Sue Gray: Johnson focused on saving his own skin, Starmer sayson February 1, 2022 at 8:14 am

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of spending all of his time “saving his own skin” after a report on lockdown parties in No 10 blamed a “failure of leadership”.

Mr Johnson met with Tory MPs on Monday to reassure them about his leadership and promise a shake-up of No 10.

Labour leader Sir Keir said the PM had become distracted from key issues like the cost of living crisis.

Deputy PM Dominic Raab said Tory MPs “overwhelmingly” supported Mr Johnson.

Metropolitan Police officers are looking into 12 events for alleged breaches of lockdown rules, including three the PM reportedly attended and one in his flat.

In her partial report, released on Monday, senior civil servant Ms Gray said she had been “extremely limited” by the police investigation in how much she could say, so a “meaningful” report could not be released yet.

An updated report on lockdown parties in No 10 will be published by Ms Gray once police finish their inquiries, Downing Street has said.

A number of Conservative MPs had said they are waiting for Ms Gray’s full report to decide whether to try to remove the PM from office.

Mr Johnson addressed a meeting of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs on Monday evening, after which cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said the “mood was positive”.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Sir Keir said the Mr Johnson had become distracted by trying to save his own premiership.

He said: “So many people are worried about issues such as their energy bills, which are going through the roof, and the prime minister is spending all of his time saving his own skin.

“We now know that he had a meeting planned with the chancellor last week to discuss energy bills, but that was cancelled because he was having meetings to save his own job.”

It was only 12 pages, but there was one very damaging and difficult conclusion in the terse summary of Sue Gray’s report.

It is there now in black and white for all to see – there was rule breaking at the top of government when the country was living through lockdown.

The prime minister’s original claim that all the guidelines were followed seems almost farcical now.

Downing Street’s early dismissals of the claims, even some of Mr Johnson’s allies admit, now seem ill-advised. The Tory leader was savaged in the Commons, including by some of his own side, the disbelief and despair led by the former occupant of his address.

The publication, however, has not toppled over an overwhelming set of dominoes.

There are Conservative MPs who are incandescent. There is also a band of loyalists determined to help him stay on, almost whatever happens next.

Read more analysis here.

On Monday in the Commons, some of the PM’s backbenchers expressed support for him – but others issued stinging rebukes in light of the findings.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May asked if he had read or understood the Covid rules created by his government, or whether he “believed they did not apply” to No 10, while ex-cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell said the PM no longer had his support.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Raab told Times Radio: “On the specific issues Sue Gray cited, I think he has addressed all of those questions in a fulsome way and, frankly, at the political level, my experiences in the Chamber but also at the meeting of Conservative MPs – overwhelmingly MPs backing him, wanting to see us getting on with the job.

“The economy is firing, the vaccine rollout has been a spectacular success. People, and I think our constituents, want to see us getting on with the job.”