Nadhim Zahawi refuses to say who called Boris Johnson meeting with Sue Gray

The UK training secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, has repeatedly refused to say who organised a meeting between Boris Johnson and prime civil servant Sue Gray, as Westminster awaits her report into lockdown events in Downing Street.

It has emerged that the pair met, with either side – No 10 and Gray’s group – denying they called the meeting.

Zahawi was requested repeatedly by Sophy Ridge on Sky News on Sunday who called for the meeting, and why; however he insisted he didn’t know.

“I don’t know the details of all the meetings that happen at No 10. What I do know is that the prime minister has never intervened in the investigation that Sue Gray has conducted. He’s always wanted her to go wherever the evidence takes her.”

Zahawi added: “I’ve worked with Sue Gray, I’ve known Sue Gray. I know she has the highest level of professionalism, and her integrity is unquestionable. She didn’t pull her punches in her first report.”

Pressed for additional particulars of the meeting between Gray and Johnson, Zahawi mentioned: “Meetings happen every day; my diary’s full of meetings. You can ask me a question, ‘who put this meeting in my diary … it will have gone in my diary because someone in my team would have thought this is the right thing to do.”

Asked once more on BBC’s Sunday Morning in regards to the meeting, Zahawi mentioned: “The prime minister meets his senior civil servants all the time. [Gray’s] also a senior civil servant responsible for levelling up.”

Acknowledging that Johnson is Gray’s final boss, he once more declined to say who had called the meeting, insisting: “I don’t believe that is material to the outcome of the investigation, because Sue Gray is professional and has the highest level of integrity.”

Gray’s report is anticipated to be printed this week, and up to 30 officers have been warned that they might be named straight, or be simply identifiable. These people have been given till 5pm on Sunday to reply.

These are anticipated to embrace the cupboard secretary, Simon Case, probably the most senior civil servant, who is considered a possible scapegoat regardless of not receiving a positive.

Gray was appointed to take over the investigation into events final December from Case himself, after he was revealed to have hosted an occasion in his personal workplace, for which invites have been despatched out saying “Christmas Party!”. A authorities spokesperson mentioned on the time that officers in Case’s workplace took half in a “virtual quiz”.

Case had been anticipated to seem earlier than MPs on the general public administration and constitutional affairs committee on Tuesday, however ministers unexpectedly cancelled the listening to final week shortly after it was introduced.

Sign up to First Edition, our free day by day e-newsletter – each weekday morning at 7am BST

The Metropolitan police revealed on Thursday that that they had accomplished their investigation into lockdown-busting gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall, levying 156 fines in whole, overlaying eight separate dates.

The prime minister has acquired a single fixed-penalty discover, for the birthday celebration held within the cupboard room in June 2020. The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and Johnson’s spouse Carrie Johnson, have been additionally fined for attending the identical occasion.

Many civil servants have been astonished that the prime minister didn’t obtain additional fines – notably since he’s identified to have attended a number of the occasions for which others are believed to have been fined.

Johnson is anticipated to give a press release in parliament when Gray’s report is printed. He will then face an investigation by the House of Commons privileges committee over whether or not he misled parliament when the Partygate tales first emerged, by insisting that “all guidance was followed” in No 10.

I’ve tried to give every kind of stories to all of you latest news today 2022 via this web site and you’re going to like all this information very a lot as a result of all of the information we at all times give on this information is at all times there. It is on trending matter and regardless of the newest information was

it was at all times our effort to attain you that you just preserve getting the most recent information and also you at all times preserve getting the knowledge of stories via us free of charge and likewise inform you folks. Give that no matter info associated to different sorts of information might be

made accessible to all of you so that you’re at all times linked with the information, keep forward within the matter and preserve getting today news all sorts of information free of charge until immediately to be able to get the information by getting it. Always take two steps ahead