MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams, has called on Conservative MPs to ‘find a backbone and sack Boris Johnson’ after the Prime Minister made a statement on the Sue Gray report in the House of Commons.

 

The long-awaited report into Downing Street parties was published this afternoon and found ‘failures of leadership and judgement’ over the parties that ‘should not have been allowed’.

In her report on the partygate row, Sue Gray said the Downing Street garden was “used for gatherings without clear authorisation or oversight” and “this was not appropriate”.

But she was unable to provide meaningful findings because the police were now investigating at least 12 gatherings linked to government properties in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Speaking in the House of Commons today (Monday 31 January), Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams said: “Whatever the Police decide, this ‘update’ – severely limited as it is – would be enough to persuade any other Prime Minister to resign.

“This Prime Minister could resign and salvage himself a crumb or two of honour. Or he may try to delay and take his party down with him.

“So, Mr Speaker, is it not clear that with notable exceptions, his backbenchers should discover their backbones and sack him?”

Boris Johnson responded: “I must really ask him to look at the report properly and also to wait for the inquiry when it comes.”

Responding to the release of the Sue Gray update, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “This watered-down update is hugely disappointing. Everyone knows Boris Johnson broke the rules and then lied to the country. It’s time Welsh Conservative Members of Parliament stood by their duty to their constituents and stood up for decency by sacking Boris Johnson. He must go before he does our country any more harm.

“Welsh Members of the Senedd should also call for Johnson to resign.

“Many of the Welsh Conservative MPs and MSs stated they will wait to see what is in Sue Gray’s report, now it is here, albeit, in redacted form, it is time for them to take action.

“The Prime Minister cannot continue to lead with any creditability amongst the population should he decide to struggle on.”

The Metropolitan police has revealed it has received 300 images and 500 pages of documents about the partygate allegations from the Sue Gray inquiry. It is working “at pace” to contact people present, who may face a fine, it said.