Christmas party at Downing Street last year

I will ask again - who was there? Possibly not the people who made the covid regs? Might have been those admin staff Alegrias, who are not members of the government.

This one won't go away. Too many people have had their lives turned upside down in the past 18 months, not just 'little things' like cancelled holidays, cancelled Christmas, but big things which can never be 'done later' such as spending time with family members before they died, saying goodbye to elderly parents by i=pad because you are following the rules set by the government. The sneering disregard for the electorate is staggering, but still people will excuse them.

They are on TV every day doing a PR spin, there was an event but it followed the rules, if there was an event, I've asked about the event and no rules broken but I don't know if there was an event.

Round and round it goes, I'm surprised they aren't giddy.

Honestly, really, GSM, I can see that you were a lawyer.

I'm not sure that the PR people would appreciate being called "admin staff" either.

I don’t suppose the government (ie Conservative MPs) does the PR tww. It’s the job of the admin staff.

Germanshepherdsmum

‘What are the more important things going on at the moment’ Maizie? Well for starters there’s poor little Arthur who is to be discussed in Parliament; asylum seekers drowning in the Channel; protecting the nation from covid; making inroads into the shocking NHS waiting lists…

Maybe if the govt concentrated on what they are supposed to be doing they could sort some of that out. They spend so much time doing PR to cover themselves I'm surprised they have time for anything else.

Not having parties during lockdown would certainly help protect the nation from covid and therefore the NHS waiting lists.

Germanshepherdsmum

‘What are the more important things going on at the moment’ Maizie? Well for starters there’s poor little Arthur who is to be discussed in Parliament; asylum seekers drowning in the Channel; protecting the nation from covid; making inroads into the shocking NHS waiting lists…

All that lot is more important than attacks on the Rule of Law?

And you claim to be a lawyer?

‘What are the more important things going on at the moment’ Maizie? Well for starters there’s poor little Arthur who is to be discussed in Parliament; asylum seekers drowning in the Channel; protecting the nation from covid; making inroads into the shocking NHS waiting lists…

"Move on", "get over it", "nobody cares", "there are more important things going on at the moment".

What are the 'more important things going on at the moment'?

A government holding itself to be above the law is 'not important'?

And people scoff when it's pointed out that the UK is well on the way to becoming a dictatorship. That's what dictators DO. They put themselves above the law...

I can only hope that when push comes to shove, there are sufficient concerned UK citizens willing to put themselves a above laws, such as the repressive policing proposed in the anti demonstrations bill currently passing through parliament, in order to defend our democracy.

Whitewavemark2

?

“To anyone scoffing that ‘nobody cares’ about govt having parties while the rest of us were in lockdown, unable to be together under threat of punishment…
The govt thanks you for smashing up your own moral compass and self-respect in order to help them hold us all in contempt”.

... and if it's true, as reported in the media (one never quite knows) that the grandmother of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was threatened with arrest if she visited him again at his home - for breaking Covid rules... it does leave a sour taste that people are so ready to defend those in government who broke the same rules just because it happened last Christmas, and not yesterday.

"Move on", "get over it", "nobody cares", "there are more important things going on at the moment". Yeah, who cares if a government who appear to be considering further restrictive measures for us all to abide by, play by different rules when it suits.

I think miss adventure is right.

I thoungh the poll was specifically about Johnson and co?

It depends if the public are mistrustful of the Tories, or all politicians - and I wonder if quite a few are in the latter category

That's the bit that worries me, Dickens. The yougov question appeared to be about politicians in general, not this government specifically. If people have lost trust and are unable to tell truth from lies then it doesn't look good for the future of democracy. Good governance has to be based on trust in the integrity of the government and voters' consent. If voters lose the ability to make sound judgements or disbelieve everything they're told, how can we go forward?

?

“To anyone scoffing that ‘nobody cares’ about govt having parties while the rest of us were in lockdown, unable to be together under threat of punishment…
The govt thanks you for smashing up your own moral compass and self-respect in order to help them hold us all in contempt”.

?

“To anyone scoffing that ‘nobody cares’ about govt having parties while the rest of us were in lockdown, unable to be together under threat of punishment…
The govt thanks you for smashing up your own moral compass and self-respect in order to help them hold us all in contempt”.

MaizieD

The effect of this government can be seen in the latest Yougov poll. 63% of voters now nave no trust in politicians to work in the national interest, while only 5% agree that they work for the public good.

This is a disaster for democracy as it attacks the very basis of what we should be voting for.

Of course, the lies and evasions have the underlying purpose of increasing distrust in 'any' statements, true or not. This could well be deliberate so as to obscure the true purpose of those running the government (who certainly *aren't Johnson and his cabinet of incompetents).

... I think the backers and donors will be looking quite closely at Johnson's performance.

They do not want the Tory party to lose credibility with the electorate and if they decide he's a liability, he won't last much longer.

It depends if the public are mistrustful of the Tories, or all politicians - and I wonder if quite a few are in the latter category.

Personally, I believe that Johnson's reign has it's own in-built destruction because (again, my opinion) his personal ambition has over-ridden consideration about what is best for the country and his criteria appears to be based on what he considers best to maintain his popularity. Every time I watch him talking-the-talk and making those upbeat pronouncements about 'global Britain' and 'levelling up', etc, I'm left with the impression that he's just an actor reciting his lines and doesn't really believe any of it.

Considering he was once pro-Europe and thought our problems in the UK were home-made, and - allegedly - had two speeches in his pocket on Referendum night, is it any wonder that people don't take him seriously. I did not like Margaret Thatcher, but one thing you can say is that she passionately believed her ideology, it was her creed, and I don't think she courted popularity at the price of sacrificing what she believed in.

Someone said of Johnson that he waits to see which way the crowd is running and then jumps in front and says "follow me". That sort of sums him up.

The effect of this government can be seen in the latest Yougov poll. 63% of voters now nave no trust in politicians to work in the national interest, while only 5% agree that they work for the public good.

This is a disaster for democracy as it attacks the very basis of what we should be voting for.

Of course, the lies and evasions have the underlying purpose of increasing distrust in 'any' statements, true or not. This could well be deliberate so as to obscure the true purpose of those running the government (who certainly *aren't Johnson and his cabinet of incompetents).

Exactly that.
Cummings' pathetic lies just showed how nobody even cares enough to make up a half way believable excuse, because they are self serving fools.

I feel that yet again, we, the electorate are being treated as fools, fools who can be told any old load of nonsense and will believe it, or will do the government's job for them and accuse the opposition of mischief making. This is evident on GN with the coterie of people who just will not accept that the man they put in No10 is a liar,a cheat, cares not a jot for them, and is probably sneering at those trying to excuse or defend his behaviour. For me, the start of the serious decline was the Cummings business with the eye tests and Barnard Castle. This recent batch of lies will make any announcements regarding what we are to be permitted to do this Christmas pathetic, all credibility is gone. I have always thought that Don't do as I do, do as I say is a poor motto for government, irrespective of the party.

And, on the 'legislative loophole:

Adam Wagner
@AdamWagner1
·
16h
There is one more barrier, which is the possibility that the Covid regulations didn't apply to No. 10 because of section 73 of the Public Health Act which may mean Crown Property isn't caught by the regulations without an agreement. But it's obscure

legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/22/section/73

By which I mean the meaning of section 73 is obscure. I am not convinced it is obvious the regulations wouldn't apply to crown property and I think this would have to be resolved by a court unless a specific agreement applies

twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1467218270809833475

Calistemon

Isn't it a rather superior assumption, though, that those who work on the factory floor vote Labour?

Calistemon
Even within those factories there were class division’s.
I was an apprentice book binder/hand sewer at the time of the 1964 election. We were a closed shop so politics were very much discussed.
What I heard and noticed was: the compositors and and Linotype operators ( the cream of the trade ?) were practically all Tory. The machine shop ( the printers) were 99% Labour. The bindery were 50/50.

We can live in hope.
As per usual, nothing will be done, though.

Germanshepherdsmum

I’m happy to agree it was a bad idea even though it seems from the research GrannyGravy posted upthread it may not have broken the rules.

Adam Wagner seems to be suggesting that the party holders could still be prosecuted:

twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1467456310333657090

Raab has just said that "if" a party was held then it very clearly would have been breaking the rules.
He, however, doesnt believe there was a party.
Presumably Johnson knows differently, since he claims the rules at this non event were followed.

c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1106799986?-850:14274
I agree Whitewavemark2. It makes very depressing reading.