Carrot writer, Zainab Iqbal explains all of the events so far of Partygate.

What is Partygate?

Partygate is an ongoing political scandal surrounding illegal social gatherings in Prime Minister’s Number 10 office that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 while lockdown restrictions were in place.

The Timeline:

Who is Sue Gray?

Sue Gray is the cabinet office’s second permanent secretary, responsible for supporting the prime minister (PM) and coordinating his work. Currently, she is in charge of the investigation that is looking into the allegations that Downing Street broke the lockdown rules that they themselves set.

Her job is to establish the facts about what actually occurred, if she does decide that rules were broken, then the police will become more heavily involved. This is not the first time we’ve seen Gray investigate the powerful and privileged. Former PM Theresa May asked her to investigate Damian Green, a Conservative MP, over allegations of explicit images on his computer in the Commons. 

How did Partygate come to light? 

Leaked footage of Downing Street staffer Allegra Stratton rehearsing a press conference with her  colleagues brought Partygate into the forefront. Ed Oldfield, a Downing Street advisor, asked her whether or not the PM would ‘condone a cheese and wine party’ in Downing Street. Stratton was depicted stumbling over her answer, laughing and responding “Is cheese and wine all right? It was a business meeting…and it was not socially distanced.”

Once uncovered by Pippa Crerar, the political editor of the Daily Mirror, Stratton hastily handed in her resignation. So far, she is the only person to resign as a direct result of the Partygate scandal. 

Some time after this video came to light, ITV released an email sent from Martin Reynolds, the Prime Minister’s private secretary, inviting around 100 staff members for ‘socially distanced drinks’. Johnson and his wife were reportedly among the 40 people who attended the ‘bring your own booze’ event, despite the lockdown rules banning people from meeting more than one person outdoors. The PM later “categorically” denied knowing about the event beforehand or receiving warnings that it breached the rules he set for the public. During the following Prime Minister’s questions in parliament, he insisted he believed it was a work event. 

PM’s spokesman says this pic shows a “work meeting” in “normal post-work hours” in May 2020. He says Carrie Johnson was there because it’s “her garden” but he “won’t get into” her level of security clearance. pic.twitter.com/ATO9SJX3SS

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) December 20, 2021

Calls for resignation and what would happen if Johnson has to resign?

The PM is facing calls to resign from all corners: the general public, members of parliament, and even some of his own party. Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, has repeatedly called for Johnson’s resignation throughout this entire scandal. Now some members of the Conservative party have joined these calls.

Conservative MP Christian Wakeford has defected to the Labour party over the incident. In a letter to Johnson he said: “You and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves.”

His departure came as Conservative MP David Davis said he had spent weeks defending Johnson to “angry constituents” but was no longer going to do so. In reference to the PM’s interview, Davis said he expected leaders to “shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take”, but “he did the opposite of that”. 

Johnson has so far made it clear that he does not plan to resign from his position. However, if the situation arises, Tory MPs and members will choose a new leader via a leadership contest; so without an election, there will be a new PM. In comparison, if MPs were to topple Johnson, the process is more complicated.  A vote of no confidence would be triggered if 15% (54) of Tory MPs send a letter to the 1922 committee calling for the process to begin. If Johnson loses that vote, there would be a conservative leadership election to find his replacement.  

The Metropolitan Police and their response:

Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, announced in late January that the police were now investigating a “number of events” for potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations. While speaking in the Commons during PMQs, the PM said he welcomes the Met’s decision, believing it will “help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters”. 

At this stage, there is no estimate for how long its investigation will take, although sources have told Sky News it will take “weeks, not days”.

Sue Gray’s report:

The timing of Sue Gray’s report publication had been thrown into doubt after the Metropolitan Police requested for ‘minimal reference’ to the events it is investigating. In its latest statement, the force says it had not asked for any “limitations” or “for the report to be delayed”, but also commented that investigators had spoken with the Cabinet Office to “avoid any prejudice”. At time of publishing, Sue Gray’s updated report has been released to the public. Carrot will be following this article with an in-depth piece on the report, its reactions, and what it means for the Prime Minister.