Downing St Christmas Party - what's behind this?

[Leafyhouse]

Presumably someone knew about this for a year. And they've waited until just before Christmas to release it - and not all at once. They drip-fed allegations, waited for ministerial denials, then a few days later released damning video footage. I have 2 theories:

1. The media are looking for a scalp. Boris preferably, or perhaps Keir if he doesn't take the fight to the PM satisfactorily.

1. Rishi Sunak supporters. There's a perception that Boris needs to go, and the 1922 committee will show their hand soon.

1. Anti lockdown supporters. It looks like we may have to lockdown further before Christmas, and they're hell bent on undermining the PM's ability to do it.

What worries me is that no-one in the media is asking these questions. Which makes me think they're complicit.

AIBU to think we're being played like fools here?

I'm wondering who was on the gust list?
My experience of gov press office Xmas parties is that key media contacts are invited....

I wonder if @SecretSpAD went?!

@GrimDamnFanjo

I'm wondering who was on the gust list? My experience of gov press office Xmas parties is that key media contacts are invited....

@GrimDamnFanjo "Gust list"? Maybe they only invited people who were like a breath of fresh air... their version of good ventilation.

To the PP who lost her mother to Covid last December - I'm so sorry for your loss. My mother died a few years ago, but it still saddens me, especially at this time of year. Don't feel bad that you kept to the rules - there were no vaccines then, so the rules may have saved your life. Your mother would not have wanted you to risk your life, but I do understand why you feel angry about this news story, it must feel like salt in the wound. Time does eventually lessen the pain, but a year is not long where grief is concerned.

There are at least 3 parties being investigated.

The police would know exactly what happened yet are not 'investigating'. Odd that - given police and security would be at the door of every government building. Police and Protection Officers oddly silent about Andrew's comings and goings in relation to the Maxwell Trial.

The police need to be seen as impartial and to apply the law to all equally. Scary that they did nothing at the time when others where being fined for 'illegal gatherings'.

@ThesecondLEM I’m sorry too. Must be a very difficult time this year. Please don’t beat yourself up.As a mother I would hate to think of my child feeling guilty for anything, especially when the situation was out of their control.

It is two very different scenarios though. Maybe they should have let you in. But then that would also have to apply to other families. A spouse and a couple of adult children means three separate households visiting a care home full of unvaccinated vulnerable people.
A gathering of people who have already been at work all day with each other hasn’t really upped the original risk of spreading Covid.

People were definitely mixing households against the rules. Had the rules not said “no parties”, people would have said every party was a office party and just made up some freelancer work excuse. So the government had to say it even though in many circumstances it doesn’t make much sense ( from an infection point of view).

The whole thing is utterly ridiculous in terms of an investigation.
A quick chat with certain members of staff and a look at the CCTV would quickly show evidence of what occurred.

Not to mention a look at email communication of anyone externally invited.

It’s all now smoke and mirrors and will just rumble on and get bigger and bigger. What’s even more laughable is that taxpayers pay the salaries of all of these government staff who seem incapable of just reporting the plain facts as to what took place.

Can you imagine a PLC board operating in this ridiculous fashion? No certainly not. It would come from the top that they would want a full and detailed report of the event and lead up presented to them pdq. Then they would do damage limitation in as professional a manner as possible.

It’s just farcical.

A major PLC might also try to hush it up and issue denials.

It's very telling that the one party they are NOT Investigating is the one allegedly held by Carrie Johnson on 13th November, the day Dominic Cummings resigned. This party was held in the Johnson's flat in Downing St. not a workplace, their home, and would have been against the law. I wonder why this is?

@Cyrilgoggin

It's very telling that the one party they are NOT Investigating is the one allegedly held by Carrie Johnson on 13th November, the day Dominic Cummings resigned. This party was held in the Johnson's flat in Downing St. not a workplace, their home, and would have been against the law. I wonder why this is?

How are they able to not have it investigated?

MahBroon I don't know, but the investigation is looking into 3 events and this is not one of them. It stinks.

Perhaps one of the Tories actually has a conscience and realising that potential later lockdowns would hugely negatively impact the little people economically decided to leak footage showing exactly what utter hypocritical bastards their government is.

The amount of media time spent on this is disgusting. I really don't care whether work colleagues had a celebratory drink, even if they were in Downing St. The politicians and the media are undermining the public health message by blowing it out of all proportion.

Steven Swinford (The Times) is reporting that the party was organised 3 weeks in advance and invitations sent out via WhatsApp.

I wonder who will lose or break their phone now.

@Tiny2018

Perhaps one of the Tories actually has a conscience and realising that potential later lockdowns would hugely negatively impact the little people economically decided to leak footage showing exactly what utter hypocritical bastards their government is.

👏👏

@notime2cry

The amount of media time spent on this is disgusting. I really don't care whether work colleagues had a celebratory drink, even if they were in Downing St. The politicians and the media are undermining the public health message by blowing it out of all proportion.

Lol! Maybe don't have parties in a pandemic?

The parties were ALL reported on last year, people working at the DfE were even disciplined... but no one interested, now people are, hence the media storm.

Introducing restrictions to divert from your own bad news is whats disgusting.

[quote lightisnotwhite]**@ThesecondLEM I’m sorry too. Must be a very difficult time this year. Please don’t beat yourself up.As a mother I would hate to think of my child feeling guilty for anything, especially when the situation was out of their control.

It is two very different scenarios though. Maybe they should have let you in. But then that would also have to apply to other families. A spouse and a couple of adult children means three separate households visiting a care home full of unvaccinated vulnerable people.
A gathering of people who have already been at work all day with each other hasn’t really upped the original risk of spreading Covid.

People were definitely mixing households against the rules. Had the rules not said “no parties”, people would have said every party was a office party and just made up some freelancer work excuse. So the government had to say it even though in many circumstances it doesn’t make much sense ( from an infection point of view).[/quote]
I'm glad you posted this - I demurred as I always feel the tide goes exclusively in one direction.

I was just thinking the same though. Schools were still open, xmas dinners and parties going on after school, kids going in and out on public transport. Uni students coming home for xmas. People shopping. I really can't get in a froth about a post work party of people who have worked together all day in a "bubble".

It's the inability to stop lying that is just so bad.

It's now laughable about the lies that have been told regarding the Downing Street flat refurbishment costs and funding. Oh the irony of the money that has been spent on expensive wallpapers etc and at this rate he and his wife could be out of that flat next year with the way things are going.

Although I lost an immediate family member and wasn't able to spend Xmas with them, it's now the lies that matter more than the parties. If the PM had just stood up, apologised and took ownership it would be done by now, if not forgotten. It's the ongoing lies and cover ups by those involved, and I suspect some of the media, that is shameful.
He should have got a decent haircut, a new suit, stood up straight and apologised to the people he and his government mocked.

I was just thinking the same though. Schools were still open, xmas dinners and parties going on after school, kids going in and out on public transport. Uni students coming home for xmas. People shopping. I really can't get in a froth about a post work party of people who have worked together all day in a "bubble"

This is nonsense . I don’t know where you were living last December but it obviously wasn’t the UK.

Schools were closed in early / mid December last year because of Covid. Kids sitting A levels and other exams missed out on crucial weeks of education.

There were NO dinners and parties after school, they were illegal. No assemblies in school, not even parents allowed to watch a nativity play for 5 year olds.

Kids had to eat school lunches in the same small social group each day. They wore masks the rest of the time.

No Christmas parties in schools or workplaces.

Uni students were all sent home early and had to get two LFT first, to avoid taking Covid home to their families. Some students whose parents were shielding actually self isolated first.

Most office workers were working for home while other were in Small groups and socially distanced with screen and masks.

7 year olds were not allowed to have a birthday party at home with a few kids from their class that they all saw every day.

Restaurants were open until 8pm with table service only and no alcohol .

NO ONE was allowed to have a work party with a large group of people without masks, not socially distanced, eating and drinking alcohol and dancing / playing games.

@BigWoollyJumpers. ^I'm glad you posted this - I demurred as I always feel the tide goes exclusively in one direction.

I was just thinking the same though. Schools were still open, xmas dinners and parties going on after school, kids going in and out on public transport. Uni students coming home for xmas. People shopping. I really can't get in a froth about a post work party of people who have worked together all day in a "bubble".^

In London this wasn’t happening. But it’s the lying and cover ups that is damning. They are treating people with contempt. And I think there’s a difference between a group of colleagues acknowledging it was a hell of a year, and arranging party games when so many people were sat at home alone obeying the rules.

Restaurants, bars and hospitality venues in London closed their doors on 15th December and didn't open again until 12th April (and that was only outdoors). I don't know anyone who was partying in London in Dec last year or went to any school or work events.

I was just thinking the same though. Schools were still open, xmas dinners and parties going on after school, kids going in and out on public transport. Uni students coming home for xmas. People shopping. I really can't get in a froth about a post work party of people who have worked together all day in a "bubble". Weren't schools begging to close but being threatened with legal action by Gavin Williamson?

According to reports it wasn't people who had been in a bubble all day.

Does it bother you that our PM and members of the govt can look straight to camera and lie to us? I don't care much about what they are lying about but I do care that they can lie so easily. What else are they lying about? If they are found out in lies we can't trust them and if we can't trust them then they need to go.

Is anyone else fascinated about the handing out of awards and certificates with some papers reporting this was a weekly thing.

I'm wondering if it is like Star of the Week. Do the naughty kids, sorry people who work at the heart of govt, get awards more than the quiet ones who just get on with it. Does teacher, sorry Director of Communications, keep a list to make sure everyone gets it at some point during the year.

Not scandalous of course but it does interest me.

@StoneofDestiny

There are at least 3 parties being investigated.

The police would know exactly what happened yet are not 'investigating'. Odd that - given police and security would be at the door of every government building. Police and Protection Officers oddly silent about Andrew's comings and goings in relation to the Maxwell Trial.

The police need to be seen as impartial and to apply the law to all equally. Scary that they did nothing at the time when others where being fined for 'illegal gatherings'.

Maybe another force should be brought in to investigate what the Met knew and why they didn't do anything at the time.

Just before that Saturday in late December when Boris Johnson had a late press briefing telling us that Christmas couldn't go ahead as normal ( and the restrictions were being tightened up etc ) many people were already winding down , schools were being extra careful and some kept their children at home because they didn't want them becoming ill over the hols and the general consensus was it was going to be another lockdown , they just about managed to keep the schools open up until the end of that term. It was bleak and people were quickly getting out to the non essential shops before they would close again for months on end.
The tier systems hadn't really worked that well either , it was grim but only for the general public, at number 10 it was obviously ' party on' .