Gransnet forums

News & politics

So, who was the mystery caller?

(18 Posts)
GillT57 Sun 08-Nov-20 14:45:19

The story about the leak to the press before Johnson's announcement to the nation last Saturday is getting intriguing. There were reportedly four people in the room; Johnson, Sunak, Hancock and Gove. Mobile phones have been taken for investigation. My money is on Gove as he has a history of backstabbing, especially where Johnson is concerned, has links to Murdoch through the Times and has a wife who writes for the Daily Mail......but is this a red herring thrown in by another culprit? Hmmm?

Whitewavemark2 Sun 08-Nov-20 14:50:08

Another vote for Gove aided and abetted by Cummings

suziewoozie Sun 08-Nov-20 14:51:36

Was it really only these four? Surely there must have been a spad or so as there’s absolutely no way DC would let ministers meet all on their own? ?

M0nica Sun 08-Nov-20 15:02:15

Whatever happened in the meeting there would be other people who took part in discussions, saw papers etc in preparation for the meeting, even though they were not at it, so would have a pretty good idea what was happening - and once the proposed planned policy is known - and leaked. it actually doesn't really matter whether they go ahead with the policy or reject it.

petra Sun 08-Nov-20 15:06:32

Surely if your going to phone the BBC or Daily Mail your not going to use your own phone ?
Just buy a 'burner' phone. Use, wipe clean, throw away.

GillT57 Sun 08-Nov-20 15:24:37

Do people leave stuff on photo copiers anymore? I think what narked Johnson was that the leak said he would be speaking at 4, but then obviously the rugby was on so it had to be postponed, and then he had to get out of his trackies and have a coffee so it became 6.30......going by his hair, it looked as if he had been nodding in the chair all afternoon. Sounds like a Gove plan to make Johnson look a bumbling fool, but then again, why does he need to?

suziewoozie Sun 08-Nov-20 16:51:16

Leaving stuff on photocopiers ? That is so last year - or rather so last decade.

M0nica Sun 08-Nov-20 16:54:42

Probably not on photocopiers these days' everything gets esnt round electronically, but if the leaker did print out a copy folded it very small and secreted it somewhere on their person. They could walk out with it, meet someone for coffee pass it over. How do you then find out who they are - no elcetrinic trail.

Riverwalk Sun 08-Nov-20 17:00:30

Do we know if it was a phone call that leaked the information, rather than person to person?

If it were Gove he could just tell his wife!

NfkDumpling Sun 08-Nov-20 17:05:41

There are civil servants and anonymous bodies all over the place which no one notices. Finding the culprit will be as easy as
track and trace.

welbeck Sun 08-Nov-20 17:13:53

printing out something will leave an electronic trail.
machine used, user's ID, time, linked to security cameras etc as to who was in that room.

M0nica Sun 08-Nov-20 19:39:15

In which case handwritten notes are the way forward.

suziewoozie Sun 08-Nov-20 20:00:52

M0nica

In which case handwritten notes are the way forward.

As long as you eat it when you’ve read it

FarNorth Sun 08-Nov-20 20:20:51

It's like a murder mystery where someone says "Only the family were in the house" when actually there were also several servants.

Even if they were the only 4 who knew, why couldn't one of them simply have told another person whether deliberately to leak it or not?

Marydoll Sun 08-Nov-20 20:22:59

My bet is also on Michael Gove, telling his wife, Sarah Vine.

mamaa Sun 08-Nov-20 20:25:17

Wouldn’t trust Gove ( retired DHT here) or Cummings as far as I could throw them. ‘Et tu Brute’ springs to mind, again...

mamaa Sun 08-Nov-20 20:26:21

Think Hancock would be too scared to do it... he’d get someone else too though...

mamaa Sun 08-Nov-20 20:27:00

To not too hmm