The latest 'Partygate' event that apparently never happened...

Rosalyn69

There was a chap on TV this morning (1 can’t remember who) saying that if the PM said it wasn’t a party and the Met said it wasn’t a party then it wasn’t a party.
I couldn’t believe it was for real.

Yeah ... Aristotle and a 17th century pope claimed the Earth is the centre of the Universe, so it must have been true.

It seems to me that Raynor was very restrained when she called the Tories “scum”

MaizieD

^Panorama tonight (7pm), is running a special programme, after civil servants, who worked there, have agreed to talk.^

See my post at 13.59

There's a video preview...

One of the interviews was shown on the lunchtime news, damming to say the least…

Panorama tonight (7pm), is running a special programme, after civil servants, who worked there, have agreed to talk.

See my post at 13.59

There's a video preview...

I confess that, as somebody who would never vote Conservative, it's tempting to hope that no letters will be sent because I honestly don't think the public is stupid and immoral enough to vote for a party led by a buffoon and a bunch of hapless hangers on.

On the other hand, I do care enough about my country to see it being "led" like this. I could accept a Conservative government led by one of the more honorable Conservative MPs (and I do believe there are some).

There was a chap on TV this morning (1 can’t remember who) saying that if the PM said it wasn’t a party and the Met said it wasn’t a party then it wasn’t a party.
I couldn’t believe it was for real.

I hope to see letters being sent into the 1922 committee PDQ

I am disgusted at our Prime Minister's lies and subterfuge.

He has been discredited, lied and further lied and shown no morality. He should step down for the good of his party.

I used to vote Conservative but the way he has led his party (encouraging lie upon lie) has lost him my vote.

Panorama tonight (7pm), is running a special programme, after civil servants, who worked there, have agreed to talk.

There were numerous events, every week, and Johnson was at most. He organised some of them.

Meanwhile, here's one of the predicted "deflection headlines" on "breaking news".

Pensions to go up by 10% next April.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10849513/State-pension-set-soar-10-CENT-No10-warns-public-sector-workers-pay-rises.html

Yes, you're right GrannyGravy13. Some people did have to work outside the home. The idea was to lower the risk by minimising contact and to give those who needed to use public transport etc more space.

If only essential workers had had contact with others, it would have been so much easier to control the spread, but it depended on everybody working together to common rules. I'm sure everybody remembers the Cummings incidents, when people just gave up. The feeling was that what's good for those in charge is good enough for the public. There was a huge amount of psychological pressure to fit in. The country needed leadership and good role models.

I read, oldbat, that Johnson wasn't asked to complete a questionnaire about this particular event as it "wasn't necessary" according to Downing Street.
Sorry, can't remember where I read it.

Any person going out of their home and meeting other folks for work purposes was capable of spreading Covid-19.

Not all had the luxury of working from home.

These people were spreading the virus far and wide.

And it was precisely as a result of this kind of behaviour that infection did spread. I remember that, at the time, there was an attempt to shift the blame on to the general public. The message was that the government was doing all it could but it couldn't stop people from breaking the rules.

Yes growstuff Johnson and Anderson along with other red wall MPs met on 12 November. Anderson reported to the Yorkshire Post that he has symptoms on Friday 13 November but did not test until the following day. His wife has cystic fibrosis. He said:

“On Friday I lost my sense of taste at the same time my wife had a bad headache. I had no cough, no fever and felt well. We both had a test on Saturday and the result came in Sunday morning. My wife and I both tested positive."

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/15/boris-johnson-told-to-self-isolate-after-coronavirus-contact

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54956076

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politics/lee-anderson-who-ashfield-mp-who-met-boris-johnson-then-tested-positive-covid-3037478

The five other MPs self-isolating following the meeting with "Red Wall" Tories include:

Heywood & Middleton MP Chris Clarkson
South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher
Warrington South MP Andy Carter
Great Grimsby MP Lia Nici
Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith.

Mr Johnson's spokesman declined to name the aides but suggested they were not Lee Cain or Dominic Cummings.

Suggest isn't really good enough, is it?

This notion, from some media quarters that there was some kind of work bubble is proposterous. These people were spreading the virus far and wide.

Panorama this evening

Watch Laura Kuenssberg's Panorama, Partygate: Inside the Story, on BBC Two at 19:00 BST or later on the BBC iPlayer

The insiders have started spilling the beans:

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.

Watch the video

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

At the time his father was in hospital, he also said that it was imperative that everybody followed the rules. That was on 10th February.

On 12th February, Johnson was in contact with an MP, Lee Anderson, who was confirmed to have Covid. There's a picture on Anderson's Twitter feed of him and Johnson standing very close and not wearing masks. The latest partygate photos were taken on 13th February. Johnson subsequently had to self-isolate. Although there's no suggestion that he knew he had been in contact with a Covid carrier, it's possible that he was infectious, which shows just how irresponsible he was.

Dinahmo GS said he thought his Father was going to die, he was in hospital for four months. He was unable to visit him.

The Lib Dems have written to the Independent Office for Police Conduct re the Met’s failure to fine Johnson at the party in the pictures

I’m sure GS dad did not die but he was very poorly. Gs was unable to visit his dad. The met seemingly only sent out questionnaires and didn’t “interview” face to face??? BJ would have had his completed by a legal expert whereas the civil servants would be left to fill it in. They probably filled questionnaires honestly. That is the difference.

Whitewavemark2

Did anyone listen to Grant Shapps (Green) on R4 this morning?

He claimed - wait for it- that Johnson was mourning his mum and clearly not partying in the picture???.

Johnson’s mother died 10 months later.

He's been getting round. On GMB claiming that one of his parents had died around that time. I think it was his father (GS that is, not Johnson)

Has anyone else attended parties at their place of work? I can remember 2 - the first after I passed my first accountancy exams when we adjourned to the office with bottles of Veuve du Vernay after chucking out time. That was in 1976. The second was our departmental cocktail party held in the partners' dining room.

Every other time has been in the pub, or a restaurant or at an hotel (Christmas). We would never have dreamed of partying in the office - only too glad to get away.

It wasn’t a party , it was a tea break but they had run out of tea
bags

Some Tory MPs are turning against him this morning.

The Sue Gray report is expected tomorrow, unless any more delays.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10848353/Boris-danger-zone-Partygate-photos-surface.html

Did anyone listen to Grant Shapps (Green) on R4 this morning?

He claimed - wait for it- that Johnson was mourning his mum and clearly not partying in the picture???.

Johnson’s mother died 10 months later.