Anyone else think our government took the royal piss last Christmas?

[Peanut82]

So the whole Downing Street party last year...this has really riled me. They put us all on restrictions against seeing family and friends while they all had a Christmas piss up with wine, cheese and no social distancing.
My MIL spent last Christmas alone 80 miles away as she didn't want to breach any rules, I know she could have come as she lives alone but she didn't believe it was allowed.
Now there's talk of restrictions on this Christmas? Well I'm sorry but I won't be complying with any restrictions over Christmas, I'll be seeing family as planned.
Our government is beyond useless

YouGov

[quote herecomesthsun]Business meetings were officially okay

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tobias-ellwood-christmas-party-private-members-club_uk_5fda7ac2c5b6aa861e5b3687[/quote]
Only essential business meetings of up to 30 people where there was no alternative were allowed under the rules.

Party games, secret Santa, and boozing until after midnight doesn't seem to fit that description.

@Whyevencare

It seems strange that the mock press conference from last December was filmed in the newly renovated briefing room which wasn't unveiled until February and first used in March

Apparently it was ready in October but not used for a while for some reason.

Allegra Stratton got the job based on who she is, and who she knows, and not because she had the skills to do the job.

They gave her several months of practice and then abandoned the idea.

Susie Dent always has a word:

Allegra Stratton got the job based on who she is, and who she knows, and not because she had the skills to do the job.

Isn't that why they're all there?

Yes. It shows.

I think the rules affected every family across the land and whether they had the party or not, that video is truly awful.

I'm sure someone today is reflecting on the current Prime-minister.

Multiple parties according to the BBC.

I see Allegra Stratton has resigned, she shouldn't be the only one to go

@Peanut82

I see Allegra Stratton has resigned, she shouldn't be the only one to go

I thought she left that job ages ago ?

@the80sweregreat she had a new job as COP26 spokesperson- her achievements include telling people not to rinse their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Literally. www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/allegra-stratton-cop26-micro-steps-b1891552.html

She was hired to be press secretary cos the Tories had this bright idea of running a daily press conference from 10 Downing Street a la White House Style. They installed a £2.6 million press briefing room. She got the job and I guess this was one of the rehearsals. The daily conferences never materialized cos I guess they saw how bad she was at it. She is a close friend of Carrie Symonds. But happily the briefing room is not totally useless, boris used it to watch that new bond film.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/22/boris-johnson-used-26m-downing-street-briefing-room-to-watch-new-bond-film

@ftw163532

Multiple parties according to the BBC.

Some of them in the Prime Minister's flat according to Dominic Cummings.

Had DC got footage of Boris with cheese and wine in hand .. oh I do hope so !!

@the80sweregreat

Had DC got footage of Boris with cheese and wine in hand .. oh I do hope so !!

I do expect there's more to come...

I hope Boris is found out for the trickster he is.

I am a floating voter. Probably more centre left than Tory but couldn’t vote for Labour under Corbyn.

But when I think of the sacrifices we all made….not seeing loved ones, Christmas alone, care home relatives unable to be visited….I feel so angry.

Plus today’s press conference seems designed to distract from the headlines.

Everyone thinks they took the piss.

It doesn't come as a surprise to me. The attitude of 'rules are for the little people' has been the case right from the start of this. It was the same long before covid. They lie, close ranks and have no shame or sense of right or wrong. I also agree the timing of the announcement of plan B last night was political. They have lost any respect they may have had and need to go. If this variant proves to be a threat to our NHS system, we are in for a very difficult time. This government is incapable of leading us through it.

Chris Riddell's latest

The thing is that unless you were there you have no idea exactly what happened. I believe there was some kind of ‘party’. IF, IF it was cheese and wine with people who had already been in close working contact with each other for days, I can’t get too worked up about it. Although it was wrong, according to the rules, I bet it happened in workplaces all over the country. This was office staff, as far as I can see, not MPs.

If it was a ‘knees up’ with people from different departments mixing, then absolutely there should be severe repercussions. If the PM knew and did nothing about it he has to go! No question.

However, it will make absolutely no difference to how I personally interact with others. We all know how the virus transmits and if there is any chance that I could unwittingly pass on Covid to another person I will not be taking that risk. Nothing has changed. Having in the past unknowingly infected someone with a nasty virus that ultimately lead to their death, I can’t go through that again. If you are not worried about passing infection on then crack on.

I bet it happened in workplaces all over the country.

But those workplaces didn't set the rules for the rest of the country and then decide to not follow them.

Not just parties, wallpaper too - and lies

"Christopher Geidt has just become the most important man in the country. If he says he was lied to, it is really hard to see how the PM can survive (despite a reputation for being able to shrug off things that would sink many others)."

Beth Rigby
@BethRigby
· 45m
There in black and white, Boris Johnson's claim to Lord Geidt he knew nothing about who was funding the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat has been contradicted by the Electoral Commission investigation (h/t @SamCoatesSky for the spot)

twitter.com/tombradby/status/1468915142209327107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1468915142209327107%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2Flive%2F2021%2Fdec%2F09%2Fuk-covid-live-boris-johnson-tory-revolt-coronavirus-plan-b-no-10-parties-latest-updates

I'm delighted this came out.

It really helps those like me who are anti-restrictions. How could they enforce a lockdown now?

I always knew the Tories thought it was all bullshit.

this did make me laugh

@Ohchristmastreeohchristmastree

Don’t change your behaviour regarding covid restrictions, change your behaviour regarding voting for them!

Very true. There are two separate things on the thread as a result of the leaked videos.

How Utterly incompetent the present government is… so a change of approach to voting in the future is needed.

And wrt the virus and its transmission… it’s still there regardless of Boris et al… so being sensible with our decisions.