Boris Johnson latest news: Sue Gray report delay may give PM time to spin
‘I really don’t know’: MP Thérèse Coffey unaware of when Sue Gray report will be published
Rebel Tory MPs are expressing concerns that delays to Sue Gray’s partygate report may give the prime minister time to spin the findings in his favour.
One told The Independent: “If they have it in their hands for three days before Boris has to make his statement to the House, there’s no doubt it’ll leak like a sieve and there’ll be an effort to control the narrative and suggest he’s in the clear.”
It comes as No 10 this afternoon announced they still haven’t been sent the hotly anticipated report.
“It remains our intention to publish swiftly as possible once we receive the findings, and as you know the PM has committed to providing a statement in the House to respond to those findings,” the prime minister’s spokesperson said.
“It’s always been the case we will aim to publish as swiftly as possible, we would obviously need to speak to the Speaker.
“We’re delving into hypotheticals… our intention would be to publish as quickly as possible.”
Partygate ‘twist’ expected this evening, says The Telegraph’s political editor
Emily Atkinson27 January 2022 19:51
Rebels fear delays to partygate report will give Boris Johnson time to spin it in his favour
Rebel Tory MPs are voicing concern that delays to Sue Gray’s crucial report on Downing Street parties may give Boris Johnson the chance to spin her findings in his favour.
They are worried that if she hands her report to No 10 on Friday – when Parliament is all but deserted as MPs visit their constituencies – the PM could delay publication to Monday while allies use the intervening time to plant stories in the weekend press putting the best possible gloss on its contents.
One told our political editor, Andrew Woodcock: “If they have it in their hands for three days before Boris has to make his statement to the House, there’s no doubt it’ll leak like a sieve and there’ll be an effort to control the narrative and suggest he’s in the clear.”
Emily Atkinson27 January 2022 19:45
Nadhim Zahawi ‘instrumental’ in securing controversial Greensill loans, says steel magnate
Steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta wrote to senior minister Nadhim Zahawi to thank him for his “instrumental” role in helping secure controversial loans from Greensill Capital, newly-published details have revealed.
The Gupta Family Group Alliance (GFG) obtained the emergency, government-backed Covid loans during from Greensill – the failed finance firm at the centre of a political scandal about David Cameron’s lobbying activities.
In October 2020 Mr Gupta sent a letter to Mr Zahawi, who was then a minister in the business department, to thank him for his “support” in obtaining the Greensill loans through the British Business Bank, according to a report in the Financial Times.
Adam Forrest has the story:
Emily Atkinson27 January 2022 19:30
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says £500,000 Australia trip was made on ‘government plane’
Following on from Simon Calder’s exclusive, which found the foreign secretary flew by private jet…
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