Javid’s plea for Boris ahead of ‘crucial’ report into partygate

A CABINET minister defended Boris Johnson today ahead of a report into “partygate” by a senior civil servant — but admitted parties did take place in Downing Street.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid appealed for people to wait for the report by Sue Gray, expected next week, before making judgments, stressing it would be “absolutely crucial” in revealing what happened in No10.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We do know there were some parties. We know that because some of the people that were involved and broke the rules have come forward to say so.

“For example, the one on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, that was completely wrong. It was wrong in

every single way. That is already damaging, of course it is.”

His comments came as loyalist MPs rallied around the Prime Minister and moves to oust him seemed to have eased, but a senior Tory MP suggested the Government was trying to “blackmail” rebels to stop them putting in letters of no confidence.

William Wragg, chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee who has called on Mr Johnson to go, claimed MPs were being threatened with having funding for their constituencies withdrawn if they called for the Prime Minister to quit.

However, Jake Berry, chairman of the Northern Research Group of Tory MPs, urged colleagues to “reserve judgement” until the Gray report.

He added on Talk Radio: “When the Prime Minister apologised to Parliament for me he took the sting out of the Sue Gray report.”

Downing Street apologised to Buckingham Palace after it was revealed two leaving dos took place the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, with a suitcase of wine reportedly being brought into No10 late at night, and one staff member said to have acted as a DJ at one of the gatherings.

“If there were people at the heart of government who were not following the rules, absolutely they should be disciplined and I look forward to seeing that disciplinary action taking place,” Mr Javid added.

However, he also defended Mr Johnson, who has apologised for the May 20, 2020, “bring-your-own-booze” gathering in the garden of No10 when Britain was in lockdown, telling the Commons that he thought it was a work event.

Mr Javid said: “The Prime Minister, he has said himself he has taken already full responsibility for anything that’s happened in Downing Street and he will come to Parliament once the report is published and answer any question that is put to him.”

Moves against Mr Johnson, dubbed the “Pork Pie Plot”, as it was alleged to involve Melton Mowbray MP Alicia Kearns, appeared to have run out of steam, at least for the time being.

Loyalists MPs voiced support for the Prime Minister. Romford MP Andrew Rosindell said: “The PM has shown genuine contrition and remorse.

“We shouldn’t forget amongst having to deal with an unprecedented pandemic, he finally got us out of the EU, delivered the fastest vaccination programme in Europe, over 36 million booster jabs and we are now the most open economy in Europe, with the fastest growth in the G7 and employment at record highs.”

However, some Tory backbenchers were stopping short of saying that the Prime Minister would stay in office, indicating it depended on the findings of the Gray report.

Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, said: “I think the mood is much calmer than it has been in recent days. I think things are settling down.”

But he added: “No, it’s definitely not [a yes he can survive]. Things will come to a head with the Sue Gray report.”

Meanwhile, Dehenna Davison, Tory MP for Bishop Auckland, dismissed as “bonkers” that she was leading a coup against Mr Johnson but suggested his future was still in doubt.

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Pressure: yesterday’s Standard