Most Britons 'lack confidence' in Met investigation into Downing Street parties

More than half of Britons lack confidence in the ongoing police investigation into Downing Street parties, according to a survey.

Research carried out by Ipsos MORI found only 41 per cent of those questioned are confident that the police investigation will be thorough while half (52 per cent) say they are not very confident or not at all confident.

In comparison, 51 per cent were confident the civil service inquiry led by Sue Gray would be thorough, while 45 per cent were not.

In a summary published on Monday, Gray criticised a failure of leadership and concluded a number of gatherings which took place at Downing Street “should not have been allowed to take place”. 

Responding in the Commons, the prime minister apologised, saying he could “understand the anger that people feel”.

Details of gatherings being investigated by the police were left out of Gray's report at the request of the Metropolitan Police.

Ipsos MORI found almost 6 in 10 (57 per cent) are not convinced that the police investigation will be independent.

Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of Britons (65 per cent) are not confident that this investigation will lead to disciplinary action against any individual(s) who are found to have broken the coronavirus restrictions in place at the time of the party.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos in the UK, said: “We have seen the impact that stories about parties breaking lockdown restrictions have had on public perceptions of the prime minister and the government, but with the announcement that the Met Police is to open its own investigation there is not very much public confidence that this will meet their expectations to be independent, thorough and consequential either.”