Boris stands down as MP with immediate effect part 3

[DuncinToffee]

Tomorrow is the Commons vote on the Privileges Committee's findings that Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over Downing Street parties during lockdown

The vote is a free vote rather than being whipped either way. Tories have been told that the vote will be a one-line whip, meaning they will not be obliged to participate.

Boris Johnson is believed to have advised his backers to not vote against it.

Michael Gove confirmed on live tv that he will abstain

Tobias Elwood has u-turned on abstaining after hearing stories from voters

Rishi Sunak, who knows

Cake, show me all the PowerPoints you like, anecdotally though I can tell you I know keyworkers and it was not all 'one in the staffroom only at a time'.

Yeah, yeah, don't educate me with dusty facts - I've got a good keyworker story.

I can never see Mogg without thinking of the Nicholas Soames quote (Mogg was reclining on the front bench)

"I wanted to kick him firmly in the arse and say, ‘What the hell do you think you are playing at? Sit up!’ “[Rees-Mogg] is a living example of what a moderately cut double-breasted suit and a decent tie can do with an ultra-posh voice and a bit of ginger stuck up his arse. You do not behave like that as leader of the House.” Mogg is no more the custodian of Parliamentary practice & customs than I am - and I haven't lied to our Monarch (yet).

I'm sure there was more to the story about the photographs/official photographer when some of the photos were first published [many/most of them haven't been seen by the general public]

They were found by a journalist - but can't remember the full story now and to late to go looking

Maybe someone else remembers?

How he tallies his views and ethics with his religious beliefs is beyond my imagination.

Being someone who is (by modern standards) pretty religious I've observed plenty of people like this. The unconscious logic is that because they're religious they must be good, therefore what they does must be good too. So they genuinely don't notice that they're complete shitheads actually.

Or it's all a massive front.

This is the exact position taken by some really quite nasty "very religious" members of my family.

The concept that any of their actions might be bad, simply does not compute.

I know eh?

It's like the secondary school kids "but miss - he did not too" - as if it makes it alright!

The thing is, if most people see a thread full of loathers of a particular person and want to provide balance, they do it by defending that person, setting out why the criticism isn't justified and pointing to the good stuff they've done and achieved. They don't do it by constant blatant diversionary tactics, making up silly names for the person's critics and rivals, misspelling the words used to describe that person etc - mostly because they work out that those tactics are a bit of an admission that the person concerned is pretty indefensible. So it's a little difficult to accept that this is your motivation.

I'd be wary of assuming Rees Mogg actually knows things. In another set of life circumstances he'd have freeman on the land vibes.

Absolutely right.

Posters don't loathe Johnson personally, mostly they don't give a monkey's about him, but wish him and his family well (whatever that means to him) as much as they would the next man. It's his actions and the consequences of those actions people loathe.

If a person can't, given the weight of all the evidence available, weigh up his actions and the consequences of his actions and at least have some questions about whether aspects of his behaviour are 'ahem' questionable, then their judgement is flawed or skewed by something.

"I'd be wary of assuming Rees Mogg actually knows things. In another set of life circumstances he'd have freeman on the land vibes."

Given he's now spouting off about fracking being the way forward I'd assume he doesn't know things.

@BunnyBettChetwynnd I loathe misogynists and Mr Johnson is one. I loathe dirty old men and Mr Johnson is one. I value human life which Mr Johnson does not seem to do.

So whilst I object to many of the Tory policies which Mr Sunak advocates, I would be courteous to him if we ever met. I would not extend any courtesy to Mr Johnson, other than being polite in reading the caution required to be said when making an arrest.

But fracking is going to save the U.K. Or contribute significantly to JRMs bank balance. One of the other.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/grovelling-mp-nick-fletcher-sorry-for-upset-amid-voter-backlash-over-decision-to-back-boris-johnson-4190644

Nick Fletcher's contribution to the debate was gobsmacking. No wonder his constituents are pissed off. Smoke was coming out of my ears listening to it.

I thought we had been assured that it was Angela Raynor who was hysterical?

Yes, this sounds believable

https://twitter.com/mikeysmith/status/1671489707908235267?s=20

Rishi Sunak’s press Secretary says there’s no need for him to correct the record on this.

Says he did not attend any parties, and the fine he paid to the police was for “arriving early to a meeting”.

He's swerving the issue.

In Rishi's case, the main problem with his behaviour is that he clearly knew full well what was going on. He then participated in months of minimising and gaslighting. His one fine pales in comparison to that.

Somebody took that photo of Johnson on the Downing Street patio with Carrie, Cummings and someone else. The angle made it look like it was from No 11. Probably not taken by Sunak himself but maybe a useful friend.

Besides which wasn't Sunak living there at the time? Of course he knew what was going on - he just didn't stand up in Parliament and pretend all guidelines were followed (he just hid out back - bit of a theme there).

And yet, despite the lie in Parliament, the conservatives chose him to lead them. They had no shame then, and were happy to drag democracy through the gutter. Nothing has changed.

There must be a reason why he is so evasive

Rishi Sunak's Spokesperson denies that the Prime Minister is too scared of his own party to say whether he agrees with MPs that Boris Johnson repeatedly lied to Parliament.

Because he knows full well he was keeping quiet about what went on, and potentially knew Johnson had lied to the Commons but did nothing about it. He knows closer examination of his actions is a risk, particularly now Johnson has gone, and thinks the best way to guard against that is to say as little as possible.

A bit more on 'being early for a meeting' fine

It can't have been - the fixed penalty notice can only have been for participating in an illegal gathering (in this case, it was Boris Johnson's birthday party).

If Sunak had arrived early and stood outside waiting for the party to end and his meeting to begin, he wouldn't have been participating.

For the police to have given him an FPN they must have concluded he participated.

https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1671520049574625280?s=20

"Sunak gave an “unreserved apology” for attending the gathering, saying he deeply regretted “the frustration and anger caused” and confirming the £50 penalty had been paid."

Do they think we can't look at old news reports?

If hasn't there, why did he pay the fine?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/12/boris-johnson-and-rishi-sunak-fined-for-breaking-covid-lockdown-laws

I could actually completely believe that the fine situation arose because Sunak turned up early for a meeting, went into the party room and stood around awkwardly in the corner for a bit. He doesn't exactly give off party boy vibes, and being in the room would constitute participation in those circumstances.

But that isn't the elephant in the room. Sunak's problem is his connivance, not his attendance. Meaning he will want to focus on the latter rather than the former.

Surely there is noone other than our friend hwo thinks that Sunak did not know that Johnson was lying when he said all rules had been followed in parliament? If Sunak had any decency he would have resigned at that point.