NPR

GogLais wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:04 pm What àre we to make of the fact that a hundred were invited to a party with the PM and only thirty or forty turned up? I'd guess that a lot of the invitees had some common sense or sense of self-protection.

GogLais wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:04 pm What àre we to make of the fact that a hundred were invited to a party with the PM and only thirty or forty turned up? I'd guess that a lot of the invitees had some common sense or sense of self-protection.

Away from the Commons, Conservative MP Michael Fabricant has been defending the 20 May 2020 drinks party in the Downing Street garden.

“Some people might have felt that it was actually quite lawful to go from these confined offices into a confined garden,” he told the BBC News channel.

What did the law at the time say?

The law said that “no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse”, with the reasonable excuses including travelling for the purposes of work.

It also said that no gatherings of more than two people were allowed in public unless “the gathering is essential for work purposes”.

The law did not provide leeway for social gatherings with people you work with.

Indeed, the government guidance at the time was clear that you should “reduce the number of people you spend time with in a work setting” including by “splitting people into smaller, contained teams”.

And it said you could meet one person from another household outdoors as long as you stayed two metres away from them. It's clear that any party, with dozens of people, would have breached these guidelines.

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw asks whether Boris Johnson will resign if it is found he had broken the law.

Michael Ellis says: "It’s an entirely hypothetical position," adding that "the prime minister is going nowhere.... The prime minister retains the confidence of the people of this country."

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:38 pm I fucking hate when they deflect or just flat out refuse plausible hypotheticals.

SaintK wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:53 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:38 pm I fucking hate when they deflect or just flat out refuse plausible hypotheticals.

He's been doing it for over an hour now!!!!

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:00 pm

SaintK wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:53 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:38 pm I fucking hate when they deflect or just flat out refuse plausible hypotheticals.

He's been doing it for over an hour now!!!!

In a weird way, that is admirable stamina. Just imagine if that energy was channeled into being useful.

sturginho wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:15 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:00 pm

SaintK wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:53 pm
He's been doing it for over an hour now!!!!

In a weird way, that is admirable stamina. Just imagine if that energy was channeled into being useful.

It seems the only answer he has is "wait for the investigation"

tabascoboy wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:26 pm

Away from the Commons, Conservative MP Michael Fabricant has been defending the 20 May 2020 drinks party in the Downing Street garden.

“Some people might have felt that it was actually quite lawful to go from these confined offices into a confined garden,” he told the BBC News channel.

What did the law at the time say?

The law said that “no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse”, with the reasonable excuses including travelling for the purposes of work.

It also said that no gatherings of more than two people were allowed in public unless “the gathering is essential for work purposes”.

The law did not provide leeway for social gatherings with people you work with.

Indeed, the government guidance at the time was clear that you should “reduce the number of people you spend time with in a work setting” including by “splitting people into smaller, contained teams”.

And it said you could meet one person from another household outdoors as long as you stayed two metres away from them. It's clear that any party, with dozens of people, would have breached these guidelines.

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw asks whether Boris Johnson will resign if it is found he had broken the law.

Michael Ellis says: "It’s an entirely hypothetical position," adding that "the prime minister is going nowhere.... The prime minister retains the confidence of the people of this country."

In what alt!universe is that?

tabascoboy wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:34 pm

sturginho wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:15 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:00 pm

In a weird way, that is admirable stamina. Just imagine if that energy was channeled into being useful.

It seems the only answer he has is "wait for the investigation"

You have to wonder what is the purpose of an investigation when no-one will commit to any action or punishments from findings of wrong-doing. That seems to be the default in parliament led inquiries, sack some expendable junior nae body and draw a line under it.

tabascoboy wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:34 pm sack some expendable junior nae body and draw a line under it.

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:52 pm

tabascoboy wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:34 pm sack some expendable junior nae body and draw a line under it.

Carrie?

SaintK wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:03 pm Should imagine Tory MP's in "red wall and marginal seats won't like the look of this

dpedin wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:54 pm The Blonde Bumblecunt is toast now. The Tories only put up with him because he was, for a short period, an election winner, became the focus for the Brexit bullshit and for some unfathomable reason to us Scots attracted working class voters in Red Wall seats. However he is now a huge liability, he will lose the next election for them and for that reason alone they will get rid of him. The last few by-election results scared the shit out of them and they see more of the same coming down the line. It would also appear that the Tory backers and right wing press have decided his time has come and are already lining up other candidates for the role hence the internal party leaking of all this party shit. It also looks like they think covid is beginning to wind down so a good time to get rid of the BB and leave him dangling for any subsequent enquiry over why the UK had one of the worst pandemics in the G7. He is a dead man walking and only the dumb and the weak Tory party MPs have been sent out to defend him, and even then they have been very half hearted about it. They have now realised he is also very badly compromised, whether it was having to protect Cummings for Barnard Castle because Cummings had him by the short and curlies over the parties or it was Lebedev, Russian monies and the 'Bunga Bunga' parties in Italy which meant he had to give him a peerage. They can't afford any more shit, of which there is a lot apparently, to come out whilst he is PM, he is a walking talking disaster for them and they know it. He will go very quickly now, the 1922 Committee are ruthless, and he will go down in history as the worst PM in living memory if not of all time and that is not an easy title to win! However there will be a lot of Tories trying to rewrite history now given the lies and deceit they were willing to get involved in to protect and defend the BB. Get the popcorn in, it will be fun to watch, there will be lots of infighting and many desperate bastards trying to distance themselves from all the shit they created, not least all the dodgy PPE contracts!

The mood across the party was grave as the dust settled on the fresh allegations against Downing Street this morning.

“In the latest of these shitshows, it’s about time to change the channel,” one Tory MP told PoliticsHome.

“It’s not credible to hide behind the inquiry with this and it’s indefensible.”

The MP added that while they support a change in leadership, they do not intend to send a formal letter to 1922 committee chair Graham Brady, which is required to trigger the process of ousting a Conservative leader.

“I still think [Johnson would] survive a no confidence vote,” the MP said, noting that if he did, it would block further challenges within twelve months, as was the case when Tories tried to remove Theresa May from the leadership when she was Prime Minister.

fishfoodie wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 5:47 pm
You want a boring cunt as your PM;

tabascoboy wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:59 pm

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:52 pm

tabascoboy wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 2:34 pm sack some expendable junior nae body and draw a line under it.

Carrie?

I'm sure she's as Teflon coated as the blond pissant himself, and anyway: "think of the children!"

Paddington Bear wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:52 am On the one hand I think pretty much all of us think he should go. However if you'd stuck cash on Boris surviving the scandal every time he's been caught up in one for the last decade or so you'd be a very wealthy man. I'd anticipate that he reckons he can tough this out.

I like neeps wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:34 am It's very interesting the police who know everyone who goes in and out of Downing Street did nothing at the time and are doing nothing now.

Interesting in that Cressida Dick owes her job despite continued ballsups to the Tory government and is hell-bent on repaying the favour it seems.

I like neeps wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:34 am It's very interesting the police who know everyone who goes in and out of Downing Street did nothing at the time and are doing nothing now.

Interesting in that Cressida Dick owes her job despite continued ballsups to the Tory government and is hell-bent on repaying the favour it seems.

I like neeps wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:34 am It's very interesting the police who know everyone who goes in and out of Downing Street did nothing at the time and are doing nothing now.

Interesting in that Cressida Dick owes her job despite continued ballsups to the Tory government and is hell-bent on repaying the favour it seems.

Insane_Homer wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:30 am

JM2K6 wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:02 pm This is a disgraceful pretence at an apology.

JM2K6 wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:02 pm This is a disgraceful pretence at an apology.

Slick wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:03 pm He looks like shit