What kind of fucked-up, dysfunctional workplace is our government operating in?

[noblegiraffe]

Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament? Can't get through the day without a suitcase of wine in Downing Street, drugs everywhere in Parliament? Subsidised bars on work premises?

I guess the fact that they tried to make an exemption for the bars in the Houses of Parliament when introducing a curfew for pubs should have been a warning sign that there's far too much reliance on alcohol in our ruling classes.

There was a lot of talk about standards in public life during the Owen Paterson scandal. Surely not being pissed or high on the job is a basic standard?

Aside from the issue that they couldn't even stop having massive piss-ups during lockdown, AIBU to think that something needs to be done to introduce basic rules like 'If you're not safe to drive, you're not allowed to vote in new laws'?

If you wouldn't be happy with a teacher teaching your kids half-cut and would expect rules to prevent this, why should we tolerate our government ruling the country while making their way through the contents of the wine fridge?

People have been posting 'oh yes, it's always been like this'.

Well it shouldn't be in future.

[quote roarfeckingroarr]@noblegiraffe I don't know a single person who would consider £7 wine expensive. It's £30 min in the pub. We're all what I consider normal, in our 30s, live in London, earn more then the average wage but nothing crazy.[/quote]
Do you think that government would work more effectively if people working there could bring to mind people in their social circle who would be adversely effected by, say, fucking up Universal Credit, or by not considering free school meals during lockdown?

Or maybe even people who don't live in London?

[quote roarfeckingroarr]@noblegiraffe I don't know a single person who would consider £7 wine expensive. It's £30 min in the pub. We're all what I consider normal, in our 30s, live in London, earn more then the average wage but nothing crazy.[/quote]
I think that’s rather the point.

There are a lot of financially privileged people out there who have literally no idea that other people have hugely different experiences.

@Clavinova

jgw1 you are much better at searching the internet than I am, could you find me a clip of when the last time the Prime Minister was interviewed by a TV news or radio broadcaster Much obliged.

I did oblige a previous request for that information not long ago - so the answer is no - stuff to do now.

@Clavinova if you did it not long ago, presumably you know where you found it, and so could simply reshare it?

[quote roarfeckingroarr]@noblegiraffe I don't know a single person who would consider £7 wine expensive. It's £30 min in the pub. We're all what I consider normal, in our 30s, live in London, earn more then the average wage but nothing crazy.[/quote]
That £30 bottle is probably £7 in Tesco though. Anything less than £70 in a restaurant is just cheap plonk..

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/14/james-slack-the-sun-deputy-editor-in-latest-no-10-party-scandal

Our government and the media. So friendly.🥂

@Brindle88

At least Keir Starmer appeared on TV today and explained himself.

Boris is still ‘self-isolating’ even though the current rules don’t require this. Perhaps he’s a changed man.

Perhaps he's gone to dry out somewhere.

Quaffing? Why didn't he use some Latin? He's slipping.

There is no reason why Johnson could not be doing TV interviews remotely. He is such a coward. He goes into hiding every time there is trouble.

@LakieLady perhaps big dog is making more puppies.

@ClaudineClare

There is no reason why Johnson could not be doing TV interviews remotely. He is such a coward. He goes into hiding every time there is trouble.

I can't find any evidence of Big Dog having done a TV interview in the last month. I am sure @Clavinova will correct me if there is indeed such an occasion. He was asked a few questions when he visited a vaccination centre at the end of December and didn't seem to know where he had been for the past 10 days - perhaps too much booze had been consumed then as well?

What does the price of wine in a pub have to do with the price of tea in China?
Or even with the price of wine in the Co-op nearest to 10 Downing St?

@ClaudineClare

Sophie Raworth was like a dog with a very old bone...

Indeed. A maggotty old bone which no self respecting journalist would bother to dig up.

Sophie Raworth is beginning to get on my tits, she’s like a terrier with a rat with everyone she interviews. Bring back Andrew Marr.

@AuldAlliance Don’t know, but the Co-op near ten Downing Street is selling a lot of wine and cheese.

I think it's the incessant need to show balance, blossom.

@Piggywaspushed

I think it's the incessant need to show balance, blossom.

She does it with all of them so I suppose that’s balance of sorts. I think it’s rude and it annoys me. Maitlis is so much better.

Sophie Raworth is beginning to get on my tits, she’s like a terrier with a rat with everyone she interviews. Bring back Andrew Marr.

I don't mind an interviewer repeating a question when the question has not been answered, but Keir Starmer did actually answer the question the first time in the clip that @Clavinova generously provided for us. Quite why it was necessary to ask the question again I don't know, perhaps she was just so surprised that the question was answered she wasn't sure what to do next.
It was quite refreshing watching a politcan answer a question clearly and succinctly without piffle waffle that Big Dog and chums indulge in.

*To the teachers? While they were doing appointments?

God, how the other half live*

NHS worker here, we haven't been able to have a cup of coffee with a colleague less than 2m and unmasked for more than 18m. In July 2020 in my trust 4 junior doctors were formally disciplined for sharing a take away pizza that a member of the public had ordered in.

In July 2020 in my trust 4 junior doctors were formally disciplined for sharing a take away pizza that a member of the public had ordered in.

And that is exactly why the government needs to hang its head in shame.

@MrsHamlet

In July 2020 in my trust 4 junior doctors were formally disciplined for sharing a take away pizza that a member of the public had ordered in.

And that is exactly why the government needs to hang its head in shame.

Do we think that perhaps that is because it was a party and not a work event. Was there wine involved? If not it was definitely the former and so not allowed.

It was in the ward staff room on a night shift. Definately no wine, not a party.

Unfortunately it spread Covid

@Neurodiversitydoctor

It was in the ward staff room on a night shift. Definately no wine, not a party.

You are mistaken, if there was no wine it was a party and therefore against the rules. If on the other hand there had been wine, then it would have been a work event and within the rules.

Someone needs to put in a FOI request to see if there were takeaway pizzas being shared at the heart of government, it would make it so much worse.

Takeaway pizzas would make a right mess in a suitcase, though.

It would be interesting to know whether buying in pizza counts as "restocking office resources", too.