Partygate

Casdon

According to the papers this morning our esteemed leader is set to receive three more fines. The 10 minutes to eat a piece of birthday cake ‘defence’ won’t wash if that is the case.

It never did wash with anyone with more than one brain cell.

Johnson to receive more fines

Excellent post Coastpath. Says it all. And no, I didn't breach lockdown rules.

According to the papers this morning our esteemed leader is set to receive three more fines. The 10 minutes to eat a piece of birthday cake ‘defence’ won’t wash if that is the case.

Libman

gillgran

I voted Conservative after looking at the alternatives.

I'm concerned as to who is capable of taking our country forward.
I 've looked, ...& still yet to find a suitable candidate.

Has anyone yet told us why these parties were not reported at the time, by anyone?

Dominic Cummings hadn’t been sacked at that point.

It was rumoured that journalists were at one or two, whether or not that is true.

If so, they weren't going to report them because they were breaking the law too.

for anyone who might be interested, David Allen Green, solicitor and legal commentator, has analysed the 2nd paragraph of Lord Wolfson's resignation letter on his blog. Noting that Lord Wolfson is highly regarded among the llegal profession.

The first sentence is the general finding of fact: there was not only repeated rule-breaking but also (as rules can sometimes just be for policy or guidance) breaches of the criminal law.

This general finding is incontrovertible – the paid penalties are conclusive proof.

The second sentence then sets out a further finding of fact: the breaches were not merely trivial but were of such a “scale, context and nature” that such conduct cannot pass “with constitutional impunity”.

So not just breaches, but significant breaches.

The second sentence then sets out the factors which go to this significance – that others complied at personal cost, and were prosecuted and even criminalised for lesser breaches.

And, as with the first sentence, what is stated is incontrovertible.

Having established these two conclusions, the third and fourth sentences then distinguish between what happened but also the official response: the implication here is that a more measured official response could have perhaps cured the problem.

But the official response was not measured.

Then having set out the facts, and stated that the official response was deficient, the fifth sentence (somewhat inevitably) then follows – including a deft last stab that the prime minister does not see the problem in the same way.

And the paragraph then ends with the firm stamp of the word “resignation”.

He then contrasts it with our Lord Chancellor's excuse for his boss. Raab is a solicitor, too. He really should know better.

davidallengreen.com/2022/04/a-close-look-at-the-resignation-letter-of-david-wolfson-qc-as-justice-minister/

Couldn't agree more Coastpath with your post at 21.19 - well said.

Well done Lord Wolfson. Where does the Bar Standards Board stand on members either disregarding or supporting this? Braverman and Raab are both members I believe?

Libman

susieconvento123

An 11 minute birthday tea and cake after working all day is not a issue for me .

It is for me - it was illegal at the time.?

And for me - but the issue here is not the party or its length.

It is the lying to parliament and to HM, trying to gag the media, subverting justice by handing out lucrative contracts to his mates (and not then censuring them when they failed to deliver) - it is his casual disregard for parliamentary procedures and for democracy that is the issue here.

The conviction for breaking covid rules is merely the tip of the iceberg. And, since it involves a breach of the law, should have been the thing that finally rid us all of this integrity-free individual. But still he continues. And that is a measure of how far he has undermined our democracy.

Pleased to see that a Tory peer in House of Lords has resigned. At least one Tory with integrity. Let us hope many in the Commons will cease to defend the indefensible - I know they won’t/can’t resign but please stop backing this liar.

Curlywhirly

Libman

Right, I’m out. Can’t cope with this groundhog thread. Kudos to those who can continue to point out that it was a) an illegal gathering and b) he lied to parliament.
He is an absolute disgrace and so are those, I’m my opinion, who defend him.

?‍♀️

I know - it doesn't matter how many times we say that the problem isn't just that he broke the law, but that he lied (and not just once) to Parliament; his supporters insist on saying that it's just a fuss about Birthday cake and they aren't bothered. Why aren't they bothered about his lies?

How do you trust someone who had such a casual attitude towards Johnson's lying to the nation, lying to parliament, lying to the Queen, etc? Maybe, those who are so lax about the man's morals simply have a very different attitude to morality.

Libman

fordk4

what about the labour leader who was in a pub on lock down was he held to accout no and I saw many people on lockdown shopping with out a mask and people told me they would not wear a mask or have the covid jabs boris did not kill anyone but the general public did so look at the over all picture boris had to run the country ans dont forget all the people cwho got paid 80% of their salary I know people who had to work for 80% of their salary all wake upnthe wat through lockdown and wherte was labour and all the other parties who did nothing during the lockdown you the public need to look at the full picture not the bits you do not like wake up britain and ask your selfes how many times did you and yiur friends break the lockdown rules

I didn’t.

I didn't either.

A technical breach of the law on the face of it.

So that'll be breaking the law then.

The idea that he had broken the law and flouted rules in this situation was nowhere near his mind at the time.

He made the law and rules.

Highly competent government of our country.

It is time for people to take more notice of the real threats to our country

Like a lying PM and Chancellor of the Exchequer

real threats to the world order and our democratic way of life, being perpetrated by Russia and China, and to which the Prime Minister must spend 100% of his time and energy addressing.

Perhaps by taking more Russian money, promoting a Russian to the House of Lords after having multiple holidays at his home?

Imposed rules were being inevitably broken in every office block in the country and also in many private homes.

Not in every home. Most people and organisations made tremendous sacrifices. Where rules were broken most of the perpetrators had not made the laws and rules themselves.

Maybe people would prefer the likes of Presidents Putin and Zi to be our leaders!

No, but neither do we want leaders who break their own rules and then repeatedly lie about it.

Ten minute so-called 'parties' must be got into proportion.

It wasn't a 10 minute party. It wasn't the only party.

Libman

Right, I’m out. Can’t cope with this groundhog thread. Kudos to those who can continue to point out that it was a) an illegal gathering and b) he lied to parliament.
He is an absolute disgrace and so are those, I’m my opinion, who defend him.

?‍♀️

I know - it doesn't matter how many times we say that the problem isn't just that he broke the law, but that he lied (and not just once) to Parliament; his supporters insist on saying that it's just a fuss about Birthday cake and they aren't bothered. Why aren't they bothered about his lies?

maddyone

Or is it, a dish best served cold? Yes, I think it is.

That’s the one?

Right, I’m out. Can’t cope with this groundhog thread. Kudos to those who can continue to point out that it was a) an illegal gathering and b) he lied to parliament.
He is an absolute disgrace and so are those, I’m my opinion, who defend him.

?‍♀️

Or is it, a dish best served cold? Yes, I think it is.

Oh yes, revenge is best served cold.

gillgran

I voted Conservative after looking at the alternatives.

I'm concerned as to who is capable of taking our country forward.
I 've looked, ...& still yet to find a suitable candidate.

Has anyone yet told us why these parties were not reported at the time, by anyone?

Dominic Cummings hadn’t been sacked at that point.

susieconvento123

An 11 minute birthday tea and cake after working all day is not a issue for me .

It is for me - it was illegal at the time.?

GillT57

It has been pointed out by commentators that Johnson was looking a bit less ebullient than usual yesterday and was reading from a script, presumably put together by his lawyers. If I was Sunak, I would stick it to Johnson and resign, saying that I apologised for being involved in a small birthday celebration, and that I was no longer able to remain part of this dishonest administration. Note, I am not a fan of Sunak, but I am happy to see him bring Johnson down. Grant Schapps or whatever his name is, was pathetic on R4 this morning, if it wasn't so serious it would be laughable. As for Fabricant, are there any GN members who are from his constituency? How do you feel? Proud or repelled?

I saw him mentioned on Twitter a d was convinced his was a parody account, as did many others.?

Grandmabatty

Apparently Johnson has apologised and paid his fine, possibly the first of many, which would indicate he won't resign. He gives decent Tories a bad name. I'm sure they must be horrified.

If they are decent, they will call for his resignation…….

Galaxy

My children loved dinosaurworld in norfolk which looks similar . One of mine was terrified of wind though

I think there is a Dinosaur World in central London - somewhere in the Westminster area I believe

GrammyGrammy

Was there a law brought in that colleagues were not to sit in their office grounds together after or during work? Was it law that a person could not sit in their own garden/ office grounds during and after work? This is all the usual nonsense brought by leftie remainers. The police are a disgrace. The uncivil servants are jackals. Boris chaired eight meetings that day- weeks after he nearly died and a pregnant wife/ newborn baby. This is distraction and deflection.

I believe at one point we were definitely not allowed to sit with colleagues outside after work. I waited until I was told I could meet one other person outdoors. I met my daughter in a public park.