The head of the United Kingdom Public Service, Simon Case is to determine disciplinary action on officials involved in the lockdown-busting parties at Downing Street, despite his withdrawal as head of the investigation following claims of parties in his own office.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is under intense pressure after a leaked email showed that staff at his Downing Street office were invited to a drinks party in May 2020, when the public were banned from meeting more than one person outdoors.
Senior Public Servant, Sue Gray (pictured) has now been charged with carrying out the investigation into a series of allegations about rule-breaking parties at Downing Street and other Government Departments.
Ms Gray’s inquiry is expected to focus on establishing the facts, leaving it to the Prime Minister to determine any consequences for his own position and political staff, while Mr Case is in charge of the fallout for the Public Service.
As Cabinet Secretary and head of the Public Service, Mr Case is the ultimate arbiter of any disciplinary action faced by Government officials or proposals for culture change in Whitehall.
He is also the Line Manager for Martin Reynolds, the senior aide who emailed staff about a “bring your own booze” gathering in the garden of 10, Downing Street.
Mr Case was originally placed in charge of the investigation, but recused himself in December after reports of social gatherings in his own Department.
Officials claimed he had attended drinks outside his personal office in 70, Whitehall in December 2020 — allegations categorically denied by the Cabinet Office.
Mr Case was later accused of misleading staff about his knowledge of the event.
Separately, The Times newspaper reported that Mr Case attended another Christmas party in his Department after London had been placed in Tier Three restrictions.
The Cabinet Office acknowledged a virtual quiz had taken place, but said Mr Case “played no part in the event”.
Thus far, Ms Gray has focused her time with interviews on senior staff and those already named in press reports, according to several officials with knowledge of the process.
She has insisted on interviewing Mr Johnson as part of her enquiries.
Meanwhile, the Information Commissioner’s Office has warned officials that deleting messages that could relate to investigations into allegedly rule-breaking parties at Downing Street and other Departments was a criminal offence.
The caution follows reports that staff at the Prime Minister’s Office were advised to wipe potentially incriminating messages from their mobile phones.
London, 16 January 2022
