Doubt about the content and release of a key report into lockdown-breaching parties within the British government deepened Friday, when police said they wanted parts of it to remain unpublished until they finish a criminal investigation.
The Metropolitan Police force said it had asked for civil servant Sue Gray's report to make only 鈥渕inimal reference鈥 to the events being investigated by detectives 鈥渢o avoid any prejudice to our investigation.鈥
The request could further delay the publication of the report which had been expected this week and whose findings could deliver a major blow to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's fragile grip on power.
The senior civil servant is probing allegations that the prime minister and his staff flouted restrictions they imposed on the country in 2020 and 2021 to curb the spread of the coronavirus with 鈥渂ring your own booze鈥 office parties, birthday celebrations and 鈥渨ine time Fridays.鈥
The claims have caused public anger, led some Conservative lawmakers to call for Johnson's resignation and triggered intense infighting inside the governing party.
Gray is looking into almost 20 incidents. This week police opened an inquiry into an undisclosed smaller number of them found to meet the force's criteria for investigating the 鈥渕ost serious and flagrant鈥 breaches of coronavirus rules.
Police have handed out tens of thousands of fines for breaching pandemic regulations since 2020, with miscreants facing a maximum fine of 10,000 pounds (US$13,500).
Johnson has promised to publish Gray's report in full and to address Parliament about its findings. He has denied personal wrongdoing and said he has 鈥渁bsolutely no intention鈥 of resigning.
The government denied interfering with Gray's inquiry which it says is independent, even though Gray - as a civil servant - is investigating her boss, Johnson.
Johnson's office said it had not pressured Gray's team or the police, and the report was 鈥渃ompletely a matter for the investigation team.鈥
鈥淲e will publish it as received,鈥 said Johnson spokesman Jamie Davies.
Police Cmdr. Catherine Roper said the force had 鈥渘ot delayed this report鈥 but that it had asked for some material to be held back 鈥渋n order to protect the integrity of the police investigation, as is appropriate in any case, and to be as fair as possible to those who are subject to it.鈥
鈥淭his will only be necessary until these matters are concluded, and is to give detectives the most reliable picture of what happened at these events,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e intend to complete our investigations promptly, fairly and proportionately.鈥
Johnson's opponents accused the government of trying to water down a report that could trigger an attempt to oust the prime minister by his own party. Some Conservative lawmakers say they will push for a no-confidence vote if Gray finds Johnson was at fault or lied to Parliament about his actions.
Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said the report must be published with 鈥渘o redactions, no edits, no bits left out.鈥 He said the scandal and surrounding uncertainty had left the government 鈥減aralyzed.鈥
Scottish National Party lawmaker Ian Blackford said 鈥渢his increasingly looks like a cover-up.鈥
鈥淭he prime minister cannot be allowed to wriggle off the hook by using the Metropolitan Police investigation as an excuse to further delay or doctor the report,鈥 he said.
Some legal experts were puzzled by the police suggestion that Gray's report could prejudice their investigation.
Ken Macdonald, a former head of Britain's prosecution service, said the police statement appeared 鈥渄isproportionate鈥 if detectives were investigating the kind of minor offenses that would usually be punished with a fine.
鈥淭he risk of the police intervention this morning is that this leaves things hanging in the air for weeks and months, and that seems obviously not to be in the public interest,鈥 he told the BBC.
Fran Hall, spokesperson for the group COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said police 鈥渉ave let families like mine down.鈥
鈥淎s we predicted, the Sue Gray investigation has turned into a circus,鈥 said Hall, whose husband died of COVID-19 in 2020. 鈥淭he reality is that it's clear that the prime minister broke his own laws blatantly and regularly, whilst families across the country stuck with them and suffered greatly for doing so.
鈥淚f he had any decency he would do the right thing and resign, but that quite clearly isn't going to happen.鈥
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
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Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group鈥檚 senior leaders as well as women and children.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
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The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
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A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Donald Trump returned to North Carolina on Saturday, stumping in the southern battleground state with direct appeals to women, claiming he would be a better champion for them than U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is vying to become the first female president.
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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group鈥檚 senior leaders as well as women and children.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
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Jonathan Aranda homered for the second consecutive game, helping Taj Bradley and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Saturday.
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Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.
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A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
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Jim Lester鈥檚 farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
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