Labour could use parliamentary devices to force Gray publication if PM refuses

Labour would look at using parliamentary devices to force the publication of the Sue Gray report into Downing Street parties if Boris Johnson refuses to release it in full, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson has confirmed.

At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Keir Starmer asked the Prime Minister whether the Gray report would be released in full “as he receives it”. Johnson replied: “Of course I will do exactly what I said.”

It has been suggested that the government could publish only the “findings” of the Gray investigation rather than the full report, though Gray herself reportedly expects the whole document to be made public.

The Metropolitan Police have raised no objection to the full report being published. The Labour leader’s spokesperson today described the possibility that only a redacted version or summary would be released as a “cause for concern”.

Asked what the opposition party could do if the Prime Minister refuses to publish the report as promised, Starmer’s spokesperson told journalists this afternoon: “There are a range of measures.

“I mean, you will have seen parliamentary devices that have been used in the past to go for the publication of reports and documents. But as for that, we’ll have to wait and see where we end up.”

Asked what kind of devices, he replied: “Well, you’ve seen things like the humble address device used in the past and so on. But I mean, as I say, I don’t want to get ahead of where we are.

“Let’s wait and see. Hopefully, the Prime Minister will stick to what he said and we won’t need to do that because the report will be published in full as promised.”

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons on December 8th, when he announced the Cabinet Office inquiry, that he would “place a copy of the report in the library of the House of Commons”.

The same commitment was made on January 17th, when the Prime Minister’s spokesperson confirmed: “Yes, we have committed to publishing it in the House in full.”

During the Brexit wars in parliament, Starmer rediscovered “ancient procedures” – as he put it – to force the Prime Minister’s hand, and used the ‘humble address’ to secure the government’s Brexit impact assessment.

Labour has since tried to use the same mechanism for other demands, such as publishing a Covid review in May 2021, which was unsuccessful, and releasing documents related to the Westferry Printworks scandal in June 2020, which did work.

Starmer reiterated to Johnson today that he should resign as Prime Minister and he is “doing damage” to the reputation of the country. But Johnson insisted that he would stay on and he is “getting on with the job”.