Inside Politics: The day after Gray

Boris Johnson will try to move on from Partygate scandal as Rishi Sunak prepares to set out cost of living measures, writes Matt Mathers

Thursday 26 May 2022 08:23 BST

(PA)

Boris Johnson will today try to move on from the Partygate scandal, following the publication of Sue Gray’s report into Covid law-breaking in Downing Street. Later, Rishi Sunak will set out a series of measures aimed at tackling the cost of living crisis – including a windfall tax.

Inside the bubble

Commons action gets underway at 9.30am with DCMS questions, followed by attorney general questions at 10.10am. After that comes any urgent questions and Commons leader Mark Spencer has the weekly business statement. The PM will mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by leading a humble address. Tory MP Philip Hollobone has an adjournment debate on introducing a deposit return scheme.

Daily Briefing

Wind of change

Following months of dither and delay, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, will make a statement to MPs in the Commons later and set out measures to help people with the cost of living crisis – including a windfall tax on the profits of “cash machine” oil and gas giants, who have been raking it in during the Covid pandemic.

The U-turn (Labour called for the levy months ago) has been a long time in the making but will undoubtedly be welcomed by millions of people across the country who are struggling to pay their fuel, food and energy bills. At this stage, it is unclear what form the windfall tax will take – it is just one element of what the Treasury says is an extra £13 billion package of measures aimed at cutting hundreds of pounds from energy bills.

The chancellor is also expected to ditch the previously announced £200 loan on energy bills and replace it with a grant that will not have to be paid back, with the discount possibly increasing to as much as £400, according to reports. One-off payments to some vulnerable households and another cut in VAT on fuel could also be announced. Sunak will set out exactly who gets what but there will be some form of help for all Britons.

Sunak will argue that his windfall tax differs significantly from Labour’s because it encourages investment. But whatever way the policy is dressed up it is a significant win for the opposition, which has repeatedly called for the move – despite multiple rejections by Downing Street. A day after Sue Gray published her Partygate report, it will also placate Tory MPs who have been calling for more help to ease the cost of living squeeze.

The day after Gray

Sue Gray has published her Partygate report. As expected, she criticised the culture and leadership (both political and official) within Downing Street but did not single out any individuals for special treatment. As far as the prime minister is concerned, there was no smoking gun and the pictures published in the document did not match up to the description of the “raucous” parties described in some reports – although some of Gray’s reporting on the events that took place did.

There were fresh calls for Johnson to resign – but they came from all the usual suspects, with only one new Tory MP calling for the PM to quit. It looks very much like Johnson has cleared another hurdle and is safe in No 10 – at least until the privileges committee inquiry into whether or not he misled the House of Commons when he told MPs that staff followed all rules during Covid lockdowns.

Speaking in the Commons yesterday after Gray’s report was released, Johnson at first cut a contrite figure, telling MPs that he has been “humbled” by the sorry saga and “learned a lesson”. The rest of his performance, however, suggested he was anything but humble. Just a few minutes later he couldn’t resist taking a pop at Keir Starmer, referring to the Labour leader as “Sir Beer Korma”. The weary look on the face of Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, after his boss made the remark spoke volumes.

Johnson has escaped the Gray report and will probably come out on the right side of the privileges committee, too. But he is capable of changing and how long will it be before he is caught up in another scandal? These are questions likely to weigh heavy on the minds of Tory MPs as we edge ever closer to the next general election. Johnson appears to be addicted to risk and his demeanour leaving the chamber yesterday suggested he knows he has got away with one again.

Today’s cartoon (Dave Brown / The Independent)

See all of The Independent’s daily cartoons here

On the record

“We seem to have got away with it.”

Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s former principal private secretary, on 20 May 2020 gathering in Downing Street garden.

From the Twitterati

“There was a Tory porn MP joke at the 1922 tonight, per one source in the room. Somebody asked about rural broadband for farmers. PM quipped that farmers have managed to get internet recently... (A Neil Parish reference).”