22nd March, the Commons Privileges Comittee investigation into Partygate

[DuncinToffee]

Live on BBC Parliament 2-6pm

Some background information

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62009458

https://news.sky.com/story/partygate-inquiry-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-investigation-into-boris-johnson-12805474

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/privileges-committee-investigation-boris-johnson

I for one am saddened by her lack of faith.

😂

Late to the conversation.

I agree with those who say it isn't so much that he had food and alcohol. It's the fact he said that people should only do what's necessary for work purposes. Alcohol is not. I would have had no issue with them having sandwiches around the boardroom table whilst holding an essential meeting about restrictions etc.

But he has openly said these gatherings were because 2 staff left and he felt he should mark the occasion. Yet he was also telling us all daily we shouldn't do this. We should do anything we could on teams.

And he expects us to all believe he didn't mislead parliament because despite telling us all the rules - daily - he apparently identified know the rules and was assured he wasn't breaking the rules - he - as PM - made.

It's really worrying how many people use semantics to prove he's innocent of any bad. The use of "cake and sarnies" without using any context of physical or contextual explanation if the situation diminishes any point of accountability. And is very worrying about the comprehension and critical thinking skills of people who are allowed to vote.

That makes sense about why Starmer was such a threat to Johnson.

Regardless of your thoughts and opinions of his political stance he is always honest and law abiding.

Well yes - it doesn't take a genius to work out that spreading covid through a workplace increases the number of people taking it back out into the community.

Exactly and all the booze and steadying of the ship will have made that happen. BJ seems incapable of getting that fact though.

I agree with those who say it isn't so much that he had food and alcohol. It's the fact he said that people should only do what's necessary for work purposes. Alcohol is not. I would have had no issue with them having sandwiches around the boardroom table whilst holding an essential meeting about restrictions etc.

Exactly. And the thing about alcohol is it makes people less risk averse, therefore far less likely to observe any form of social distancing. Johnson's comment about it being normal to toast someone with alcohol in this country is an attempt to minimise. I don't for a minute believe the implied raising of one small glass to departing colleagues. Not when staff were bringing suitcases of booze into the building.

I watched a very good podcast this afternoon with Max Hastings being interviewed by Andrew Marr. He'd been at Michael Hesseltine's 90th birthday do and Stanley Johnson was present. Max Hastings was incredibly scathing about the whole family.

The Sue Gray report brought up the booze culture in Downing Street.

All facilitated by the boss who wasn't in charge

This is worth a watch. Hastings is very critical of the lunatic far right and the absence of truth in politics. And says he finds it very hard to be civil to any member of the Johnson family.

www.google.com/search?q=andrew+marr+max+hastings&rlz=1CDGOYI_enGB659GB660&oq=andrew+marr+mqx+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i13i512.6662j0j4&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ea633e05,vid:tgR0nzSrVK0

"I don't think you can write off Boris Johnson until he's buried at a crossroads with a stake through his heart".

I thought he was buried sometime ago under Heathrow's third runway?

Not on Boris Island, under the airstrip?

Thanks for the Max Hastings clip. Interesting and entertaining.

What he is really afraid of is irrelevance- being laughed at and confined to a diminished life make end of the pier speeches.

Totally agree with this.

Thank you @SlipSlidinAway

A fascinating watch. He is a true Tory who just hates what BJ has done to the party. So much to take from that interview.

I wish we could go back to the more honest days. Not these lying and cheating days that appeals to the worst.

I wrote a much better post but and I lost it.

But was reassured by his employees that he - the boss - wasn't doing anything wrong so that culture was ok.

"He is a true Tory"

He's an old school Tory. That party only exists on the fringes now.

Gogglebox is on now Wonder if they will cover this

Yep. Sadly.

I used to respect the likes of Heseltine and Clarke and even John Major (who I met) even though I didn't necessarily agree with them

Now we've got Gullis and 30p Lee. God help us

This is very interesting. Suggests Johnson might get away with avoiding a by-election when the time comes.

https://twitter.com/tamcohen/status/1641353228406145026?s=20

MPs on the Standards Committee recommend 30 day suspension for Margaret Ferrier - if agreed by a vote in the Commons, triggers automatic recall petition and opens up possibly of by-election in a seat Labour won in 2017.

The Standards Committee was split on the sanction - I believe for the first time. The Tory MPs didn’t back it…

The committee has the same MPs as the Privileges Committee looking into Boris Johnson, plus lay members.

Alberto Costa MP, backed by the other Tories, suggested reducing the sanction to 9 sitting days which is under the recall threshold

Can anyone seriously argue that Ferrier's actions had the same impact as Johnsons?

Absolute copout.

The worrying thing is that it is not even beyond imagination that she can end up with a more severe sanction than Johnson.

She travelled from one end of the country to another on public transport putting loads of people at risk as she knew she was covid positive! I hope she does indeed end up with more severe sanctions.

But everyone broke the rules according to you so why should she be punished then?

Oh I hope the answer is that because she’s an MP and should be setting a good example and following the rules.