and leadership.

“The public deserve to be able to read Sue Gray's report in full so any proposals for reform can be assessed appropriately. I am therefore deeply concerned by the current lack of commitment to allow the full report to be published once the Metropolitan Police investigation has concluded.

“There is no justification for the Government to airbrush Sue Gray's findings, no matter how damning they may be.

“Quite simply, the unredacted report needs to be published as soon as possible so our actions in response can be fully informed."