Scottish National Party leader Ian Blackford: ‘Nobody will accept a cover-up
When Scotland Yard announced days ago that it would open an investigation into the parties held in Downing Street in defiance of anti-Covid rules, opponents of Prime Minister Boris Johnson thought they had found a new ally. But Scotland Yard has instead asked Sue Gray, the government official investigating the partygate, to water down her report by deleting names and circumstances under investigation by the police until they are over. And it could take months.
Cressida Dick, the controversial chief of the world’s most famous police force and the first lesbian to take office by declaring her gender, has become one of Boris Johnson’s best allies, effectively helping to cover up an investigation that could have cost him his seat. The police called for a “minimal reference” to “relevant events” to be made in the report in order to “protect the integrity of police investigations” and be “as fair as possible towards those subject to investigation. “.
Sue Gray’s report was eagerly awaited, because the rectitude of the official who was entrusted with the government investigation into repeated violations of the confinement rules in the seat of government is known. The most sensational was that of the party organized in June 2020 by the premier’s wife to celebrate her husband’s 56th birthday, an event of which Johnson cannot justify himself by saying that he knew nothing about it or that it was a government meeting.
Scotland Yard has demanded that the names of the officials involved not be disclosed until the police investigation is concluded. Violations of the anti covid rules require the suspect to be sent some written questions to which he will have to answer to justify himself. If the answers are not deemed sufficient to clear him, the offender will be fined. If he refuses to pay the mule he can be brought before a judge. It is a procedure that will take time and that will probably absolve most of the politicians who enjoyed themselves and toasted, not without first ordering ordinary people to stay indoors and pubs to close shops. Gray instead questioned people directly, asked them to view the entry and exit logs, noted every name and every detail.
Many protests against Cressida Dick, whose mandate is about to expire. Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope accused Scotland Yard of “abuse of power”. “I don’t think it’s any of their business,” he told the BBC. This is a cabinet investigation that has ended and the results of which have been shared – I don’t know why – with the Metropolitan Police. Now the Metropolitan Police seem to interfere both in the content of the report and by trying to prevent its publication in an uncensored form ».
Scottish National Party leader Ian Blackford tweeted: ‘No one will accept a cover-up. If the UK government refuses to publish the full report it will prove, once again, that Westminster is completely corrupt and irreparable. It won’t save Boris Johnson’s skin. It will only increase the need for him to leave. ‘ Former Prime Minister Theresa May also wanted to emphasize that “no one is above the law”.
Many MPs who hoped to get rid of Johnson asked Gray to make the report in its entirety known immediately, but the official is required to deliver it directly to the premier. Maybe it will do it this weekend, but it will take a few days before it becomes public. The conspirators who were already plotting to replace their leader after the publication of the Gray report had already found a surprise candidate to join the names of Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Sajid Javid: it is Tom Tugendhat, a former veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, longtime enemy of the premier.
As do the leaders in difficulty on the internal front, Johnson has also decided to commit himself to the external one: in a few days he will leave for Ukraine and will then telephone the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to persuade him to abandon his war intentions. A diversionary move, but upon returning to his homeland Johnson will find the problems exactly as he left them.
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