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?

So what if they had a break I don't get the outrage.

Have a look at this then. If you're not outraged, you really should be.

twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/1472812848313155588

"let's remember the people who DID obey the rules. This footage shows Craig and Paul Wright being told they couldn't comfort their grieving mother Barbara at their father's funeral"

This was happening all over the country. People who had funerals for loved ones lasting 20 minutes, no hugging, no sitting next to each other, and straight home again, no chance to be together for cheese and wine after. And not being able to visit a dying parent in hospital.

@LoveGrooveDanceParty

What does it really matter?

Boris, and the Tories in general, are untouchable.

They will be voted in again, without a shadow of a doubt. So they know full well that they can do whatever the hell they like.

So 🤷🏻‍♀️

Can we stop with this narrative please, as until the day we no longer live in a democracy - and I am fully aware that the f*cking Tories are doing their absolute damnedest to lock in their position and ensure that we don’t - the fact remains that no political party is untouchable. Being defeatist and accepting their diabolical actions is playing precisely in to their hands.

@LadyWithLapdog

Starmer wasn't making the rules. You can't accept your grotesque buffoon of a man, Johnson, is as hypocritical, corrupt and useless as they come.

It is quite unbelievable that people are still defending him.

What is Carrie's security clearance?

@itsgettingwierd

Dominic Taab has just said as Carrie loves there it's totally understandable for her to chock on how Boris is.

Is she his mum 🤦‍♀️🤣🤣🤣

I love the autocorrects in this. It made me think of ‘Allo ‘Allo

@Lalliella

They could have been piled on top of each other having a massive orgy and snorting cocaine and eating puppies and people would still vote for them

@Lalliella I'm pleased to say that the people of North Shropshire don't agree with you!

Getyourarseofffthequattro
I used to work in a hospital, I don't get to go back and have meetings with the consultants and drink wine with them.

Perhaps they don't like you - dh gets invited back by his ex-colleagues/bosses - different profession but they discuss serious stuff and have a break for refreshments with wine.

@starfro

Carrie has a huge input into how the running of the Government and is responsible for many firing and hiring decisions.

Some really misogynist views on here suggesting she should have been shut up inside the house whilst the men discuss the important stuff.

Her having the huge input as a non government member, employee or civil servant is the problem. If she is to have a role in government it should be official, and subject to the usual rules and scrutiny. Not this backdoor shit.

The misogyny accusation is clearly in bad faith, because nobody's that stupid.

@Clavinova

Getyourarseofffthequattro I used to work in a hospital, I don't get to go back and have meetings with the consultants and drink wine with them.

Perhaps they don't like you - dh gets invited back by his ex-colleagues/bosses - different profession but they discuss serious stuff and have a break for refreshments with wine.

Perhaps they don't like me or perhaps they are professionals who are able to do their jobs properly on their own and who stick to regulations.

I doubt your DH used to work in downing Street or in fact any industry with any type of regulation, because if he did that absolutely wouldn't be the case.

Re comparing to funeral behaviour - I’m sorry but only an idiot doesn’t comfort a family member at a funeral - rule or no rule. I never understood how people could be so calllus as to watch someone upset and stay 2m away because Boris said. Have some bloody compassion and common sense

@CurzonDax

The more I see/read of Carrie, the more she is coming across as possessive/paranoid. Checking in on Boris? Why? He's 'working'.

The point that she lives there - almost fair enough. But DH and I are both currently WFH; we manage to stay out each others way, and don't feel the need to join in with each other's meeting (and I have previously met my DH's boss, and think Boss is a very nice man, I still don't need to go and chat to him during a meeting).

I can guarantee that my living quarters are a lot smaller than Boris and Carrie's, and yet we still manage to not interfere with each other. In fact, the most DH and I see each other during the working day (despite being in the same building) is occasionally a very quick, "I'm popping the kettle on, would you like a cuppa?"

Carrie does not live at No.10 - the Johnsons live in the large and newly refurbished apartment above No.11

Johnson should be gone (or “Boris” if you insist on using his stage brand name). Though as others have said, it won’t make much difference. The Tories will still be voted in again with some other elitist puppet.

Or we might get a surprise and get a few years of Tory lite with Starmer - before the public get bored of them once again and put the real Tories back in again a few years later. I personally will vote for Tory lite anyway. But under no illusion any of it makes any difference.

We need to ditch FPTP.

What does it really matter?

Not everyone follows the minutiae of government policies, but everyone can compare their actions wrt the lockdown.

At a very human level, it shows that the people in government really do think there is one rule for them and a different rule for us.

Entirely unacceptable.

@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?

Oh fgs. Bore off with this whining crap. You can't change the past.

In the old days we would have a bottle of beer on our desk or glass of wine at desk at about 5 pm on a Friday then migrate to a manual area or pub but at desk would involve people scrambling to get work done. A few odd bowls of crisps frequently present too. This is definitely not work no pens paper and looks like a post big meeting chat with wine but even if we do that someone more than one would have a pen or piece of paper.
But its just so unthinking of others but is anybody surprised by that from Tory's or boris.

@Watapalava

Re comparing to funeral behaviour - I’m sorry but only an idiot doesn’t comfort a family member at a funeral - rule or no rule. I never understood how people could be so calllus as to watch someone upset and stay 2m away because Boris said. Have some bloody compassion and common sense

Because people were told they would be fined or arrested they were also told they'd kill granny if they went near her. People were fucking terrified because of this shower of shit government. Don't you dare place blame on people.

'Have a look at this then. If you're not outraged, you really should be.'

The staff at that crematorium should hang their heads in shame.

Not sure of the relevance though tbh. The Downing Street photo shows people who have worked together all day sat outside having a break. It was allowed to have a break when at work you know.

Let's see the party photos. I wonder if there actually aren't any or if we are to be kept in suspense?

@starfro

Carrie has a huge input into how the running of the Government and is responsible for many firing and hiring decisions.

Some really misogynist views on here suggesting she should have been shut up inside the house whilst the men discuss the important stuff.

Misogyny doesn’t come into it,

Leaving aside the Covid regs in force at the time, just for one moment, Mrs Johnson is not a government employee, and if government business was being discussed then there’s a legitimate question to be answered about her security clearance….

I can’t be the only person here that has had a role/job where matters work related couldn’t be discussed in front of partners…..

@starfro

Carrie has a huge input into how the running of the Government and is responsible for many firing and hiring decisions.

Some really misogynist views on here suggesting she should have been shut up inside the house whilst the men discuss the important stuff.

This is a load of tosh.

Carrie Johnson worked as press officer for the Tory Party in 2010.
She became the party's Head of Communications, but left in 2018 to work in public relations for Oceana - a project that protects sea life.

Please stop spreading misinformation.

That they will have worked round the clock, including weekends

January 24th 2020 - Johnson misses the first COBRA meeting about covid

January 29th - first cases declared in the UK, he misses the second meeting

February 5th - he misses the third meeting

February 12th - he misses the fourth meeting

February 14th - he goes on holiday to Chevening, staff are told only to contact him if necessary and to keep box briefings short or they will be returned without being read.

February 18th - he skips the fifth COBRA meeting. In the words of one of his staff "he didn't chair meetings, he didn't do crisis planning, he didn't work weekends, he wasn't there".

February 28th - first covid death in the UK

February 29th - NHS warns of PPE and capacity shortages, leaked govrrnment report warns half a million people could die. Boris Johnson announces he and Carrie are engaged and expecting a baby.

March 2nd - he finally attends a COBRA meeting

March 3rd - advise it to avoid shaking hands and other physical contact. Johnson brags on TV that he's been out merrily shaking every fucking hand he sees

March 7th - he goes to an 82,000 capacity rugby match

March 27th - in a shock to no one, he gets covid. When he leaves hospital he goes to Chequers.

May 6th - Britain has the highest death toll in Europe

May 15th - Johnson attends a "work meeting" in the garden of Downing Street with pizza, drinks, and cheese

The date of the photo is 10th May 2020.

I can remember exactly what we were doing that day, it was my mum's 60th birthday and I had had a horrific week attempting to do my non working from home key worker job working from home with small children (2 x under 3s) who were essentially being neglected. It has got to the point where I couldn't even open my laptop without bursting into tears.

There were still travel restrictions in place and the police were actively stopping cars to ensure that they had a legitimate reason for travel.

That evening when DH was in from his (at the time 7 day week essential worker job) I printed out my key worker travel letter just in case (although it was a Sunday so was pushing it a bit) and pretty much shitting myself in case I was stopped drove to my mums house, dropped off a present on the door step and waved to her from the end of the drive.

People were still only being allowed out for an hours exercise a day at that point. Non essential shops were still forced to be shut. You weren't allowed to meet with anyone outside your own household. Fines for breaching this were £60, rising to £100 a few days later.

I think people are forgetting just how restrictive and scary things still were in May 2020.

@Clavinova
have a break for refreshments with wine

You don’t get to take alcoholic “refreshments” while you work unless you’re in a rock band. We all know Johnson likes a drink and shouldn’t be anywhere near No10. But senior ministers flagrantly breaking lockdown rules just isn’t on.

I’m wondering whether the people who aren’t outraged by this also broke the rules last year and had regular get togethers with their buddies. It’s the only feasible reason not to be enraged with the government really. They broke the rules on so, so many occasions. Cummings, Hancock, endless parties. Absolute joke.