TRURO and Falmouth MP Cherilyn Mackrory has said she is "thoroughly disappointed" by the reports of parties at No10 and that there needs to be a change of culture from the top down.

However, she says the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has done the right thing following the allegations of numerous parties during lockdown and apologised. She says she will base her final opinion on the outcome of the investigation by top civil servant Sue Gray.

"I appreciate people getting in touch with me about numerous allegations around breaches in lockdown law at Number Ten Downing Street," she said.

"I am thoroughly disappointed by such behaviour and can completely understand peoples’ legitimate anger and upset over these reports.

"The Prime Minister has done the right thing by apologising and I believe there needs to be a change of culture at No.10.

"I believe No.10 staff should have a degree of ‘real life experience’. That being said I will base my final opinion on this issue off the outcome of the independent investigation that is being carried out into these matters, and not on pieces of information apparently being drip-fed to a hostile media by a disgruntled former employee with an axe to grind."

Cherilyn Mackrory says she will base her final opinion on the outcome of Sue Grays investigation before

Cherilyn Mackrory says she will base her final opinion on the outcome of Sue Gray's investigation before

She told the Packet she has received "a number" of pieces of correspondence from her constituents, although not all were negative.

"My office has received a number of pieces of correspondence, both against and supporting the Prime Minister and I will be replying to them all in due course," she said. "The correspondence is far from all one-way traffic."

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She denied that the weekend's leak to the Mail on Sunday, confirmed by the culture secretary Nadine Dorries, that the corporation's licence fee was to be frozen for two years and then withdrawn, was part of the so-called "Operation Save Big Dog" to divert attention from Boris Johnson's difficulties.

"I am supportive of reform at the BBC," she said "particularly changes to the out of date funding model and I await further detail of this with interest. It is important that the BBC move with the times. They must learn to compete in a busy market and this can only be good for their output and for consumers.

"Regarding its timing, the business of Government goes on, regardless of what is reported to the press. Just last week we also saw consultations start on landmark Government policies to reforming leaseholds, as well as important and long-awaited changes to the regulation of cladding on buildings. But it depends on what the media wants to report on as far as setting your own agendas."

The leader of the Labour group on Cornwall Council and Falmouth town and county councillor Jayne Kirkham said:  "People suffered unimaginable loneliness, hurt and grief during the pandemic.

"All the bereaved families, keyworkers and people who followed the rules have been let down by the Prime Minister’s lack of truthfulness and the ongoing revelations of Downing Street parties during lockdowns.

"Sue Gray’s investigation is only going to report the facts, most of which we already know. I cannot see what our MP is waiting for.

"There is so much on the Government’s plate at the moment. Trust in the people making the decisions is so vital in a pandemic and trust is what Boris Johnson and his Government have betrayed.

"If people see the rule makers not taking their own rules they are unlikely to respect the rules."