Gary Neville says Sue Gray report will 'finish' Boris Johnson

Football pundit Gary Neville has blasted Boris Johnson's leadership, saying he "never thought our country could be as bad as it is right now".

Neville, who is a co-owner of Salford City, spoke out on social media to give his opinion on the Prime Minister's handling of the Downing Street party scandal.

The former England defender tweeted: "He’s been briefed the reports a disaster , it finishes him off , he’s not willing to let go, he’s doing everything he can to kick it down the road and stay in power. I never thought our country could be as bad as it is right now!"

This comes as Sue Gray’s inquiry into claims of lockdown-breaking parties in No 10 and across Whitehall has been thrown into disarray by Scotland Yard.

The force told the Cabinet Office team to limit publication of any potentially criminal events and behaviour, casting further uncertainty on when the report will surface and how extensive it will be.

It means the official inquiry seen as so crucial because of the long absence of a police investigation has now been hindered by police work.

The report also has the potential to topple the Prime Minister, with some Tory MPs holding off calling for a vote of no confidence in him until after its release.

Anything that has the appearance of a cover-up involving No 10 and the Met – true or not – could also risk decaying trust in politicians and the police.