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?

The Mirror/ITV journalists who had the scoop have just said in radio 4 that they blurred faces to protect people who hadn’t said anything deemed in the public interest.

Clearly, politicians (our clever rulers), should be able to do whatever they want whenever they want as long as it's in their own interests, such as having fun.
It's only the stupid voters who need to obey 'rules' or 'laws'.

I think they’ll admit there was a party soon. Boris has been careful to say repeatedly that he’s been “assured” no rules were broken. So if it comes out that there was a party, as long as Boris wasn’t actually there, he can maintain “well I wasn’t lying to the public, someone lied to me and told me guidelines were followed. I am very cross blah blah blah”

So if I have this right. There was an alleged party in Downing Street on the 18th December. Then on the 22nd December Allegra was having a screen test for the Downing Street briefing job and people asked her made up questions of possible scenarios to practice and some of these questions were about the alleged party that may or may not have happened in a nudge nudge type way. Is that it?
Honestly I can see why this gets the “Westminster bubble” excited but for me it’s
Apparently there were also Lobby journalists there too so maybe that is adding to the excitement in the media

@grassisgreen

I agree *@friendlycat*. And remember Beth Rigby and Kay Burley got caught out at an illegal after party on 5 December. So political hacks having parties while the public was restricted. Seems the politicians and hacks are all in it together.

Were suspended from their jobs for 3 and 6 months respectively weren't they?

They are also not elected or making laws.

Do you think BJ will be suspended if he went too or knew about this party. let alone lied to the commons?

I suspect by someone is trying to undermine the government but as it happened with Hancock now that she’s resigned it’ll be forgotten in a few days.

Those saying that the politicians don’t follow the rules … hope you’ve followed every single one in the last year and a half

@WhatdoImean

It is not the original "offence" that gets politicians... it is the attempted coverup and lying that normally does for them.

This is so true.

The fact that The Dept for Education had a soiree of some sort as well several days before is barely registering on the radar at the moment. But they came clean and admitted it and said that it hadn't been a wise move on their part.

This week the PM has also categorically denied any involvement in the moment of animals out of Kabul when there is written evidence to the contrary.

These things just build and build when not addressed properly. The lying, covering up, whatever becomes the bigger story rather than the root of the story itself.

i think its timed to suppress Afghan crisis meeting happened yesterday

Boris Johnson "Most popular"?

Wow

Apparently there is now a majority of people who think he should resign (Ipsos poll yesterday, I think it was?). You know... over this lying thing, inability to trust what he says. Kind of something he has form for (from memory, he has been sacked twice from jobs for lying...)

If I were Kier Starmer, I would be praying for "BoJo" to still be in power at the next election, not ditch him for someone (possibly) competent...

Her tearful statement just now was an absolute joke.

Tears for her reputation not for the country she absolutely mocked to get a cheap laugh from her cronies.

@EasterIssland

I suspect by someone is trying to undermine the government but as it happened with Hancock now that she’s resigned it’ll be forgotten in a few days.

Those saying that the politicians don’t follow the rules … hope you’ve followed every single one in the last year and a half

We aren't elected rulers, making up the laws we are mandated to follow, people are going through the justice system right now for breaking covid rules last year.

But so long as politicians also end up in court, then fair enough but we all know they won't.

The party was 18 dec

On 19 Dec they made that awful statement effectively cancelling xmas for most of the country which causes a mad rush of people scrambling to board trains and packing up their cars and fleeing

Remember it well

Allegra Stratton is an airhead. She was hired as she was Carrie's mate.

Covid and Brexit are far from over though.
If I was Boris I’d have told the country to poke it by now.

I think it’ll be shit show without someone who doesn’t give a damn.

Those saying that the politicians don’t follow the rules … hope you’ve followed every single one in the last year and a half

I disagree with this premise actually. If the government decided to create a law (any law, not covid related) that I thought was absolutely ridiculous, a complete joke and something I wouldn’t abide by, I’d still think it was piss poor for the government to be caught breaking the law after going on tv and saying how very important it was that everyone follows the new law. Following the laws they have just created isn’t a particularly high or unreasonable expectation of government I don’t think.

Let's face it, stuff like this was going on up and down the country. Just a load of faux outrage from the normal crowd.

Allegra Stratton seems lovely and well-spoken, I feel very sorry for her.

@MarshaBradyo

Oh just heard AS statement

She sounded so upset

I did feel for her. I know I probably shouldn’t but that trying not to cry got me

A good actor, crying because she got caught.

Do you think it is just a coincidence that 4 days after the alleged party there is a video of Allegra Stratton being asked about the party last Friday i.e. the day of the alleged party. Did they think a year ago that people would make up a party for the 18th December 2021 and she was having a laugh about it on the 22nd?

Some plausible possibilities
a) Friday December 18th is a natural day for there to have been a Christmas party. Quite possibly the day you would pick if making up a story.
b) if this is a malicious fabrication, the video could have been seen first, rumours started then the video released to back them up.
c) there was a small gathering, a couple of drinks at the end of a late meeting say, which has been distorted by rumour.

And I am not denying the option
d) there was a big premeditated party, with the press, the police and MPs present (or something less extreme).
e) or more likely, civil servants/other staff let off some steam after work, intended to keep within the rules but it got a out of hand.

I haven't yet seen the evidence which objectively makes the party a certainty over a disgruntled faction stirring trouble. It therefore seems odd it is being perceived as fact.

I wouldn’t call Allegra Stratton an airhead. What she did was wrong but no need for that comment. She is also very good friends with Rishi.

This is just typical Tory behaviour.

Elect a useful idiot.
Let said idiot serve their purpose until they become a liability.
Knife idiot in back and depose them.
Elect the next useful idiot.

It's how they've always done things, just that the idiocy is on steroids these days.

Gove and Cummings, hand in hand.

Cummings is angry and Gove is ambitious. They’re good mates. Cummings knows if Gove gets in he can be an advisor of some description again.

if this is a malicious fabrication, the video could have been seen first, rumours started then the video released to back them up.

This crossed my mind, but her reaction is too strange for that. The pause and laughing as she says “and it was not socially distanced” just makes it seem like they weren’t talking about something fictional.

Or, it could be that the person who leaked the video only obtained it recently?

Scenario:

1. A new employee found the evidence
2. Hackers or similar found the evidence

So not necessarily someone who was involved in the party or the recording of the video. Not necessarily 'sat on' for a year

@SexyBoris

People are jealous of Mr Johnson’s popularity and that is why this has been brought up now. He’s one of the most popular PMs we’ve ever had and labour know they have no chance while he’s around.

Well @SexyBoris, as 64% of British adults think Boris is doing a bad job I'm not quite sure you can actually argue he's popular, never mind one of the most popular.

Stratton isn't the only person who should resign over this but she's the fall guy.