PM Says Public Must Move On From Partygate Scandal

Gray report lays bare drunkenness and abuse at illegal events

- Rob Merrick

Boris Johnson has told the public to "move on" from the Partygate scandal, despite Sue Gray's report revealing drunkenness, vomiting and damage at the illegal events, and the abuse of cleaners who objected to them.

The long-awaited report sparked fresh calls for the prime minister to quit and also left key unanswered questions - after he twice refused to say what happened at the so-called "Abba party" in his own flat. It also revealed that Mr Johnson's former private secretary, Martin Reynolds, was urged to cancel the "BYOB party" staged in the No 10 garden, although no there was no evidence that the prime minister was warned.

But senior cabinet ministers rallied around the PM and only one further Tory MP, Julian Sturdy, broke ranks to call for Mr Johnson to resign, boosting Downing Street's confidence that he will survive the scandal. One message sent by Mr Reynolds to another aide and revealed in the report - noting "we seem to have got away with" the BYOB event - appeared to also epitomise how the danger to Mr Johnson has ebbed away.

In the Commons, the prime minister said he was "humbled" by the findings, but defended his decision to attend leaving events for hard-working staff to "keep morale as high as possible". He argued they had only broken Covid rules after he left - pointing to the fact that he had not been fined for brief appearances - and repeated that he believed they were “work events”.