Sue Gray is not investigating @Keir_Starmer's new accusation that @BorisJohnson broke the Ministerial Code by lying to Parliament about parties, a resigning matter. Clear job for his adviser on Ministerial Standards, Lord Geidt, has no power to initiate investigations.
Gray's report will have to reproduce the PM's defence and - like Lord Geidt recently over #wallpapergate and the "Missing Exchange" with Brownlow - have to take his his word. As with Geidt's report, I predict the government will leak headlines in advance with a positive spin.
The truth is Johnson knows he has a lot of control over the presentation of the facts in a report by a civil servant - which is why he has asked people to wait for the report.
My guess is that most of the blame in Gray's report will be laid on the 'culture' at No 10, with the defence that this cannot be attributed to one person. But I know from my time in No 10 working for two PMs that the culture is set by the PM.
You don't have to look far for wider evidence of Johnson's lax attitude to standards and the law - letting Cummings off hook on Barnard Castle, ignoring Priti Patel report on bullying, #Wallpapergate, Paterson affair, proroguing Parliament - but Gray will have to ignore this.
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