AIBU to feel gaslighted by the government and BBC?

[Bavarois]

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.

[quote LlamaParma]@madisonbridges how many times have spouses brought their babies to important and confidential meetings in your workplace? And given the fact that these are the most senior politicians we can safely assume whatever the ‘meeting’ was about, it was confidential and important. They’d hardly be putting the tea bad order in would they. So why does a person who’s simply a partner of a ‘meeting’ member have to be there?[/quote]
When this happened, babies were allowed into the house of commons. I've seen threads on here where women are breast feeding during zoom meetings and where women have said they take babies into meetings at work. Didn't Jacinda Ardern take her baby into UN assembly?
As for the meeting being confidential, the baby's not going to leak any secrets, is it?
I guess she could justify being there because as a former director of communications at Tory HQ she has experience and useful input.

I didn’t vote for this government and I disagree with an awful lot of what they’ve done. But it’s very clear the press have an agenda by publishing this information which they have been sat on for the past 18 months. We can criticise the government for having had the get together in the first place, but questions need to be asked as to why the media chose until now to make it public, same with the Christmas party. If they didn’t have an agenda I doubt it would ever have become public knowledge.

@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 100%

Do basically seeing as dh runs his own business if there’s another lock down we can have who we want round for drinks and if challenged just say they’re providing him with business advice or they’re getting quotes. He designs websites and everyone might need a website designing.

@Misskittycat16

Dare I ask what you think they would say?

And if it’s a work meeting I’d like to know who’s paying for the wine. In the nhs we have to buy our own tea and coffee. And pens and stethoscopes.

@CovidCorvid

And if it’s a work meeting I’d like to know who’s paying for the wine. In the nhs we have to buy our own tea and coffee. And pens and stethoscopes.

Yyyaaaassss

@madisonbridges I almost admire your attempt to clutch at straws! God loves a trier!

Babies in NORMAL times are allowed in the House of Commons but this did not take place in the House of Commons. In person meetings had to be essential people only at this time and I’m assuming the baby didn’t NEED to be there to give input (though no doubt it would be better input than his dad).

Given Carrie Symonds no longer works for the Tory party but for a charity she is essentially a member of the public so it needs to be clear why she’s there - if it’s to give advice on media and comms why aren’t they using their ample, highly efficient and qualified - not to mention, employed - media and comms staff?? In fact why are NONE of the media/comms staff there if it’s an important meeting that needs Carrie’s input?

As for the meeting being confidential, the baby's not going to leak any secrets, is it?

No but the adult woman with presumably a tongue in her mouth might. Although you could be forgiven for thinking she’s a bot TBH

I actually can’t believe you’re still trying to justify it when it’s clearly a social gathering.

@HeartsAndClubs

I didn’t vote for this government and I disagree with an awful lot of what they’ve done. But it’s very clear the press have an agenda by publishing this information which they have been sat on for the past 18 months. We can criticise the government for having had the get together in the first place, but questions need to be asked as to why the media chose until now to make it public, same with the Christmas party. If they didn’t have an agenda I doubt it would ever have become public knowledge.

The media haven’t sat on it, the mystery person who took the picture has sat on it for reasons unknown

Who are the people on this thread defending this??? Seriously!!! People couldn't hug loved ones at funerals, people had to see relatives through care home windows. Where is your empathy ffs??? Come on! Stop accepting this gaslighting shit and joining in with the pathetic defending the indefensible.

'The mystery person sat on it for reasons unknown'

It was always said that Cummings had an awful lot on BJ. And I'd bet there's plenty more.

@RainbowZebraWarrior

'The mystery person sat on it for reasons unknown'

It was always said that Cummings had an awful lot on BJ. And I'd bet there's plenty more.

Was Cummings responsible for this particular photo?

Wasn't this whilst workplaces had to be Covid secure to go back to?

At work we had
2m distance at all times
Masks at all times
Only 1 person allowed in the kitchen at a time
No sharing of food or drink
Breaks to be taken alone or outside with 2m distance so as not to be within 2m of anyone else with your mask off to eat
Definitely no social gathering with colleagues

I was leaving a team I'd worked with for 7 years and we stood in a 2m distanced circle in the ward garden to say goodbye with no refreshments etc
Even my flowers were quarantined

No idea if it was Cummings who was responsible for this or any other leaked images / footage. But it was always forecast that he had damaging info and would use if when he saw best. And he's not in the picture I don't think?

Hmmm.. article from 10 days ago. He was always very good with his 'leaks'

And he's not in the picture I don't think? Isn't he sitting opposite Boris Johnson and Carrie?

@LlamaParma
We're just going round in circles so I'm not going to keep answering stuff the same stuff. I'm not defending anyone. I don't defend parties, I don't defend rule breakers. I just think this could very well have been a work meeting. Im not embarrassed for thinking this. I don't think I've got Stockholm syndrome. I don't have anything to gain from the tory party being in power. I just can see how this could be a meeting.

Of corse you aren’t unreasonable to feel gaslighted. That has literally been their entire plan, scare people into being compliant without question with a constant campaign of fear broadcasted into your home on a daily basis. Yet they don’t look or act too worried about covid do they? Having parties and getting off with people they don’t live with. Any one still listening to these morons needs to give their head a wobble.

@HeartsAndClubs

I didn’t vote for this government and I disagree with an awful lot of what they’ve done. But it’s very clear the press have an agenda by publishing this information which they have been sat on for the past 18 months. We can criticise the government for having had the get together in the first place, but questions need to be asked as to why the media chose until now to make it public, same with the Christmas party. If they didn’t have an agenda I doubt it would ever have become public knowledge.

It's not the press' agenda - that is overwhelmingly pro-Tory.

I really highly doubt the BBC would outright lie about this. Especially because it's so easily checkable. Far more likely someone's made an error. Make a complaint if you think it's wrong and they'll likely print a correction.

@Arrowheart

Who are the people on this thread defending this??? Seriously!!! People couldn't hug loved ones at funerals, people had to see relatives through care home windows. Where is your empathy ffs??? Come on! Stop accepting this gaslighting shit and joining in with the pathetic defending the indefensible.

It really does beggars belief that people ar emote willing to believe the PM’s wife was giving professional advice 2 weeks postpartum before they’ll believe that a lying corrupt cheating government have just broken the rules yet again

@RavingAnnie

I really highly doubt the BBC would outright lie about this. Especially because it's so easily checkable. Far more likely someone's made an error. Make a complaint if you think it's wrong and they'll likely print a correction.

Well they have - it’s in black and white as quoted by the OP.

Love the 'press have an agenda'. So what. They always have an agenda whether it's accusing Corbyn of being a commie in disguise or Milliband eating a bacon butty. Only this time the agenda is directed at the tories.

The BBC state restrictions didn't apply in private gardens. That's factually incorrect, so is it a mistake or a lie?

Perhaps the key point is that the BBC are in hock to the government via the licence fee, so while they have to pretend a certain independence, in reality they respond to whoever cracks the whip

There you go.
This government is not about leadership or accountability, they don't feel answerable to their public, they're about telling you to fuck off and mind your own business and they don't even feel the need to come up with a decent lie to cover it up.

Oh and it's astonishing that they don't realise "we weren't socializing, we were just getting pissed at work with someone who had no right to be privy to the information being discussed present because they're fucking the head honcho" is not a better scenario than the original accusation of breaching lockdown.