Prime Minister Boris Johnson rebuffs suggestion by New Forest East MP Julian Lewis to publish Sue Gray report in full immediately

THE Prime Minister rejected a suggestion by New Forest East MP Julian Lewis that he immediately publish the Sue Gray report in full.

This afternoon (Monday), Dr Lewis told Boris Johnson it would be "truly within the interests" of the PM, the government and the nation.

He said: "He should assist in receiving, the full, unredacted version immediately, as I believe he can, and that he should then publish the uncensored version without any further delay."

But Mr Johnson said he had taken "extensive legal advice" and civil servant Sue Gray had "published everything she thinks she can".

Dr Lewis intervened in the Commons after Mr Johnson went to MPs and again apologised, following publication of an incomplete "update" version of Mrs Gray’s report into alleged breaches of lockdown rules in and around Number 10 by the PM, associates and staff.

While the report was heavily redacted – due to an active police inquiry by the Metropolitan Police – Mrs Gray found some lockdown gatherings represented a "serious failure" of officials to observe what had been asked of the public.

There were also "failures of leadership and judgment" in Downing Street, she said. Several gatherings "should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did".

In the Commons Mr Johnson said he accepted parts of the report and pledged to make changes to how government was run.