Sue Gray and Boris Johnson had a private meeting to discuss the handling of the partygate report, Sky News can reveal.
The pair discussed where Ms Gray believed the Metropolitan Police were with the inquiry, and Whitehall’s understanding of where the police were on interviews.
The revelation of an undisclosed meeting is likely to trigger surprise given the forthcoming report has repeatedly been described as independent.
Politics Hub: Ministers prepare for ‘stomach churning’ partygate report – live updates
Further details of the meeting are sketchy, with confusion over whether the inclusion of pictures in the report was discussed and who initiated the meeting.
The prime minister is saying he wants to disclose the maximum available information now to get the issue out of the way so would not have pressured her to drop the report, it is claimed.
The pair would not have discussed the judgements senior civil servant Ms Gray was preparing to come to in the report, multiple sources say.
Earlier Downing Street spokesman said he would “not get into specifics” when put to him that Ms Gray’s team had been in contact with the prime minister about the forthcoming report.
Just earlier today, asked whether Downing Street was negotiating over who is named in Ms Gray’s report, the spokesman added: “Sue Gray is compiling the report independently and how she does that, and the contents of it, and what is presented is entirely a matter for her.”
However all sides are likely to argue the meeting was above board given Mr Johnson commissioned the report.
Earlier in the process there were robust procedures to ensure Number 10 did not know about the contents of the interim report.
The meeting is understood to have taken place on a date before the Commons voted to refer Mr Johnson to the privileges committee which happened on 21 April.
