Boris stands down as MP with immediate effect

[sunnydaytoday0]

Just breaking now on BBC.

Same day as Nadine.

Now @Janiie has explained that her idea of a good time includes 'rowdy/ raucous behaviour' I can understand why she rates Boris Johnson so highly.

I have debated with you many, many, many times on the series of Johnson threads that are on Chat. I have been suspended on a couple of occasions for my interactions with you, so do try to avoid you, but sometimes needs must 😁. As for the gif, well they are there to be be used! No need to feel persecuted.

It doesn't matter whether we call it a gathering , a party or a 'do' the fact is it involved a certain number of people sat or stood around , drinking alcohol, eating cake, dragging in suitcases of booze from the local shop, at one point hiring a DJ, Abba evening etc- the fact remains that even within workplaces where you couldn't work from home, arrangements had to be made for spacing , limited number of people together at any one time- all manner of shenanigans- stuff like leaving do's and drinks in the garden for 15 plus people , large group social stuff were not permitted in the rules for a pretty long time, otherwise people would have been having small marriages, funeral teas (very sadly) kids birthdays etc. I don't just blame Johnson in all honesty although the buck had to stop with him- I blame the whole 'fuck everyone else' culture at Downing St that seemed to be going on. They made mugs of us all-- and here's me wondering if my neighbour would notice if I took 2 walks in a day round the neighbourhood on my own!!

'As for the gif, well they are there to be be used! No need to feel persecuted'

Oh I don't feel persecuted, just make ya mind up ignore me or post gifs in 'response to me'. Which is it to be..

2 walks a day wasn't illegal.

Neither was going for more than an hour.

Half the problem with this is that some media people started rules that didn't exist daily and as if Johnson had said them (Peirs Morgan being a huge culprit).

If we'd just been told the rules clearly, if they'd have spent the time writing them and doing it sober and if Johnson could communicate clearly and effectively the half the arguments over LD wouldn't exist.

@itsgettingweird obviously my memory is playing tricks- I could have sworn at one point it was stated 1 walk a day !!

These are really good points. I remember some of the threads here on Mumsnet where people started inventing rules. I also remember a senior police officer threatening to start policing what people had in their shopping trollies.

If Johnson had been clearer on the rules and had actually given a toss about his responsibilities that sort of thing would never have happened.

It was guidance, not the law, I think?

These are really good points. I remember some of the threads here on Mumsnet where people started inventing rules. I also remember a senior police officer threatening to start policing what people had in their shopping trollies

This takes me back. I remember the actual law very well - and there was confusion about what was against the law versus guidance.

Definitely guidance. Nothing in the law about time or even distance.

The original legislation is here. No time limits:

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

(f)to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living;During the emergency period, no person may participate in a gathering in a public place of more than two people except—
(a)where all the persons in the gathering are members of the same household,

(b)where the gathering is essential for work purposes,

As has been discussed before - it's GATHERING, not party, and essential for work purposes

(but I think we've discussed this before - and it's been investigated by the police and there have been fines issued for events that took place that were not essential for work purposes)

Yep, I recall people posting on here saying you were only allowed to buy essential foodstuffs, not anything you'd consider a treat. That rule didn't exist. If it was in the shop, you could buy it.

The time thing came from Michael Gove I believe, he did an interview and suggested an hour. The media spun it into a story and people started to state it as fact.

The one walk a day thing was an off the cuff comment from Michael Gove which got taken up by the media as gospel - same as the substantial meal / scotch egg nonsense

There were aisles closed off in the supermarkets at one point, and people saying Easter Eggs should be banned. The while thing was ludicrous.

You do have to wonder what was going through the mind of the people in Downing Street when there was all this news and stories - and in the meantime, they were having wine Friday.

Definitely. We went out on walks several times a day for as long as we wanted. There didn't seem to be any scientific basis for it and it certainly wasn't against the law. The children had a lovely time climbing trees and playing on the beach.

I think the problem was it was so much to change and worry about and adapt to for many people- all at once and trying to keep on top of what was guidance and what were rules that changed very regularly - as well as worrying about the actual disease- and clearly a not great situation in hospitals, worrying about elderly relatives etc that you couldn't see- it was a very weird time.

For those trying to absorb all this and home school and work and not always with suitable home space I absolutely dread to think. Then there were money issues-.some industries couldn't operate at all, some 'kind of'

In our case we were part way through our planned move to Copenhagen- except we couldn't fly to look at any potential rental homes etc.

I don't think so- if it was, I was breaking the rules, and so were many others! I think there were rules about how far from home you could go, but if you wanted to go around the block twice or more in one day, no one was stopping you.

Nor do I think there were rules about how much time you could spend outside.

Not defined in law though

You could gather in a public place with your household or with someone else not from your household

And you could be outside your home

"to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;"

No mention of time or distance. Or a definition of exercise. Remember all those park benches that were taped off? And people who were shamed for walking in the Peaks.

Whilst Downing Street had wine Fridays

The walks thing wasn't even guidance - just was suggested as a guide.

It all came about because PM asked how long was recommended to exercise for. The minister said about an hour was probably what was needed as equivalent of 5k walk.

It was because instead of just allowing "daily exercise" there was a quibble over exactly what people could and couldn't do and some media became obsessed with government giving every minute detail.

Fuelled in part with ridiculous fines from police for people being too far from home or sitting on public benches.

Then added to that everything Johnson said he then would add "where reasonably possible" to give people a get out (or himself it seems).

Everything was closed. No one could go indoors anywhere. There was no need for stupid caveats such as "1 hour daily exercise a day" to have ever been invented.

I know 🤦🏼‍♀️

People actually saying if you were doing the weekly shop it should be for essential foods only. No adding Easter eggs to your trolley!

What didn't seem to dawn on most people was whilst there economy was struggling due to the pandemic it was good people were still buying stuff in shops they could go in!

The added rules given as gospel were what I think changed peoples way of thinking.

For some - which has benefitted the Tory's - they began to take everything the media said as read.

For others - like me - I began to feel suspicious of them and read lots of sources and investigate anything they say to find the truth backed up by actual evidence or policy.