Stop voting for fucking Tories

[I like neeps]

Fair play to Douglas Ross, unequivocally saying the PM should resign if he is found to be lying about this

Boris had lied dozens of times and he’s never asked for this before. Call me cynical but he’s playing a game here. If bojo goes or even hangs on by the skin of his teeth this gives him the opportunity to demand the same from the FM/senior politicians up here even for the most minor transgression.

He resigned from govt over Barnard Castle to be fair to him.

Interestingly Starmer demanded Sturgeon resigned when she broke the rules but only asked for an apology for Johnson. Very interesting indeed.

[GogLais]

Fair play to Douglas Ross, unequivocally saying the PM should resign if he is found to be lying about this

Boris had lied dozens of times and he’s never asked for this before. Call me cynical but he’s playing a game here. If bojo goes or even hangs on by the skin of his teeth this gives him the opportunity to demand the same from the FM/senior politicians up here even for the most minor transgression.

He resigned from govt over Barnard Castle to be fair to him.

Interestingly Starmer demanded Sturgeon resigned when she broke the rules but only asked for an apology for Johnson. Very interesting indeed.

I’m reading John Bolton’s book, one piece of advice is never demand anything you know you won’t get, it just makes you look weak.

[Slick]

Fair play to Douglas Ross, unequivocally saying the PM should resign if he is found to be lying about this

Boris had lied dozens of times and he’s never asked for this before. Call me cynical but he’s playing a game here. If bojo goes or even hangs on by the skin of his teeth this gives him the opportunity to demand the same from the FM/senior politicians up here even for the most minor transgression.

Come on, credit where it’s due. And frankly, that’s a pretty mad reading of the situation. He is calling for the resignation of the PM, his party leader and boss so he can score a few points up here? Not sure you’ve thought this through

[Jockaline]

No I think vaccine passports are also mandated for large events too. Not convinced if you look at Scotland and Europe vaccine passports work and it's quite the infringement on liberty (I am double vaxxed and will get a boost when called).

I can't drive a car without a license etc etc, there's tons of things that you need to meet set requirements for (18 years old to go in a night club etc), I don't see why potential mass spreading events during a pandemic shouldn't have a few restrictions on.

If they're shown statistically to be effective sure. But they currently have not veen. And it's an extra hurdle for small businesses.

Agree pointless when at home negative test is all that is needed to gain entry, it's just a overhead on struggling Businesses. The unvaccinated will just log one, whether they've done a test or not, if they want to go to the footie. No need for them in hospitality either, and it looks like having the vaccine isn't likely to stop Omicron spread either. They'd be far better hammering home actually taking a lateral flow regularly, and facilitating them e.g. in workplaces etc, along with properly supporting people to isolate (maintaining wages) if infected.

[fishfoodie]

I’m confused - it often happens - how does Boris say that no regulations were broken and then ask the Cabinet Secretary to find out what happened?

Because there's a good chance that technically, he's correct in saying; no regulations were broken; as Bills often give Government offices an exclusion.

I know it's the Spectator; but they make a good case; that technically; the party probably wasn't illegal; but that doesn't make the optics any better; but that's all that matters at the moment.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/did ... ak-the-law

The starting point in the Covid rules should be section 73 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. This part of the Act states that the Covid regulations, at all times, never applied to Crown Land (which includes No. 10). This only changed if No. 10 made a written agreement to be voluntarily bound – and no one thinks they did. So the regulations almost certainly never applied to No. 10 anyway.

Why would this be? The reason is simple: in the 1980s, lawmakers decided that it would be better to allow the government to function during any future national pandemic without having to worry about being caught up in quarantine regulations. The thinking was that by making the government effectively exempt in law, the government could continue to function.

[sockwithaticket]

Fair play to Douglas Ross, unequivocally saying the PM should resign if he is found to be lying about this

Boris had lied dozens of times and he’s never asked for this before. Call me cynical but he’s playing a game here. If bojo goes or even hangs on by the skin of his teeth this gives him the opportunity to demand the same from the FM/senior politicians up here even for the most minor transgression.

Come on, credit where it’s due. And frankly, that’s a pretty mad reading of the situation. He is calling for the resignation of the PM, his party leader and boss so he can score a few points up here? Not sure you’ve thought this through

This government started with Johnson being convicted of having lied to the Queen, he has demonstrably lied almost continuously ever since. Perhaps this is a case of the straw that broke the camel's back for Ross and some other Tories, but they get very little credit from me for belatedly attempting some sort of principled stand.

Johnson's been floundering for a couple of months at least with his personal approval ratings deteriorating markedly, a lot of Tories are starting to get concerned about him not recovering and getting his stink all over them/the party come election time. He was only ever a useful idiot and his utility is waning.

[GogLais]

I’m confused - it often happens - how does Boris say that no regulations were broken and then ask the Cabinet Secretary to find out what happened?

Because there's a good chance that technically, he's correct in saying; no regulations were broken; as Bills often give Government offices an exclusion.

I know it's the Spectator; but they make a good case; that technically; the party probably wasn't illegal; but that doesn't make the optics any better; but that's all that matters at the moment.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/did ... ak-the-law

The starting point in the Covid rules should be section 73 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. This part of the Act states that the Covid regulations, at all times, never applied to Crown Land (which includes No. 10). This only changed if No. 10 made a written agreement to be voluntarily bound – and no one thinks they did. So the regulations almost certainly never applied to No. 10 anyway.

Why would this be? The reason is simple: in the 1980s, lawmakers decided that it would be better to allow the government to function during any future national pandemic without having to worry about being caught up in quarantine regulations. The thinking was that by making the government effectively exempt in law, the government could continue to function.

Thanks, interesting. The obvious problem is that having a party, if that is what happened, wasn't necessary for the government to function. But it's just stupid, somebody would surely have thought that saying the regulations don't apply to us wasn't going to go down well.

[petej]

Fair play to Douglas Ross, unequivocally saying the PM should resign if he is found to be lying about this

Boris had lied dozens of times and he’s never asked for this before. Call me cynical but he’s playing a game here. If bojo goes or even hangs on by the skin of his teeth this gives him the opportunity to demand the same from the FM/senior politicians up here even for the most minor transgression.

Come on, credit where it’s due. And frankly, that’s a pretty mad reading of the situation. He is calling for the resignation of the PM, his party leader and boss so he can score a few points up here? Not sure you’ve thought this through

Don't think Ross has anything to lose really and more to gain with the removal of such an obvious English nationalist fuckwit in no10.

[Slick]

Boris had lied dozens of times and he’s never asked for this before. Call me cynical but he’s playing a game here. If bojo goes or even hangs on by the skin of his teeth this gives him the opportunity to demand the same from the FM/senior politicians up here even for the most minor transgression.

Come on, credit where it’s due. And frankly, that’s a pretty mad reading of the situation. He is calling for the resignation of the PM, his party leader and boss so he can score a few points up here? Not sure you’ve thought this through

This government started with Johnson being convicted of having lied to the Queen, he has demonstrably lied almost continuously ever since. Perhaps this is a case of the straw that broke the camel's back for Ross and some other Tories, but they get very little credit from me for belatedly attempting some sort of principled stand.

Johnson's been floundering for a couple of months at least with his personal approval ratings deteriorating markedly, a lot of Tories are starting to get concerned about him not recovering and getting his stink all over them/the party come election time. He was only ever a useful idiot and his utility is waning.

Has anyone else come out with the same? I don’t know

[sockwithaticket]

Come on, credit where it’s due. And frankly, that’s a pretty mad reading of the situation. He is calling for the resignation of the PM, his party leader and boss so he can score a few points up here? Not sure you’ve thought this through

This government started with Johnson being convicted of having lied to the Queen, he has demonstrably lied almost continuously ever since. Perhaps this is a case of the straw that broke the camel's back for Ross and some other Tories, but they get very little credit from me for belatedly attempting some sort of principled stand.

Johnson's been floundering for a couple of months at least with his personal approval ratings deteriorating markedly, a lot of Tories are starting to get concerned about him not recovering and getting his stink all over them/the party come election time. He was only ever a useful idiot and his utility is waning.

Has anyone else come out with the same? I don’t know

Not publicly, but the other week 12 MPs put in no confidence letters and 1922 committee reportedly gave him a telling off a week or so before that. Since the Paterson affair unnamed MPs have been talking about disatisfaction in the ranks to any hack who'll listen.

[fishfoodie]

This government started with Johnson being convicted of having lied to the Queen, he has demonstrably lied almost continuously ever since. Perhaps this is a case of the straw that broke the camel's back for Ross and some other Tories, but they get very little credit from me for belatedly attempting some sort of principled stand.

Johnson's been floundering for a couple of months at least with his personal approval ratings deteriorating markedly, a lot of Tories are starting to get concerned about him not recovering and getting his stink all over them/the party come election time. He was only ever a useful idiot and his utility is waning.

Has anyone else come out with the same? I don’t know

Not publicly, but the other week 12 MPs put in no confidence letters and 1922 committee reportedly gave him a telling off a week or so before that. Since the Paterson affair unnamed MPs have been talking about disatisfaction in the ranks to any hack who'll listen.

I was wondering about this ^

the mad thought occurred to me, that the Bumblecunt might consider a; "Back me, or Sack me !", confidence motion; if he had an extra week or two before the By-Elections; as that way he would almost certainly win it; & then it would be a year before anyone else could challenge him. In a years time; he could start the General Election process; & again; stave off any challenger.

Once these By-Elections happen though; the letters are going to start rolling in; & he becomes vulnerable with every fresh fuck up.

[Tichtheid]

Douglas Ross is not saying anything, he knows he won't have to front up on this.

If he'd said something like "Johnson should resign because he has consistently lied to the public and to parliament" then I'd take notice, there is a very hefty caveat in "if he misled parliament", that "if" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there and Ross knows it.

[Sandstorm]

FFS people, stop focusing on other MPs and criticising them!! Eye on the plum, eye on the plum.

[Tichtheid]

FFS people, stop focusing on other MPs and criticising them!! Eye on the plum, eye on the plum.

I can keep my ire simmering nicely whilst also calling out other bullshit

[Sandstorm]

FFS people, stop focusing on other MPs and criticising them!! Eye on the plum, eye on the plum.

I can keep my ire simmering nicely whilst also calling out other bullshit

Just save enough energy for Xmas carols.

[Tichtheid]

and anyway, they are two cheeks of the same tory arse

[Tichtheid]

FFS people, stop focusing on other MPs and criticising them!! Eye on the plum, eye on the plum.

I can keep my ire simmering nicely whilst also calling out other bullshit

Just save enough energy for Xmas carols.

I do a Christmas lullaby medley on the bagpipes

[Biffer]

Tee Met investigated the cash for honours stuff in the Blair years on the basis of an article in the Sunday Times and a complaint from one tory MP.

Now they don't seem to want to try and find out if there's any evidence because....

... checks notes...

... they don't have any evidence.

[I like neeps]

Well I have to say I'm not happy with the new restrictions. There's no scientific or analytical evidence to back them up and it's bad for business. I work in the office 5 days per week as I just prefer it with a walkable commute. The cafe I go to for lunch relies on workers. No trade for him now and no govt schemes to help. The measures aren't even working in Scotland and Wales. Oh well.

[fishfoodie]

Tee Met investigated the cash for honours stuff in the Blair years on the basis of an article in the Sunday Times and a complaint from one tory MP.

Now they don't seem to want to try and find out if there's any evidence because....

... checks notes...

... they don't have any evidence.

So we need a whistleblower !, who can confirm the details, & secure themselves some protection from retribution.

[GogLais]

The measures aren't even working in Scotland and Wales. Oh well.

Could be worse without them?

[Dogbert]

Well I have to say I'm not happy with the new restrictions. There's no scientific or analytical evidence to back them up and it's bad for business. I work in the office 5 days per week as I just prefer it with a walkable commute. The cafe I go to for lunch relies on workers. No trade for him now and no govt schemes to help. The measures aren't even working in Scotland and Wales. Oh well.

I can't think many people will be happy with the new ( though not in Scotland) restrictions, but if this variant is doubling every 3 days , what is the alternative to the rules currently in place ?

[I like neeps]

Well I have to say I'm not happy with the new restrictions. There's no scientific or analytical evidence to back them up and it's bad for business. I work in the office 5 days per week as I just prefer it with a walkable commute. The cafe I go to for lunch relies on workers. No trade for him now and no govt schemes to help. The measures aren't even working in Scotland and Wales. Oh well.

I can't think many people will be happy with the new ( though not in Scotland) restrictions, but if this variant is doubling every 3 days , what is the alternative to the rules currently in place ?

Wait and see. We really have no idea how severe Omicron is when the majority of the population has been double jabbed with a good number of the high risk people boosted too.

[petej]

Well I have to say I'm not happy with the new restrictions. There's no scientific or analytical evidence to back them up and it's bad for business. I work in the office 5 days per week as I just prefer it with a walkable commute. The cafe I go to for lunch relies on workers. No trade for him now and no govt schemes to help. The measures aren't even working in Scotland and Wales. Oh well.

I can't think many people will be happy with the new ( though not in Scotland) restrictions, but if this variant is doubling every 3 days , what is the alternative to the rules currently in place ?

Wait and see. We really have no idea how severe Omicron is when the majority of the population has been double jabbed with a good number of the high risk people boosted too.

Massive number infected on top of that. Annoyed about the now pointless travel restrictions and silly testing. Notice France and Switzerland dropped SA travel ban.

[Dogbert]

Well I have to say I'm not happy with the new restrictions. There's no scientific or analytical evidence to back them up and it's bad for business. I work in the office 5 days per week as I just prefer it with a walkable commute. The cafe I go to for lunch relies on workers. No trade for him now and no govt schemes to help. The measures aren't even working in Scotland and Wales. Oh well.

I can't think many people will be happy with the new ( though not in Scotland) restrictions, but if this variant is doubling every 3 days , what is the alternative to the rules currently in place ?

Wait and see. We really have no idea how severe Omicron is when the majority of the population has been double jabbed with a good number of the high risk people boosted too.

We seems to have tried wait and see previously , and look how that turned out - As you say we have no idea how severe Omicron is, it may be that Omnicron is as severe as Delta - but the evidence so far is that it is significantly more infectious , and possibly that vaccines are potentially less effective -

We still have many millions of people in the UK who are completely unvaccinated - and more with only 1 dose of the vaccine - If it gets into this population , it would not take much for all those Hospital Beds to be filled again.

From what I hear from NHS Grampian - over 50% of their ICU Beds are filled with younger unvaccinated Covid patients - and thats with Delta

[fishfoodie]

Tories found someone stupid enough to go on TV, & try to justify the clusterfuck .... step forward Nadhim Zahawi

[Calculon]

I can't think many people will be happy with the new ( though not in Scotland) restrictions, but if this variant is doubling every 3 days , what is the alternative to the rules currently in place ?

Wait and see. We really have no idea how severe Omicron is when the majority of the population has been double jabbed with a good number of the high risk people boosted too.

We seems to have tried wait and see previously , and look how that turned out - As you say we have no idea how severe Omicron is, it may be that Omnicron is as severe as Delta - but the evidence so far is that it is significantly more infectious , and possibly that vaccines are potentially less effective -

We still have many millions of people in the UK who are completely unvaccinated - and more with only 1 dose of the vaccine - If it gets into this population , it would not take much for all those Hospital Beds to be filled again.

From what I hear from NHS Grampian - over 50% of their ICU Beds are filled with younger unvaccinated Covid patients - and thats with Delta

That simply isn't true, in fact we have a better idea of it's severity compared to it's transmissibility, as compared to delta

https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/medica ... ar-AARDcgr

And

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa ... 694f3d04dc

Although far fewer old people, only 24% of the population have been vaccinated and something like 13% of the total population are hiv+

[I like neeps]

I can't think many people will be happy with the new ( though not in Scotland) restrictions, but if this variant is doubling every 3 days , what is the alternative to the rules currently in place ?

Wait and see. We really have no idea how severe Omicron is when the majority of the population has been double jabbed with a good number of the high risk people boosted too.

We seems to have tried wait and see previously , and look how that turned out - As you say we have no idea how severe Omicron is, it may be that Omnicron is as severe as Delta - but the evidence so far is that it is significantly more infectious , and possibly that vaccines are potentially less effective -

We still have many millions of people in the UK who are completely unvaccinated - and more with only 1 dose of the vaccine - If it gets into this population , it would not take much for all those Hospital Beds to be filled again.

From what I hear from NHS Grampian - over 50% of their ICU Beds are filled with younger unvaccinated Covid patients - and thats with Delta

We tried wait and see without a vaccine. We've now been double jabbed if we chose to be and many have had boosters. If people want to run the gamut and not get vaccinated good luck to them but we can't all live differently because of their dumb choices.

[Paddington Bear]

Wait and see. We really have no idea how severe Omicron is when the majority of the population has been double jabbed with a good number of the high risk people boosted too.

We seems to have tried wait and see previously , and look how that turned out - As you say we have no idea how severe Omicron is, it may be that Omnicron is as severe as Delta - but the evidence so far is that it is significantly more infectious , and possibly that vaccines are potentially less effective -

We still have many millions of people in the UK who are completely unvaccinated - and more with only 1 dose of the vaccine - If it gets into this population , it would not take much for all those Hospital Beds to be filled again.

From what I hear from NHS Grampian - over 50% of their ICU Beds are filled with younger unvaccinated Covid patients - and thats with Delta

We tried wait and see without a vaccine. We've now been double jabbed if we chose to be and many have had boosters. If people want to run the gamut and not get vaccinated good luck to them but we can't all live differently because of their dumb choices.

Basically this. Don't agree with the deny them care etc school of thought but they cannot expect society to make choices to accommodate their choice anymore.

[Ymx]

“In Afghanistan we might die in a month or a year but in Wick we die every day,” Hamid said

Jesus, is Wick that bad??

Isolated Afghan couple regret being sent to Scotland
December 8 2021, The Times

An Afghan refugee suffering from isolation since moving to Scotland said he regrets fleeing his home country because of the lack of support he has received from authorities in the UK.

Hamid Hakimi, 26, a former interpreter for the British armed forces, said he is concerned about the mental health of his pregnant wife Maryam Orfani, 19, who has struggled to adapt to life in Caithness.

Hakimi, 26, and Orfani, 19, are Muslim, and were placed in Wick — which does not have a mosque or access to halal food — on short notice.

“In Afghanistan we might die in a month or a year but in Wick we die every day,” Hamid said. “My wife is 12 weeks pregnant but she is crying all the time. If I go back to my homeland the Taliban will chop my head off — but I’m afraid if we stay here our baby will die.”

The couple arrived in the UK on August 3 and were transferred to Wick three weeks later. Orfani has struggled to eat and lost about 10kg in weight. She visited A&E three times in the last month.

“They sent us to Scotland without any notice,” Hakimi said. “We were taken by coach to a Glasgow hotel then one morning officials arrived and told us, ‘We have a house for you guys’.”

He added: “They threw us in a minibus like luggage. It took between eight and nine hours to get to Wick. I was arguing with the Home Office woman. I told her, ‘We can’t live here. We’ll die here’. She said, ‘Don’t worry. We will move you back after three months’. But we’ve now been in Wick for three months and don’t know anyone except my neighbour, who’s 75.”

“We are Muslim but have no halal food, no Islamic centre and no Afghan community in Wick,” he told The Sun.

Hakimi said he was aware that his work with the British would make him a target for the Taliban so it would have been unsafe to remain in the country.

He added that he and his wife were grateful to receive sanctuary in the UK but that they were struggling to cope with the isolation.

Jamie Stone, Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sunderland and Easter Ross, said the couple’s situation was worrying. “I want people like the Hakimis to feel Britain is their new home, where they can flourish,” he said.

A spokesman for the UK government said that they had helped more than 15,000 people to safety. He added: “Councils have been given £20,520 per person over three years to support those starting a new life here.”

[I like neeps]

Parties are irrelevant, when this stops the Tories are unelectable.

[Dogbert]

We seems to have tried wait and see previously , and look how that turned out - As you say we have no idea how severe Omicron is, it may be that Omnicron is as severe as Delta - but the evidence so far is that it is significantly more infectious , and possibly that vaccines are potentially less effective -

We still have many millions of people in the UK who are completely unvaccinated - and more with only 1 dose of the vaccine - If it gets into this population , it would not take much for all those Hospital Beds to be filled again.

From what I hear from NHS Grampian - over 50% of their ICU Beds are filled with younger unvaccinated Covid patients - and thats with Delta

We tried wait and see without a vaccine. We've now been double jabbed if we chose to be and many have had boosters. If people want to run the gamut and not get vaccinated good luck to them but we can't all live differently because of their dumb choices.

Basically this. Don't agree with the deny them care etc school of thought but they cannot expect society to make choices to accommodate their choice anymore.

Their Dumb choices have effects on others though their dumb choices still take up hospital beds , fill up wards , stop the NHS from functioning
It's their knock effects. that's the issue

The whole point of the current restrictions is to slow down the potential rapid growth , to allow more people to get that booster to stop hospitalization , and that's going to take a good number of weeks

Just because this variant may be less severe , and we extrapolating data from RSA to the UK is not simple or straightforward due to demographics , it doesn't mean that everyone will get a mild case.
If anyone can confirm what percentage of people in the UK will only get a mild illness then post it up

What we certainly do know is that it is much more infectious , and it is much better in evading current vaccines

There is a rationale, just epidemiologically, to try and slow this down, to buy us more time principally to get boosters into people’s arms because we do think people who are boosted will have the best level of protection possible, but also to buy us more time to really better characterise the threat.

[Lobby]

Parties are irrelevant, when this stops the Tories are unelectable.

The trouble with this is that for most people their homes are an illiquid asset, so taxing them on a theoretical increase in value which they can only realise when they sell their home doesn't really work.

[Paddington Bear]

Parties are irrelevant, when this stops the Tories are unelectable.

The trouble with this is that for most people their homes are an illiquid asset, so taxing them on a theoretical increase in value which they can only realise when they sell their home doesn't really work.

There's a strong argument for a different range of property taxes IMHO. Couples with adult children don't need 4/5 bed houses and the tax system should incentivise them to sell up and move to smaller houses.

[Ovals]

Parties are irrelevant, when this stops the Tories are unelectable.

The trouble with this is that for most people their homes are an illiquid asset, so taxing them on a theoretical increase in value which they can only realise when they sell their home doesn't really work.

There's a strong argument for a different range of property taxes IMHO. Couples with adult children don't need 4/5 bed houses and the tax system should incentivise them to sell up and move to smaller houses.

Jesus wept ! We already have the smallest houses in Europe and you want us to go even smaller.

[Paddington Bear]

The trouble with this is that for most people their homes are an illiquid asset, so taxing them on a theoretical increase in value which they can only realise when they sell their home doesn't really work.

There's a strong argument for a different range of property taxes IMHO. Couples with adult children don't need 4/5 bed houses and the tax system should incentivise them to sell up and move to smaller houses.

Jesus wept ! We already have the smallest houses in Europe and you want us to go even smaller.

No I think families should live in family homes.

[I like neeps]

Parties are irrelevant, when this stops the Tories are unelectable.

The trouble with this is that for most people their homes are an illiquid asset, so taxing them on a theoretical increase in value which they can only realise when they sell their home doesn't really work.

Not saying property should be taxed (it should pay for care though).

Just saying, the people who vote Tory have ever increasing wealth on paper. Not even at all aligned with what's actually going on in the economy. And want to gravy train to continue, and so will vote Tory. Until the bubble bursts and they're toast.

[SaintK]

So we now have at least 5 different Tory events during tier 2 and tier 3 lockdown. I'm sure the Cabinet SEcretary (who may have or may have not attended at least one) will get to the bottom of it all

November 13, 2020: Johnson’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings claimed on Twitter on Wednesday that a party was held in Boris and Carrie Johnson’s Downing Street flat on the night Cummings famously walked out of No. 10 carrying a box of his belongings. England was in the middle of the November firebreak lockdown at the time, so holding or attending a party would have been a clear rule breach. Johnson on Wednesday denied there was a party in his flat that night.

November 13, 2020: Separately that evening, Johnson gave a leaving speech for his outgoing comms chief Lee Cain. The Times’ Steve Swinford, Oli Wright, Henry Zeffman and George Grylls report: “Questions are now being raised about whether the event to mark Cain’s departure breached the rules.”

November 27, 2020: Also during that lockdown, a leaving do is reported to have been held for another departing No. 10 aide, Cleo Watson. A source tells the Guardian‘s Aubrey Allegretti that the PM attended and gave a speech, and even remarked on how full the room was. The Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner, Lucy Fisher and Harry Yorke say around 30 aides were present including Johnson’s former chief of staff Ed Lister. Downing Street’s response: “Some No. 10 staff briefly said goodbye and thanked a colleague on the day she left. There was not a party. Covid rules were followed at all times.”

December 10, 2020: Then there’s the party at the department for education attended by then Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and DfE perm sec Susan Acland-Hood, as revealed by the Mirror’s Pippa Crerar. At the time London was in Tier 2, with indoor social mixing banned. DfE fessed up to the event and admitted it shouldn’t have taken place.

December 14, 2020: The Times has a strong scoop today that a party was held at Conservative Campaign Headquarters with Tory London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and “at least two dozen party aides and volunteers.” The paper says it was a “raucous” bash with boozing, Christmas hats and dancing late into the night. Things apparently got so rowdy that there was damage to a door. A Conservative spokesperson tells the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in basement of Matthew Parker St organised by the Bailey campaign on 14th Dec. Formal disciplinary action was taken against 4 CCHQ staff seconded to the campaign.”

December 18, 2020: Next up is the now infamous Downing Street wine, cheese and Secret Santa night that culminated in the resignation of press aide Allegra Stratton Wednesday. The Times reports it went on until 2 a.m. and several attendees left “rat-a*sed.” A No. 10 official who attended tells the FT’s Laura Hughes: “It was huge, there must have been 40 to 50 people. It was really bad. There was cheese and wine ordered in by No. 10 staff. There was music.” The Telegraph hears that No. 10 will tell Simon Case’s inquiry the event was an “impromptu affair” that took place while aides worked late preparing for the announcement of the Kent strain the following day. “Knowing they would be at their desks past midnight, staff went out to get cheese and wine from the local Tesco above Westminster Underground station,” the paper reckons. “As far as there was any ‘party,’ that was the extent of it,” one source claims. Alternatively, the Times says Secret Santa gifts were planned in advance and exchanged on the night.

[SaintK]

...........and in other news, the blonde slug has become a father for the er 15th time?

Boris and Carrie Johnson have announced the birth of daughter, their second child since he became prime minister.
Mrs Johnson gave birth to the baby at a London hospital earlier on Thursday.

[dpedin]

We tried wait and see without a vaccine. We've now been double jabbed if we chose to be and many have had boosters. If people want to run the gamut and not get vaccinated good luck to them but we can't all live differently because of their dumb choices.

Basically this. Don't agree with the deny them care etc school of thought but they cannot expect society to make choices to accommodate their choice anymore.

Their Dumb choices have effects on others though their dumb choices still take up hospital beds , fill up wards , stop the NHS from functioning
It's their knock effects. that's the issue

The whole point of the current restrictions is to slow down the potential rapid growth , to allow more people to get that booster to stop hospitalization , and that's going to take a good number of weeks

Just because this variant may be less severe , and we extrapolating data from RSA to the UK is not simple or straightforward due to demographics , it doesn't mean that everyone will get a mild case.
If anyone can confirm what percentage of people in the UK will only get a mild illness then post it up

What we certainly do know is that it is much more infectious , and it is much better in evading current vaccines

There is a rationale, just epidemiologically, to try and slow this down, to buy us more time principally to get boosters into people’s arms because we do think people who are boosted will have the best level of protection possible, but also to buy us more time to really better characterise the threat.

What he says!

We need to remember that the NHS capacity will also be very badly hit as the omicron variant spreads and many NHS staff are infected or have to isolate as family members are tested positive. At peak of first wave the NHS was seeing 20% plus absence rates due to positive tests, shielding and self isolating. We ended up surviving by bringing asking part time staff to extend hours, brought in student nurses, got folk who have recently retired to come back to work and stopping any care that wasn't urgent or emergency. Not sure we can go back to that again?

Remember 90%+ nurses (nursing makes up c40% of NHS staff) are female with an average age of c44 and many are primary carers to children and/or older relatives so will be badly affected by any increase in case numbers. If you don't have nurses then you have to close down beds! We already have major backlogs in elective care and if it gets worse it could mean delays to even urgent and emergency care.

What we also know is if this new variant ends up at the bad end of expectations and if we do nothing then we will end up in a full lock down again and that will devastate the economy and create mayhem sociologically and psychologically over Christmas. The unvaccinated are a key element of the problem and the knock on effect of their illogical decisions could have a major negative impact on the NHS, arguably it already is! However, whilst I acknowledge the Blonde Bumblecunt was bounced into the Plan B decision to deflect from his other problems, it is a sensible move to align with the mitigations already in place in Wales and Scotland but he probably should have done it a couple of weeks ago. Until we know otherwise we need to act as if this new variant is a major threat and do whatever is required in order to slow down community transmission in order to accelerate vaccinations and boosters as fast as possible. We should also do what the US are doing and extend vaccinations to 5+ year olds.

Fingers crossed that omicron isn't as bad as some fear but we need to follow professional PH advice which is to 'go in early, go in hard' before it is too late. It is easier to loosen mitigations once the data emerges than it is to tighten them once the virus is widespread and spreading and folk are dying ... like the Blonde Bumblecunt did last time.