A minister has said that Downing Street has likely still not received Sue Gray’s report.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport told Sky News that he had “spoke[n] to someone in Downing Street about half an hour ago and they certainly didn’t indicate it had been received – I don’t know a lot more than you do but I’ve certainly got no information as of right now that it’s been received.”
The report into alleged lockdown violations by government officials has been delayed following confirmation of a criminal investigation into the matter.
The Metropolitan Police said this morning that they hope the report makes “minimal reference” to the events they are currently investigating, but that they had not requested a delay to its publication.
Chris Philp was also quizzed over whether he still agrees with remarks he recently expressed when asked if he saw the prime minister as “a model of moral integrity” during BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions? Programme earlier this month.
“Yes I do,” he said: “He is someone who is working night and day and has been since he became Prime Minister two and a half years ago – he’s delivered Brexit, which obviously he thought was difficult or impossible; he delivered a landslide General Election victory; we’ve since been hit by Covid and he and his team having been working night and day to get us through this pandemic, as a result of which we’ve had a European-leading booster programme.
He argued that “None of that is an accident” claiming that: “it’s come as the result of an enormous amount of hard work that’s been led by the Prime Minister. I think the results speak louder than words.”
Mr Philp also told Sky News that the National Insurance hike “is going ahead,” following reports
National Insurance contributions are set to rise from 13.8% to 15.05% from 1 April to fund a new health and social care levy. This comes alongside forecasts that the energy price cap will be permitted to rise by a minimum of £400, with the increased prices coming into force from April.
“It was approved by the whole cabinet, it was passed by Parliament with a significant majority and the money is needed to fund the NHS which is something that is a national priority,” he went on.
“It’s £36 billion over three years to fund the NHS and social care – we need to put that number in to make sure the NHS has the money it needs to recover after the pandemic, and this is a proportionate way of finding that money.”
