Ed Davey: Redacted partygate report will be 'Whitehall whitewash'

29 January 2022, 11:58

'Anything short of the full report would be a Whitehall whitewash'

The Liberal Democrats leader demands the full, unredacted version of Sue Gray's partygate report be published, claiming anything less 'wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on'.

Pressure mounts on the Prime Minister as MPs inside and outside of his party have called for the full publication of the Sue Gray partygate report, despite calls from the Met to redact some parts of it.

The top civil servant was due to publish her report on multiple alleged rule breaks in Downing Street during lockdown, but Dame Cressida Dick's announcement that the Met were set to investigate led to delays.

Read more: Iain Dale tears into 'utterly ridiculous' Met partygate investigation

"Anything short of the full report would be a Whitehall whitewash and it wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on", leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey told Matt Frei.

He demanded that the report is "published in full" and for it to be done "as soon as possible".

Read more: Tory MP: Sue Gray's partygate report '100%' should be published in full, despite Met pleas

In PM's interest to ensure full publication of Gray report

Read more: Sir Ed Davey: Tory MPs should 'push out' Boris Johnson if he won't himself go

He hit out at the delay to the report's publication, arguing that "we know [Sue Gray has] finished that report – why can't we see it?"

Matt pushed the Lib Dem leader: "Are you basically worried that the Prime Minister is getting away with it?"

"He's trying to, it's our job to make sure he doesn't" Mr Davey declared, going on to point out that his party have demanded accountability for some time.

He said that once the report is published, government backbenchers must asked serious questions of their leadership.

"Every single Conservative MP needs to look themselves in the mirror, read that report and ask 'is this man fit to be our Prime Minister?'"