Shropshire MP demands explanation of PM's meeting with Sue Gray
A Shropshire MP has said she will use "every route available" to force the Prime Minister to disclose details of his meeting with Sue Gray amid claims he asked her to drop her report.
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, demanded that Boris Johnson released minutes of his meeting with the senior civil servant whose report on alleged parties in Downing Street is thought to be imminent.
Mrs Morgan added that people in the county would be furious to see the latest pictures of Mr Johnson apparently drinking a glass of wine with colleagues during lockdown, after he had repeatedly insisted the rules had been followed at all time.
“Not only did the Prime Minister party in Number 10 while the rest of us were making sacrifices, he lied to Parliament and the British public about it," she said.
“Johnson’s behaviour already warranted being sacked and now we learn he apparently put pressure on Sue Gray to scrap her report.
“The British public needs transparency now. If the Prime Minister won’t release the minutes of his meeting with Sue Gray, Liberal Democrats will use every route available in Parliament to force him to.”
Mark Pritchard, Tory MP for The Wrekin admitted that Mr Johnson had made mistakes – for which he had rightly apologised – but said opposition parties were motivated mainly by trying to bring down the Government.
"Most local people are disappointed by the mistakes that were made by the Prime Minister, but most also recognise the PM's world-leading response to Covid, standing up to Putin's butchery, and the Government wanting to help people with the rise in the cost of living.
"The economy has to be the top priority."
Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham said he looked forward to seeing Miss Gray's report.
He said it was extremely unlikely that anybody would be able to influence how she reported the results of her findings.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Sue Gray has been picked for this job because she has a reputation second to none in the civil service," he said.
"She is her own woman who will not pull any punches and will go about her business in an unfettered way, no matter who she is investigating.
"Now the police investigation is concluded I look forward to reading her report and what she has to say."
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne and Montgomeryshire's Craig Williams said they would not be able to comment until the publication of the Gray report.
Telford MP Lucy Allan was contacted for comment.
