Sue Gray press conference sparks fresh questions over Where Is The Interpreter

New questions have been raised around the UK Government’s decision not to have an in-person British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for its Downing Street press conferences, after a briefing on Sue Gray’s ‘Partygate’ report came without BSL interpretation.

The press conference on Wednesday was inaccessible for Deaf viewers, with No 10 also deciding not to stream the briefing on its social media channels.

The BBC News Channel – which broadcast ministerial Covid briefings with an interpreter during the pandemic – also chose not to interpret Boris Johnson’s response to the investigation into Downing Street parties during lockdown.

The Limping Chicken understands the BBC News Channel is not able to provide BSL interpretation for all events in Parliament, or other Downing Street press conferences.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We continue to work hard to ensure our content is accessible to all audiences across our channels. Subtitles are provided for all our live TV output on BBC News and a BSL interpreter is available for parts of our coverage during the day, including the BBC News at One.”

Meanwhile, it’s understood that non-ministerial press conferences have seen No 10 use a third party company to provide BSL on its social media channels, but that the decision was taken not to stream Wednesday’s press conference on its platforms.

Whether or not a press conference is streamed on Downing Street’s social media, with BSL interpretation or otherwise, is determined on a case by case basis – The Limping Chicken understands.

The UK Government’s continued failure to provide an in-person BSL interpreter comes just one month after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) backed a British Sign Language Act, which requires government departments to report on their work to ‘promote and facilitate’ BSL.

Ministers also published the delayed National Disability Strategy in July last year, where the Cabinet Office committed to “[improving] the accessibility of Government communications”.

On the same day, it was found the UK Government had broken the Equality Act by refusing to provide a British Sign Language interpreter for two Covid data briefings.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Fordham referred to a justification issued by the Cabinet Office in May 2020, in which it was said it is “not possible to safely include a physical British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter in the room for daily briefings as this would require additional operations staff […] to be present”.

They said: “At Downing Street the Government is working within the constraints of a historical site with limited space. Everyone in government continues to practice social distancing, which means staying two metres apart where possible, and journalists are currently attending the daily briefings remotely rather than in person in order to prevent unnecessary risk.

“The Government believes that it is right to limit the number of people present in the daily briefings to protect all those who must be present from additional risks.”

However in December, Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis said during a debate on alleged Christmas parties in Downing Street that the building “is a very large property with a multitude of offices and with many, many people working inside it”.

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Then earlier this week, senior civil servant Sue Gray published her report on Downing Street parties in which she said what occurred “at many of these gatherings” and “the way in which they developed” was “not in line with Covid guidance at the time”.

She went on to add: “Even allowing for the extraordinary pressures officials and advisers were under, the factual findings of this report illustrate some attitudes and behaviours inconsistent with that guidance.

“It is also clear, from the outcome of the police investigation, that a large number of individuals (83) who attended these events breached Covid regulations and therefore Covid guidance.”

Commenting on the uninterpreted Sue Gray press conference, solicitor Chris Fry – who represented Deaf campaigners in last year’s legal case – told The Limping Chicken: “It seems clear to me from the recital of the evidence set out by the Court that the evidence given to answers to Parliamentary questions, and indeed the High Court, was not honest.

“The Government has been told what its obligation is around making its communications accessible by the court and it should be doing that.”

He added that Downing Street’s failure to provide a BSL interpreter for Wednesday’s conference leaves them vulnerable to legal action.

The Limping Chicken approached No 10 about the allegation they were “not honest” in their previous evidence, but they declined to comment. The Cabinet Office referred us to the Downing Street press office.

Photo: 10 Downing Street/Flickr.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.