For a few hours after the Metropolitan Police said they were investigating Downing Street parties, some fans of Boris Johnson in Westminster allowed themselves to believe it might be good news for him. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson noted that Cabinet Office Officer Sue Gray may not be able to publish her full report until the police investigation is over, delaying it for weeks or even months.
With many Conservative MPs saying they will wait until he informs Gray before deciding whether to act against Johnson, could police investigations buy time for the prime minister during which foreign events such as the one in Ukraine could divert attention from Downing Street parties ? It’s always been a long shot but even that part of hope was snatched away in the late afternoon when it became clear that the Met Police couldn’t find a reason to delay Gray, and neither did.
Gray has been in contact with the police throughout her investigation and it was her revelations that convinced them to open an investigation. Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said they had only begun retroactive investigations into the «most serious and flagrant breach» of coronavirus regulations.
This pulls the rug out from under one of the central arguments in Johnson’s defense – that any rule-breaking in Downing Street was not serious enough to warrant his resignation. It also removes any doubt about the extent of the damage Gray’s findings would do to Johnson and his government.
News of the police investigation came hours after it was reported that Johnson’s wife Carrie, decorator Lulu Little and as many as 30 others attended a birthday party for him in the Cabinet Room during the lockdown. Conservative MPs are increasingly weary of a scandal that has seen new discoveries on at least a weekly basis, and some fear more bombing after Gray’s reports.
The police have stronger investigative powers and resources than the Cabinet Office, so they are likely to provide more detail than Gray and their investigation will ensure the Downing Street parties stay in the news. Johnson may have hoped to put an end to the scandal by publishing the Gray report, apologizing profusely, firing some Downing Street employees and appointing some new aides to facilitate the government’s reset.
The police investigation made that impossible because it meant that Gray’s report wouldn’t be the end of the story and Johnson’s MPs might soon conclude that the quickest path to lockdown is by drawing a line under his premiership.