No 10 rule breaking gatherings during 2020.

[bramling]

That was blatantly obvious as soon as BoJo announced he welcomed the Met Polices investigation. The reality is the Met have more important things to deploy their limited resources on but have been pushed into this as Cressida Dick is only there as long as she does Patels bidding.

It’s pretty sickening, especially the way the Met weren’t interested and suddenly changed their tune once it became politically convenient to install a delay.

I don’t think the “make time for people to get bored with this” strategy is going to work medium-term though. The problem is that Johnson’s “Boris” persona which people once found cute and funny, is now being increasingly seen as arrogant and incompetent. There’s no way the Conservative party is going to take the risk of going into an election with this liability.

How on earth can we have this buffoon on the phone to Putin? It’s a national embarrassment.

 

[farleigh]

It’s pretty sickening, especially the way the Met weren’t interested and suddenly changed their tune once it became politically convenient to install a delay.

I don’t think the “make time for people to get bored with this” strategy is going to work medium-term though. The problem is that Johnson’s “Boris” persona which people once found cute and funny, is now being increasingly seen as arrogant and incompetent. There’s no way the Conservative party is going to take the risk of going into an election with this liability.

How on earth can we have this buffoon on the phone to Putin? It’s a national embarrassment.

Think he has cancelled the call to Putin

 

[GusB]

It’s pretty sickening, especially the way the Met weren’t interested and suddenly changed their tune once it became politically convenient to install a delay.

I don’t think the “make time for people to get bored with this” strategy is going to work medium-term though. The problem is that Johnson’s “Boris” persona which people once found cute and funny, is now being increasingly seen as arrogant and incompetent. There’s no way the Conservative party is going to take the risk of going into an election with this liability.

How on earth can we have this buffoon on the phone to Putin? It’s a national embarrassment.

I have disagreed with you several times on this forum, but I absolutely agree with you now. This isn't a matter of saving the Conservative Party from embarrassment - it's about saving the UK from embarrassment. Johnson is a laughing stock. He's not the eccentric London Mayor any more - he's the holder of the highest office in the land and he needs to go now. Regardless of your political persuasion, this man is not fit for office.

 

[dgl]

A lot of the reason why Boris has to go is because you can't have someone making the rules who doesn't follow them himself because then people question why the rules are there in the first place and don't follow them, however sensible ot necessary they are.

I suppose a sort of comparison is when Angus Deayton got sacked from HIGNFY, he got sacked because you couldn;t have someone being all high and mighty towards people who have had "issues" when you are just as bad, in the same way Boris can't moan about people no following the rules when he himself appears to have not done.

 

[DerekC]

I thought Starmer was excellent this afternoon - but as he said, Johnson has no shame. He still thinks he can bull**** his way through. The question is - will the Tories, motivated largely by self-interest, get rid of him? My money is still on that he will survive until May, then the results of the local elections will be so bad that they will go for it.

 

[TPO]

Yes this is a very salient point well made. If no.10 was so relaxed about all this, were the restrictions justified for the population?

This is an import point.

Were they relaxed because they knew the restrictions were not actually necessary but did so for other reasons? Thinking of Ferguson and his justification for breaking the rules and the obvious hidden agenda of the likes of Comrade Mitchie.

Boris appears to be basically an immature buffoon who (a) wants to be liked and (b) wants to be on top of the heap (in a "look at me I'm important" way). He's a dream for whoever is able to manipulate him- at various stages it seems Cummings, Sage, Carrie, I-Sage were pulling his strings- and then finally the cabinet was spooked and Boris stood up to Sage so could stay in no 10 a bit longer. He's comes over as a spoilt narcissistic child (of highly privileged background) who appears not to have any sense of responsibility and who does not appear to have matured beyond about age 13.

I cannot but help think he also sees rules that he was making as applying to "little people" not himself and for that alone he should go as it is rank hypocrisy.

(Equally, if he had been a backbencher who opposed the rules and voted against them I would cut him some slack if caught disobeying them).

TPO

 

[MikeWM]

Figures now expected at 22.00.

The effect of the changes, however, will be to reduce the Infection Fatality Rate to a much lower figure than it currently is - notwithstanding a one off huge jump in the infection figures, would they really choose to try to distract from that with the much more damaging parties story?

They've finally landed, but they don't make the sort of apocalyptic-looking changes perhaps we were anticipating. It appears from the dashboard to add roughly 10% to the number of cases for each day since mid-December.

If they'd counted all these 'reinfected' cases in today's 'reported' figure, then today's reported number would have been about 500,000 cases - but fortunately they seem to have had the sense not to roll them all up like that.

 

[nedchester]

I have disagreed with you several times on this forum, but I absolutely agree with you now. This isn't a matter of saving the Conservative Party from embarrassment - it's about saving the UK from embarrassment. Johnson is a laughing stock. He's not the eccentric London Mayor any more - he's the holder of the highest office in the land and he needs to go now. Regardless of your political persuasion, this man is not fit for office.

Spot on.

The man is a international embarrassment and his arrogance has no limits.

But some of us knew he was going to be like this so at least I can say I never voted for him nor his party.

 

[Yew]

It's very wrong because the rest of us were locked down and unable to meet with friends and family.

How is that relevant to the comment ( below) from @Howardh, which is about general drinking in downing street, to which I was referring?

Totally disagree with that! Something very wrong if you need booze to offer hospitality in a working environment.

It's also very wrong because many of us would be fired for drinking during work hours, even if it was only a swift half.

I can understand that for some roles, such as those that involve driving or operating safety critical equipment. However I'm not aware of any particular need in what is ultimately an office admin job; particularly as for the most part these seem to be after work.

As I've said before, it does not matter whether or not you agreed with the restrictions - the fact is that some were punished for disobeying the rules while those in number 10 appear to be getting away with it.

Again, I don't see how this relates to @Howardh 's comment.

The excuse that they were all working hard and needed a break does not wash with me; what about all those who were working hard for the NHS and in other "key" jobs? There was nowhere for them to go for a post-work pint after a hard shift.

Indeed, and there should have been; but yet again, the post I was referencing had no mention of restrictions or specific events, just the general culture in downing street.

 

[nw1]

Boris is no clown. Pillock is a massive understatement. He is interested in no-one but himself and power only for the sake of having power. He is totally unfit to be Prime Minister.

I've thought this all along about Johnson, right from the point at which he got involved in the Vote Leave campaign. Sadly, like any cult leader with a larger than life personality, many of us were taken in by him.

 

[SteveM70]

Can someone now removed the word “alleged” from the thread title please?

 

[96tommy]

The jibe from Boris Johnson towards Keir Starmer about not prosecuting Jimmy Saville was probably one of the low points the HoC has ever seen. Disgraceful and indefensible.

 

[Cowley]

Can someone now removed the word “alleged” from the thread title please?

Done. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had to edit that.

 

[SteveM70]

The jibe from Boris Johnson towards Keir Starmer about not prosecuting Jimmy Saville was probably one of the low points the HoC has ever seen. Disgraceful and indefensible.

….until he followed it by responding to a question about drug taking in Downing Street by suggesting the questioner should look at the Labour front bench or something

It looked like he was in physical pain as he read the scripted “apology”, then once the questions started he went rogue again. “Britain Trump” indeed

Done. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had to edit that.

Let’s hope this is the last time

 

[nw1]

….until he followed it by responding to a question about drug taking in Downing Street by suggesting the questioner should look at the Labour front bench or something

It looked like he was in physical pain as he read the scripted “apology”, then once the questions started he went rogue again. “Britain Trump” indeed

Someone should register BritTrump.com (assuming it's free) to point to the official Johnson home page. Maybe, with BritTrump.org and BritTrump.net as well, have them point to the Uxbridge constituency webpage and the UK Government home page too...

 

[Gloster]

Johnson’s behaviour when in difficulty is often reminiscent of the way a small child would react: shouting, ’Yah, boo, and your mum smells of poo.’ He has no answer so he turns to childish insults. It may be beginning to sink into the minds of some Tories that this behaviour may lead to a backlash against them.

 

[brad465]

Done. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had to edit that.

At the risk of being very pedantic, two of the gatherings being investigated were in 2021, not 2020 (i.e. the one's on the evening of the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral). Don't feel it has to be changed again though if it's not worth the hassle though.

 

[deltic]

I can understand that for some roles, such as those that involve driving or operating safety critical equipment. However I'm not aware of any particular need in what is ultimately an office admin job; particularly as for the most part these seem to be after work.

Surely making decisions that can mean the difference between life and death are safety critical. And that is what those in No 10 are doing. The drinks are not after work - they are still working - it has been widely reported that staff were drinking at their desks. I work in an office job far removed from any safety critical activities and not even directly for a transport organisation but I am liable to random drugs and alcohol tests with the same limits as if I was working on the tracks or driving a train.

 

[Typhoon]

I can understand that for some roles, such as those that involve driving or operating safety critical equipment. However I'm not aware of any particular need in what is ultimately an office admin job; particularly as for the most part these seem to be after work.

Then its not a 'work meeting'.

As someone who worked rather elastic hours, I understand that 'work' takes place outside of 9 to 5 - 'Have you got a minute?', 'Just let me get a coffee', but this was organised, the wine was in the fridge, there were platters of food, nine standing around a table.

Acceptable in normal times, but this was not 'normal times'.

"Time to go home, ladies and gentlemen."

 

[bramling]

Johnson’s behaviour when in difficulty is often reminiscent of the way a small child would react: shouting, ’Yah, boo, and your mum smells of poo.’ He has no answer so he turns to childish insults. It may be beginning to sink into the minds of some Tories that this behaviour may lead to a backlash against them.

Yes it is his character which is causing all these problems, and it’s not going to change. If there was any doubt, yesterday’s Commons performance proved that.

The more I think about it, the more I am utterly repulsed by the Savile quip. It was completely and utterly inappropriate, especially when one might have presumed the reason for Johnson’s appearance there was to express remorse, having just been on the receiving end of a pretty damning report.

As I said yesterday, there’s no way we can have this utter idiot dealing with the likes of Putin. He has to go, and he has to go soon.

 

[brad465]

As I said yesterday, there’s no way we can have this utter idiot dealing with the likes of Putin. He has to go, and he has to go soon.

Yes Johnson going to Ukraine today will be heavily motivated by the need to create a distraction and/or escape the fallout from the Sue Gray report summary. There have been signs of progress in the Ukraine situation recently, but Johnson being involved may well be enough to undo all progress made (bearing in mind of course the Tory party is beholden to Russian money and the City of London is full of it).

 

[Typhoon]

Yes Johnson going to Ukraine today will be heavily motivated by the need to create a distraction and/or escape the fallout from the Sue Gray report summary. There have been signs of progress in the Ukraine situation recently, but Johnson being involved may well be enough to undo all progress made (bearing in mind of course the Tory party is beholden to Russian money and the City of London is full of it).

First three up for PMQs tomorrow are Conservatives (including Mrs Philip Davies and Caroline Dinenage DBE - awarded, presumably, as compensation for being given the boot from government) as indeed are 5, 6, 7. I wonder how many questions will be about Ukraine?

 

[21C101]

I think the biggest thing these commentators are forgetting is that at heart, Johnson is a populist. He will move his views and decisions to where he thinks he will find the most supporters. The lack of restrictions recently is not a reflection of Johnson getting stronger and deciding to ignore the scientists, or a twist to concern for the financial implications of another lockdown, it's a reflection of the general public distaste for another lockdown. Brand Boris would be more damaged by cancelling Christmas for the second year in a row than the alternatives, so he didn't - if the public had turned on him again - as they did when he was dithering about before calling the previous lockdowns - you can be sure he would have been back behind his desk pifflewaffling about how we need to make one more big push to defeat this enemy.

Boris isn't a champion of freedom, he's a champion of Boris.

I think it is fair to say that he is libertarian as evidenced by his behaviour. Those who behave like he does don't generally have much time for rules and regulations. My suspicion is that be personally would have stuck with herd immunity, but he was too weak to stand up to the pressure to lockdown from the medical establishment (and people on his own side like Gove) so caved, calculating he (ironically) wouldn't survive politically if he didn't.

I suspect he might well still survive despite this, partly precisely because he has no respect for such rules and regulations. I think the comments about drink being inappropriate in the workplace in the Gray Report are significant, in terms of being another ratchet turning of the screw with modern puritanism. It is not too many years since workplace drinking was deemed almost normal. Many [non safety related] companies have followed the railway with drugs and alcohol polices as the general culture has shifted.

Do not underestimate the resentment out there against modern technocratic puritanism. It drove Brexit (and Trump in the USA for which there may well be a 2024 sequel) and may well save Boris as people vote for him partly because of how much it will wind up and infuriate the straight laced, stuffed shirt, league of monstrous and pompous experts, their capricious and ever shifting acceptable speech nostrums and their online censorious mob followers who descend on those who sin against such nostrums.

His swallowing of Nut Nuts green agenda is what is more likely to do for him, if things get really nasty energy wise. Part of the reason for high gas prices is that this winter is so cold in the Middle East and USA that they are using the gas themselves instead of exporting it, to the extent that Turkey, also experiening severe cold, are instituting rolling power cuts. But then in a solar minimum this should not be entirely unexpected unless you are blinded by dogma.

 

[MikeWM]

Do not underestimate the resentment out there against modern technocratic puritanism.

I think you're entirely right here. We've recently had a 'free two-year trial' of an extreme form of it, a vision of a joyless, fearful and siloed future.

I think it is fair to say that while some appear to really rather like it and would like ever more of it, many of us very much do not, and when it comes down to it our 'X' will go to those who think life is worth living rather than merely surviving.

 

[greyman42]

It's very wrong because the rest of us were locked down and unable to meet with friends and family.

There were plenty who carried on meeting friends and family, including me.

 

[21C101]

I think you're entirely right here. We've recently had a 'free two-year trial' of an extreme form of it, a vision of a joyless, fearful and siloed future.

I think it is fair to say that while some appear to really rather like it and would like ever more of it, many of us very much do not, and when it comes down to it our 'X' will go to those who think life is worth living rather than merely surviving.

Thanks. Also worth noting that if those shouting most loudly for his head were in power said trial would still be continuing (see Scotland, Wales, New Zealand for further details).

 

[greyman42]

The excuse that they were all working hard and needed a break does not wash with me; what about all those who were working hard for the NHS and in other "key" jobs? There was nowhere for them to go for a post-work pint after a hard shift.

How do you know what people did after their shift?

I am not prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt they don't deserve it. To be honest in my view they deserve jail time for what they have done.

They hardly deserve to do to prison. People do far worse things and don't get custodial sentences.

Yes this is a very salient point well made. If no.10 was so relaxed about all this, were the restrictions justified for the population?

Not in my opinion, that is why i ignored them as much as i could.

The reality is the Met have more important things to deploy their limited resources on but have been pushed into this as Cressida Dick is only there as long as she does Patels bidding.

Agreed.

 

[21C101]

Wonder if any met officers (protection officers, special branch etc and MI5/6 spooks are in these 300 photos?

 

[bramling]

Thanks. Also worth noting that if those shouting most loudly for his head were in power said trial would still be continuing (see Scotland, Wales, New Zealand for further details).

It isn’t just the left that’s shouting for his head, though. There’s elements of the Conservative party who want his head well and truly on a chopping block, and it isn’t just down to the parties. They find his style weak and distasteful, and are none-too-impressed with the policy agenda too. I object to the games being played with London and Khan, with the population being collateral damage.

Then there’s the question of competence. Despite apparently possessing top-class qualifications in the field of spelling important words like Pinocchio, his communications through Covid have been dire. Pretty much the only sensible thing is the “if now now then when?”, which I wouldn’t be surprised originates elsewhere in any case, quite possibly it sounds more like the sort of thing someone like Steve Baker would come up with. Otherwise the limit of sophistication has been the usual “we’re going to beat this” bluster, which if anything has done more harm than good by failing to set any measurables for what we expect to get in return for the massive sacrifice / cost incurred by the various restrictions. Is he going to “send Putin packing” too?!

 

[greyman42]

A lot of the reason why Boris has to go is because you can't have someone making the rules who doesn't follow them himself because then people question why the rules are there in the first place and don't follow them, however sensible ot necessary they are.

I suppose a sort of comparison is when Angus Deayton got sacked from HIGNFY, he got sacked because you couldn;t have someone being all high and mighty towards people who have had "issues" when you are just as bad, in the same way Boris can't moan about people no following the rules when he himself appears to have not done.

How is presenting HIGNFY be described as "high and mighty? A ridiculous comparison.
To be fair to Boris, i never heard him moaning about people not following the rules. He has no time for masks and gave us all a get out with the "exemption" rule, which most people chose not to take. I certainly did.

I think you're entirely right here. We've recently had a 'free two-year trial' of an extreme form of it, a vision of a joyless, fearful and siloed future.

I think it is fair to say that while some appear to really rather like it and would like ever more of it, many of us very much do not, and when it comes down to it our 'X' will go to those who think life is worth living rather than merely surviving.

Great post.
Some would put up with restrictions and lockdowns forever if it meant they could carry on "working" from home, or from Bournemouth beach on nice summer days.