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?

[Chippingbird23]

@HardbackWriter

It was the law, not just government advice.

Omg 😂it was never law lol it has to pass through the Lords. It was guidance and many did meet family and friends and no one can tell you what to do. Oh mumsnet 😂people like you

[Port1aCastis]

@tallduckandhandsome

you are much worse than many of us because your free-riding was only possible and consequence free thanks to significant sacrifices from millions of people.

💯 agreed

And you probably haven't had to say goodbye to someone very close to you who was dying from covid in the ICU.

[jgw1]

@LizzieSiddal

Now either the people voting for him didn't care about the lying and the sort of man they were putting in charge of the country, in which case they are morally bankrupt or they believed and trusted him, in which case they are stupid

Had a conversation yesterday with neighbours who are very much Brexiteers and Johnson supporters. They say “oh we don’t watch the news anymore it’s all depressing” . I’ve noticed quite a few rampant Brexiteers saying the same thing. It’s all so fucking convenient for them isn’t it.

They are not wrong, it is depressing.
Depressingly predictable.

[nanbread]

Lucky you OP to have family on good health so potentially infecting them with Covid and killing them wasn't on your radar.

I wonder how much worse things would have been if everyone had had parties and then gone to big family gatherings pre vaccination.

And people weren't just blindly following government advice, many were abiding to law based on info from scientific advisors despite the govt.

Also, my family live 200 miles away. Didn't really fancy getting stopped by police on the M25 with a boot full of presents and kids in the back, not exactly going to blag I'm on the way to essential work am I.

What's more, my family members didn't want to break the law, nor did my friends. It takes two to tango. Maybe you come from a family of people who don't mind breaking the law, some of us don't.

Your "how come some people didn't see their families last Christmas?" schtick reveals your lack of empathy, and narrow mindedness.

I'm not at all surprised by the no.10 party and they've done a lot worse than this so I'm not outraged as such, but as government they have a duty to stick to the laws they make and I understand why people who missed out on last Christmases or left vulnerable parents alone are angry.

[DontWantTheRivalry]

OP - I really hope you are being goody and and purposefully just trying to wind people up because otherwise you are just arrogant, insensitive and flippant about the feelings of others.

How wonderfully ‘cool’ you are. How we admire you for being such a rule-breaker and for how you have have stuck your middle finger up to the authority. How mightily impressed we are and how we wish we could all have the same carefree (selfish) attitude as you.

I’m guessing that’s what you wanted us all to say?

You’re just coming across as quite stupid to be honest.

[tallduckandhandsome]

you are much worse than many of us because your free-riding was only possible and consequence free thanks to significant sacrifices from millions of people.

💯 agreed

[guinnessguzzler]

OP, you are obviously on the wind up here but this isn't just a laugh. People died, alone, while their relatives did their bit, people's health has deteriorated, mental and physical, due to over-work, restrictions, isolation and loneliness, trying to do their bit. Those of us who followed the rules did so not because we were told to by our morally bankrupt PM but because it was clearly the right thing to do. Combating a pandemic requires cooperation at societal level. Yes, it's no surprise that a bunch of selfish Tories who don't value cooperation turn out to be selfish free-riders but your own smugness, I'm sure intended to provoke a reaction, is embarrassing. You're not better than the rest of us because you thought for yourself. On this specific issue, you are much worse than many of us because your free-riding was only possible and consequence free thanks to significant sacrifices from millions of people.

[tallduckandhandsome]

I didn’t copy, I just made my own choice and then it turned out the ones “setting the example” made their own choices too. “You can’t see your family” will never be a law for me that I would willingly comply with if I had an open choice not to.

So you would rather put your desire to inflict your company on family over their health and wellbeing? People who are double vaccinated are getting Covid and you were inflicting yourself on unvaccinated family. I find that extraordinarily selfish.

[Tomeeornottomee]

I followed the rules.not because I was told to but because I have an extremely vulnerable husband, mum and stepdad and I wanted (and still want to) protect them. My DH takes immunosuppressive meds and if he caught the virus there’s no way his immune system could cope. I’m so glad you had a lovely normal Christmas and clearly don’t have anyone to worry about.

[Pinkyxx]

I honestly feel this could be a red herring...

Various people were still required to work & in their place of work as a result. 2 of my brothers were and while we all WFH etc they were in their places of work with dozens of others. This was household mixing whichever way you look at it but is was required to keep critical infrastructure and services going (that includes the government). Gosh my friend who works in a Doctors surgery had Christmas drinks in the surgery with all the other staff who had worked their bollocks off trying to keep services going. Do I resent her and her colleagues doing that? No I don't. Do I think it's the same as me and 12 family households getting together like we normally do? No, it's not remotely the same. The whole point of the restrictions were to minimize mixing of people to stem spread. They were mixing anyway so what bloody difference does it make. So do I care whether the staff at Downing staff poured whisky into their coffee mugs and gave out prizes and played a game? Not really. I suspect Covid spreads just the same if you're typing or playing monopoly. They were all there mixing anyways. In my job, many of the staff in our company support critical infrastructure ( think keeping the electrical grid going so the lights stay on) - they were mixing too.. and yes they had a tipple in a plastic cup one day before they went home to their households. All these groups were routinely working in a ''covid secure'' office with colleagues..

FWIW my daughter and her bubble had a party at the end of term. 2 days later an ''outbreak'' was declared at the school. It was so bad, PHE were called in.. one poor kid had it, didn't know it and exposed the entire bubble. They all fell like flies, my daughter included - and she was ill for weeks, followed by long Covid. The kids spread it to their families, and everyone had a pretty awful time. A few parents ended up in hospital. Nevertheless, that ''party'' at school which was a few soft drinks, music, games & cheese puffs was all within the rules..

NOW... if it comes to light that people were at this ''party'' that were not part of the Downing street ''bubble'' then yes I'll be mighty pissed off but it wouldn't have changed my plans last year. I was caring with a child with Covid. No way I was going anywhere, nor was I going to let anyone near us!

[Cyrilgoggin]

This time last year almost no-one was vaccinated. That was another reason why it was so important not to mix, and why it was against the law.

I am angry about the party, having missed spending what I didn't know would be their last Xmas with a close family member, but I'm even more incensed that they are still not owning up to it. The PM needs to be honest and apologise then we can move on to more important matters. I won't forget though what they did.

[LizzieSiddal]

Now either the people voting for him didn't care about the lying and the sort of man they were putting in charge of the country, in which case they are morally bankrupt or they believed and trusted him, in which case they are stupid

Had a conversation yesterday with neighbours who are very much Brexiteers and Johnson supporters. They say “oh we don’t watch the news anymore it’s all depressing” . I’ve noticed quite a few rampant Brexiteers saying the same thing. It’s all so fucking convenient for them isn’t it.

[Kendodd]

Thing is Johnson lies all the time. He's lied about everything and to everyone and it's worked very well for him. This was absolutely crystal clear, before Brexit, before the 2019 election and people still voter for him and what he promoted. Now either the people voting for him didn't care about the lying and the sort of man they were putting in charge of the country, in which case they are morally bankrupt or they believed and trusted him, in which case they are stupid.

As for you OP. I didn't see my family or went to parties last year, not because of the rules, but because I didn't want to risk giving vulnerable people covid. Obviously that didn't trouble you, and that isn't a criticism, I know elderly people myself who would rather see family and friends and carry on as normal even if that risked or cut short their life. They know they're old and want to make the most of the time they have with the better a good shorted life than a longer lonelier one.

[LexMitior]

I think the really interesting thing is how angry people are - the volume of anti Johnson comments on the Daily Mail over the last few days was in the tens of thousands. This suggests people are not going to forget about this - so whatever you think OP, many people took him and his laws seriously.

The issue is his moral authority - he has none and that's obvious to a whole lot of people who previously expected him to have some. If they'd looked at his background before voting, they would see a lot of evidence that he's been sacked for lying many times before this.

[OneRuleForThem]

@lazylinguist

YABU. I don't pick and choose whether to abide by the laws of the country according to whether I think politicians are going to abide by them or not. Some politicians are hypocritical, amoral arseholes. That doesn't mean that I want to copy them.

I didn’t copy, I just made my own choice and then it turned out the ones “setting the example” made their own choices too. “You can’t see your family” will never be a law for me that I would willingly comply with if I had an open choice not to.

[Hertsgirl10]

Did anyone see how they behaved all year? They was breaking rules constantly, I didn’t expect them to not break the laws that they put in place.
The real shock is that the Cons keep getting into power in this country, Boris only has to say something a little quirky and everyone forgets what he’s done to this country and runs down on election day to vote them in every time.
I can’t believe that they’re still here ‘running’ this country.

[Kendodd]

For all those who didn't follow the rules (law) to help slow the spread of covid and reduce the deaths, do you feel the same about other laws?
Drunk driving say?

[DukeofEarlGrey]

1. It wasn't the 'rules' or even the rules, it was the law
   
2. You may not have followed the law last Christmas, but many, many people did in the interests of the greater good - we were trying to stop the NHS from breaking and save lives
   
3. The fact that we know our government flouts its own laws doesn't make it ok, it makes it worse

[OldaRailer]

I'm in Scotland: I think Nicola will be slapping a travel ban on us.😂

[jgw1]

@OldaRailer

Yes I laughed at the rave invite.

Are you going?

[OldaRailer]

Yes I laughed at the rave invite.

[jgw1]

@julieca

This is still going on!
You know how I can tell people are still mad? Because of the amount of memes I have seen about it.

A few seconds ago, the number of people going to the Christmas Eve party in Downing Street reached 1 million.
With the North Shropshire by-election on a knife edge, this isn't over by a long shot.

[OldaRailer]

Yes to the memes.
The pro lockdown people feel betrayed but the anti lockdown types are pretty disgusted at the cowardly nature of the government's own apparent lockdown scepticism. They've annoyed two ends of the population.

[TurnUpTurnip]

Omg yes I agree finally someone does, I couldn’t give a shit more fool the people for following the rules 🤦🏻 Couldn’t care less