Boris has been fined - Part 2

[cakeorwine]

Because this is going to go on and on.....
With more fines

Part 1 here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4528104-boris-has-been-fined-tory-voters-should-he-go

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-parties-local-elections-b2063191.html

^
Boris Johnson’s Partygate scandal will be a major problem for the Conservatives at the May local elections, according to one of the country’s top political scientists.
Sir John Curtice said polling had got worse for Tories since the prime minister was fined for his law-breaking birthday bash – saying the saga had “significantly damaged” his party^

Now why do you think that is, Janiie? Are the public just stupid and easily led and manipulated and don't know their own minds?

He's only worried about losing his seat. A bit of a weasel in fact.

@jgw1

Is my workplace unique in that if we brought booze in and consumed it, we would be shown the door?

We would at mine.

They would certainly have an issue with teachers etc drinking in a special school.

We do things such as tube feeds, epilepsy meds, insulin, hoisting and moving as well as supporting unproductive behaviours.

However the pressure and responsibility maybe why many of my colleagues admit to liking a drink at the weekend (I'm tee total though!)

Prof Curtice said: “I think we’ve reached a point where the opposition probably thinks that Boris Johnson staying on is to their advantage. The Labour message is the ‘Tories want to hang onto a lawbreaker’ and they will keep on repeating it.”

For those not sure of tik tok dances. I'm not on it but there were some in media. Nurses etc fully in PPE and specially distanced did some in an aim to raise awareness and cheer up others.

It was widely criticised at the time but they were work colleagues, in work and following the SD and PPE guidelines so although maybe those who critiqued were accurate about optics - no rules were broken.

We danced in our class bubbles with our pupils - SD where possible (although kids with severe LD don't actually understand this concept!).
And before anyone mentions why we are dancing it's part of sensory programmes and movement breaks required for pupils to be able to sit and learn. But we weren't allowed to mix outside those small groups of 8. It was a very lonely few months not mixing with colleagues outside of bubbles. We weren't even allowed in the staff room. We had zoom staff meetings.

I don’t particularly feel inclined challenge people like this, if someone states they don’t see a problem at this point then they’re never going to. Like all politics, sometimes we’re on the losing side because a majority doesn’t agree with us.

What I do take exception to is expanding on lie after lie and trying to rewrite history using selective reasonings even when processes have been followed to provide evidence and a high standard of judgement at the instigation and under the terms of the accused wrong doer and their supporters.

it’s the constant goalpost moving - if this criteria is fulfilled then I’ll concede your point. It gets fulfilled. Oh no, actually this thing is now my standard, fulfil this new criteria and then I’ll concede.

I’m just grateful that there are still enough decent people in society to see it for what it is.

Given the damage this cabinet has done to political standards and the country over their tenure this wouldn’t have been my ideal event that finally exposes Boris’n’chums for what they are but it is what it is. I would say 90% of people who predicted nothing would happen with partygate have said that through fatigue because there have been multiple times Boris should have been finished and would have been a few years ago.

We’re all staring at the emperors naked arse and it’s only those in denial, on the payroll or actually just pretty horrible people who are still fleeing to Next to buy the same cheap suit.

For those not sure of tik tok dances. I'm not on it but there were some in media. Nurses etc fully in PPE and specially distanced did some in an aim to raise awareness and cheer up others

Some weren’t, not many but some.

I think it’s relevant that FPN’s weren’t in force at the time of the media/public outcry about it and they stopped pretty sharpish after that.

* Cornetto* agree.

Although I think after Steve Baker and other Tory MPs speaking out yesterday along side Lin dems and Labour we can also be absolutely sure the issue here isn't Labour slurs.

It's also convenient I guess to forget how during the height of this BJ used PMQs as his pantomine stage to do just that with KS - making untrue accusations about teacher unions etc. which sadly actually stuck with some who brought the lies.

Exactly! He was literally lecturing Blackford the day before on repentance which was weird and in the space of 24hrs he's now decided the 'gig is up' <cringe>.

I don’t understand what Johnson is thinking with regards to getting more fines; does he think he’s not going to get any more (really?), does he think he can style them all out as ‘necessary’ gatherings (again really?) does he think people will be over it by then? What does he think is going to happen? I’m a way I can understand why people are giving him the benefit of the doubt cos it is quite confusing to be confronted with someone who will straight up lie even when they ought to know they will be caught out - it’s easy to think, oh surely no one would be that stupid…

I wish they’d just show us these bloody pictures. Sue Gray is showing a masterful level of restraint not to just hop on Twitter and say what she has to say. I’d do it.

If we (tax payers) are paying the official photographer don't we have a right to see the photos?

I don't know who pays him, I assume it is either tax payers or Conservative party. If it is the Conservative party and they have a right to see the photos I might be tempted to join.

It's not about tiktok dances, takeaways, beer or cake, it's about Law Makers becoming Law Breakers and lying about it .

As Cornettoninja says, there is no use arguing with those who don't deem this a problem.

It's always the cover up and lies that get people in the end, unless you're Al Capone and then it's the tax man.

And why would he be worried about losing his seat if nobody did anything wrong?

He absolutely does think if he hangs on long enough some other news story (good or bad) will overtake Partygate.
He's hunting about for a distraction - see Rwanda, smearing KS etc.

I suspect he wishes they'd hung on to Hancock for a bit longer as if his affair shenanigans had come out now that might have overshadowed his FPNs.

I don't care about TikTok. I do care that the PM thinks he's above the laws he introduces and that he can lie to Parliament.

The photographs are currently evidence. Once the investigation is over I imagine there will be multiple freedom of information requests.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/19/he-was-ambushed-with-cake-and-other-stories-tories-get-creative-to-defend-pm

"Eating a salad lunch"
Beer 🍺 & salad. That has a ring of truth doesn't it?

BJ is an eternal optimist. I think he wakes up every day and wipes out what happened the day/week/month before. I think he is at the point of thinking that he's done his time and roll on the lucrative jobs post parliament.
Starmer must be in a bit of a quandary. Get rid of BJ and someone new might still beat him at the GE

I don't think people like him care

I don't think people like him care

Obviously his constituents do if he’s worried about losing his seat. 🤷‍♀️

@itsgettingweird I’m actually really interested to see how Starmer performs post-Johnson. When he became leader I was mystified as my impression was of a wet lettuce. I thought they were flying under the radar post Corbyn. But watching him during PMQ’s piqued my interest. Good politics relies on talented, concise, intelligent politicians I think and watching how he’s dealt with Boris has given me a bit of respect for him (as well as sympathy!). He’s maintained a very professional demeanour and consistently tried to raise the bar of discussions in parliament whilst Boris had embraced chaos as a cloak.

Hopefully the tories are learning that their attempt at nu-tories was abysmal (if we take Johnson as dead in the water at this point) given the track record of their last three PM’s departures.

I like Starmer but some of his prominent MPs are appalling. That makes me nervous about voting Labour.

He's got a small majority and on current projections he would lose his seat. Nothing to do with his own constituents specifically.

I think he is at the point of thinking that he's done his time and roll on the lucrative jobs post parliament

If Rumours prepandemic are true he never had any intention of doing a second term as PM and would have likely looked at stepping down either this summer or next. Boris likes being a PM but he doesn’t like actually being Prime Minister. He was always only chasing the status for as little actual responsibility as possible. Note his hat wasn’t in the ring after the referendum and the at the point May was finished he was happy to step up as a superhero (and arguably fucked it up even more pretty much from the off).

He’s pissed off now because the post-pm circuit is much less lucrative for a disgraced PM. Even Jaiine can’t buy enough copies of his memoirs to keep up the child maintenance payments.

Starmer is level headed and forensic.

Johnson is a showman.

Therefore Johnson always felt he won because he has the biggest performance.

But Starmer can win the case - so to speak - because he can present facts in a way it's hard to question them.

Starmer won't be the reason for Johnson's downfall. Johnson will do that to himself purely because his opponent will remember everything he says and does!