Sue Gray's report

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Sue Gray's report

Postby rebbonk » Wed May 25, 2022 2:25 pm

Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
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Re: Sue Gray's report

Postby dutchman » Thu May 26, 2022 12:13 am

Bereaved Warwickshire mother shares anger over Partygate report

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A mother whose son died during the Covid-19 pandemic has described her anger as the prime minister again apologised for rule-breaking parties during lockdown.

Sue Gray's inquiry has found events held in Downing Street "should not have been allowed to happen".

Louise Bennett's son, Fred, 14, who had leukaemia, died during the pandemic.

The mother, from Dunchurch in Warwickshire, said she felt fury as she watched the news unfold.

Fred was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the condition in 2019 and when the pandemic began was an inpatient at Birmingham Children's Hospital and later at Great Ormond Street.

Mrs Bennett said the diagnosis had been "a real shock".

The restrictions had a horrendous impact on her family, she said, as they wanted to keep Fred safe.

"The restrictions meant that although myself and my husband could be with him, the rest of our family couldn't," she said.

On 3 May 2020, Fred died and Mrs Bennett said they were "flung out" into lockdown.

"We weren't able to meet with family, we had to organise his funeral but there was no possibility for an indoor funeral," she said.

"The church was closed so he had an outdoor burial in the churchyard and there were 10 of us present, we couldn't even fit our entire family in the service."

Fred's funeral was held on 13 May, the day before one of the Downing Street parties.

Mrs Bennett said it was difficult to put her reaction to the news of the gatherings into words.

"It is just so tiring to continually hear this onslaught of excuses and justifications and mitigations," she said.

"The anger just doesn't dissipate because there is no responsibility, there is no accountability, and it is really hard to take anything they say seriously."

She said she does not forgive Mr Johnson, who is facing calls to resign.

"I don't see how he can ask to be forgiven because that requires some contrition and that is not something he has shown," Mrs Bennett added.

"We are not going to be able to move on, it is not a case of saying that it is done and dusted, let's just forget about the whole thing because those scars and that trauma and those memories are still very real," she said.

"What all grieving people need is to be heard and understood and we fundamentally have not had that from anyone in the government."

:bbc_news:
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Re: Sue Gray's report

Postby dutchman » Sun May 29, 2022 3:51 am

Boris Johnson accused of acting like a 'tinpot despot' over partygate cover-up claims

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Boris Johnson is facing twin allegations of a partygate cover-up, with opposition leaders accusing him of "behaving like a tinpot despot".

The Liberal Democrats claim reports that Downing Street put pressure on Sue Gray to dilute her report reveal an attempt to cover up "lies and law-breaking".

And Labour is to force a Commons vote on a move by the prime minister to re-write the ministerial code, which deputy leader Angela Rayner claims will "give a green light to corruption".

Responding to a Sunday Times report on the Gray report, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP said: "This looks like another disgraceful attempt by Boris Johnson and the Conservatives to cover up for their lies and law-breaking.

"The Privileges Committee must immediately look into the supposed interference into the publication of the Sue Gray report. If the government really did alter the report, the British public should be told the truth."

In its report, The Sunday Times claims: "Sources, both political and civil service, say Gray was lobbied on Tuesday evening to make changes by three senior civil servants.

"They urged her not to publish the names of some of those who had attended the 12 law-breaking parties. Other changes were also requested to passages in the report that made reference to Carrie Johnson, the prime minister's wife.

"Gray told them to 'instruct' her to make the changes - a move that would have required a senior minister to sign off amendments, signalling publicly that the revisions had been made against her will."

The Sunday Times claims that up to 30 people had been contacted by Ms Gray telling them she intended to name them, but only 15 people were named in the final report.

It adds that details concerning the 'Abba night' party, which it is claimed was held in the prime minister's flat on 13 November 2020, were altered.

Labour, meanwhile, has committed to using an opposition day in the Commons to debate ministerial standards after Mr Johnson amended the ministerial code so ministers would not always have to resign for breaching it.

Ms Rayner claimed: "Boris Johnson is behaving like a tinpot despot and is trampling all over the principles of public life.

"Many decent Conservative MPs are deeply uncomfortable with Johnson's behaviour and they now have the chance to stop his sinister attempts at watering down standards and integrity in our democracy.

:sky_news:
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Re: Sue Gray's report

Postby dutchman » Sun May 29, 2022 3:53 am

I've read the original Sunday Times article but I haven't linked to it here because a) It's behind a paywall and b) It meanders all over the place.
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Re: Sue Gray's report

Postby rebbonk » Sun May 29, 2022 12:19 pm

It is rare that I would agree with Angela Rayner, but I think she's spot on here. Johnson is an absolute disgrace and his behaviour totally unacceptable to anyone who actually cares about what passes for democracy in this country.
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