The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most difficult times in living memory. It’s been a time of great loss and mourning, of seclusion, restriction, and isolation. These feelings have only been compounded by recent revelations that our Government, those who enforced restrictions on the nation and implored us to keep each other safe, were throwing parties and hosting gatherings while 100’s of people were losing their lives daily.
Sue Gray's findings
Since the beginning of “partygate”, an Inquiry has been underway to find out the extent of what went on. The news has been dominated by allegations of the Prime Minister and his staff enjoying casual get-togethers and drunken parties, all during times when social gatherings were banned under strict lockdown rules.
Now, Sue Grey’s comprehensive report has been made available to the public and the findings only reinforce the need for the official launch of the Public Inquiry.
The 48-page report includes heavy criticism of the leadership at Number 10 and includes pictures and names of some of the people who attended the 16 events under investigation. As suspected, Sue Gray concluded that regardless of ‘initial intent’, many of the events were in direct breach of the Covid guidance at the time.
Who has been named in the report?
Now that the Met's investigation has concluded, Sue Gray has released the names of some of those in attendance at the gatherings to the public. They include, but are not limited to:
- Boris Johnson, Prime Minister
- Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary
- Cleo Watson, a former No.10 special adviser
- Dominic Cummings, the PM's former chief adviser
- Lee Cain, the PM's former communications chief
- James Slack, another former director of communications
- Martin Reynolds, the PM's former principal private secretary
- Helen MacNamara, a former ethics chief at the Cabinet Office
Representatives of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, represented by Broudie Jackson Canter in the Covid Inquiry, said:
“Whilst the country had one of the highest death rates in the world from Covid-19, they were celebrating over Cheese and Wine and drinking themselves sick over a Karaoke machine. When they refused to learn lessons and allowed the virus to run riot in the second wave, killing more people than it had in the first, they instead prioritised Secret Santa. […] They should know that just as we will never forget being apart from those closest to us whilst they passed away or having to hold miserable funerals with only a handful of people, millions will never forgive them for the disrespect they've shown."
Nicola Brook, Associate Director and Solicitor for Major Inquests at Broudie Jackson Canter commented:
“This week Sue Gray released her long-awaited report into “alleged gatherings” on Government premises. It is clear those gatherings are no longer simply “alleged” they are well established. It is also clear that those responsible knew those gatherings would be considered a breach of the guidelines, breaches which in their own words they thought they had 'got away with'. Mr Johnson has defended those gatherings by saying his staff were working hard. I can find nothing in guidance that permitted gatherings that would otherwise be prohibited, so long as those attending had been working hard.
“I’m sure all those who risked their lives on a daily basis to work on a frontline were equally deserving of a party, but they followed the rules as they were expected to. The disdain this Government holds us in is clear for all to see. An apology will not do. It will not comfort those who were unable to say goodbye to loved ones in person. It will not relieve the trauma of attending funerals alone. It will not give any of us confidence that this Government will act in our best interests or with the honesty and integrity we have every right to expect.”
What happens now?
It remains to be seen what the next steps will be after the revelations of the Sue Grey report, however what is known is that guidelines were not followed, by the people who set those guidelines in the first place.
We will continue to campaign for the immediate start of the Covid Inquiry. The Prime Minister is considering Chair Baroness Hallett's recommendations for the Terms of Reference, which we are imploring him to accept in full.
If you’ve lost a loved one to Covid, it isn’t too late to join the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group and be part of this Inquiry. We are fighting for core participation status and striving to ensure that the bereaved families will be at the heart of this Inquiry, where they belong.
Visit our Covid Inquiry FAQ page for answers to some of our commonly asked questions surrounding the Inquiry, next steps, how to instruct free legal representation and more.