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?

@Clavinova

What happened in downing street was not allowed because it was not a working dinner/drink.

It was a social event with people in attendance who did not work on that building and had no work reason to be there. It wasnt work related. They weren't working. They gathered for a drink together as a social event. That was not allowed.

Now, what is it you a struggling to understand as there are lots of educated people here who can help you.

@BashStreetKid

Simon Hoare MP now saying this was a party to welcome Johnson back from hospital and say thank you to Raab for holding the fort. twitter.com/search?q=Raab&src=trend_click&vertical=trends

So definitely a party, then, and it does look rather like Raab has some questions to answer, too.

Is he using that as a defence..?

I’m not sure Boris will thank him for it.

The mental gymnastics some people go through to defend Boris is astounding. Of course he should resign.

A Question - If dominic Cummings knew all this at the time and had any moral compass - why did he NOT DUMP HIM IN IT at the time ?

same for everyone there . every single one of them .

If they knew it was against the rules at the time

1. why go ?
2. why not leak it to the press at the time ?

There is stabbing someone in the back and there is absolutely saving things until they are most destructive .

Boris and this government made the law that gatherings were not allowed. Social gatherings with colleagues were not allowed. If you were not actively working then you could not be together.

So where does that leave Keir Starmer - who voted for those same laws in the HOC?

@Clavinova, how about you go first and tell us where it leaves Boris Johnson, who put those laws Into place and held press conferences solemnly telling us we had to obey, come what may?

Yes - I know that but quite a few posters seem to think that's it not allowed.

As I pointed out to you, it depended where and when you worked. At the start of my working career it was commonplace, although I myself never saw anyone drinking alcohol at their desks. It was certainly possible to go for working lunches where some alcohol was consumed. By the end of my working life a lot of firms had banned this practice.

Why are people on here defending the indefensible?

It's either some sort of weird research project or they are so far up the arse of the Tory party they can't see anything else.

@JaniieJones

'That was actually at work, whilst doing work. You can drink during work if it is allowed in that business.'

Exactly! work colleagues in an outdoor communal work area, drinking which is no doubt 'allowed in that business'. Not say, if they were a bunch of neurosurgeons on a break.

Bollocks. This was at 6 pm, in the garden, at least one non-employee was present, and it was expressly drinks and BYOB, not "during work".

If they knew it was against the rules at the time

1) why go ?

Quite a number didn't.

2) why not leak it to the press at the time ?

Maybe those who didn't go did tell the press. Those who did go probably crossed their fingers behind their backs and hoped that they would get away with it.

Would love to see JaniieJones cover up if Boris ever did a hit and run. I'm sure you would say that sitting in the driver's seat for a mere 25 minutes doesn't actually make you a driver, heavens no. And actually Boris could of been severely hurt and is a saint for not evening claiming damages on his mercedes from the dead plebs family.

Yes it was wrong but folks were partying through the pandemic from the start some got sick, some really sick, some died. Some still think it's a government conspiracy, some think it's Chinese warfare. The reasons for breaking the rules are legion

@justasking111, do you really not get the difference between "folks" and "the Prime Minister who made the rules"?

Itsalmostanaccessory
What happened in downing street was not allowed because it was not a working dinner/drink.

It was a social event with people in attendance who did not work in that building

I haven't actually seen a list of attendees. And was Boris Johnson sent a copy of the email?

@Unsure33 The only loyalty Cummings had is to himself. He doesn’t really appear to have a moral compass and I’m sure made a habit of keeping sensitive records on a lot of things. Whilst I have no doubt he’s involved in the leaks he has no mission but to embarrass and destroy people. He doesn’t actually care what people are outraged about, just that they are and he can use that to his own ends which currently I believe is revenge and power flexing, probably under the payroll of an interested party.

Can I just add that NO, the public do Not all like him.
He would get Brexit done - well, yeah but there was no one else who had a scoooby!
He had a large victory in the election - well yea but no one wanted Jeremy Corbyn so who else were they supposed to vote for
Tories will seriously regret it if they keep him in place - I'm thinking of voting Labour - there's been one sleaze too many......

How the hell can Boris remember that he was in the garden for a very specific 25 minutes in May last year>

Someone on his PR team must have decided that 25 minutes sounds like long enough to say thanks, but not long enough to be counted as an a party goes.

Total and utter rubbish. It was a party. He was there. He, and everyone else present should lose their jobs now. They broke the law.

“I'd prefer an arrest and criminal charges, but resignation would be a step forward.”

Agree with this!

Also, is there a process of overthrowing the government when they’ve lost trust and confidence or done something this bad?

@Unsure33

A Question - If dominic Cummings knew all this at the time and had any moral compass - why did he NOT DUMP HIM IN IT at the time ?

same for everyone there . every single one of them .

If they knew it was against the rules at the time

1. why go ?
2. why not leak it to the press at the time ?

There is stabbing someone in the back and there is absolutely saving things until they are most destructive .

Well that's pretty obviously what's happening now, yes. Cummings had no reason to do anything that would harm Johnson at the time. He still had his advisory role then, and given the Barnard Castle incident it would've been a glass houses and stones moment. The only reason he'd have had to disclose anything at the time is ethics, which obviously we can rule out.

This was at 6 pm, in the garden

Quite a few press conferences were held at 7pm/8pm if I remember correctly.

@ElenaCouch

Would love to see JaniieJones cover up if Boris ever did a hit and run. I'm sure you would say that sitting in the driver's seat for a mere 25 minutes doesn't actually make you a driver, heavens no. And actually Boris could of been severely hurt and is a saint for not evening claiming damages on his mercedes from the dead plebs family.

Oh but he would sincerely apologise so that would make everything alright!

It was certainly possible to go for working lunches where some alcohol was consumed

I thought that "social" work meetings were specifically mentioned in the covid guidance - when it said you could go back to offices it said only to work and no social gatherings of employees. It would be ridiculous to claim it was permitted in May 2020 if it was not permitted a few months later.

[quote BalladOfBarryAndFreda]@justasking111, aside from the toxic masculinity BS argument you’ve presented, the number of service people with PTSD from active service is a tragedy. A lack of counselling, stiff-upper lip attitudes and dismissal of a need for mental health support as ‘namby-pamby’ is not helpful at all.[/quote]
Having worked with military charity for 10 years thinking I have a smidgen more experience than most

Also, is there a process of overthrowing the government when they’ve lost trust and confidence or done something this bad

yes but the government's majority is too great.

'Bollocks. This was at 6 pm, in the garden, at least one non-employee was present, and it was expressly drinks and BYOB, not "during work'

They often work until mn and as a pp pointed out drinking is fine in some workplace situations, like Starmer necking his beer you see. I mean surely that was a party too? Going by the media's very loose definition of one.

@JaniieJones

'If 40 plus people turned up to the party then 40 plus people are also tossers who didn't obey the restrictions'

But they were surely people who minutes before were inside the building working together so what actually is the problem?

If we find out people on their days off were turning up with their kids in tow fine, but work colleagues going outside and the PM spending 25mins with them does not outrage me.

Some of you must stopped being so whipped into a frenzy by the media.

All 40 were in the same room working together? With both Johnson and his wife? Really?

@justasking111 selling a few poppies doesn’t give you any special insights