Lockdown parties police probe 'moves dial' says Bucks MP

As the public anticipates the publication of Sue Gray’s report into the parties held during lockdown in Downing Street, MP Greg Smith has told Bucks Radio that a police investigation does ‘move the dial’ for him regarding the Prime Minister’s future.

Last week when we interviewed the Buckingham MP he told us that his patience was “wearing thin” with Boris Johnson’s leadership.

Speaking exclusively to us again yesterday, he said of the news of a Metropolitan Police investigation into the lockdown parties: “Of course it moves the dial.”

The MP continued: “The Met investigation does bring that hope of clarity and independence because we all, well certainly I do, trust the police to do a thorough and fair investigation, so yes, it does move the dial but when you set yourself on a course of principle that you’ll wait until the investigation has concluded it would be a foolish thing to then jump to a firm and final conclusion.”

Mr Smith has previously told that, like many other Conservative MPs, he ultimately wants to wait until the publication of Sue Gray’s report before taking a firm position.

However, since his patience was wearing thin last week, and subsequent revelations have, in his own words, "moved the dial", it seemed necessary to ask if he had already submitted a letter to the 1922 Committee, seeking a challenge to the party's leadership.

Mr Smith replied: “That is a process designed to be deeply confidential.”

A leadership contest would be triggered if 15% of Conservative MPs write to the Chair of the 1922 Committee expressing no confidence in the leader. This equates to 54 MPs.

When pressed on what it would take in Sue Gray's report to cause him to call for Boris Johnson to resign, Greg Smith said: “There would have to be absolute clarity in the report that the Prime Minister had not told the truth at the dispatch box in the House of Commons.”

Bucks Radio asked if he thought that threshold had already been reached. The MP responded: “Potentially. As I said to you on the phone last week, it doesn’t look particularly good, does it?”

He continued: “I think there will be some grey areas and some more clear cut.”

“I can see that it is plausible in certain scenarios that the mechanics of Downing Street, from what people tell me, that there are some grey areas.”

Asked when he thought the report would be published, Mr Smith said it would likely be next week now. He said: “We’re in a holding pattern.

“It would be unprecedented that such a major statement be made in the full knowledge that the vast majority of the members of Parliament are back in their constituencies.”

Which returned us full circle to how the MP began the conversation: “Until we actually get the Gray report, focus on the day job.”