Part 7.5

[jgw1]

AIBU to still be enjoying falls?

@Clavinova

Was the work meeting with Carrie Johnson, the wife of the Prime Minister there?

Yes - although not married at the time. Boris and Carrie are only talking to each other when the photograph was taken - the two men at their table are turned away, having their own conversation. Carrie doesn't have a drink on the table - unlike the others - she was probably there for a shorter length of time.

So simultanously a work meeting and a social gathering.

Schrodinger's meeting.

Carrie doesn't have a drink on the table - unlike the others - she was probably there for a shorter length of time

Is that the line?

I do wonder what photographs Cummings has?

He is a fan of The Art of War. He used tactics from that book during Brexit and the Parliamentary aftermath. He's using them now.

@cakeorwine

It's definitely important when you're going to tell Russia you will never recognise their claim to sovereignty of them

A bit like a Foreign Minister from another country saying that they would never recognise the UK claim over The Falklands. That wouldn't go well down in the UK

Well given that the current UK government seems to be struggling with what sovereignty means for Northern Ireland...

This event is being investigated by the police

Yes - although I was responding to;
'On May 16, 2020 – the day of another Downing Street garden gathering that is under investigation' - they obviously meant the 'cheese and wine gathering' on 15 May 2020.

@Clavinova

This event is being investigated by the police

Yes - although I was responding to;
'On May 16, 2020 – the day of another Downing Street garden gathering that is under investigation' - they obviously meant the 'cheese and wine gathering' on 15 May 2020.

Lots of gatherings going on.

So looking forward to the report being published. In full.

Are you? There will be plenty of chance to link and do copy and paste from it.

Well given that the current UK government seems to be struggling with what sovereignty means for Northern Ireland

Was this the last Government?
Still Conservative

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/07/karen-bradley-admits-not-understanding-northern-irish-politics

She said she was unaware that nationalists did not vote for unionists and that unionists did not vote for nationalists – the most elementary fact about Northern Ireland politics.

“I freely admit that when I started this job, I didn’t understand some of the deep-seated and deep-rooted issues that there are in Northern Ireland,” Bradley told House magazine, a weekly publication for the Houses of Parliament.

“I didn’t understand things like when elections are fought, for example, in Northern Ireland – people who are nationalists don’t vote for unionist parties and vice versa. So, the parties fight for election within their own community.

“Actually, the unionist parties fight the elections against each other in unionist communities and nationalists in nationalist communities.”

So simultanously a work meeting and a social gathering

Carrie and Boris are in the same household and she is socially distanced from the other two men. Although Keir Starmer has already said (on LBC) that he doesn't object to spouses/partners being in the workplace. He did object to the 'cheese and wine' meeting in general though - which is why he was seen as a hypocrite.

Sophie Raworth to Keir Starmer;

"They say it was a meeting, you say you were in a meeting, how is that any different?"

"They were having cheese and wine, they were having a work meeting - like you were.

"They were outside, which is actually safer than being inside and drinking a beer with colleagues."

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1550807/Keir-Starmer-BBC-Labour-Party-leader-Sophie-Raworth-party-gate-Boris-Johnson-latest-vn

Nice try.

Different times, different attitudes - and we didn't know about the virus and social distancing like we did later in 2021

This has all been discussed in previous threads so not going to waste time rehashing this.

Going round in circles on this one @Clavinova ... still leaves another 15 to explain away.

Though as we know another photo a few minutes later can alter things quite a bit!

[quote Clavinova]So simultanously a work meeting and a social gathering

Carrie and Boris are in the same household and she is socially distanced from the other two men. Although Keir Starmer has already said (on LBC) that he doesn't object to spouses/partners being in the workplace. He did object to the 'cheese and wine' meeting in general though - which is why he was seen as a hypocrite.

Sophie Raworth to Keir Starmer;

"They say it was a meeting, you say you were in a meeting, how is that any different?"

"They were having cheese and wine, they were having a work meeting - like you were.

"They were outside, which is actually safer than being inside and drinking a beer with colleagues."

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1550807/Keir-Starmer-BBC-Labour-Party-leader-Sophie-Raworth-party-gate-Boris-Johnson-latest-vn[/quote]
Hang on, what has what Keir Starmer says got to do with it?
Is he posting on this thread?

Lots of gatherings going on.
So looking forward to the report being published. In full.
Are you?

That depends!

One thing I have noticed - in the quiz night photo; the man with tinsel around his neck surely has a glass of water in front of him? The liquid is too clear for champagne? The tinsel and hat are obviously OK - they were visible in the original photo seen by police.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-pictured-with-bottle-of-champagne-at-no-10-christmas-quiz-xg6b32mb8

[quote Clavinova]Lots of gatherings going on.
So looking forward to the report being published. In full.
Are you?

That depends!

One thing I have noticed - in the quiz night photo; the man with tinsel around his neck surely has a glass of water in front of him? The liquid is too clear for champagne? The tinsel and hat are obviously OK - they were visible in the original photo seen by police.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-pictured-with-bottle-of-champagne-at-no-10-christmas-quiz-xg6b32mb8[/quote]
I don't think anyone is disputing that it quite to be expected that people working in Downing Street will be wearing tinsel while busily going about their work.
Probably Lavrov was disappointed that Liz Truss was not wearing tinsel.

I don't think anyone is disputing that it quite to be expected that people working in Downing Street will be wearing tinsel while busily going about their work.

DS2's teachers did (at school) - and they wore Christmas jumpers - and they held zoom quizzes - some in the evenings for kids and parents.

London was busy with shoppers that week;

www.lbc.co.uk/news/streets-of-central-london-packed-with-thousands-of-christmas-shoppers-amid-tier/

[quote DuncinToffee]Another unhappy donor

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f233e15c-8b63-11ec-a837-0153f5f4adaf?shareToken=55123331824687abf2c6e82840a7aaac[/quote]
Oh dear, the war chest’s going to be a bit empty for the next election.

[quote Clavinova]I don't think anyone is disputing that it quite to be expected that people working in Downing Street will be wearing tinsel while busily going about their work.

DS2's teachers did (at school) - and they wore Christmas jumpers - and they held zoom quizzes - some in the evenings for kids and parents.

London was busy with shoppers that week;

www.lbc.co.uk/news/streets-of-central-london-packed-with-thousands-of-christmas-shoppers-amid-tier/[/quote]
Have I understood correctly that you are saying that Boris was holding a zoom quiz for some of the children that work in Clowning Street and their parents?

@Clavinova

This event is being investigated by the police

Yes - although I was responding to;
'On May 16, 2020 – the day of another Downing Street garden gathering that is under investigation' - they obviously meant the 'cheese and wine gathering' on 15 May 2020.

There are so many it’s hard to keep track.

[quote Clavinova]I don't think anyone is disputing that it quite to be expected that people working in Downing Street will be wearing tinsel while busily going about their work.

DS2's teachers did (at school) - and they wore Christmas jumpers - and they held zoom quizzes - some in the evenings for kids and parents.

London was busy with shoppers that week;

www.lbc.co.uk/news/streets-of-central-london-packed-with-thousands-of-christmas-shoppers-amid-tier/[/quote]
Yes.
Downing Street is exactly like a school. An entirely comparable working environment.
Of course.

While we're analysing pictures of people's drinks, who's to say that glass of clear liquid isn't vodka? What with BJ being rather chummy with the odd oligarch here and there, and a bit down on his uppers. Maybe they generously provide drinks for the workers.
Or is it gin, to support British industry, an early variant of "eat out to help out" introduced by altruistic civil servants?
Or perhaps it's bleach, as per Trump's instructions?
Or melted ice, from cubes needed when someone sprained an ankle doing the conga vital pandemic work?

I thought No 10 said they were raising money for charity as well as boosting staff morale. I don't think quizzes are that unusual.

I know a good quiz question

Who takes the dubious honour of being the first PM to be cautioned by police in office?

Downing Street is exactly like a school.

In a way - yes.
Private schools (day and boarding schools) often provide accommodation for the head and their family - rather like Boris and his family.

@Clavinova

I thought No 10 said they were raising money for charity as well as boosting staff morale. I don't think quizzes are that unusual.

I wonder if the time of day matters?

If they are supposed to have finished work but then they are hanging round in the evening, with drinks, tinsel and food, is it still a gathering for work purposes?

I suppose the lawyers, the CPS or the police will need to look at the leglisation and try to see where it fits.

I am sure this was discussed on the previous threads.

I knew the leglisation for being out. I knew that I could be out for more than an hour, and that there were no definitions of how far you could be out, or how many times you could be out for.

I haven't got a link to the exact leglisation in place at the time of the events.

I do distinctly remember Priti Patel saying that mingling wasn't on and people could be reported for it. Although I think she misunderstood her own Government's laws

metro.co.uk/2020/09/15/mingling-with-friends-in-the-street-is-illegal-and-could-land-you-a-fine-13272603/

@Clavinova

Downing Street is exactly like a school.

In a way - yes.
Private schools (day and boarding schools) often provide accommodation for the head and their family - rather like Boris and his family.

I bet there would be uproar if a school head held a party to celebrate a colleague leaving, invited friends over, played Abba - all whilst telling his pupils to follow the strict rules he laid down.

@Clavinova

Downing Street is exactly like a school.

In a way - yes.
Private schools (day and boarding schools) often provide accommodation for the head and their family - rather like Boris and his family.

Also, there are chairs and tables. Pens and paper. And toilets, too.

I am surprised there is barrel left to scrape

Fun fact about falls and barrels, might come in handy for quizzes

On October 24, 1901, a 63-year-old schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to successfully take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Found it

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

This is March 2020

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse

(f)to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living

Restrictions on gatherings

1. During the emergency period, no person may participate in a gathering in a public place of more than two people except—

(a)where all the persons in the gathering are members of the same household,

(b)where the gathering is essential for work purposes,

(c)to attend a funeral,

(d)where reasonably necessary—

(i)to facilitate a house move,

(ii)to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006,

(iii)to provide emergency assistance, or

(iv)to participate in legal proceedings or fulfil a legal obligation.

essential for work purposes

public place

Essential for work

So in other words, you have got a reasonable excuse to be out of the house if it's essential for work purposes (but I guess at some point, your being out of the office is not essential for work purposes so you should go home)

You couldn't gather in a public place with more than 2 people unless it was essential for work purposes.