The United Kingdom and the Death of Boris Johnson as we know it.

[Sheaf Saint]

14 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-23/exclusive-pm-pictured-drinking-at-downing-street-party-during-lockdown

So he allowed someone to take photographs and didn't even think to make sure they were deleted. This leads to one of two possibilities:

1. He genuinely didn't believe they were breaking any rules, or...

2. He knew, but he didn't consider or care about the consequences because he thinks he's untouchable.

I know which one my money is on.

[badgerx16]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

So he allowed someone to take photographs and didn't even think to make sure they were deleted. This leads to one of two possibilities:

1. He genuinely didn't believe they were breaking any rules, or...

2. He knew, but he didn't consider or care about the consequences because he thinks he's untouchable.

I know which one my money is on.

Other people at that "event" were fined by the Met, Boris was not.

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, badgerx16 said:

Other people at that "event" were fined by the Met, Boris was not.

Absolute carve up.

[badgerx16]

5 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Absolute carve up.

And despite the cakes, bubbly, etc, he never thought it might be a party. Honest guv !

Edited 23 May, 2022 by badgerx16

[rallyboy]

He was specifically asked if there was an event on that day, he clearly said there wasn't, even though he attended it.

This photo proves that he lied to Parliament.

Forget the cheese or wine, 10 mins here or there, the parties, was there cake, denials, reports and all that shit - the offence is that the PM intentionally lied to the House, and in every case that is always a resigning matter.

 

 

[whelk]

2 hours ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Absolute carve up.

Wasnt Javid’s brother one of the Met investigators?

[whelk]

1 hour ago, rallyboy said:

He was specifically asked if there was an event on that day, he clearly said there wasn't, even though he attended it.

This photo proves that he lied to Parliament.

Forget the cheese or wine, 10 mins here or there, the parties, was there cake, denials, reports and all that shit - the offence is that the PM intentionally lied to the House, and in every case that is always a resigning matter.

 

 

It is time to move on to the real issue of the day…those cunts working from home

[moonraker]

It beggars belief, I cannot think of any senior politician of any shade who would not have resigned by now.  Johnson is an absolute c**t not because he is a Tory, not because he is from the entitled class but because has no morales or ethics.  Anybody that still genuinely believes he is a suitable person to be the political leader of our nation is in total denial.

[Sheaf Saint]

2 hours ago, whelk said:

Wasnt Javid’s brother one of the Met investigators?

He's a very high ranking officer in the Met, but it's not certain whether he was involved in the investigation or not. 

[badgerx16]

 NHS trusts are opening food banks for their staff.

[igsey]

15 hours ago, Sheaf Saint said:

So he allowed someone to take photographs and didn't even think to make sure they were deleted. This leads to one of two possibilities:

1. He genuinely didn't believe they were breaking any rules, or...

2. He knew, but he didn't consider or care about the consequences because he thinks he's untouchable.

I know which one my money is on.

The official Downing Street photographer was at some of these events - we paid for these photos to be taken!

[Winnersaint]

11 hours ago, moonraker said:

It beggars belief, I cannot think of any senior politician of any shade who would not have resigned by now.  Johnson is an absolute c**t not because he is a Tory, not because he is from the entitled class but because has no morales or ethics.  Anybody that still genuinely believes he is a suitable person to be the political leader of our nation is in total denial.

Absolutely spot-on. 

[badgerx16]

48 minutes ago, igsey said:

The official Downing Street photographer was at some of these events - we paid for these photos to be taken!

Downing Street's line is that because the official photographer was there, Boris was working.

[Weston Super Saint]

Playing devil's advocate, in the picture below you can clearly see a "red box" on the chair in front of him, so he has presumably come to the party from work.  He's clearly raising a glass as a toast, but we don't know what is in it.  We also don't know if he stayed.  He may well have turned up from work, made his toast and fucked off.

Undoubtedly there is a party going on, it's also technically in his 'house' so he can't deny he knew about it, but that doesn't mean he attended it for more than a minute or two.

He still looks like a toothless goon doing his toast though!

[badgerx16]

20 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Playing devil's advocate, in the picture below you can clearly see a "red box" on the chair in front of him, so he has presumably come to the party from work.  He's clearly raising a glass as a toast, but we don't know what is in it.  We also don't know if he stayed.  He may well have turned up from work, made his toast and fucked off.

Undoubtedly there is a party going on, it's also technically in his 'house' so he can't deny he knew about it, but that doesn't mean he attended it for more than a minute or two.

He still looks like a toothless goon doing his toast though!

He stated in Parliament that no party took place on that date. Whether he personally "attended", rather than dropped by for a couple of minutes, doesn't matter, he clearly knew it was happening.

Edited 24 May, 2022 by badgerx16

[trousers]

18 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

He stated in Parliament that no party took place on that date. Whether he personally "attended", rather than dropped by for a couple of minutes, doesn't matter, he clearly knew it was happening.

I guess he's relying on his definition of "party". I went to a retirement do last week - a few drinks and a buffet in a pub function room - but it's not something I would call a "party". Nowhere in the invite was the word "party" used. When Lady T asked me where I was going, I didn't use the word "party". 

Semantics, maybe, but I assume that's what Johnson is relying upon in his defence. 

(To me, a "party" is something that's involves activities such as music, dancing, DJ, balloons, party poppers, party games, dressing up, etc)

Edited 24 May, 2022 by trousers

[badgerx16]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61566410

 

"Insiders who attended events at Downing Street during lockdown have told the BBC how staff crowded together, sat on each other's laps and how party debris was left out overnight.

For the first time, insiders who were at some of the events have told BBC Panorama in detail what they saw.

They describe arriving for work the morning after a get-together to find bottles lying around parts of the building, bins overflowing with rubbish and empties left on the table.

They also tell of events with dozens of staff crowded together, and parties going so late that, on occasion, some ended up staying in Downing Street all night.

And they say staff mocked others who tried to stop what was going on."

…….........................

"

Speaking anonymously, three insiders have opened up about a world behind No 10's famous front door where the lockdown rules the country was living by were routinely ignored, socialising was regular, with, they felt, the prime minister's implicit permission.

One staffer describes director of communications Lee Cain's leaving do, the event on 13 November 2020, where the prime minister has been pictured raising a glass, but for which he has not been fined.

Others have been judged to have broken the law for being there and received penalties.

Mr Johnson attended and made a speech to thank Mr Cain, but as the party developed "there were about 30 people, if not more, in a room. Everyone was stood shoulder to shoulder, some people on each other's laps…one or two people."

.................

"The insiders admit that events were routine. "They were every week," one says. "The event invites for Friday press office drinks were just nailed into the diary."

The invitation was known as "WTF" - meaning "Wine-Time Friday" and a reference to a less polite acronym.

The drinks were often scheduled in No 10 for 4pm. Sources say Friday drinks had been a tradition in Whitehall for some time.

But drinking wasn't limited to Fridays. One former official describes turning up at work in No 10 often to find "A mess! There were bottles, empties, rubbish - in the bin, but overflowing - or indeed sometimes left on the table."

At the party on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral on 16 April 2021, they portray a "lively event... a general party with people dancing around". The gathering becoming so loud that security guards in the building told them to leave the building and go into the No 10 grounds.

"So everyone grabbed all the drinks, the food, everything, and went into the garden," one source says.

"We all sat around the tables drinking. People stayed the night there.""

.................

"But all three point to the culture set by the prime minister himself, suggesting he "wanted to be liked" and for staff to be able to "let their hair down".

One suggests they felt like they had the prime minister's permission to socialise even it meant breaking the rules because "He was there."

"He may have just been popping through on the way to his flat because that's what would happen," they add. "You know, he wasn't there saying this shouldn't be happening.

"He wasn't saying, 'Can everyone break up and go home? Can everyone socially distance? Can everyone put masks on?'

"No, he wasn't telling anybody that. He was grabbing a glass for himself.""

Edited 24 May, 2022 by badgerx16

[badgerx16]

3 minutes ago, trousers said:

I guess he's relying on his definition of "party". I went to a leaving do last week - a few drinks and a buffet in a pub function room - but it's not something I would call a "party". Nowhere in the invite was the word "party" used. When Lady T asked me where I was going, I didn't use the word "party". 

Semantics, maybe, but I assume that's what Johnson is relying upon in his defence. 

(To me, a "party" is something that's involves activities such as music, dancing, DJ, balloons, party poppers, party games, dressing up, etc)

Does the semantic definition matter, it should have been clear to the man who was responsible for drawing up and implementing the law that his rules were being broken.

[Weston Super Saint]

4 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61566410

 

"Insiders who attended events at Downing Street during lockdown have told the BBC how staff crowded together, sat on each other's laps and how party debris was left out overnight.

For the first time, insiders who were at some of the events have told BBC Panorama in detail what they saw.

They describe arriving for work the morning after a get-together to find bottles lying around parts of the building, bins overflowing with rubbish and empties left on the table.

They also tell of events with dozens of staff crowded together, and parties going so late that, on occasion, some ended up staying in Downing Street all night.

And they say staff mocked others who tried to stop what was going on."

They need better cleaners

[trousers]

5 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Does the semantic definition matter, it should have been clear to the man who was responsible for drawing up and implementing the law that his rules were being broken.

It's a fair point, but if you asked me if I went to a party last Friday, my answer would be: "no".... Although, unlike Johnson, I'd tag "it was just a few drinks with a chap who's retiring" onto the end of my answer, just to add some clarity/context to my answer. But, to my mind, answering "no" to the "party?" question would be technically correct in my situation last week.

Edited 24 May, 2022 by trousers

[badgerx16]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

It's a fair point, but if you asked me if I went to a party last Friday, my answer would be: "no".... Although, unlike Johnson, I'd tag "it was just a few drinks with a chap who's retiring" onto the end of my answer. But, to my mind, answering "no" to the "party?" question would be technically correct in my situation last week.

You weren't operating under lockdown rules.

Edited 24 May, 2022 by badgerx16

[trousers]

3 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

You weren't operating under lockdown rules.

No, but I'm just trying to address the accusation that he lied to parliament when he answered "no" to the "party?" question. 

As to whether or not he broke lockdown rules... I'll leave that to the police to decide...

Edited 24 May, 2022 by trousers

[Sheaf Saint]

16 minutes ago, trousers said:

I guess he's relying on his definition of "party". I went to a retirement do last week - a few drinks and a buffet in a pub function room - but it's not something I would call a "party". Nowhere in the invite was the word "party" used. When Lady T asked me where I was going, I didn't use the word "party". 

Semantics, maybe, but I assume that's what Johnson is relying upon in his defence. 

(To me, a "party" is something that's involves activities such as music, dancing, DJ, balloons, party poppers, party games, dressing up, etc)

I'm sure he will try and use that defence, but it wouldn't stand up in court when you look at the dictionary definition:

No way you could argue it doesn't fit with #1. 

[badgerx16]

3 minutes ago, trousers said:

No, but I'm just trying to address the accusation that he lied to parliament when he answered "no" to the "party?" question. 

As to whether or not he broke lockdown rules... I'll leave that to the police to decide...

He doesn't have to be shown to have lied, merely deliberately misled. Relying on such semantics to distort rather than break the truth shows what a corrupt, slimey, slug he is.

[whelk]

Our great leader

 

[trousers]

20 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I'm sure he will try and use that defence, but it wouldn't stand up in court when you look at the dictionary definition:

No way you could argue it doesn't fit with #1. 

 

I've always been pilloried on here when quoting dictionary definitions over common usage....

[badgerx16]

So Boris could say goodbye to Lee Cain, but others couldn't say goodbye to dying relatives.

Edited 24 May, 2022 by badgerx16

[Whitey Grandad]

If there is alcohol present then it is not work-related.

[badgerx16]

25 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

If there is alcohol present then it is not work-related.

You obviously don't work in 10 Downing Street.

[farawaysaint]

34 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

If there is alcohol present then it is not work-related.

I will be sure to let the bartenders know, the layabouts.

[StDunko]

2 hours ago, trousers said:

I guess he's relying on his definition of "party". I went to a retirement do last week - a few drinks and a buffet in a pub function room - but it's not something I would call a "party". Nowhere in the invite was the word "party" used. When Lady T asked me where I was going, I didn't use the word "party". 

Semantics, maybe, but I assume that's what Johnson is relying upon in his defence. 

(To me, a "party" is something that's involves activities such as music, dancing, DJ, balloons, party poppers, party games, dressing up, etc)

A retirement 'do'...  Dictionary definition of 'do' (in this context): a party or social event.

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

If there is alcohol present then it is not work-related.

Careful, according to the party experts on here,  it can be. You should have written “ if you’re a Tory and there’s alcohol present”. 

 

 

Edited 24 May, 2022 by Lord Duckhunter

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, farawaysaint said:

I will be sure to let the bartenders know, the layabouts.

If there were bartenders present in Downing Street then I’m even more certain it wasn’t work-related.

[badgerx16]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

If there were bartenders present in Downing Street then I’m even more certain it wasn’t work-related.

There weren't bartenders, but there certainly were barstewards.

[sadoldgit]

43 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Careful, according to the party experts on here,  it can be. You should have written “ if you’re a Tory and there’s alcohol present”. 

 

 

126 fines to nil and still you try and equate one incident that remains in the balance with industrial sized partying by the party you vote for. For someone who gets so worked up about drink driving you seem to have a strangely ambivalent attitude when the people you vote for show utter contempt for the law and happily neck alcohol at social gatherings while us plebs followed their instructions and waved goodbye to our social lives. No longer the party of law and order, your lot are now the party of lies, hypocrisy, bullshit and arrogance. Starmer had already said that he will resign if found guilty of breaking the rules. The fact that the bloke you support is still in post speaks volumes about the lack of decency, honesty and integrity of our Prime Minister and those who still support him.

[CB Fry]

It felt obvious to me that on the day of the Sue Gray report, a newspaper would come out with something that wasn't in it.

And, of course, they have. Tomorrow's Mirror.

Drip, drip, drip, drip.

 

Pippa Crerar is playing a blinder.

Edited 24 May, 2022 by CB Fry

[badgerx16]

But no rules were broken : no sir, not one. ( Other than those resulting in 125 fines, which looks like it represents only a fraction of what would have been issued to you or I ).

No parties took place, but there were 'leaving dos" with fancy food, dancing, and crates of bubbly; "working meetings" with fancy food, dancing, crates of bubbly, and people sitting on each other's laps; and co-incidental ad-hoc 'water cooler' discussion, although they actually took place around drinks fridges, where fancy food just happened to be lying around, crates of bubbly mysteriously materialised, and 30 people maintained 2metre Social Distancing in a 20 foot square room.

Edited 24 May, 2022 by badgerx16

[CB Fry]

5 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

But no rules were broken : no sir, not one. ( Other than those resulting in 125 fines, which looks like it represents only a fraction of what would have been issued to you or I ).

No parties took place, but there were 'leaving dos" with fancy food, dancing, and crates of bubbly; "working meetings" with fancy food, dancing, crates of bubbly, and people sitting on each other's laps; and co-incidental ad-hoc 'water cooler' discussion, although they actually took place around drinks fridges, where fancy food just happened to be lying around, crates of bubbly mysteriously materialised, and 30 people maintained 2metre Social Distancing in a 20 foot square room.

bUt kiEr sTaRmEr

[whelk]

I am waiting for coke snorted off an arse cheek.  My measure of a true party

[whelk]

58 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

bUt kiEr sTaRmEr

 but but civil servants working from home.  Not to mention these cunts overseeing a total fuck up over Afghanistan. Labour should be embarrassed they aren’t  hammering these incompetent fuckers into ground. 

[Weston Super Saint]

8 hours ago, whelk said:

 but but civil servants working from home.  Not to mention these cunts overseeing a total fuck up over Afghanistan. Labour should be embarrassed they aren’t  hammering these incompetent fuckers into ground. 

'Windfall tax' to appease the stupid.

[whelk]

10 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

'Windfall tax' to appease the stupid.

When it happens everyone will immediately forget all the counter arguments  the wheeled out ministers put up about investment fall off blah blah blah. No journo will say hang on you said it wouldn’t work because……..

[whelk]

And no mention of why these stupid pricks helped fuel inflation in housing market by cutting stamp duty. Print fuckloads of money, cut services, tax everyone more. Love the Tories fiscal restraint. Oh yeah and don’t worry about fraud not really a crime is it?

[alehouseboys]

10 hours ago, CB Fry said:

 

 

Pippa Crerar is playing a blinder.

But...tbf...there does look like there's a bottle of hand sanitiser on the table. Call off the witch-hunt.

Edited 25 May, 2022 by alehouseboys

[rallyboy]

Beep, beep, beep, the dithering Boris bus is in reverse, backing over all those who have defended him!

Yeah, we're set for their biggest U-turn yet as they take on the policy Captain Hindsight suggested frigging weeks ago, just to distract from the criminality.

Maybe it's not hindsight but common sense and decency?...

Either way, expect to see multiple dead cats thrown on tables, a wobbling Nadine Dorries making up shit, and a succession of pathetic cabinet ministers covered in tyre marks explaining how when they said this could never happen they meant the opposite.

Let's hope it's a proper tax now, not some staggered half-arsed shit coming in by Autumn 2024 - and that it actually helps people.

 

[skintsaint]

11 hours ago, CB Fry said:

 

 

 

Krispy Kreme doughnuts and alcohol...urgh.

[igsey]

19 hours ago, trousers said:

I guess he's relying on his definition of "party". I went to a retirement do last week - a few drinks and a buffet in a pub function room - but it's not something I would call a "party". Nowhere in the invite was the word "party" used. When Lady T asked me where I was going, I didn't use the word "party". 

Semantics, maybe, but I assume that's what Johnson is relying upon in his defence. 

(To me, a "party" is something that's involves activities such as music, dancing, DJ, balloons, party poppers, party games, dressing up, etc)

Just as well then that it wasn't "parties" that were illegal - it was any gathering of 2 or more people for non-work related reasons. DJ or no DJ (though there was a DJ for at least one of them!)

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, alehouseboys said:

But...tbf...there does look like there's a bottle of hand sanitiser on the table. Call off the witch-hunt.

They were drinking it, not rubbing it on their hands. Unless they were using it for lubrication.

[buctootim]

9 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

They were drinking it, not rubbing it on their hands. Unless they were using it for lubrication.

Ouch. That's got to sting  

[Sheaf Saint]

So the Sue Gray report lands, and to nobody's surprise it details a culture of total disregard for the rules at the time.

Pre-planned events, karaoke machines, people so drunk they were sick, and even a drunken altercation between two attendees.

But there were absolutely definitely no 'parties'.