Humiliating slapdown for Cummings

SUE Gray said she could find ‘no documentary evidence’ that Dominic Cummings raised concerns over a party in the Downing Street garden.

Boris Johnson’s former senior adviser claimed in January that he had warned in an email that the ‘bring your own booze’ event in May 2020 was against Covid regulations.

But in her review, Miss Gray questioned his version of events, saying she had found no evidence of such an email.

The ‘socially distanced drinks’ on May 20, 2020, were organised by Martin Reynolds, who was then the PM’s principal private secretary.

He invited some 200 Downing Street staff to ‘make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks’ in the garden of No10 – and asked them to ‘bring your own booze’.

Miss Gray’s report said one director in No10 declined the invitation and told Mr Reynolds or his office that it was not a good idea.

Lee Cain, who was then director of communications at No10, also contacted Mr Reynolds, warning that the party risked becoming a public relations mistake.

He emailed him to say: ‘I’m sure it will be fine – and I applaud the gesture – but a 200-odd person invitation for drinks in the garden of No 10 is somewhat of a comms risk in the current environment.’

Miss Gray wrote: ‘Lee Cain says he subsequently spoke to Martin Reynolds and advised him that the event should be cancelled. Martin Reynolds does not recall any such conversation.

‘In addition, Dominic Cummings has also said that he too raised concerns, in writing.

‘We have not found any documentary evidence of this.’

The conclusion comes despite Mr Cummings’ statement in January that he and at least one other special adviser ‘said that this seemed to be against the rules and should not happen’, adding that he issued the warning ‘in writing so Sue Gray can dig up the original email’.

He wrote: ‘We were ignored. I was ill and went home to bed early that afternoon but am told this event definitely happened.’

Mr Cummings wrote in his blog: ‘I said to the PM something like: “Martin’s invited the building to a drinks party, this is what I’m talking about, you’ve got to grip this madhouse”. The PM waved it aside.

‘The events of May 20 alone, never mind the string of other events, mean the PM lied to Parliament about parties,’ Mr Cummings said.

‘Not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time would swear under oath this is what happened.’

‘We found no evidence of this’