Partygate scandals could damage trust in policing, Yvette Cooper suggests

Yvette Cooper thinks that Boris Johnson has “repeatedly failed” to provide “honest answers” about alleged parties in Downing Street during coronavirus restrictions, and “that is why this has become really such a serious problem”.

The Prime Minister is still waiting for the findings of an official report into the lockdown-busting gatherings from top civil servant Sue Gray, which could make or break his premiership.

The document, expected for a number of days, had still not been handed to Number 10 late yesterday afternoon, with legal and human resources officials needing to scrutinise it before it can be submitted.

Ms Cooper, who serves as Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, told The Yorkshire Post that senior officers have expressed concerns it may be harder for them to enforce the law “if people think that the guy at the top is ignoring the rules.”

Speaking from Parliament yesterday, she explained: “Senior police officers say they are really worried by what’s happened because they’re really worried that they think it makes it harder for them.

“It makes it harder for them to enforce rules, it makes it harder for them to enforce the law if there is no trust.”

The Prime Minister has resisted calls from the opposition benches – and some from his own – to resign, but Ms Cooper repeated those calls, accusing him of “undermining trust”.

She added: “If people think that the guy at the top is ignoring the rules or ignoring the law, then it makes it much harder to get people to feel like we’re all part of the same community. We’re all doing our bit.

“It’s everybody’s responsibility to follow the rules.

“That’s why I think he has to go, because he has undermined trust.

“When you’ve got senior police officers worried about what it means for trust in policing, then I think you’ve got a serious problem.”

The announcement of a Scotland Yard investigation into some of the alleged parties – based in part on the evidence uncovered in the Gray inquiry – has complicated publication of the report, with police and officials wrangling over anything which could prejudice a criminal case.

The Prime Minister travelled to North Wales rather than wait in No 10 for Ms Gray’s report to arrive yesterday.

Asked if he had been involved in delaying it, Mr Johnson told reporters: “Absolutely not but you’ve got to let the independent inquiries go on.”

He said “of course” it would be published in full, but officials have made clear that is only the intention of No 10, as they are not yet aware what the format will be and whether any sensitive personal or security information would need to be redacted.

Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said “we are in no way seeking to block the report” and “it remains our intention to publish the report as it is received from the investigation”.

The limbo leaves Mr Johnson’s residency at Number 10 in jeopardy, with a number of Conservative MPs thought to be considering submitting a letter of no confidence in him.

But some Ministers have warned that ousting the Prime Minister could lead to a general election, which would leave a number of Tories with slim majorities vulnerable to losing their seats.

There is no requirement for a new leader to hold a general election, but Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said previous handovers had taken place in “different times”.

She tweeted: “Blair as example of why we won’t need GE is wrong. It was yonks ago Blair to Brown smooth pre-announced handover, no leadership election.

“Brown was still pressured to go, bottled it and then lost. V different times pre rolling 24hr news / social media.”