The
Metropolitan Police have further delayed the publication of
Sue Gray’spartygate report, prompting furious outrage on Twitter.
The police have asked for
“minimal reference” to the parties they are investigating to be included into the
senior civil servant’s report, even though the internal probe was due for publication this week.
The Met said: “For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report.
“The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed, but we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation.”
Just two days ago, a Whitehall official
told POLITICO’s Alex Wickham: “The report would be out in full by now if the Met hadn’t charged in.
“It’s caused no end of complicated issues and the report may now have to look quite different.”
It’s now believed the report will now be stripped of details
of the “number of” parties being investigated by the Met.
The police actually
refused to investigate the alleged parties for several weeks, claiming they did look at
“retrospective breaches” of Covid rules and that there was an absence of evidence.
The new probe was reportedly launched once Gray passed evidence of criminal activity to the Met.
Understandably,
many members of the general public are frustrated at the prolonged wait of the report especially as the Cabinet Office’s internal inquiry was said to have been completed earlier this week.
Here’s a round-up of the most scathing reactions to this fresh delay on Twitter:
The Met:
We’re not going to investigate
We’re not going to investigate
We’re not going to investigate
We’re not going to investigate
*Sue Gray hands over all the piles of evidence*
The Met
Ok we’ll investigate, but you can’t say shit
— James Felton (@JimMFelton)
January 28, 2022
I wonder why the Metropolitan Police refused to launch an investigation into No. 10 parties despite overwhelming evidence, and then only did so at exactly the right moment to sabotage a potentially highly damaging report.
It is a real mystery!
pic.twitter.com/9pV3B151m8 — Owen Jones ? (@OwenJones84)
January 28, 2022
MET 2021: not important enough to investigate, happened too long ago.
MET 2022: too important for even Parliament to see.
#PartyGate — Shelagh Fogarty ? (@ShelaghFogarty)
January 28, 2022
I am not a criminal lawyer so perhaps I am missing something. How would a factual civil service report about events the police is investigating "prejudice" their investigation?
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1)
January 28, 2022
I am a criminal lawyer, and I too must be missing something, because there is no reason I can see as to why an independent police criminal investigation would in any way be influenced by, or would seek to influence, a civil service report.
https://t.co/OzjYPIq0kh — The Secret Barrister (@BarristerSecret)
January 28, 2022
Met position unfathomable: first, nothing to see here. Then, after Sue Gray conducts a proper investigation, they big foot a report which would have laid bare Covid rule-breaking under the noses of the coppers in Downing Street. Am I missing something?
— Lionel Barber (@lionelbarber)
January 28, 2022
You know there’s something rotten when criminal offences at the heart of government would be better investigated by the Met Office than the Met.
— Count Binface (@CountBinface)
January 28, 2022
Good job the Met Police didn't investigate straight away like they should have, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to help me out by covering up Sue Gray's report like this.
#SueGrayReport — Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP)
January 28, 2022
This is absolute nonsense from the Met Police
A purely factual report by Sue Gray cannot possibly prejudice a police investigation
They just have to follow the evidence, of which the report will be a part
https://t.co/RrRLe5BEYq — nazir afzal (@nazirafzal)
January 28, 2022
Johnson's ability to sully & corrupt everything & everyone he comes in to contact with has now extended to the Metropolitan Police.
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob)
January 28, 2022
If you wanted to save Johnson you'd publish the Gray report without the damaging stuff and the Met would carry out (then drop) a half baked investigation into the damaging stuff. 1/2
https://t.co/SbbEZi8X17 — Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham)
January 28, 2022
The Sue Gray report must be published in full and undoctored without further delay.
This UK government farce has gone on long enough. People are understandably concerned that this increasingly looks like a cover-up.
— Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP)
January 28, 2022
Perhaps not the main point, but surely the Met have skin in the game here too, given that this seems to have played out under the noses of their own officers. There’s an argument to say the Met should be nowhere near it
https://t.co/PlBoRSkCTV — Jennifer Williams (@JenWilliamsMEN)
January 28, 2022
This stinks!! I hope someone leaks the entire report. It’s in the public interest that we know everything that went on.
— Andrew Quinn (@AndrewEQuinn)
January 28, 2022
Have the Met arrested anyone?
No
Are proceedings imminent?
No
This looks like a desperate, cavalier interpretation of Contempt of Court Act 1981
https://t.co/9NzyMo84AB — Liz Saville Roberts AS/MP ??????? (@LSRPlaid)
January 28, 2022
BREAKING: Cressida Dick with injury time winner for govt.
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews)
January 28, 2022
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