How did those 100 people manage to get past the police?

[ThisIsStartingToBoreMe]

AIBU to wonder why the police stood there and let 100 people in to Downing Street party? Surely they should have prevented it?

Police aren’t there to police COVID rules, don’t be so silly!

Just like train inspectors, shop security, etc etc etc

Because they were going to a work event, not a party.

Were they not all working at DS?

Wasn't the party for those who worked there and in the back garden? I presume the police monitor and control entry but not movement once inside.

But it was 100 invited 30 who went?

I thought it was employees who were already there and only 30 ish attended? So weren’t ‘arriving’ as such.

Just to be clear I’m not defending the party or BoJo et al - I just like the facts to be correct. Or is this a NEW party?

Because they all work at Downing Street? Surely the officer outside is for entry, not monitoring what people are doing inside?

They were people who work there. Arguably probably most of them should have been wfh, but I'd assume they were let into Downing Street for work in the morning and then stayed in. They didn't rock up at 6pm saying to the police at the entrance "I'm here to have drinks in Boris's garden".

The police at the gates of Downing Street are there for security not to adjudge whether they someone should be como g in or not. If the name is on the list and they have clearance, in they go.

This isn't the fault of the coppers stuck policing the gate.

Don't divert this away from the actual culprits.

Well seeing as no one actually knew it was a party, how were the police to know?

To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me to learn the police were there too - not having a party

Its not like it was 100 random people stood at a gate waiting to be let in, they are people who work there. The police let them into there place of work?

You don't start the working day bringing a bottle in with you do you normally?

They were all legitimately at Downing Street working, the problem is that someone thought it was ok to sit in the garden after work with a glass of wine (which at any other time is perfectly acceptable). I'm kind of on the fence because I'm sure they had been working crazy hours from mid March, my DD's friends sister works there and was doing 12+ hour days etc and I'm sure they were talking about work because every post work event I've been to has involved talking about work - but the rest of us couldn't see our dying relatives, being told you couldn't take a coffee on a walk and we couldn't have close family or even our children over 18 over ti our gardens, so drinks were wrong.

@Sheabutterisdelish

You don't start the working day bringing a bottle in with you do you normally?

You would if you had to work with Boris.

SoupDragon

Yes quite possibly, what did Cummings call him? Out of control trolley or some such?

Police are at the front door, party was round the back.

But I did the the garden is very overlooked, by No11 (where was the Chancellor and his staff when it was happening) and also (maybe?) from the Cabinet Office (glad Case isn't doing the investigation)

There is talk that some people were invited/maybe attended that don't work in Downing Street.
Robert Peston was tweeting about it iirc.

They didnt all work at 10DS - eg Michael Gove's aides (friends of Carrie) attended and it is still not clear whether Raab was there

If their names were on the entry list I'd expect the police to let them in. It's later when it became clear what was happening that the issue of intervening arises.