Boozing, vomiting and karaoke: The most damning lines of the Sue Gray report

There is even a mention of multiple incidents of staff showing a “lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff”. 

The National has taken a deep dive into the 37-page document to give you an overview of the most shocking revelations.

READ MORE: Most damning pictures include Boris Johnson boozing in Downing Street

The Number 10 Garden Party

On May 15 2020, Gray reports that a number of people gathered in the Number 10 garden, shown in the now infamous photograph published by the Guardian, which showed Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie, Dominic Cummings and a number of officials scattered outside of the government office.

Gray states that interviewees said this was a number of separate meetings by other groups. However, the PM who has repeatedly denied involvement in this, “brought cheese and wine from his flat”, the report adds.

The BYOB party

Martin Reynolds, left, with the Prime Minister

On 20 May 2020, Downing Street staff had another event to “boost staff morale following a challenging period for staff”. Some officials declined the invitation and raised concerns, but Martin Reynolds, then principal private secretary to the PM who sent the email telling staffers to “Bring your own booze”, was warned to be “courteous with sound” between 4pm and 6pm as there was a press conference ongoing in Downing Street.

The report said that one No 10 staffer told Reynolds: “Just to flag that the press conference will probably be finishing around that time, so helpful if people can be mindful of that as speakers and cameras are leaving, not walking around waving bottles of wine etc.” Reynolds replied “Will do my best!….”

Lee Cain, then Number 10 Director of Communications, was also invited, and the report notes he described 200 people partying in the Downing St garden as “somewhat of a comms risk in the current environment”. In an exchange after the event, Reynolds told a staffer: “A complete non-story but better than them focusing on our drinks (which we seem to have got away with).”

READ MORE: Sue Gray report: Partygate probe into Boris Johnson published

A Cabinet leaving party

On June 18 2020, the first partygate event gathering where attendees were fined, staff held a leaving party for Hannah Young, who left Downing Street to become the UK’s deputy consul general in New York.

Gray’s report reveals a WhatsApp conversation between Reynolds and Cain, with Cain saying he is “not sure it works” to have a large scale gathering in the garden, and putting the decision in Reynolds hands, again noting the “rather substantial comms risk”.

However, the event went ahead, first with speeches and drinks in the Cabinet Room, with guests including Cummings and Simon Case the Cabinet Secretary. After the first part of the event, staff moved through an adjoining door into 70 Whitehall at around 7.40pm, and the group ordered pizza and drank prosecco. Helen MacNamara, deputy cabinet secretary, attended for part of the evening and provided a karaoke machine.

But the most damning part comes in Gray’s conclusion where she writes: “The event lasted for a number of hours. There was excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. One individual was sick. There was a minor altercation between two other individuals.” The last member of staff, who stayed to tidy up, left at 3.13am.

The Prime Minister’s birthday party

Johnson and Sunak pictures at the PM’s surprise birthday party in the cabinet room

Both Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were fined as a result of the event on June 19 2020. Gray notes that the event was pre-planned and that food, alcohol and soft-drinks were organised. Reynolds emailed Case and Number 10 private secretaries encouraging them to “come along and wish the PM happy birthday”. Gray adds that the PM was not aware of the party in advance, and neither was Sunak.

The ABBA party

After the announcement of the departure of Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings on 13 November 2020, the report states that a meeting was held in the Number 10 flat to “discuss the handling of their departure”, which five special advisers attended, with the PM joining at 8pm. The report notes that food and alcohol were available, but that’s all there is – as Gray was “limited” in her information gathering by the Met investigation and Gray decided against investigation further.

READ MORE: Sue Gray report sparks call for Douglas Ross to demand PM’s resignation

The Christmas quiz

Although officials seem to be aware of restrictions in emails ahead of the festive event on December 15 2020, and warned staff not to come into the Downing Street office if they were not working from there that day already. The virtual christmas quiz took place across numerous offices and with some staff joining from home, the PM reportedly took part for 12 minutes, but it didn’t take long for the boozing to get out of control.

The report said: “A No 10 official sent a message on internal No 10 systems referring to drunkenness and advising staff to leave No 10 via the back exit. The No 10 official informed the investigation team that they did this in order to avoid staff being photographed by the press outside.”