AIBU to think that Boris should resign now?

[Seemslikeagoodidea]

Today it has been revealed that in May 2020 invitations were emailed to (allegedly) 100 Downing Street staff, for a garden party. This party happened during the first lockdown, when many people could not visit their elderly relatives, even on their death beds, due to the lockdown rules. The email was sent by one of the PM's top people, and stated that people should "bring their own booze and enjoy the sunshine". Today Boris has been conspicuous by his absence.

I think this is the final straw and shows a lack of judgement and absence of moral fibre. Enough is enough - he should resign and if he doesn't do it then his own party should force him to go.

AIBU?

I just find it odd that all these reported 'parties' have been anything but.

3 people doing a zoom Christmas quiz, Downing Street staff sitting outside. Wine may have been drunk but we've yet to see 2am photos of people actually 'partying' aren't we.

Going to the beach (a public place) with your household was allowed although plenty of people on MN got very upset about it . There were also different angle pap pics that if looked at from one angle looked as if people could barely move and shown from a drone or different angle showed they were more spread out.
The party/gathering/post work event was an hour after they told the public you could meet one person from outside your household in a public place, provided you stayed 2m apart.

@JaniieJones

I just find it odd that all these reported 'parties' have been anything but.

3 people doing a zoom Christmas quiz, Downing Street staff sitting outside. Wine may have been drunk but we've yet to see 2am photos of people actually 'partying' aren't we.

You don't have to be doing shots off someone's arse to be partying.

its also the attitude that someone in 10 Downing Street staff felt comfortable enough to send that email.

There was clearly NEVER an air of them even attempting to follow the rules, or it wouldn't have been sent in the first place.

@itsalmostanaccessory - This is a fucking great post btw.

And you know one of the things that all this has highlighted is the culture of drinking at work in number 10. Is that really acceptable? Do we want our countries decisions to be made by a load of people who appear to be pissed at work half the time?

'As it is, if 40 NHS staff had gone outside to a park with a bottle of wine or a beer or something, had the police seen they’d have been told to go home. '

Oh fgs they used to be gathered in large groups practically doing the conga every week clapping themselves. No one was sent home.

@SmellyOldOwls

Exactly my point. Minimising and being 'meh' about this stuff is understandable coming from someone who votes for them because they meet their needs - if your highest context is yourself and serving yourself, this government will do nicely. They also have to defend them because, fundamentally, they are defending themself and the way and reasons they chose to vote. Soothing the ego at all costs. Most just do that quietly.

Considering the hyper doom-mongering that was carried out by the media and the government in 2020, warning us to 'stay apart' to stop us killing and ourselves and others by passing on a highly contagious and deadly virus, it puzzles me how happy and laid back they all are in the photo of the first party that came out a while ago - I believe pre-vaccine 2020.

And now taking into account this latest debacle, it does strike me that they don't act or look like people frightened for their health or their lives or anyone else's.

This government voted in the restrictions/lockdowns whilst obviously believing that there was no requirement for them (based on their own behaviour on several occasions). Why make your own people suffer for no reason? It’s also worth remembering that Sarah Everard was murdered as a direct result of these laws. How terribly sad for her family now, to realise that the government established restrictions which they clearly didn’t believe were required, and compounded it by not following them.

Even the brexiteers seem to have gone off him now. I’ve seen a few comments along the lines of ‘well Boris got Brexit done but he should have resigned by now.’

I think he’s finished but he will try and hang on.

@FortVictoria

This government voted in the restrictions/lockdowns whilst obviously believing that there was no requirement for them (based on their own behaviour on several occasions). Why make your own people suffer for no reason? It’s also worth remembering that Sarah Everard was murdered as a direct result of these laws. How terribly sad for her family now, to realise that the government established restrictions which they clearly didn’t believe were required, and compounded it by not following them.

I agree.

He absolutely thought it was a work meeting apparently. I want a job there, where you stand around drinking with no lap tops, pens, paper or work conversations.

@JaniieJones

I just find it odd that all these reported 'parties' have been anything but.

3 people doing a zoom Christmas quiz, Downing Street staff sitting outside. Wine may have been drunk but we've yet to see 2am photos of people actually 'partying' aren't we.

Is it the wording you dont like it?

How about social gathering? Let's call it that.

There was no legitimate work reason for all the staff to have gathered outside. There are also reports of Carrie's friends being there and others who had no work in the building on that day.

This was a social gathering. They were colleagues, yes, but they had no legitimate reason to be gathered together. This government, Boris, made the rule that this sort of gathering was no legal. Other business would have been fined, tweeted about by the police and people probably sacked if there was a national HQ or something getting bad publicity.

Any other business would have been breaking thr law. This government had no legitimate business reason for that gathering. But they made the rule.

Do you not see the problem? It isnt about the gathering.

'Minimising and being 'meh' about this stuff is understandable coming from someone who votes for them because they meet their needs '

Well no, as I said previously Starmer was spotted drinking beer with colleagues indoors but it was work apparently so it was allowed so again, fine.

Looks like I'm not the only one to think this is one thing in a long line of mistakes, and no, he's not fit for office (but how many people in office actually are?) Not making excuses for him, just noting that I'm not surprised in the least. It's hard for me to understand why people are so worked up about it tbh, but I also broke a few lockdown rules when it suited me (nothing wild of course).

@JaniieJones

'If someone you know - a friend, family member etc had been in hospital at the time of this party you would not have been allowed to see them'

Yes I know that, it wasn't to be mean though it was for a reason. Did Johnson visit anyone in hospital? If not I don't get the relevance.

If however I worked with someone I would have been able to sit socially distanced with them in an indoor or outdoor area.

Again, an error of judgement as this level of hysteria should have been predicted but I don't think it was that bad tbh.

You don't think it's bad that the people who wrote the lockdown law blatently ignored it?

What would you think is enough to wreck trust in the government? Would Boris literally need to take a baseball bat into the house of commons and start hitting people with it?

3 people doing a zoom Christmas quiz, Downing Street staff sitting outside. Wine may have been drunk but we've yet to see 2am photos of people actually 'partying' aren't we

So because they weren't doing the conga round the garden, it wasn't a party?
Come off of it!
Pre Covid, we've had parties... 40 is a big one for us. It's. A. Party.

There's lots of them... What about this one? Hot buffet trays, cold buffet, drinks, party hats... is that not a party either?

You're splitting hairs. Let's call it a gathering then. A get together. A social.

Whatever you call it, It was NOT allowed.

The party/gathering/post work event was an hour after they told the public you could meet one person from outside your household in a public place, provided you stayed 2m apart.

But.....but..... but.... surely, those who make the rules should be allowed to break the rules?

If ghe PM can't tell.ghe difference between a work meeting and a party it could explain a lot. How many critical decisions have been made in a booze addled haze?

@ThunderCrow

I don’t know what the answer is but negativity speaks to the public better than positivity.

It's the politics of fear and, as a tactic I think it's being used more and more.

You see it on here:

'At least Johnson is not Starmer'
or
'At least Starmer is not Johnson'

In both cases, these are rubbish reasons to ask someone to lead the country. It encourages tribalism and division rather than proper assessment and accountability of and from our elected officials whose actions should always be subject to scrutiny - no matter who they are.

I don’t disagree but this is where we are and the biggest attribute our available politicians have is that they’re not as shit as their opponent.

It’s a dire period in history politically but whats the answer? We need a reformist (or multiple ones ideally) but that can’t be forced. Well it can but that doesn’t come without violence and we are as impotent to control who might take up that mantle as we are with our current system.

From where I’m sitting the best chance at opening up politics to a larger pool than the Eton elitists is anyone but the tories. It’s not guaranteed but there’s a better chance of real progress actively being encouraged from another party. Unfortunately it’s a long term goal which also isn’t a favourable stance to win electorates.

Realistically the majority of the electorate is not active in politics, a lot of the commentary is people demanding ‘someone’ does ‘something’. It’s not surprising that it’s led to mass apathy.

@teatime9999

Looks like I'm not the only one to think this is one thing in a long line of mistakes, and no, he's not fit for office (but how many people in office actually are?) Not making excuses for him, just noting that I'm not surprised in the least. It's hard for me to understand why people are so worked up about it tbh, but I also broke a few lockdown rules when it suited me (nothing wild of course).

You presumably weren't in the government told everyone else to follow them though? So there's a significant distinction. You aren't a hypocrite.

If however I worked with someone I would have been able to sit socially distanced with them in an indoor or outdoor area.

More than 2 of you would not have been allowed to meet outside while not working though.

I do wonder what happens at Johnson's weekly audiences with The Queen. If I were her, I would be so attempted to ask him why she should bother listening to him given that she can't believe a word he says. Or else demand detailed chapter and verse from an independent fact-checker.

She's seen a lot of prime minister's over the decades good and bad, she's pragmatic not daft

She really hasn't seen any quite as useless and mendacious as Johnson.

Of course I know it's not going to happen, but you have to be wondering if that's what she'd like to say. She's in the same boat as everyone else in terms of not being able to trust a word he says.

@JaniieJones
*I just find it odd that all these reported 'parties' have been anything but.

3 people doing a zoom Christmas quiz, Downing Street staff sitting outside. Wine may have been drunk but we've yet to see 2am photos of people actually 'partying' aren't we*

If that’s the case why weren’t we allowed to visit anyones gardens and why were pub gardens closed?