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British Prime Minister Johnson on November 13, 2020: Photo from Sue Gray's Inquiry Report
Photo: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street
The illegal celebrations at the London seat of government during the Corona lockdown are evidence of leadership failure and a lack of judgment.
This is the conclusion reached by the top British official Sue Gray in her report on the "Partygate affair".
The report was published on the UK government website.
"The events I studied were attended by government leaders," Gray writes.
"Many of these events should not have been allowed." Employees assumed that their participation was allowed because leading politicians were also present.
Management must take responsibility.
The events fell far short of the expected standards.
In some cases, there was “excessive alcohol consumption”.
Many people are dismayed by the behavior at the heart of the government, the official wrote.
However, the misconduct does not reflect the prevailing culture in government and public administration at the time.
Gray explicitly holds managers accountable.
"Some of the younger officials believed that their attendance at some of these events was permissible given the presence of senior executives," Gray writes.
It is now up to the government to draw the right lessons from the events, and there is no need to wait for the police investigation to be completed.
However, Gray expressly emphasizes that she did not investigate the question of what disciplinary measures should now be taken.
See Johnson in photos
The report had previously been officially handed over to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson had hired Gray to conduct the internal investigation.
Nine photos are attached to the report, on which Boris Johnson can be seen, among other things, in one picture he apparently toasts other people.
Because of police investigations, Gray had only published a greatly abridged report.
She had already accused Downing Street of serious misconduct.
The London police have now issued more than 120 penalties against dozens of employees, and Johnson was also fined in one case - a first in British history.
More and more details about misdemeanors in Downing Street
Recently, new details about the boozy meetings in Downing Street have become known.
After Johnson had long protested that he knew nothing about the parties, pictures had recently appeared showing Johnson holding a filled glass.
In the photos published by broadcaster ITV, other people raise their hands with glasses to toast.
On the table, which can be seen in the middle of the photos, there are several open bottles of wine and champagne.
The photos released by ITV are identical to those now appearing in Gray's report.
There had also been criticism because Johnson had apparently met with Gray several times and discussed the report.
Both sides initially blamed each other for calling the meeting.
The opposition and some MPs from Johnson's Conservative Party are demanding the resignation of the prime minister, who has always ruled this out.
Johnson received support on Wednesday: This was not a key moment for the prime minister, Tory MP Charles Walker told the BBC ahead of his speech.
On the contrary: Johnson has the worst behind him.
More soon at spiegel.de
fek/slu/Reuters/dpa
