Should Boris resign?

[Workingman]

Subject: Socially Distanced Drinks! [OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE-No 10 ONLY].

Message: Hi all, after what has been an incredibly busy period we thought it would be nice to make the most of the lovely weather and have some socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening.

Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!

Martin.

Martin Reynolds CMG | Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister |10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA

The Prime Minister's claim: "I went into that garden just after 6pm on 20 May 2020 to thank groups of staff before going back into my office 25 minutes later. I believed implicitly that this was a work event.

LIAR! That email was sent by your PPS to staff and is an invite "to join us" us being him, you and Carrie, in the garden for drinks at a social event to take advantage of the weather. It is all there in black and white! You broke the law. It was not work related as you well know - it was a party. Nobody going to a work meeting is ever asked to "bring their own booze".

On that very same day Minister Oliver Dowden spoke from the Downing Street press office and told the nation: "You can meet one person outside of your household".

The government's own site, GOV.UK said:

In England, you can now meet someone who is not in your household. But only if:
- You are outdoors
- You remain 2 metres apart
- You meet no more than one person at a time.

The Met police also tweeted those same laws.

Photos show that at least two laws were broken.

Time for Cressida and her teams to get involved. They won't though because "they" are all in it together.

[Kaz]

It's despicable. This current government, the PM in particular, are degrading this country and our once respected democracy. I am ashamed of them, we all should be.

[Suff]

It's despicable. This current government, the PM in particular, are degrading this country and our once respected democracy. I am ashamed of them, we all should be.

Sorry Blair beat them to that and far more comprehensively. He made himself and the government of the UK war criminals.

On a scale of 1-10, Blair and his government are a 9, Bojo and his are about a 3. Blair could have made a 10 but he would have had to initiate a nuclear war.

How soon we forget.

[Kaz]

Oh sorry, I forgot you were a Boris supporter!!! Come on then, never mind Blair, this isn't about him. Defend the indefensible

[Suff]

Oh sorry, I forgot you were a Boris supporter!!! Come on then, never mind Blair, this isn't about him. Defend the indefensible

No, I won't defend it. He screwed up, tried to deflect it and blew a whole decade's worth of trust.

Who do I want to replace him? Nobody in the current party hierarchy with a chance of winning.

Think of it this way. If he goes, the Tories have a shout at winning the next election. If he stays they don't have a chance in hell.

I thought you'd want him to stay???

For me, who would I want in Labour in place of Boris? Nobody really. I'd take Farage but he has less chance of winning that Boris does.

[TheOstrich]

I think I'm right in this - that email was sent out to around 100 people, but only 30 attended the event?

Someone replied, "Is this for real?"

So, the implication is there's at least 70 people who had grave misgivings about the event. Pity it wasn't 100.

[Workingman]

Defend the indefensible

Kaz, logically it is impossible to defend the indefensible. What you can do is waffle, dissemble and deflect.

He screwed up, tried to deflect it and blew a whole decade's worth of trust.

In what? Himself? He has been sacked twice for lying - and removed as as a useless minister. His beliefs? The man who wrote two articles, one supporting Remain and the other supporting Brexit and then waited to see which way the wind was blowing before releasing the best one to further himself and his ego. The Tory party? The one which, under Cameron, called for a referendum because it was sh!t scared of Farage and tearing itself apart? The one with the 'oven ready deal', that was going to 'build back better', 'get HS2 done' and 'level up'? That one? That decade?

There has been little or no trust for more than a decade and that goes for the lot of them.

Ossie I read that there were at least three senior staffers who warned against it but were ignored. It is hard to believe that Johnson was not in that loop.

[cromwell]

it is indefensible when the government sets out to terrify everybody and to lock them all down, and then carries on like this; and it's not as though it is the first time. Think of Matt Hancock and his fancy woman breaking their own rules, or Ferguson.
That's the big thing to come out of this particular episode, rules are for the little people, not for the big people.
MrsC had to go to her Uncle's funeral, socially distanced, no refreshments afterwards because of these rules whilst No 10 were having an agreeable late afternoon of wine, cheese and nibbles in the garden.
If anyone says stuff the restrictions after this you can see why.
No, it isn't as serious as invading somewhere and starting a war. But it as a betrayal of trust and it will be politically damaging.
And yes, why could so few people see what a stupid idea this was?

[Suff]

No, it isn't as serious as invading somewhere and starting a war. But it as a betrayal of trust and it will be politically damaging.

Glad to hear it...

And yes, why could so few people see what a stupid idea this was?

Because, normally, they would be protected from this leaking so it wouldn't be seen as a bad idea as such.

What is more important is the level of leaking and what the agenda is for these leaks. We've seen security video which requires an extremely high level of security clearance turning up with the press.

Someone wants a change. You can bet there is a TON of money behind this one. You might note that the leaks have gone into overdrive since the 2035 FF vehicle ban and the 2050 net zero proclamation.

Think about it for a bit and wonder who is yanking your chain.

[jenniren]

What is more important is the level of leaking and what the agenda is for these leaks. We've seen security video which requires an extremely high level of security clearance turning up with the press.

Well there's no defending it, Boris has messed up big time, but like Suff I'm more concerned about the leaks. Who in Downing Street is physically releasing these old e-mails. So far they're intended to harm Boris, but the person doing it must be privy to more sensitive information which could conceivably lead to a breach of security. To me that's a much bigger worry.