To ask if your essential meetings involve sitting around in the garden with wine and cheese, with your spouse in attendance?

[AlexaShutUp]

So the justification for the pictures of Boris in lockdown is that they were essential work meetings and therefore allowed. The wine and cheese was apparently because people were working long hours. I have seen no explanation of why Carrie was present.

Do you have essential work meetings of this nature? I don't.

AIBU to think that, in the midst of a pandemic, I'd rather that our decision makers stayed off the booze while carrying out their essential functions? And that unelected individuals who are not employed by the government in an official capacity have no business sitting in on such meetings?

In May 2020 I was in work - we were not allowed to wfh. We had essential meetings. We couldn't go to the canteen area as it was closed as too small. Therefore we ate in a large function room on separate tables - the same room we used for essential meetings of upto 50 people. All in one room, but 2m apart so well within rules

This is outside and so within rules even more so. T

his may be a private garden but No10 is probably classed as a workpace and meetings outside are far safer than all 2 apart in one room without ventilation.

People forget that meetings were not illegal. We had them weekly even at that stage

This is such a non story.

Were you allowed that many people in your private garden?

Is the garden behind No,10 "private"? More than 100 staff work at No.10 so it could well be defined as part of a workplace.

The joke being I bet a huge chunk of people on here voted for this shady government. Vote a clown, get a circus.

Ask yourselves, does this not feel strikingly similar like the tactic used to undermine Matt Hancock? Who is waiting in the wings to really give us the Tory government we don’t want or need? Pennywise?

As much as it makes me sick in my mouth it’s better the devil you know.

Really don't give a fuck about this. It's a good distraction for the masses though.

@Watapalava

In May 2020 I was in work - we were not allowed to wfh. We had essential meetings. We couldn't go to the canteen area as it was closed as too small. Therefore we ate in a large function room on separate tables - the same room we used for essential meetings of upto 50 people. All in one room, but 2m apart so well within rules

This is outside and so within rules even more so. T

his may be a private garden but No10 is probably classed as a workpace and meetings outside are far safer than all 2 apart in one room without ventilation.

People forget that meetings were not illegal. We had them weekly even at that stage

You’ve just said yours were distanced.

And did you have many newborns at your work meetings? Newborns who weren’t allowed to meet grandparents because it was too dangerous? But apparently being around their father’s colleagues was within the rules?

@Watapalava

In May 2020 I was in work - we were not allowed to wfh. We had essential meetings. We couldn't go to the canteen area as it was closed as too small. Therefore we ate in a large function room on separate tables - the same room we used for essential meetings of upto 50 people. All in one room, but 2m apart so well within rules

This is outside and so within rules even more so. T

his may be a private garden but No10 is probably classed as a workpace and meetings outside are far safer than all 2 apart in one room without ventilation.

People forget that meetings were not illegal. We had them weekly even at that stage

Yes, essential meetings if they couldn't be held virtually and everyone HAD to be there. Do you think this was the case? Don't number 10 have teams? Do Carrie and her newborn work for the government?

Between the start of lockdown last year and a week after this photo being taken I had two miscarriages. My parents weren't allowed to come and sit in my garden and give me a hug. The government can fuck off to the far side of fuck. I am so done with being lied to and treated like a mug.

It matters because this government is so fucking arrogant, so contemptuous of the people of this country, that they think they can gaslight us into accepting that this was a standard business meeting and that it is us who are in the wrong for being angry about it. The country is fucked, the economy is fucked, and none of them give a shiny shit because they've been laughing at us the entire time with their wine and cheese.

And they will still get re-elected. Until Labour offer up something resembling an opposition, with some actual policies, they will carry on regardless for the next 10 years.

@AlternativePerspective

I agree. I watched the news last night and feel like the media are playing mind games with us.
First article - Sajid Javid saying restrictions might be necessary fairly immediately, Sadiq Khan declaring a state of emergency in London, reports of deserted streets and new lockdown in the Netherlands - implying be scared, this is like it was last year, prepare for a lockdown

2nd article - look at this picture of BJ and Carrie and others breaking rules 18 months ago - implication - if they don't follow the rules why should you?

I despise the government as much as the next person. It made me sick to watch their pics and videos of Xmas parties or explaining away cheese and wine after work. We missed MILs last Xmas as she was diagnosed with cancer straight after Xmas and died 6 weeks later. But I'm not sure how rubbing our noses in it that they did what they liked anyway , is helping anyone.

@showmethegin

Between the start of lockdown last year and a week after this photo being taken I had two miscarriages. My parents weren't allowed to come and sit in my garden and give me a hug. The government can fuck off to the far side of fuck. I am so done with being lied to and treated like a mug.

Some of these posts are heartbreaking. 😥 I'm so sorry for what you went through 💐💐

I've just seen the photo on channel 5 - wtaf.

What annoys me most off all is that we lost my grandpa a short while before the first lockdown. We were able to hold a normal funeral at the time (which I know a lot of people sadly didn't later on) but just a week later we went into lockdown and my grandma had to grieve alone after nearly 60 years of marriage. We stuck to the rules, just rang her every day and waved from a distance to keep her safe. She was alone greiving when they are all did as they pleased 🤯

Sick - the garden image shows distancing? You can sit with one family which they did and the rest are all 2m apart.

There could have been 100 of them in that garden on separet tables and it would be within rules

This really is a non issue.

Most people couldn't distance in workplaces and haven't done since day 1. We couldn't - so whilst we couldn't go the pub afterwards because it wasn't open, it would have been no risk given we sat next to each other all day sharing bloody photocopiers and staplers.

Contrary to other pp, most people were not terrified of covid - even in May 2020

The other image is Dec 2020 when rules were very different.

must be the culture,
old boys
alcohol

"My dp and Ds live with me but they've never attended my work meetings weirdly enough."

And Carrie wasn't attending a "work meeting" because she isn't in government.
This seems to be the refreshments being supplied after the meeting was over.
Neither is it clear what date the photo was taken or what time.

Typical Guardian bo££ock$ from a paper that hasn't any proper news to report.

How have they managed to get us to a place where (some) people don't care that people were dying alone, whilst those making the rules were doing exactly as they pleased?

Apparently Carrie was there because "number 10 is her home" and she "legitimately" uses the garden.

I think I've seen a picture of a meeting in the 10 Downing Street Cabinet Room where one can clearly see what looks like Carrie ironing in the background.

the garden image shows distancing? You can sit with one family which they did and the rest are all 2m apart.

The rest are 2m apart? It really doesn't look like it from this photo.

No - not under normal circumstances, and certainly not when there are restrictions in force, because I am not a cunt.

The photo is clearly taken towards the end of the afternoon/evening because of the long shadows, not exactly drinking on the job! They will all have been working together inside anyway throughout the day so what difference would a drink in the garden after work have made? Who gives a toss! The fact your brother, father, husband, mother etc. was ill in hospital at the time is pretty irrelevant, not the 'heartbreaking reality' people seem to like stating!

I don’t think eating and drinking at a meeting is unusual. We often plan meetings around lunch or similar and in those cases catering is provided by our employer. We wouldn’t drink alcohol during a meeting, but we may stay for a drink afterwards if it was off-site. This obviously didn’t apply during the lockdowns when all meetings in our organisation were Teams only, but we were all wfh.

Dh however did have a number of informal meetings with his team in our garden. They were all still in the office but it was decided that meeting outside was safer than being in the boardroom. As far as I’m aware alcohol wasn’t served, but there will have been drinks and snacks provided which seems pretty usual in my experience.

@Chely

Really don't give a fuck about this. It's a good distraction for the masses though.

Pray tell us how you are not "the masses"

the garden image shows distancing? You can sit with one family which they did and the rest are all 2m apart.

Are we looking at the same picture? That’s a genuine question because Boris and Carrie are sitting with two other men (not family), not distanced. The table of four isn’t distanced, neither is the group at the top. They are not 2m apart. The only distanced person is the man weirdly crouched in the top right (Cummings? Don’t know what he’s doing).

I’ve already said it isn’t the worst breach of the rules, but I’m sick of the lying from them of “this was allowed”.

someone has got it in for the tory party and has access to incriminating photos