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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to feel gaslighted by the government and BBC?

177 replies

Bavarois · 20/12/2021 10:00

Another photo has appeared, showing the Tories having a 'work meeting' (garden party) on 15th May 2020. The BBC report states 'The 15 May photograph shows a gathering of staff in the Downing Street garden... At that time, gatherings of more than two people were banned in outdoor public places in England. However, because the picture appears to show a private garden, that restriction would not apply. Later on in the pandemic, gatherings were banned in private gardens too.'

We were in LOCKDOWN. We weren't allowed to leave our house for anything other than work, medical supplies, or exercise. Now I'm in Scotland so I might be remembering things slightly differently as our rules were slightly different, so I looked it up. Guardian article from 28th May - 'Johnson said: “We will now allow people to meet in gardens, and other private outdoor spaces'

How can they just lie and lie? And even the BBC?! Shouldn't we be able to trust at least them? It's despicable.

OP posts:
pickingdaisies · 20/12/2021 13:56

@madisonbridges I amused myself with the mental image - I'm trying to cut down dairy so I may be a trifle obsessed with camembert at the moment Grin

LlamaParma · 20/12/2021 13:57

www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-six-people-can-meet-outside-under-new-measures-to-ease-lockdown

1st June was when we could gather

OverByYer · 20/12/2021 13:57

@Chloemol

Time to move on, it was 18months ago

Let it go

Is that you Carrie?
JessieLongleg · 20/12/2021 13:59

To be honest I would be angry if this is party I support. Who would take their wife to a meeting, no, maybe a social. People were asked to only work with people in person of essential. Not one note pad or laptop out was is essential to sit around and drink together after a meeting in lockdown, No. They are losing their authority because of this, how if the police going to cope with controling a lockdown they on just managed last time many people got away with parties etc.

BiscuitLover3678 · 20/12/2021 14:01

I dont think the BBC is lying. They showed the pictures and said Boris called it a meeting. Doesn't mean they believe him!

mildtomoderate · 20/12/2021 14:01

Isn't the past simple of 'gaslight' gaslit?

thisisavalidusername1 · 20/12/2021 14:01

@Letshaveablackcelebration

Of course we all have cheese, wine and our spouses at work meetings don’t we 🙄
GrinGrin
milly74 · 20/12/2021 14:03

@torquewench

Is Downing Street a workplace? All I see is groups of people (2 of whom are in a relationship) some distance apart, outdoors.
you are joking? if a work meeting why was Carrie and baby there? Why were they drinking? WAKE UP the laugh is on us big time
milly74 · 20/12/2021 14:04

@LlamaParma

They'd risk their lives because Boris Johnson had a drink outside with co-workers?

I think it’s time we asked ourselves why the people telling us to be scared aren’t the least bit scared themselves

This
madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 14:05

@LlamaParma

They'd risk their lives because Boris Johnson had a drink outside with co-workers?

I think it’s time we asked ourselves why the people telling us to be scared aren’t the least bit scared themselves

Boris Johnson almost died. I'm sure he said he was scared. But I think when you've been out and about working with other people, it does lessen your fear somewhat. I certainly remember on here people scared to leave their houses and washing their shopping and leaving parcels and mail unread for 3 days to let the virus die. Whilst people at work all day where shrugging and saying it's really not that bad. So if you're with the same people in an office all day, you're going to become more relaxed with them. I think that's human nature.
torquewench · 20/12/2021 14:06

Because they also live there? Or has her redecorating been forgotten about already?

torquewench · 20/12/2021 14:07

@torquewench

Because they also live there? Or has her redecorating been forgotten about already?
This is in response to Milly74.
madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 14:08

[quote pickingdaisies]@madisonbridges I amused myself with the mental image - I'm trying to cut down dairy so I may be a trifle obsessed with camembert at the moment Grin[/quote]
I feel for you. I love a bit of brie myself. I was just amused because so many posters seemed outraged at the cheese. I wondered if people would be equally upset if it were tea and biscuits. Or if it was purely the hedonistic characteristics of cheese! 😂

torquewench · 20/12/2021 14:12

In these days of social media and everything being posted online immediately, why weren't the photos leaked at the time they were taken? Surely that would've caused maximum outrage/ fewer people would've gone "pfft whatever" back then???

We're being played, just not in the way that we think it's happening.

Original poster
Bavarois · 20/12/2021 14:24

@Bitofachinwag That's not what gaslighting means. But it doesn't look like a work meeting.

As above, "Gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as making someone question their own reality" - I'm talking about the BBC reporting that restrictions didn't apply in private gardens. Is that not what gaslighting means? It's making me doubt my own memory of May 2020 but other sources confirm I was correct thinking that it was end of May/June before we were allowed in gardens.

@BiscuitLover3678 I dont think the BBC is lying. They showed the pictures and said Boris called it a meeting. Doesn't mean they believe him!

First paragraph of my OP, the BBC state restrictions didn't apply in private gardens. That's factually incorrect, so is it a mistake or a lie?

@mildtomoderate Isn't the past simple of 'gaslight' gaslit?

Nope, I was surprised too

OP posts:
LittleRoundRobin · 20/12/2021 14:24

YANBU. It's just exhausting now isn't it?

Tabitha005 · 20/12/2021 14:26

@DrManhattan

Doesn't look like a typical work meeting for most people
This, exactly. Unless you work at a purveyor of wine and/or cheese, anyway. Plus, what 'job' exactly is it that Carrie Symonds 'does' for the government? (aside from absolutely getting paid for pretending she's in a happy family set-up with Johnson, obviously - a man who's unlikely to be able to form a useful relationship with anyone owing to his... well, let's face it, entire character and personality).

I totally feel the government are gaslighting us. Their lies, pathetic attempts at obfuscation and blatant disregard for toeing the line according to the rules they expect us plebs to follow makes me sick. The lot of them are self-serving, elitist and, apparently, Teflon-coated when it comes to any form of mud sticking to them.

They do precisely what they want, when they want and for no other reason than because they can - there's NO comeback for any of them. Nothing ever happens to force them into behaving better than they appear able to so, ultimately, why should they even try?

They make me sick, the lot of them.

Yummychocs19 · 20/12/2021 14:26

Loads of people in the media are out to get Boris with all these strategically leaked stories.

I think a lot of the media are out of touch with the silent majority in this country. Most people I know are relieved that we live in a country with free medical care, easily accessible covid vaccines, and lockdowns to protect the NHS and furlough / benefits to support us.

Most people couldn’t care less about the wine and cheese….but problem is some people are so bloody ungrateful for what we have. Yes it’s been a tough couple of years with more tough situations ahead but compare that to the experience of many in poorer countries and you’ll see how bloody lucky we are.

AutumnAlmanack · 20/12/2021 14:31

If this group of people had been working together all day, what on earth is wrong with them having a quick drink after work (still in the workplace)? Boris had not long been out of hospital so naturally Carrie was also there. The person who took the photo obviously had it in for Boris and has been biding their time - THAT is despicable!

trappedsincesundaymorn · 20/12/2021 14:31

"It was a work meeting" doesn't wash with me....if they had to have a meeting why not hold it on-line, like the rest of the country had to?

madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 14:32

@Yummychocs19 I agree we are very lucky. But I also think we are also entitled to have a govt to keep the rules they make. I think the majority are annoyed about it and I think North Shropshire proved it.

I am, however, bemused by the cheese obsession.

LlamaParma · 20/12/2021 14:34

@BiscuitLover3678

I dont think the BBC is lying. They showed the pictures and said Boris called it a meeting. Doesn't mean they believe him!
They’re lying because they claimed that at this time gatherings in private gardens were allowed. They absolutely weren’t
madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 14:36

@trappedsincesundaymorn

"It was a work meeting" doesn't wash with me....if they had to have a meeting why not hold it on-line, like the rest of the country had to?
Because pparently they'd just all been together for the media broadcast they sed to do nightly, so I'd guess they'd be discussing what the media had asked so they could see what the headlines and concerns were going to be and how to counteract them. It wouldn't really make sense for them all to be together at work and then ho home and log online to discuss have discussion.
LlamaParma · 20/12/2021 14:36

@madisonbridges Boris was scared but apparently not scared enough to follow the rules HE put in place 🤔

LlamaParma · 20/12/2021 14:37

@torquewench

Because they also live there? Or has her redecorating been forgotten about already?
Nadia Sawahlla pointed out that the reason they claimed they couldn’t hear the Christmas Party in their own home was because Downing Street is so huge that they were living far away.

But now Carrie just HAD to be in the garden with her husbands colleagues? She couldn’t have been anywhere else in her home? All very convenient isn’t it.