I'm not as politically minded as most tbh, I just want to believe the current government is doing its best for us all. I couldn't believe that less at the moment. Apportioning blame to those in a parliamentary minority doesn't excuse the corruption of those in power. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
The problem is that to win an election you need to be seen as a better option. Or the least worst, these days. The tories are successful at the moment because they largely leave individual people alone to get on with their lives without browbeating them while Labour are tagging onto every bandwagon that goes past.
To be honest mate, I'm not bothered who wins ... ... as long as its the public. It all feels out of control at the moment which is good for no one.
don't worry lads, i am sure the Met will do all they can to throw the book at boris... ...oh look, a flying pig.
Probably true but, in all honesty, do we really need a report. Whatever it says the PM will find a collection of jumbled words to make him appear a hapless victim at a time he was coping with new babies, new wife, a pandemic and his staff failing to tell him the difference between his arse and his elbow. And there'll be people, so smitten with the man, that they'll swallow it all and point out that he 'delivered Brexit', whatever that means, and that he deserves a drink after a hard weeks work.
No we don't need the report but, apparently, the Tory MPs need it to decide whether to submit their letters of no confidence.
people getting hung up on 'party', fact is, the rest of the country had been told to work from home if possible and many had to stop working and got zero help yet this lot had a large gathering at a private residence 'for work'...now, unless there was really something that needed to be kept away from the public so they met in person to make sure phone lines/internet were not hacked there is no reason for them to all meet up as they could have discussed it all in a group phone call/zoom meeting.
Number 10 isn't a private residence though. Apart from the flat on the 3rd floor, the majority of it is offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms, and reception rooms for meeting dignitaries. A lot of organisations had a 'skeleton staff' in their offices during this period in order to do things like maintaining IT equipment or because the equipment or documents that they require to do their jobs cannot be taken to people's homes. So its quite possible that the 30 or so people who attended the party could have been in the building without breaching the rules at that time. And that seems to be the loophole that Boris is dancing around (if that's not mixing metaphors) to fend off the accusations. We all know that they broke the rules, or at least the spirit of the rules, but the point at which people being in the building for work becomes people gathered for a social event is not necessarily easy to determine. That's what Sue Gray has to do. Although I think if she concludes anything other than the PM/government were at fault the accusations of a whitewash will start and his position will be come even more untenable.
You set me off thinking there tbh. In which working environment would the consumption of alcohol be a necessary requisite ... ... wine tasters perhaps but, even then, they use the firm's booze and then spit it out Not only that, we're lead to believe these people are awarding billion pound contracts, putting people out of work and making life or death decisions ... ... I'd rather they weren't doing that after two bottles of red wine to be honest.
would be a job worth having. Didn't the fellas working the furnaces at Consett steelworks (and I assume other steelworks) get an absolutely ridiculous amount of beer allowance as part of their daily wage? I'm sure I was told that once. Must have been before health and safety came along though.
Sounds about right, I had uncles working there and working on the furnaces was a highly prized job. I know the Royal Navy used to get a rum ration but that stopped due to the introduction of nuclear weapons ... ... now they just get a framed photo of Prince Andrew and tubes of KY Jelly
maybe i worded it wrong but it is known as the PM's place of residence, is it not? i have no idea how many people would constitute a 'skeleton staff' within number 10, if that number is indeed around the 30 mark then there must be a hell of a lot of people in there on a 'normal' daily basis, drinking and socialising in the garden does not hit me as 'work related with skeleton staff' either...they broke their own rules mate, it is that simple and at a time when they should have been making an example to the public (as did her majesty at the funeral)...now i do not care about any other possible excuse they may choose to throw out and 'dance around' or anyone else making excuses for them, at the time it was still somewhat unknown how bad the virus was, how far/fast it would spread or how many variants it would/could throw up or even how many deaths it might cause, as far as i am concerned the government no matter how uncomfortable it might have been for them HAD to lead by example and they failed themselves and the public which is why we now have many more people basically saying 'feck it' to any precautions or booster jabs. 'if they can do it so can we' is how people see it now and i dare bet very very few are looking at reasons to excuse them.
Well, yeah it his 'official residence' isn't it? I don't disagree with you. If you want people to follow a set of rules, you have to abide by them yourself. Its the first rule of leadership really, that. We all know he'll try and wriggle out of any culpability though.
I'm sure we all hope that the government in charge at any time will always do what's best for the country at the time, surely that's a given. Unfortunately the law is to keep the hoi polloi in check (most of us), the ruling class will do what they jolly well please, if you don't mind!
That's my point mate. If it's normal practice for 'taxpayers employees' to drink at work you'd have to hope the cheese & wine doesn't come out of the expense account. If these people were working they shouldn't be drinking. If they're not working they shouldn't be there. It couldn't be any simpler tbh.