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Original poster

Downing St parties night before Prince Philip's Funeral

358 replies

buddhasbelly · 13/01/2022 23:14

The telegraph are reporting more parties... The night before Prince Philip's funeral.

  • party spilled out into garden
-someone broke Wilf's swing in tthe garden Confused -someone sent with a suitcase to buy booze from the co-op

When the telegraph of all papers are reporting it, he's surely done for now?

Apologies if another thread on this, couldn't see one

OP posts:
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6
LindaEllen · 14/01/2022 10:44

@PurpleDaisies

Outdoors atherings were allowed at that point, though, weren't they? It was the rule of six outside. This was more than that.
He made sure to carefully insert the phrase 'small groups of staff' in one of his original statements, as the way to get round the rule of 6 was by having individual groups of 6 that didn't mix. Whether anyone can prove otherwise is the problem even though we all know he's chatting bollocks.
CarpyDiem · 14/01/2022 10:47

@TheMarzipanDildo

“(Prince Philip's death is irrelevant imo, the idea of national mourning is an anachronistic Victorian forelock-tugging holdover)”

Yeah but for one thing it was wall to wall sad songs on the radio for three days- the public was MADE to participate. And the Queen was sat on her own at the funeral. The optics aren’t great.

Even if the public didn't reallynwant to participate, there was on order for formal mourning.

There shouldn't have been partying in No10 during formal mourning.

Even if there were no pandemic

OldaRailer · 14/01/2022 10:48

Other people at work places were asked to stick to smaller groups, dit socially distanced in cafeterias. Other " critical" workplaces weren't operating as normal let alone throwing parties.

OldaRailer · 14/01/2022 10:48

Such a rotten pile thet are.

CovidCorvid · 14/01/2022 11:21

@picklemewalnuts

I think it matters schulte, because if it's the same people in a room discussing diary management, media coverage, news [disclaimer, I clearly have no idea what people in no 10 do] who then put the diaries away and discuss what's on tv last night with a glass of wine, then it's not the same as a 'party' where people who haven't been together all day every day for weeks suddenly arrive in their best togs shouting 'dahling', air kissing total strangers, and getting jiggy in the ladies.

It's the difference between a technical violation that makes sod all difference and an actual high risk event.

Don't get me wrong- I'm a stickler and a joy sponge and guaranteed to see the downside to everything. I despised Cummins et al.

My friend's big extended family all moved in together, so partied all year long.

I think my concern is that people are seeing this as evidence that 'the rules' were wrong and we've been conned and shafted. It's just a bunch of people who are renowned for spin, bending the rules imo. The rest of us who missed so much were still doing the right thing.

And the problem is that if people now believe the rules back then we’re wrong they will start to think the current rules may also be wrong.

Case in point. I’ve got covid. I managed two days of isolating before I thought fuck it and left the house. I decided I could make a decision about what was risky behaviour and what wasn’t and decided a rural solo dog walk where I don’t see anyone isn’t doing any harm. 🤷‍♀️ I’m going cycling tomorrow.

SickAndTiredAgain · 14/01/2022 11:23

Prince Philip's death is irrelevant imo, the idea of national mourning is an anachronistic Victorian forelock-tugging holdover

I agree in the sense that if he hadn’t died, the parties would still be wrong. But the funeral being the next day and the Queen not being allowed to have one of her children sitting next to her is a clear visual reminder of how strict it was at the time, and I’d bet Johnson et al would rather that reminder didn’t exist and wasn’t being put on front pages.

CovidCorvid · 14/01/2022 11:27

@HunkyPunk

No more than 6 in outdoor gatherings in public places. But the garden of 10 Downing Street is not a public place

Weren’t gardens included in outdoor spaces? Obviously the parties were still in breach of the rules because of the numbers and number of households involved.

At some point you could meet six people in public but not in a garden. The private garden phase came later
Florianus · 14/01/2022 11:31

@HunkyPunk

No more than 6 in outdoor gatherings in public places. But the garden of 10 Downing Street is not a public place

Weren’t gardens included in outdoor spaces? Obviously the parties were still in breach of the rules because of the numbers and number of households involved.

The No.10 garden was used as part of a workplace, and there was no limit on how many people could occupy a workplace. That has always been Johnson's escape clause and why he said, in his "apology" that the 20/5/20 event was not technically a breach of the regulations even though he admitted that some would see it as such.
PurpleDaisies · 14/01/2022 11:32

Workplaces were for work. Not social gatherings.

SickAndTiredAgain · 14/01/2022 11:35

The No.10 garden was used as part of a workplace, and there was no limit on how many people could occupy a workplace.

For work though. Other workplaces couldn’t have held a party in the office and got round it by saying “oh but it’s a workplace”.

BigWoollyJumpers · 14/01/2022 11:49

the Queen not being allowed to have one of her children sitting next to her

She chose not to, but she could have. She had people in her "bubble" who could have sat and supported her.

The parties were wrong, no doubt. But personally I do have an issue with all the rolling out of people who didn't do this, and didn't do that, didn't see relatives, etc etc, when they actually could. There was always a caveat for support bubbles. My DM was in a care home, and during the pandemic, we visited at certain points in PPE and distanced. We also were allowed to see her when she and her husband died of Covid last January. So, I do have some lived experience too. What I don't have is any animosity to party goers. They broke the rules, yes, but they didn't cause the pandemic, they didn't kill my parents, and we also broke the rules sometimes over the past year or so, in various small ways. No parties, but we did have people in.

the80sweregreat · 14/01/2022 11:58

Simon Hart MP on question time last night had to try to defend this rule breaking. He struggled to try and come up with excuses for them.
It was so bad.
Yet people will still continue to say that 100 people were correct and everyone else was wrong at that time to rule break and then think it was all fine. That's why I feel a mug to be honest. :(

Arkenstones · 14/01/2022 12:11

Yes clearly not worried about the virus at all despite spreading fear across the nation. They were party to a hell of a lot more information than we were too 🤔🤔😡

Clavinova · 14/01/2022 12:29

For work though. Other workplaces couldn’t have held a party in the office and got round it by saying “oh but it’s a workplace”.

BEER ROW Keir Starmer enjoys beer with Labour workers despite lockdown rules banning indoor social gatherings

a Labour source tonight said: “This is pathetic. The Tories’ clearly haven’t read their own rules.”

“Keir was in the workplace, meeting a local MP in her constituency office and participating in an online Labour Party event. They paused for dinner as the meeting was during the evening.”

www.thesun.co.uk/news/14826418/keir-starmer-beer-indoor-gathering/

Grantanow · 14/01/2022 12:48

Bet he apologised to the Queen quicker than he bothered to apologise to the British public!

DinoDora · 14/01/2022 12:52

They want a different pm in

DinoDora · 14/01/2022 12:52

Sorry, re why telegraph

HeidiHaus · 14/01/2022 13:05

Whether or not a party was technically breaking rules is almost irrelevant IMO. It just demonstrates that pretty much everyone in government is too stupid or too arrogant to care how it was going to look if it ever came to light.

Florianus · 14/01/2022 13:39

@PurpleDaisies

Workplaces were for work. Not social gatherings.
Like many others, I have been to leaving parties, Christmas celebrations, wedding receptions and similar events in workplaces.
Florianus · 14/01/2022 13:40

@HeidiHaus

Whether or not a party was technically breaking rules is almost irrelevant IMO. It just demonstrates that pretty much everyone in government is too stupid or too arrogant to care how it was going to look if it ever came to light.
The civil service are not "in government".
RoseAndRose · 14/01/2022 13:41

The civil service are not "in government"

Correct, but they are hwverbrequred to observe formal mourning

PurpleDaisies · 14/01/2022 13:42

Like many others, I have been to leaving parties, Christmas celebrations, wedding receptions and similar events in workplaces.

I thought it was clear I meant according to the covid rules at the time. Workplaces were not for socialising. You were supposed to work from home if you could.

Florianus · 14/01/2022 13:44

@Grantanow

Bet he apologised to the Queen quicker than he bothered to apologise to the British public!
As I understand it, the apology was from the civil service staff at No.10, not from the PM.
Florianus · 14/01/2022 13:46

@PurpleDaisies

Like many others, I have been to leaving parties, Christmas celebrations, wedding receptions and similar events in workplaces.

I thought it was clear I meant according to the covid rules at the time. Workplaces were not for socialising. You were supposed to work from home if you could.

Millions could not work from home including, it seems, the civil service staff at No.10
PurpleDaisies · 14/01/2022 13:47

Millions could not work from home including, it seems, the civil service staff at No.10

Yes, they needed to be there for work. Not to get pissed together.