No 10 rule breaking gatherings during 2020.

[21C101]

Noticable drop in mask wearing today out and about in London.

I suspect the public reaction to more restrictions will resemble Brian Blessed's (polite version) response to the Archbishop of Canterbury in Blackadder.

"They can Get Stuffed"

 

[bramling]

Noticable drop in mask wearing today out and about in London.

I suspect the public reaction to more restrictions will resemble Brian Blessed's (polite version) response to the Archbishop of Canterbury in Blackadder.

"They can Get Stuffed"

It is quite noticeable. What is also noticeable is that there's no particular demographic or dynamic to those who aren't wearing them. This is slightly different to last time round. Very hard to enforce when a critical mass are not going along with it. Suspect the police are sick of it too, the BTP were never that interested in the first place.

 

[brad465]

Think this is worth sharing (video)

https://twitter.com/spoofed_uk/status/1468517952953761793

Boris denies Downing St Xmas Party #PMQs #downingstreetparty

 

[Ediswan]

Think this is worth sharing (video)

https://twitter.com/spoofed_uk/status/1468517952953761793

In the real world, and equally sarcastic, a BBC report from outside No.10 this afternoon was enhanced by somebody playing "The Great Pretender" at high volume.

 

[Busaholic]

If there was no Downing Street party, why did Allegra Strachan resign, precisely? For imagining a party that never happened and trying to justify it as if it had happened?!

 

[ScotGG]

I imagine frontline police are dismayed as upper brass in the Met highlighted fining people for COVID breaches through PR outlets and social media while they now ignore investigating politicians.

Couldn't be a clearer us v them appearance to the average Joe and leaves officers in a terrible position. The reputation of police by refusing to investigate the party is taking a battering. It's a *terrible* look and throws officers under the bus. They have no chance of enforcing now

 

[bramling]

I imagine frontline police are dismayed as upper brass in the Met highlighted fining people for COVID breaches through PR outlets and social media while they now ignore investigating politicians.

Couldn't be a clearer us v them appearance to the average Joe and leaves officers in a terrible position. The reputation of police by refusing to investigate the party is taking a battering. It's a *terrible* look and throws officers under the bus. They have no chance of enforcing now

And this has been the trouble right through this. The whole Covid pandemic has required careful handling, yet what we have had from the government - and Johnson in particular - is bull in a china shop.

Now we have a situation where a significant proportion of people (based on my observations today) are not complying with restrictions - indeed it’s patently clear few have been complying with the gathering restrictions probably as far back as Summer 2020. This probably doesn’t really matter at this juncture, but if there comes a situation where the government actually *needs* people to comply it ain’t gonna happen.

Worse, the collateral damage is now immense. Loss of respect for the police being one example.

Johnson is a wrecking ball that is out of control, he needs to be removed from office. Much as I’m not a fan of the SNP, I was pleased Blackford at least managed to land a bit of a punch at PMQs.

We are now firmly into a winter of discontent.

 

[Cowley]

And this has been the trouble right through this. The whole Covid pandemic has required careful handling, yet what we have had from the government - and Johnson in particular - is bull in a china shop.

Now we have a situation where a significant proportion of people (based on my observations today) are not complying with restrictions - indeed it’s patently clear few have been complying with the gathering restrictions probably as far back as Summer 2020. This probably doesn’t really matter at this juncture, but if there comes a situation where the government actually *needs* people to comply it ain’t gonna happen.

Worse, the collateral damage is now immense. Loss of respect for the police being one example.

Johnson is a wrecking ball that is out of control, he needs to be removed from office. Much as I’m not a fan of the SNP, I was pleased Blackford at least managed to land a bit of a punch at PMQs.

We are now firmly into a winter of discontent.

But if he goes what is the alternative?

 

[bramling]

But if he goes what is the alternative?

That’s how we ended up with him in the first place. To be honest I’d almost say anyone but him.

The more I think about it, the more Stratton being thrown under the bus disgusts me too. A career wrecked, and never Johnson’s. The underlying problem seems to be that lies are a way of life for the Johnsons, his father is no better. It’s all catching up to him now.

I don’t think this one is going to go away. The news are constantly bringing up people who have lost relatives to Covid, in many cases being unable to say goodbye, visit the hospital or perhaps see the body afterwards. This goes beyond anger.

 

[Cowley]

That’s how we ended up with him in the first place. To be honest I’d almost say anyone but him.

The more I think about it, the more Stratton being thrown under the bus disgusts me too. A career wrecked, and never Johnson’s. The underlying problem seems to be that lies are a way of life for the Johnsons, his father is no better. It’s all catching up to him now.

I don’t think this one is going to go away. The news are constantly bringing up people who have lost relatives to Covid, in many cases being unable to say goodbye, visit the hospital or perhaps see the body afterwards. This goes beyond anger.

It is disgusting and you’ve always been pretty straight down the line about your feelings on him.
I worry though that whoever replaces him decides that to seem competent equals tightening things up (ie our liberties) and that worries me somewhat.
I may well be wrong but it makes me uneasy especially when you look at what’s going on in mainland Europe.

 

[bramling]

It is disgusting and you’ve always been pretty straight down the line about your feelings on him.
I worry though that whoever replaces him decides that to seem competent equals tightening things up (ie our liberties) and that worries me somewhat.
I may well be wrong but it makes me uneasy especially when you look at what’s going on in mainland Europe.

I completely agree, it’s another matter of great concern, lack of leadership talent is what got us here in the first place. But on balance I’d rather have someone with some integrity and who isn’t a habitual liar and thorough nasty piece of work, as well as completely incompetent. It’s not like his “light touch” is actually helping us - he always seems to crack in the end.

A thoroughly depressing situation we find ourselves in. For the long term, we need to reflect very heavily on the way politics has gone over the last decade or two. Come back Theresa May all is forgiven!

 

[Eyersey468]

It is disgusting and you’ve always been pretty straight down the line about your feelings on him.
I worry though that whoever replaces him decides that to seem competent equals tightening things up (ie our liberties) and that worries me somewhat.
I may well be wrong but it makes me uneasy especially when you look at what’s going on in mainland Europe.

This is my concern too, much as I frankly despise Boris I do worry we could end up with someone even worse

 

[AlterEgo]

It is disgusting and you’ve always been pretty straight down the line about your feelings on him.
I worry though that whoever replaces him decides that to seem competent equals tightening things up (ie our liberties) and that worries me somewhat.
I may well be wrong but it makes me uneasy especially when you look at what’s going on in mainland Europe.

Sunak strikes me as a bit more liberal than Boris.

 

[Cowley]

Sunak strikes me as a bit more liberal than Boris.

He certainly is one of the main contenders. If he was able to manoeuvre himself into position (and there’s little doubt that he’d grab it if given a chance) he may well make a decent go of it.
I do think that he needs to move soon though. Because some of this is going to come back and bite him at some point.
He’s probably the least tarnished of the prominent conservatives at the moment.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Sunak strikes me as a bit more liberal than Boris.

Really?

 

[AlterEgo]

He certainly is one of the main contenders. If he was able to manoeuvre himself into position (and there’s little doubt that he’d grab it if given a chance) he may well make a decent go of it.
I do think that he needs to move soon though.

It would also help if he could be confirmed to be at none of these parties..!!

 

[bramling]

Sunak strikes me as a bit more liberal than Boris.

I don’t know the jury is out there. I have found it a little sickly the way he has attempted to craft together a “brand Rishi” off the back of all this, clearly a positioning move. Nice way of positioning himself at the cost of how many tens of billions?!

But who else is there? It’s hard to think of one single person in the cabinet who comes across as like-able and a heavy hitter.

 

[Peterthegreat]

I don’t know the jury is out there. I have found it a little sickly the way he has attempted to craft together a “brand Rishi” off the back of all this, clearly a positioning move. Nice way of positioning himself at the cost of how many tens of billions?!

But who else is there? It’s hard to think of one single person in the cabinet who comes across as like-able and a heavy hitter.

I suspect there aren't any.

 

[AlterEgo]

I don’t know the jury is out there. I have found it a little sickly the way he has attempted to craft together a “brand Rishi” off the back of all this, clearly a positioning move. Nice way of positioning himself at the cost of how many tens of billions?!

But who else is there? It’s hard to think of one single person in the cabinet who comes across as like-able and a heavy hitter.

He's not very lockdowny which for me makes him the preferred candidate. Johnson has to go. He has put in these new restrictions to save his own career. Time to call an end to it.

 

[geoffk]

J

He certainly is one of the main contenders. If he was able to manoeuvre himself into position (and there’s little doubt that he’d grab it if given a chance) he may well make a decent go of it.
I do think that he needs to move soon though. Because some of this is going to come back and bite him at some point.
He’s probably the least tarnished of the prominent conservatives at the moment.

Jeremy Hunt actually seems one of the least bad options. At least he's not a populist.

 

[bramling]

J

Jeremy Hunt actually seems one of the least bad options. At least he's not a populist.

What do we think of Hunt? Being honest I actually don’t know much about him, apart from he was fractious as health secretary. Seems like a safer pair of hands.

Being brutally honest and with a dose of hindsight, I’d probably have May back if it were a completely free choice from the current cohort of MPs. In fairness to her, much as she had a torrid time, she was dealt a horrific pack of cards by Cameron, so we never really got to see what kind of PM she might have been. Some of her speeches since have been analytical compared to Johnson’s bluster, and that at least counts for something.

 

[Eyersey468]

What do we think of Hunt? Being honest I actually don’t know much about him, apart from he was fractious as health secretary. Seems like a safer pair of hands.

Being brutally honest and with a dose of hindsight, I’d probably have May back if it were a completely free choice from the current cohort of MPs. In fairness to her, much as she had a torrid time, she was dealt a horrific pack of cards by Cameron, so we never really got to see what kind of PM she might have been. Some of her speeches since have been analytical compared to Johnson’s bluster, and that at least counts for something.

I agree.

 

[HSTEd]

Jeremy Hunt actually seems one of the least bad options. At least he's not a populist.

Well if Hunt was PM we'd be in a hard lockdown by now, so it's all a matter of perspective

 

[yorksrob]

It is disgusting and you’ve always been pretty straight down the line about your feelings on him.
I worry though that whoever replaces him decides that to seem competent equals tightening things up (ie our liberties) and that worries me somewhat.
I may well be wrong but it makes me uneasy especially when you look at what’s going on in mainland Europe.

This is a fair point.

With murmurings about a possible plan C or D from various quarters, I'd feel more comfortable with a Government that's managed to politically hobble itself from implementing fuller measures involving business closures, than a fresh face full of restrictive zeal. Particularly as Labour and the separatists will likely be no opposition to damaging additional restrictions whatsoever.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Dec 2021 ==

What do we think of Hunt? Being honest I actually don’t know much about him, apart from he was fractious as health secretary. Seems like a safer pair of hands.

Being brutally honest and with a dose of hindsight, I’d probably have May back if it were a completely free choice from the current cohort of MPs. In fairness to her, much as she had a torrid time, she was dealt a horrific pack of cards by Cameron, so we never really got to see what kind of PM she might have been. Some of her speeches since have been analytical compared to Johnson’s bluster, and that at least counts for something.

Too Pro-restriction for me.

 

[adc82140]

This is my concern too, much as I frankly despise Boris I do worry we could end up with someone even worse

The obvious person you refer to is Gove. However, it takes only 50 letters to the 1922 committee to start a leadership challenge. There are more than that in the Covid Recovery Group. Any new Tory leader will be well aware that if they pee off the CRG, they are on their way out. I think currently the CRG see Johnson as a useful fool. They won't see Gove in the same way.

I will vote Conservative at the next GE. Not for Boris or any other member of this ramshackle, incompetent, dishonest cabinet, but because my MP is a vocal member of the Covid Recovery Group. They are the true opposition, not Labour.

 

[kristiang85]

If there's enough pee'd off backbenchers and Tory members, we could end up with quite a serious left field candidate in a leadership election - maybe not a Sir Charles Walker or Desmond Swayne, as they don't seem to have any desire for a top job, but a backbencher similar to them in views and libertarianism who has been a lot quieter so far. Remember how barely anybody had heard of Corbyn until the Left of Labour got him in last minute, and he won.

Sadly though it will probably still be someone further right, given they want to keep their Brexiteer vote.

 

[adc82140]

Desmond Swayne told me personally that he wasn't interested in the top job. However, it's also worth remembering that he wouldn't say any different at a constituency surgery, because officially, there is no vacancy at the moment.

 

[NorthOxonian]

If there's enough pee'd off backbenchers and Tory members, we could end up with quite a serious left field candidate in a leadership election - maybe not a Sir Charles Walker or Desmond Swayne, as they don't seem to have any desire for a top job, but a backbencher similar to them in views and libertarianism who has been a lot quieter so far. Remember how barely anybody had heard of Corbyn until the Left of Labour got him in last minute, and he won.

Sadly though it will probably still be someone further right, given they want to keep their Brexiteer vote.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mark Harper stood in any hypothetical contest - he did contest the leadership election last time after all.

 

[kristiang85]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mark Harper stood in any hypothetical contest - he did contest the leadership election last time after all.

Yes , he would be a good shout.

 

[westv]

If there was no Downing Street party, why did Allegra Strachan resign, precisely? For imagining a party that never happened and trying to justify it as if it had happened?!

I thought she resigned due to her appearance on the leaked video.