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Original poster

Boris Xmas quiz leak, surely he has to resign now?

131 replies

OriginalM · 12/12/2021 05:55

There is a photo now of Boris hosting a work Xmas quiz with wine and beer when mixing of households and work parties not allowed.
Surely he has to resign or will be keep stating lies as fact that all guidelines were followed?

OP posts:
rrhuth · 12/12/2021 07:56

@madisonbridges

Some were at home, some were working in the office so did the quiz there - in the same room they'd been working alongside the same people they were doing the quiz with. Yeah, I just don't see it as a resigning issue.
I will ask again - even if it was in breach of the rules the PM himself had put in place?

Because the legal view seems to be it was in breach of the rules.

rrhuth · 12/12/2021 07:57

@madisonbridges

Work =/= social event

How is a quiz 'work'?

mynameiscalypso · 12/12/2021 07:59

There were clearly many many times that Johnson, his staff and other cabinet members broke the rules. I don't think this is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

madisonbridges · 12/12/2021 07:59

@CovidCorvid

Last Xmas working on an nhs ward we weren’t allowed to bring “buffet food” in on Xmas day as it might encourage gathering in the staff room.

But Downing Street can party hard in their offices knocking the wine back! Right!

I wouldn't think you were allowed to take wine into the hospital, but surely you could take your own food and drink. You couldn't take buffet food to share with each other, because you'd be risking transmitting covid, but you could eat your own food, couldn't you? And you could talk with colleagues. No?
rrhuth · 12/12/2021 08:03

@madisonbridges

I think the issue is you either never knew the rules or have forgotten.

gatherings of more than 1 person indoors were banned unless "reasonably necessary for work" and eating a buffet with other people is not likely to be classed as necessary for work.

UmbilicusProfundus · 12/12/2021 08:03

He has spent the last decade or more stretching the limits as to what he can avoid getting sacked for. This barely registers in his catalogue of misadventure and cuntiness

madisonbridges · 12/12/2021 08:05

[quote rrhuth]@madisonbridges

Work =/= social event

How is a quiz 'work'?[/quote]
I can only go by the report in the Mirror but I read it as the quiz was designed to be done online at home. And many did that. Some were in the office so they did the quiz from there, which might be wrong, I don't know. It seems nitpicking if they were already all together. But Johnson broadcasted for 10 mins to those at home who were doing the quiz as originally arranged. And of course those on the office listened to him too.

Iheartmydog · 12/12/2021 08:06

I suspect he’s behind all these leaks, he’s had enough and actually wants to go. Easy way out.

madisonbridges · 12/12/2021 08:08

Because the legal view seems to be it was in breach of the rules.
Whose legal view? The Mirrors?
Look, don't make me argue to defend Boris Johnson. I just don't think this is a big thing.

gherdl · 12/12/2021 08:12

I think the quiz on its own I wouldn't be so bothered about as everyone looks seated at their desks, it the fact that it's a long line of worse get togethers during the tiers when everyone was very restricted and was told not to do this, in fact I think it was illegal

ZoBo123 · 12/12/2021 08:14

It didn't matter that they were in the office together all day. I was in work with my colleagues we were not allowed to do this. This was despite being in close contact. It was not allowed unless it was essential. I get running the country is essential. Taking part in a quiz?

Warhertisuff · 12/12/2021 08:17

@madisonbridges

I can think of things he could resign over but to ask a few questions from his office over zoom is not one of them. This is so overblown I'm now wondering if the other one has been over-egged too.
Agreed. I've been angry about the whole thing, but there's a risk those who detest Boris will be blinded by their hatred into making events seem worse than they actually are, and end up coming across as desperate.

A Zoom quiz where some people were in their offices is very, very different to a full on Christmas party. Most people would have been happy with the former even if you could argue it was technically breaking the rules.

MyOtherProfile · 12/12/2021 08:18

I am desperate for Johnson to go but I just don't get this. He was virtually hosting. I know it shows he knew some people were attending in person but he wasn't there.

Frankly this was the least of all the shitty things he has done and if people haven't got him out for the more serious things why should this be the hill on which he dies?

rrhuth · 12/12/2021 08:18

@madisonbridges

Because the legal view seems to be it was in breach of the rules. Whose legal view? The Mirrors? Look, don't make me argue to defend Boris Johnson. I just don't think this is a big thing.
No not (just) the Mirror's, there are many lawyers discussing it openly after the picture was published.

If Johnson is found to have broken the rules he himself put in place, that is a big deal.

Now there is a picture, there will have to be a verdict of some sort on the picture.

Lalliella · 12/12/2021 08:20

Boris Johnson could eat a puppy on live TV and there’d still be people who would support him and would say Jeremy Corbyn would have eaten a kitten too Angry

rrhuth · 12/12/2021 08:20

@MyOtherProfile

I am desperate for Johnson to go but I just don't get this. He was virtually hosting. I know it shows he knew some people were attending in person but he wasn't there.

Frankly this was the least of all the shitty things he has done and if people haven't got him out for the more serious things why should this be the hill on which he dies?

It is often a small thing that does it because it is about evidence.

If the picture is found to show something that was against the law, even though it seems a small thing, it will politically-speaking be a big thing.

MrsTophamHat · 12/12/2021 08:20

I don't think this will cut through in the same way as the cheese and wine party, especially with people who have been in physical work during the pandemic.

rrhuth · 12/12/2021 08:22

I do however enjoy watching Tory ministers trying to defend the whole shitshow, so I will have a fun day ahead Grin

CovidCorvid · 12/12/2021 08:24

I wouldn't think you were allowed to take wine into the hospital, but surely you could take your own food and drink. You couldn't take buffet food to share with each other, because you'd be risking transmitting covid, but you could eat your own food, couldn't you? And you could talk with colleagues. No?

Well no, obviously wouldn’t want to take wine in. And I get why we weren’t allowed to take buffet food in and I agree with that. But when Downing Street staff are having parties/quizzes/wine/cheese which was not work related it’s very annoying.

And no I couldn’t really talk to colleagues as we weren’t allowed more than 2 people in a room at the same time unless providing medical care. So no more than two in the staff room at a time. Not even for handover! Which made shift handover hard work.

billysboy · 12/12/2021 08:24

couldnt care less , with Starmer and rayner as an alternative , everyone wanting his resignation should be careful what they wish for

billysboy · 12/12/2021 08:26

agreed its a shitshow and he is not practicing what he preaches but I dont think its the biggest mistake of his career

EasterIssland · 12/12/2021 08:28

Again why release this now ? What is the media or whoever is leaking this trying to achieve ? Get rid of bojo or distract us from. If he’s not resigned about some other worse things have done … he’s not going to over a zoom call (my company had many of this last year )

And those claiming he has to resign … would you be happier with gove?

Warhertisuff · 12/12/2021 08:30

[quote rrhuth]@madisonbridges

Work =/= social event

How is a quiz 'work'?[/quote]
From your previous posts I know you are fastidious about keeping to the letter of the rules. Most people aren't, and are more "flexible" and overlook minor technical breaches.

For instance, if people are working legitimately in a workplace and the boss hands round a glass of wine and a mince pie at the end of the shift, the vast majority aren't going to clench their arses and say "no mince pie for me, that's not strictly work! I've worked closely with you all for the past month, but this half-hour of 'frivolity' before we go home for Christmas is an outrage!" and storm off home in a hough of self-righteousness.

They'll see the PM being involved in a Zoom quiz where a few people may have had a glass of wine at the end in their respective offices as very different to a full-on party where offices all cluster together in an drunken free-for-all.

torquewench · 12/12/2021 08:31

@madisonbridges

Because the legal view seems to be it was in breach of the rules. Whose legal view? The Mirrors? Look, don't make me argue to defend Boris Johnson. I just don't think this is a big thing.
Me neither. I CBA copying it but Barrister's Horse on Twitter has done an interesting thread on this.

Also I think the photo showing a TV screen over a mantelpiece with 3 people on it is hardly damning evidence. It could've been taken anytime. Its not hard to mock something up with a bit of tinsel.

madisonbridges · 12/12/2021 08:32

And no I couldn’t really talk to colleagues as we weren’t allowed more than 2 people in a room at
the same time unless providing medical care. So no more than two in the staff room at a time. Not even for handover! Which made shift handover hard work.

I'm sorry you went through that. Maybe because it was a clinical setting? I can see why you're mad at them having a quiz in a shared office. I suppose the down side for them was that they had to be in the offices near each other. Although they seem to be younger so maybe that wasn't an issue and they liked working together, I don't know. I can say I was quite close to people and we did, and still do!, have a chat and a laugh, and eat and drink together. We didn't do a quiz but it wouldn't have been much different to how we generally interacted.