Kier Starmer & voice coach during tier 4 lockdown

knspol

With politicians it does seem to increasingly be 'do as I say not as I do'.

Doesn’t it just!

With politicians it does seem to increasingly be 'do as I say not as I do'.

tinaf1

If all the rules were adhered to as he is insisting they presumably would be wearing masks how does that work with voice and pronunciation training work.

The rules can’t have been adhered to because you weren’t allowed to travel between different areas at the time unless you were a key worker doing your work. She travelled from Brighton to London and back. I remember the rules well because they prevented my son, living in London, coming to us for Christmas.

Thanks Rosie.

surely he would be wanting to spend that precious time with his loved ones on Christmas Eve^ I wondered that too. This is the man who, as PM, leaves work sharply on Fridays to get home for family time, yet is still working until late on Christmas Eve? I don't get it.

Clearly. The reason he spends Friday nights with his family is because they are Jewish. It makes perfect sense that Christmas Eve will be less important to them than to even nominally Christian families. That side of it is no mystery to me.

The question of who was an essential worker is more complicated, I think. KS certainly was - whether people working with him were essential by default is not something I can answer. It was clear from reports about the Downing Street parties that office workers, PR people and so on were deemed essential, and went into work every day (and partied at night), so where the lines were drawn is not straightforward.

petra

Has Boris said ( or written ) that he was abused at Eton?

His father was a wife beater, the family moved houses and countries many (7? ) times.
His sister had a breakdown and said ‘That was the end of family life. We learnt very quickly, very early, not to have emotional needs.’

Already damaged Mr Johnston goes to an elite public school in an era in which bullying was rife.
He contructed a personna and people bought it.

Cossy

Wyllow3

I do wonder if every MP and significant person had all their activities monitored to this degree just how many skeletons would drop out of the cupboard.

Loads I would imagine.

Look, if he broke the rules, he should be investigated. He was investigated twice for the “beer” evening.

If any MP or PM breaks any rules or laws, they should be investigated, it doesn’t matter who they are or which political party.

I agree with your comments, and if this allegation is true then police should still investigate it now, on the face of it sounds like a distinct breach of the laws in place that Christmas where we all couldn’t mix with our nearest and dearest.

Bathsalts 😊👏👏👏👏

Has Boris said ( or written ) that he was abused at Eton?

escaped

^surely he would be wanting to spend that precious time with his loved ones on Christmas Eve^ I wondered that too. This is the man who, as PM, leaves work sharply on Fridays to get home for family time, yet is still working until late on Christmas Eve? I don't get it.

As his wife and two children follow Judaism, Christmas Eve would not be as important as Friday evenings.

If all the rules were adhered to as he is insisting they presumably would be wearing masks how does that work with voice and pronunciation training work.

That was in response to bathsalts.

I’m not sure Starmer would either after what we’ve seen since he took office.

Mollygo

I’m not absolutely certain that people will be hoping this is a storm in a teacup.

I hope so and think that he is legalistic enough to keep quiet and concentrate on the much bigger problems atm

Barleyfields

If I were Starmer I would ask for my money back. He has as much charisma as a dead fish.

Mr Johnson had a well crafted personna which was nothing like the damaged , abused little public school boy he carried within himself.

He wouldn't know the truth if it jumped up and slapped him on the face.

Mt61

PoliticNerd- I assume that only applies to anyone politically on the Left. Funny though it’s ok to take aim at anyone on the right. BTW I don’t need your Pity!

You don't half talk some rubbish.

I’m not absolutely certain that people will be hoping this is a storm in a teacup.

Doodledog Do we know what the rules actually were at the time of the meeting(s)? They changed all the time, and weren't always clear cut.

On the 20th December that year the country had different tiers allocated. London along with a few other areas was put into tier 4 lockdown, which meant while other areas could have up to 3 families together for Christmas for one day, tier 4 areas had to cancel plans to join anyone outside their own household. Travel out of or into tier 4 was strictly forbidden except for essential work purposes. By any metric, a voice coaching session by someone travelling from a tier 3 area to a tier 4 area can hardly be considered essential, especially on Christmas Eve. I haven't bashed KS for any other "revelations" but I will be damned annoyed if this turns out to be true.

I can't even remember what the last "Aha! We've got him" was about, but I know he made no real response, just like this time, and it turned out to be a big nothing.

MissAdventure

Yes, I definitely agree.
I'm hoping it'll be a storm in a teacup, as have other claims about the pm up until now.

I'd put a pound to a penny that this is the case, but time will tell.

GrannyGravy13

For clarification I am not against KS having a voice coach, as it seems the norm for many in the public eye nowadays.

I am questioning the urgency of a voice coaching session on Christmas Eve in Level 4 lockdown

How what that vital?

No idea. I think we need more information.

I also had respiratory issues during lockdown, Barleyfields. Some appointments were by telephone and others required attendance at a clinic, depending on the nature of the appointment. I assume (for now) that this will have been the same. Why would KS or the voice coach risk infection if the session could have ben conducted over Zoom? What would be the point?

A lot of things that I used to attend in person are now on Zoom, as it is easier all round, cheaper to do and doesn't waste travelling time. Zoom has opened things up a lot. I realise that Zoom was just taking off in lockdown, but even so, I don't know what a busy man like KS would have had to gain by breaking rules to meet in person if Zoom would have done instead. But that's the point. I don't know. Do we know what the rules actually were at the time of the meeting(s)? They changed all the time, and weren't always clear cut.

I'll be interested to see what comes up in PMQs too. If the rules were broken then of course there are questions to answer.

Not laughing at you Doodledog just the description of what went on!!!
I don't know what went on. I do know that voice coaching is a lot about breathing, and abdominal breathing is a big part of that. I don't know where 'Moses supposes' would come in, but as I say, my experience of it is limited. I did a bit of it as part of something else a long time ago (something like 10 hour-long sessions), but am not remotely an expert in it.

I do remember the coach standing behind people with one hand on their diaphragm and the other on the abdomen to make sure the right one was moving. Maybe someone with more knowledge than I have could explain whether it could be taught over the phone? But if there is a need for an enquiry I'm sure the truth of the matter will come out there.

I agree it doesn’t change anything, just posting what I found when I quickly googled.

(Not a lot to do today, need to get off of GN)

GrannyGravy13

Leonie Mellinger is married to Anthony Burton.

Anthony Burton is a solicitor and one of the founders of The Death Penalty Project.

AB has been a friend of KS for many years.

That changes nothing.

surely he would be wanting to spend that precious time with his loved ones on Christmas Eve I wondered that too. This is the man who, as PM, leaves work sharply on Fridays to get home for family time, yet is still working until late on Christmas Eve? I don't get it.

Yes, I definitely agree.
I'm hoping it'll be a storm in a teacup, as have other claims about the pm up until now.

GrannyGravy13

Keir Starmer was a founding director of The Death Penalty Project.

And …….

deathpenaltyproject.org/