{"id":489034,"date":"2022-01-28T15:06:31","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T15:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1548348"},"modified":"2022-01-28T15:06:31","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T15:06:31","slug":"no-10-and-met-police-accused-of-a-stitch-up-over-last-minute-partygate-intervention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/01\/28\/no-10-and-met-police-accused-of-a-stitch-up-over-last-minute-partygate-intervention\/","title":{"rendered":"No 10 and Met Police accused of a \u2018stitch up\u2019 over last minute partygate intervention"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"speechkit-player\"><\/div><p>Scotland Yard\u2019s intervention to urge Sue Gray to limit the publication of her investigation into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Number 10 has faced widespread criticism and fury. It&#8217;s also sparked accusations of corruption at the highest levels:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"KFU6kxoM2uDvwICAnEPTtLzY8dG17jhs3frl9qcgp\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A stitch up between the Met leadership and Number 10 will damage our politics for generations and it looks like it is happening right in front of our eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ed Davey MP <img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.1\/72x72\/1f536.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udd36\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> <img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.1\/72x72\/1f1ec-1f1e7.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> <img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.1\/72x72\/1f1ea-1f1fa.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> (@EdwardJDavey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EdwardJDavey\/status\/1487010401913085954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<h5>The Met scratching the PM&#8217;s back?<\/h5>\n<p>The Metropolitan Police asked the senior civil servant to only make \u201cminimal reference\u201d to the events that are now subject to a criminal investigation, throwing her report into disarray and potentially buying more time for Boris Johnson as he faces a threat to his leadership. The force argued the constraints on the Cabinet Office report are necessary to \u201cavoid any prejudice to our investigation\u201d, meaning it faces being watered down or a lengthy delay.<\/p>\n<p><!-- EMBED END StreamAMG --><\/p>\n<p>Ken Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions (DPP), said the move seems \u201cdisproportionate\u201d in the face of \u201cvery powerful\u201d public interest in the report\u2019s swift publication, unless there is \u201cmore serious conduct\u201d being investigated. Others have also questioned the situation:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"pQZXK2tfhI1lCB4cdPKyGz31xbDrH5949tzWU8x72jlYV7bRNJsLwSEPqqdpvv3mwrSMsD6AVyCiFfM\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lawyers question how publishing partygate report could prejudice police probe.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/partygate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#partygate<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/DowningStreetParty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#DowningStreetParty<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zJFjzlHPEl\">https:\/\/t.co\/zJFjzlHPEl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Canary (@TheCanaryUK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheCanaryUK\/status\/1487018712955822085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Veteran Tory MP Roger Gale, one of the Conservatives to call for Johnson\u2019s resignation, described it as a \u201cfarce\u201d which could buy more time for the \u201clame duck\u201d prime minister. Gale described the police intervention as \u201cridiculous\u201d, saying:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Unless there is a legal barrier to Sue Gray publishing her report then I believe that it should be published now and in full.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Tory argued the soaring cost of living and Russian aggression towards Ukraine require Johnson\u2019s \u201cfull and undivided attention\u201d, but instead he is \u201ca lame duck Prime Minister that is soldiering on\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Opposition politicians warned of a \u201cstitch-up\u201d amid growing calls for the official report into potential coronavirus (Covid-19) breaches in Downing Street and wider government to be published in full, with it having the potential to trigger a vote of no confidence in Johnson.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"6CYGbjNDBcIq7\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;It&#39;s an utter fiasco and it&#39;s got to stop.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Sir Ed Davey says Number 10 has &quot;behaved appallingly&quot; and delays to the publishing of Sue Gray&#39;s report &quot;make it seem a lot, lot worse.&quot;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/X465C2tExm\">https:\/\/t.co\/X465C2tExm<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.1\/72x72\/1f4fa.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udcfa\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kzE2gjlATt\">pic.twitter.com\/kzE2gjlATt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SkyNews\/status\/1487078448195674114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a statement on the morning of Friday 28 January, Scotland Yard said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The statement indicates Gray will either have to make significant changes to her report before publication or delay it until after the police inquiry concludes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"eyI14AwRxVjP0HchOQNbO86fJspEd3qCz9Y6uiluWDdKQV7UUMMear7fmXG2YTCSHL8Bp5s5\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&#39;s not just Boris Johnson who would likely have been implicated by Sue Gray&#39;s report, but the Metropolitan Police too. We already know Downing Street police officers spoke to Gray about what they saw at the time yet the Met took no action. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1lvSoJWdrv\">https:\/\/t.co\/1lvSoJWdrv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AdamBienkov\/status\/1487047923850489856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"qwPlL\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Completely unsurprising that the Met police commissioner Cressida Dick has effectively gagged Sue Gray\u2019s report into parties at Number 10. A crude cover up. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BorisMustGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BorisMustGo<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zOYsGW3kQ7\">pic.twitter.com\/zOYsGW3kQ7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HackneyAbbott\/status\/1487030428808720384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- EMBED START Image --><\/p>\n<figure id=\"embedded264021140\"><img src=\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/909917a1752f7d3f66b6039f7f78b34eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ1Njk2\/2.64021140.jpg?w=640\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/909917a1752f7d3f66b6039f7f78b34eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ1Njk2\/2.64021140.jpg?w=320 320w, https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/909917a1752f7d3f66b6039f7f78b34eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ1Njk2\/2.64021140.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/909917a1752f7d3f66b6039f7f78b34eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ1Njk2\/2.64021140.jpg?w=1280 1280w\" alt=\"Cressida Dick\" data-title=\"Matt Ratana memorial\" data-copyright-holder=\"PA Wire\" data-copyright-notice=\"PA Wire\/PA Images\" data-credit=\"Victoria Jones\" data-usage-terms=\"\" \/><figcaption>Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick\u2019s officers have opened a criminal probe (Victoria Jones\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- EMBED END Image --><\/p>\n<h5>Cressida Dick<\/h5>\n<p>In 2021, Dick denied the Metropolitan Police Force was &#8220;institutionally corrupt&#8221; following an eight-year probe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/crime\/daniel-morgan-report-met-police-cressida-dick-b1866460.html\">that found<\/a> the force to be institutionally corrupt. Johnson has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2022\/jan\/06\/boris-johnson-accused-corruption-great-exhibition-text-flat-refurb\">been accused<\/a> of &#8220;corruption&#8221;, and in 2021 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2021\/sep\/09\/cressida-dicks-term-as-met-chief-will-soon-be-extended-say-sources\">backed Dick<\/a> to remain in her position despite considerable backlash. Labour leader Keir Starmer has also come out in support of Dick:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"HowyFtQDg6v4Xmbh1xzEKNIAB\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Keir Starmer says he doesn&#39;t think Cressida Dick should resign, while home office source says Priti Patel has full confidence in her. Seems the immediate heat is off, but still major questions to be answered.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PaulBrandITV\/status\/1371137122250457097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 14, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>At the point when Johnson defended her continued position, Starmer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.camdennewjournal.co.uk\/article\/starmer-hands-his-solid-support-to-under-fire-met-police-commissioner\">said<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Cressida Dick is fit to continue<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This was after the probe found the Met to be institutionally corrupt under Dick (and before her). Starmer added:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I\u2019ve worked with Cressida over many years in relation to some very serious operations when I was director of public prosecutions. I was pleased that her contract was extended and I support her.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h5>&#8220;A bit of a mystery&#8221;<\/h5>\n<p>Lord Macdonald said there is a \u201cvery powerful public interest in the speedy publication\u201d of the Gray report, arguing that although it could \u201ctip off\u201d potential suspects or witnesses, they are likely to be issued with fixed penalty notices not requiring a trial. He told <em>BBC Radio 4\u2019s<\/em> the <em>World at One<\/em> programme:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I very much doubt that anything that Sue Gray says is going to come as any great surprise to any of the protagonists so it\u2019s all a bit of a mystery<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>He conceded that if she found, for example, the \u201cco-ordinated deletion of emails or text messages, this could raise the stakes\u201d requiring the police to have more space. He concluded:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But absent of that sort of factor \u2013 and that\u2019s pure speculation \u2013 this does seem to be a very cautious, perhaps overly cautious, move by the Met in the face of a very powerful countervailing public interest for publication.<\/p>\n<p>Unless there is some other more serious conduct in play here that we\u2019re not aware of, I do think the police approach this morning has been surprising and in many ways quite unhelpful.<\/p>\n<p>The risk of the police intervention this morning is that this leaves things hanging in the air for weeks and months and that seems obviously not to be in the public interest.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sources close to the inquiry have previously indicated Gray was concerned about the prospect of releasing a report that was shorn of some of its key findings, raising the likelihood of a significant delay. Officers have not confirmed how many events they are investigating, but reports have suggested it could be as high as eight.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"QNG5ozlwufLOVnMICeYayP7DTbHs9kiXhvRmcr018EBtJ2qFgZjUd6AxK\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">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 &quot;prejudice&quot; their investigation?<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AdamWagner1\/status\/1486980442641285120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- EMBED START Twitter --><\/p>\n<figure>\n<h5>&#8220;A circus&#8221;<\/h5>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!-- EMBED END Twitter --><\/p>\n<p>Government minister Chris Philp said \u201cbetween Sue Gray\u2019s report and the police investigation, everything will be fully covered\u201d, insisting to broadcasters that \u201cthe Government aren\u2019t interfering with it\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Labour leader Starmer, another former DPP, called for the full report to be published \u201cas soon as possible\u201d but failed to criticise the Met, saying \u201cany issues of prejudice have got to be worked through\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Fran Hall, whose husband served in the police for more than three decades before dying with coronavirus, accused the Met of letting bereaved families down as the Gray inquiry becomes \u201ca circus\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><!-- EMBED START Image --><\/p>\n<figure id=\"embedded264396799\"><img src=\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/87a8e67362519b74f17106eed83f0528Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ0NDIx\/2.64396799.jpg?w=640\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/87a8e67362519b74f17106eed83f0528Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ0NDIx\/2.64396799.jpg?w=320 320w, https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/87a8e67362519b74f17106eed83f0528Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ0NDIx\/2.64396799.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/87a8e67362519b74f17106eed83f0528Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjQzNDQ0NDIx\/2.64396799.jpg?w=1280 1280w\" alt=\"Sue Gray\" data-title=\"Government gatherings\" data-copyright-holder=\"PA Media\" data-copyright-notice=\"PA Media\" data-credit=\"GOV.UK\" data-usage-terms=\"PICTURE DESK USE ONLY. NO SALES\" \/><figcaption>Sue Gray\u2019s report remains awaited (Gov.uk\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- EMBED END Image --><\/p>\n<h5>&#8220;Painful&#8221;<\/h5>\n<p>The spokesperson for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019s incredibly painful and they have let families like mine down. My husband was completely committed to justice, and he would have been appalled by this.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called for the report to be published \u201cin full and undoctored without further delay\u201d. He added:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>People are understandably concerned that this increasingly looks like a cover-up.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Nazir Afzal, a former chief Crown prosecutor for the North West, said:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"HksfkXYCuOsliF3w2dGT06b1ZzpWPQ95xjeL8zNR6aci1OUH5trn7KMq7vhE4gAoVPbeYUqdTx4uNfmRj0cF8VKnlIBmtQghLS\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is absolute nonsense from the Met Police<br \/>A purely factual report by Sue Gray cannot possibly prejudice a police investigation<br \/>They just have to follow the evidence, of which the report will be a part <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RrRLe5BEYq\">https:\/\/t.co\/RrRLe5BEYq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nazirafzal\/status\/1486988830154629133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- EMBED START Twitter --><\/p>\n<figure><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/figure>\n<p><!-- EMBED END Twitter --><\/p>\n<p>Downing Street said it had not had any conversations with the Met or the Cabinet office over what can be published.<\/p>\n<p>So far seven Tory MPs have publicly called for Johnson to quit, but others are believed to have done so privately in letters to the chairman of the Conservatives\u2019 1922 Committee. If the number of letters received by Graham Brady hits 54, representing 15% of all Tory MPs, then a vote of no confidence in the prime minister\u2019s leadership is triggered.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson would have to then win the support of half of Conservative MPs in order to stay in No 10.<\/p>\n<p>By <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/author\/thecanary\/\">The Canary<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/uk\/news\/2022\/01\/28\/no-10-and-met-police-accused-of-a-stitch-up-over-last-minute-partygate-intervention\/\">The Canary<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scotland Yard\u2019s intervention to urge Sue Gray to limit the publication of her investigation into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Number 10 has faced \u2026 <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/uk\/news\/2022\/01\/28\/no-10-and-met-police-accused-of-a-stitch-up-over-last-minute-partygate-intervention\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<\/a><\/div>\n<p>By <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/author\/thecanary\/\">The Canary<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1541,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[189,338,14301,118,5626,4,1834,40644,1395,11225],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489034"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1541"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489034"}],"version-history":[{"count":186,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":508560,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489034\/revisions\/508560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}