Sue Gray Report

Ian Blackford Excerpts

Monday 31st January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber) (SNP)]

Can I say that it is a pleasure to follow the former Prime Minister? Perhaps her behaviour in office, like that of many who went before her, was about dignity and about the importance of the office, of respect and of truthfulness, and the Prime Minister would be well advised to focus on those who have not dishonoured the office like he has done.

We stand here today faced with the systematic decimation of public trust in Government and the institutions of the state, and at its heart a Prime Minister—a Prime Minister—being investigated by the police. So here we have it: the long-awaited Sue Gray report—what a farce. It was carefully engineered to be a fact-finding exercise with no conclusions, and now we find it is a fact-finding exercise with no facts, so let us talk facts. The Prime Minister has told the House that

“all guidance was followed completely”—[Official Report, 1 December 2021; Vol. 704, c. 909.]

that “there was no party”, covid rules were followed, and

“I believed…this was a work event”.—[Official Report, 12 January 2022; Vol. 706, c. 562.]

Nobody—nobody—believed him then, and nobody believes you now, Prime Minister. That is the crux. No ifs, no buts; he has wilfully misled Parliament.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. It would be acceptable to say “inadvertently misled the House”, but “misled the House” is not acceptable. The right hon. Member must withdraw that comment.

[Ian Blackford]

The Prime Minister inadvertently told the House on 8 December that no parties had taken place and then he had to admit that they had.

It is bad enough that the Prime Minister’s personal integrity is in the ditch, but this murky business is tainting everything around it. It is the Scottish National party’s intention to submit a motion instructing the Prime Minister to publish the Gray report in full. Will the Prime Minister obey an instruction by this House to publish as required?

Amid allegations of blackmail by Tory Whips, Tory Members have been defending the indefensible. We were told, “Wait for the report.” Well, here it is, and it tells us very little—except it does state that

“There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No. 10”

and that

“Some…events should not have been allowed to take place.”

That is the Prime Minister’s responsibility. If there was any honour in public life, he would resign. Where is—[Laughter.] The Prime Minister laughs. We ought to remind ourselves in this House that 150,000-plus of our citizens have lost their lives and family members could not be with them. That is a sight that people will remember: a Prime Minister laughing at our public. I extend the hand of friendship to all those who have sacrificed. I certainly do not extend the hand of friendship to the Prime Minister, who is no friend of mine.

Where is the shame? Where is the dignity? Meanwhile, the police investigation will drag on and on. Every moment the Prime Minister stays, trust in Government and the rule of law is ebbing away. With the litany of rule breaking, the culture of contempt and the utter disdain for the anguish felt by the public who have sacrificed so much, what the public see is a man who has debased the office of Prime Minister, shirked responsibility, dodged accountability and blamed his staff at every turn, presided over sleaze and corruption and tainted the very institutions of the state. In short—[Laughter.] Government Members can laugh, but the public know that this is a man they can no longer trust. He is being investigated by the police. He misled the House. He must now resign.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The right hon. Member will have to withdraw that last comment.

[Ian Blackford]

Mr Speaker, I gave the evidence of 8 December.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. You will have to withdraw “misled”.

[Ian Blackford]

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister has misled the House.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Unless you withdraw, I will have to stop, and that is not good. Just withdraw the words.

[Ian Blackford]

I am standing up for my constituents who know that this Prime Minister has lied and misled the House.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I will give you, as leader of the SNP, one more chance to say “inadvertently misled.” I do not want to have to throw you out, so I will give you this chance. Please.

[Ian Blackford]

I will speak truth to power. That man has misled the House.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sorry that it has come to this, and I am sorry that the leader of the party has not got the decency just to withdraw those words in order that this debate can be represented by all political leaders. Would you like to say “inadvertently”?

[Ian Blackford]

Mr Speaker, if the Prime Minister has inadvertently misled the House, I will state that.

[Mr Speaker]

Right. We will leave it at that.

[Mr Speaker]

Can I just say: I take it that the right hon. Member has withdrawn his remark?

[Ian Blackford]

The Prime Minister may have inadvertently misled the House—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. To help me and to help the House, has the right hon. Gentleman withdrawn his earlier comment and replaced it with “inadvertently”?

--- Later in debate ---

[Ian Blackford]

Mr Speaker, it is not my fault if the Prime Minister cannot be trusted to tell the truth—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Under the power given to me by Standing Order No. 43, I order the right hon. Member to withdraw immediately from the House—

An hon. Member: He has left anyway!