Sue Gray produces a patchy account of the Downing Street parties
A civil servant’s blend of precision and pixellation
On may 25th Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, published a report into gatherings that had taken place in Downing Street during the pandemic. Nine photos are included, depicting two events: a drinks party in November 2020 (shown above) for a departing official, and a gathering in the Cabinet Room in June 2020 to mark the prime minister’s birthday. In parts the images are pin-sharp, capturing tins of lager, emptied wine glasses and Boris Johnson holding a plastic beaker aloft. Much of them are a blur, the identities of Mr Johnson’s fellow partygoers obscured.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Neither black nor white”
Britain May 28th 2022
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