I have only read most, not all, of the thread. I am not bothered by a work bubble gathering in an office to cut and eat a birthday cake; that's only controversial because of the lockdown. Our doctor friends came over here and sat in the drive, on their own deckchairs and socially distanced, several times for a catch up and I wouldn't wish to be hypocritical.
Small c conservative here, and no lover of BoJo, and I do think there are talents within the parliamentary party some names have been mentioned but yes, this particularly tawdry Front Bench need a reality wrench.
It's not an EU issue, and it is: when Bryan Gould et al were prominent members of Blair's government, they were also seriously Eurosceptic, as they considered the Commission as having been captured by German industry. Principled, but absolutely not convinced by the beneficence of Brussels. I recall one description of the EU as "the political wing of VW". I don't think they would have stood by so silently while Angela Merkel did cosy deals with Putin to make Germany so dependent on Russian oil and gas.
I want to see the Tories with a much better leader and front bench, and at the same time, I'd like a far better opposition. Starmer is okay but the rest of the shower are ineffective. Parliamentary democracy only works when the people holding the great offices of State are impressive, and so are their Shadows. The electorate needs to feel there's an alternative government in waiting, and this thread alone suggests most people don't feel confident of it.