BJ in Italy?

[Cam77]

This claim is all over the news now, but here it is from the original source.

Exclusive: according to an official statement of the Italian airport dated September 17th, the British prime minister “travelled to Perugia over the past few days”. (He aphas visited many times in the past. On this occasion, apparently a long weekend for his son’s baptism)

Official Airport Sources: “Johnson landed in Perugia on Friday 11 September at 2 pm and left on Monday morning”.

Downing Street: “This claim is wrong”

So, either that airport is engaging in massive shit stirring (libel?) or Downing Street is lying and the whole government should resign.

There’s a difference between a statement that says something is wrong and saying it’s untrue. Saying a report is wrong is often based on some minor detail - not that it never happened. If it was 100% untrue they’d say it was untrue. The use of the word wrong is slippery and a good way to make the general public believe it’s the same as being false/untrue.

Love the tories on here getting ready to defend him for they dont even know what- they'll just roll over and make excuses whatever it is.

eddiemairswife

Picture of a zoom call eh? I've been on calls where colleagues have had all sorts of backgrounds - tropical beaches, the moon etc but I know for a fact they were at home in somewhere like Milton Keynes or Leicester.

I think regarding the Zoom call, the Telegraph quoted a minister saying that BJ's connection was terrible and he was in a very grand room, like an embassy or somesuch.

Probably the sort of place you might go to enjoy a solo violinist play. Maybe.

Completely unrelated to this thread, but sometimes baptisms in London can happen without the father present, especially if the mother is no longer living with the father because she isn't hugely keen on his love of music. (Although of course SOME people would suggest that SHE is very keen on goldsmiths, and that perhaps the father WAS there.)

@countrygirl99

Picture of a zoom call eh? I've been on calls where colleagues have had all sorts of backgrounds - tropical beaches, the moon etc but I know for a fact they were at home in somewhere like Milton Keynes or Leicester.

My thoughts exactly.

Here is an interesting news article about his alleged visit.

www.repubblica.it/esteri/2020/09/20/news/the_mystery_of_boris_johnson_s_trip_to_perugia_-267989244/

Asked about the September 17th press release mentioning Johnson on the same day, a Perugia airport spokesman confirmed it, adding that both "Johnson and Blair were here in Perugia last week". An airport worker confirmed Johnson’s presence “on Friday Sept 11th or Thursday Sept 10th, I don't remember well”. Another airport source assured that the British Prime Minister arrived "on Friday September 11th at 2 pm and left on Monday September 14th at 7.45”, while former PM Tony Blair was reported to be in Perugia from 8 to 11 September, according to the same source.

Perhaps he went to get his eyesight tested.

This is not where I thought this thread was going

What would the libel be?

Funny thing, libel and slander. IANAL, but what I've learnt from following big libel cases is that you can only successfully sue for libel if the thing being said about you adversely affects your reputation.

Eg after Jeffrey Archer MP was convicted of perjury, anyone could call him a liar and he would be unable to sue even if he could prove that he was telling the truth that time – because the court had established that he was, indeed, a liar. He could not therefore suffer reputational damage by being called one.

I believe Johnson is in the same position. He is established as a liar. Therefore the mere fact of him being accused of lying causes no reputational damage. Of course, if he were accused of something else, eg having a meeting with someone dodgy in Perugia, then that might be libel. Then again, it might not: truth is also a defence to libel claims...

I'd be happier if a lawyer actually confirmed this. But I've followed a few cases now so think I've got it right.

A blow job in Italian is Il Pompino (I think). Boris likes to stay at his friends villa. friend being Lebdev the owner of the Evening standard. One visit involved a supposedly amusing episode with K.price

MPs communicate via Zoom? My company doesn't use Zoom because of the lack of security. But MPs do to discuss Brexit? I find that strange.

Should be a flight plan filed somewhere

The picture of the zoom call on the 11th was posted on the 11th by MP Andrea Jenkins on Twitter, long before there was any speculation that Boris might not be where he was supposed to be that day.

I'm no expert on what Downing Street looks like via zoom but a lot of news sites seem to be suggesting they think it's genuine.

Anyway, I'm not here to defend Johnson in any way (heaven forbid) I'm merely pointing out that the confusion over timeline of events and was he/wasn't he there is just a vehicle for newspapers to hint at a bigger story and not the real story itself.

As far as I can see anyone can go to Italy so what is the story about?

Personally I would stop all international travel, but we haven't done that for anyone else.

I think we know that where Boris is concerned there is no smoke without fire

No idea if it’s true or not, but Boris is usually lying about something so, on balance, I’d say it’s probably true if he’s saying it isn’t.

Though it's Catholic I think, and I don't think BJ is

He's actually the first baptised Catholic ever to become PM. His mother was (is?) Catholic, hence the baptism, though I don't think he was actually brought up as a Catholic.

Of course he was there and of course he was up to something dodgy. He's the most corrupt prime minister we've ever had I would think.

@LastTrainEast

As far as I can see anyone can go to Italy so what is the story about?

Personally I would stop all international travel, but we haven't done that for anyone else.

The fact it's being kept quiet. Just say if it was a personal visit or official unless he was involves in espionage.

Whenever Number 10 deny something Boris has done, l automatically belive the opposite. He is a proven liar.

An absolute failure as a decent human and more importantly as a leader of a country, that has the worst record in Europe for deaths during Covid and a economic melt down, that will effect all of us now and generations to come.

If rather believe the airport who have no reason to make this up than Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson trying to protect what little integrity he has left . AKA liar, liar pants on fire.

How did this story come to be a story? Presumably the airport guy didn't just notify the paper that he had seen Boris Johnson - he was approached and asked? I wonder what the bigger story is.

Grant Shapps was asked about it on BBC breakfast today.

Yes, he used the words "as far as I'm aware" so many times it was actually comical.

@kirinm

How did this story come to be a story? Presumably the airport guy didn't just notify the paper that he had seen Boris Johnson - he was approached and asked? I wonder what the bigger story is.

On the afternoon of Thursday September 17th, a famous Uruguayan Barcelona footballer, Luis Suarez, arrived in Perugia, welcomed by cheering fans and supporters, to take an Italian exam in order to obtain the Italian passport. Immediately afterwards, the international airport of Perugia issued a proud statement: "Over the past few days, many names and personalities from the political, sporting and economic world have arrived here in Perugia. From Prada CEO Patrizio Bertelli to the British PM Boris Johnson, preceded by Tony Blair (former UK premier) and not least the champion footballer Luis Suarez from Barcelona, who landed this afternoon to take an Italian language exam at the University for Foreigners of Perugia. Umbria and our airport are at the center of the world at this end of the season, with more and more personalities choosing the "San Francesco d’Assisi" airport thanks to its strategic position in the center of Italy, the speed of connection and the always punctual and efficient service that the airport is able to guarantee”.

www.repubblica.it/esteri/2020/09/20/news/the_mystery_of_boris_johnson_s_trip_to_perugia_-267989244/