Internal report blames Boris Johnson and senior leadership for lockdown parties

A highly anticipated report from civil servant Sue Gray faults senior U.K. government leadership for lockdown parties, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he takes "full responsibility."

Following an investigation into parties held at 10 Downing Street in violation of COVID-19 rules in place at the time, Gray released her full report Wednesday. It finds a "large number of individuals" who attended these gatherings breached COVID-19 regulations, and it blames "failures of leadership and judgment" in Johnson's government.

"It is also the case that some of the more junior civil servants believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders," the report says. "The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture."

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The gatherings included "excessive alcohol consumption," so much so that one individual became sick, and there were "multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff," the report said. The report also includes multiple photos of Johnson at a gathering, one of which shows him holding up a drink.

Johnson, who was previously fined over the gatherings, said he takes "full responsibility for everything that took place" but argued it's time to "move on and focus on the priorities of the British people." He has continued to resist calls to resign.