AIBU to not understand the outrage over the government’s so-called Christmas party?

[OneRuleForThem]

I feel like this is only an issue if people automatically followed guidelines like robots. We were “told” not to visit our own families over Christmas. Nobody tells me whether I can or can not visit my own family, so I did, and had a lovely and nice normal Christmas last year.

It seems people are up in arms over the fact that Downing Street allegedly (do I have to say allegedly?) had a Christmas party and flounced the “rules” without social distancing. My only reaction is…And? And so? So what? Did anyone expect the government NOT to do something like this? I don’t know why people are up in arms over it tbh. It’s not like this government is brand new to people and they didn’t have prior information that this government backtrack and “do as I say not as i do” ALL THE TIME.

I really don’t get why people are so outraged by this. My main reaction is…why did you listen to them in the first place expecting them to be some kind of moral leaders? AIBU?

[Babybooboodedoo]

I followed the rules because I’m an intelligent, informed person- not because the government told me to. I’m thinking you’re either limited in intelligence, or you’re a psychopath without the ability to feel empathy for others?

[HesterShaw1]

All this "you get the government you deserve" bullshit

Bollocks. I've never voted for the Tories, yet again and again they return to power because of the unjust and archaic voting system in this alleged democracy.

And yes I do expect decent standards from our elected representatives. Call me old fashioned.

[megletthesecond]

Are you nuts?
Those of us who wanted to slow down the pandemic stuck to the rules. Not hard as I'm not am impatient toddler.

[LagunaBubbles]

the majority of people who responded have said they weren’t surprised , why did you listen? I just don’t understand that

You don't understand why people don't want to be selfish and risk lives, risk the NHS collapsing?

[flashy44]

Never believe anything the government says unless they deny it

[BoredZelda]

YABU for your reasoning.

I can’t get too worked up about it as in the scheme of things, they have done much, much worse and concentrating on issues like this let’s them off the hook for those things.

[catgirl1976]

Well you would struggle to understand given you’re in the same tasteless, dangerous, selfish and irresponsible “I’m alright Jack” camp yourself.

[twelly]

I am of the opinion that this was last year and we need to move on - yes it was hypocritical and shows a contempt for the public, I disagreed with the lockdowns and believed at the time we were storing up issues for the young and for all those who missed diagnoses of preventable disease. The country was locked down for the vulnerable and elderly, and locking those of them who were able mobile and active. So Downing Street had a party and should be honest but I don't think we should focusing on this - lets move on and ensure we return to normal life and get rid of constant restrictions

[julieca]

This time last year a work colleague who was only in his fifties died of coronavirus. He was outgoing and popular. Normally we would have all gone to his funeral, none of us could.

[HesterShaw1]

This OP sounds like a bit of an attempt to be all edgy and cynical. You're so cool.

[wonderstuff]

I’m definitely someone who questions the rules, I’m definitely someone who doesn’t follow rules I feel are unjustified or wrong. But the fact is that we had social distance regulations because without them the NHS would have collapsed and many more would have died. The government relied on most people complying but did as it pleased. A good friend worked in a Covid triage ward last winter and her descriptions of it are quite scary, wards at double capacity with unsafe staffing levels and many very sick people.

Regardless of individual interpretations of the rules those of us with relatives in hospital weren’t able to visit them. My mil was in hospital last Christmas where she contracted Covid and died. She was deaf and had dementia, she was pulling out her drip and seriously dehydrated, we found out later she was without her hearing aid and glasses, staff hadn’t understood that without those things she couldn’t understand anything anyone said as she lip reads. Had relatives been allowed to visit her needs might have been met. There will have been many, many disabled people in hospital struggling to communicate and not having their needs met because they couldn’t have relatives with them and hospitals rely on this in normal times.

I’m not upset that I didn’t have a normal Christmas last year, I understand the need for restrictions. I’m livid that the government partied while so many of us made such huge sacrifices, that’s not how leaders should behave.

[BertramLacey]

I think I’m most surprised that so many people actually listened to their advice and did what the government said confused As if I would watch and listen to Boris Johnson of all people(!) saying “do not visit your family at Christmas” and do what he said!!

I wasn't listening to Johnson and at no point do I expect him to do anything sensible, right, or moral. However, this was legislation passed by parliament and based on scientific advice. Bollocks to Johnson, but I do still (just) respect parliament at least enough to obey the rule of law. It made sense to me not to mix with other people at Christmas because it meant spreading a virus that was killing people.

I wasn't obeying Johnson. I was following scientific evidence about how to control epidemics. I'm not remotely surprised that he broke the law but I am fucking annoyed with him and his cronies.

[gofg]

I'd say you've got the government you deserve!

[Cheerbear24]

@BeaMends

Forgive me if I missed it, but all these people at this party - were they all staff who were normally all working in the building together, and they just all had a bit of a piss-up when they finished work?
Or were there separately invited guests?

I don’t think it matters now, the issue is about their conduct and deceitfulness about the whole thing, whilst the rest of the country did as per the law required.
I really hope someone leaks the invite so we can see how it’s worded. Or even better a picture.

[StepAwayFromGoogling]

FFS, OP. You keep asking why people followed the law. Because that law was based on science that said 'more people will die if you allow mixing'. So people didn't mix. Because they didn't want to be responsible for other people dying. Clearly you and the Boris didn't give a shit about that, but a lot of people did.

[PamDenick]

Op, the majority of people followed the law. They were threatened, fined or exposed if they didn’t.
Laws that meant many died alone, laws that meant Child safeguarding went out the window (did you hear that Arthur’s uncle was threatened with arrest if he went round to try to check up on him?)... laws that meant a bent and perverted copper could arrest a lone woman walking home during lockdown, (laws that meant DV sufferers couldn’t escape from their homes, laws that meant a queen (and other widowed woman) couldn’t have a family member sit and hold their hand in a church service, laws that fined young people ten thousand pounds for attempting to hold a party... so, OP, if you want to think you were wiser, bolder and somehow sneeringly superior for flouting the law then... good for you. You’re great. We’re sheeple. And some of us our dead, or ruined, or broke, or bereft.
But enjoy your superiority.

[BeaMends]

Forgive me if I missed it, but all these people at this party - were they all staff who were normally all working in the building together, and they just all had a bit of a piss-up when they finished work?
Or were there separately invited guests?

[Technosaurus]

I'm in the funeral industry. Next week I have 2 services for a mother and daughter. The father died last year during covid and they could only have 10 people at the service (family way bigger than that)

Last month his widow, the mother, got covid and died in hospital. Her daughter visited her in hospital, had underlying conditions and has now died of covid herself. A family dealing with 3 deaths in under 2 years, 2 caused by covid and one whose service was heavily restricted due to it.

If you want to tell them you willingly flouted the rules last Christmas because you know best, and everyone else who did so is just worthy of a shrug under the category of jolly japes, feel free to crack on. But my view is you're a huge cunt.

[ThatWasThat]

Well yes, OP, we should be able to trust government advice. Smug in hindsight is unpleasant. You may have not caused other deaths, that’s great. But some people who followed the rules are just in pain.


Of course, spreading general mistrust of authority is the paid and unpaid role of many. Are you in either of those roles?

[SickAndTiredAgain]

The “law” was: do not visit your family at Christmas. That is insane! Of course I wasn’t going to follow it, especially said by someone like Boris Johnson leading the Conservative Party!!

But don’t you want a government that at least follows it own laws? Why wouldn’t you want that? It’s a really low bar.
I have zero expectations of Johnson ever doing anything decent, that doesn’t mean I can’t be pissed off by things he does, even if I’m not surprised by them. Yes, they probably break the law all the time, this is an example of it, what situation are we in if we shrug and say “well, what did you expect”.
Can’t we have some standards.

[MasterBeth]

Should someone break it to the OP about Covid?

[PestoPlum]

@OneRuleForThem

I think I’m most surprised that so many people actually listened to their advice and did what the government said As if I would watch and listen to Boris Johnson of all people(!) saying “do not visit your family at Christmas” and do what he said!!

Presumably you haven't been jabbed and don't wear a mask either because he told you to do so?

[Cheerbear24]

[quote OneRuleForThem]@Cheerbear24
Well I won’t be doing it again. Some rules I did it for the ‘greater good’ I suppose, remember ‘don’t kill granny’?
Some rules were imposed on me; no wake for my grandmas funeral and 12 people only. Before she died in the care home she was locked in there, no visitors until she was on deaths door. She was very deaf and trying to communicate to us through a locked window once a week. Heartbreaking.
FIL died of cancer at new year and had an utterly miserable last year with being terrified of catching covid on top of chemo, living on his own, crippling loneliness, and everything being closed, all whilst the Tories took the piss on a massive scale and laughed in our faces. Fuck doing all that again

I am sorry for you @cheerbear24 I hope this doesn’t sound flippant but this is exactly what I meant by the thread in the first place. This is not the first time they have pulled stunts like this. They do it all the time. I guess I’m just shocked that so many people listened to what they said and then decided “ok, I will do what they say”. I understand about “official” things, and things that need ticking off by other people, so social distancing in shops, weddings, funerals, etc. But actually listening to the government when they said “you are not allowed to see your family at Christmas?” I don’t understand why people listened to them. I suppose from this thread I am in a minority however.[/quote]
Because my grandma had just died of Covid at the start of Dec, and I didn’t to be incubating it and potentially pass it on to my parents who are in their 70’s!
My kids are at school and both times we’ve had covid in the house it’s come from one of them. So they’re the biggest risk of introducing covid to my family who may not recover as well as I did.

[mollieroses]

I do agree with you to an extent and something like this was completely predictable.

What pisses me off is people being encouraged to report neighbours etc. We had police in the house after being reported - we weren't even doing anything wrong. Like they were purposely trying to catch people out, see how many fines they could issue whilst partying away. If they'd had a party and weren't fining the peasants and sending the police into peoples houses I probably wouldn't care.

[AChickenCalledDaal]

I didn't "listen to the government" I obeyed the law. In exactly the same way as I avoid driving on the right hand side of the road and don't wander into my neighbour's house to help myself to their possessions. Because I also understand that laws exists for a reason and things generally work better if we all agree to follow them.

The fact that people in the heart of government apparently don't understand that is terrifying.