Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

It has been clear for many months now that the Telegraph absolutely hates Boris. They’re going for the kill now.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

I’m intrigued by how often emotive terminology comes out.

“Hate” quite frequently in relation to Johnson. As if it’s impossible that, devoid of emotion, anyone has simply reached the conclusion that he’s exceeded his usefulness (if indeed, he ever had any at all).

He’s not a Conservative in any traditional sense. His unification of the party related to one issue, and one only. One that he seized the opportunity of after famously penning two articles such was his lack of conviction for either side of the argument.

A populist is only useful to the extent they remain popular. And the mask has well and truly slipped.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Be interested to see how an event that allegedly had a DJ was a 'work event'

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Newspaper owners and editors consciously develop a personality for their titles and then ensure it speaks with a voice that reflects it. Given that the Telegraph was pro-Brexit and it was fairly widely acknowledged that Boris probably stood the best chance of delivering it, their rapid turn against him is quite striking and in the crazy world of Fleet Street, “Hate” is as good a way of expressing that as any.

---------- Post added at 22:29 ---------- Previous post was at 22:28 ----------

Fear not, OB is most likely already penning just the rebuttal you’re looking for.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

OB won't pen a rebuttal until the results of the inquiry are published. ;)

---------- Post added at 22:39 ---------- Previous post was at 22:32 ----------

I suspect Cummings is going in for the kill. The Telegraph is just one of the many knives he is likely yielding.

Some of us wondered at the time what Cummings knew that got him access to the Rose Garden for his press statement. We're starting to understand why Johnson placed it at his disposal.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Like shall we carry on to a club then go for a curry. You're the gift that keeps on giving.

Anyway on a serious note, only had the TV on in the background, but did I hear correctly when Jacob Rees-Mogg stood up and planted the seeds of an idea to retrospectively change the rules on lockdowns possible as a way to dig one of his fellow MP's out of a hole. Sounds like an original plan that's got no chance of failure, I wonder why they've never tried something like this before :rolleyes:.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

The Tele isn’t about to let itself be anyone’s tool. Their agendas are clearly aligned but there’s no doubt Chris Evans is doing this because he’s fully bought into it.

The front page proofs of tomorrow’s print edition is circulating now - they’re running it downpage, but it’s on the front and I suspect the only reason it’s not the lead is because of ex-HRH Andy.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Yes, instead of being on Her Majesty's Secret Service in West Berlin, Hugh could have been issuing parking tickets for the council in West Berkshire.

He clearly hasn't lived! :D

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

The Tories must know the report is going to technically get him off the hook the amount of times they keep referring to it. Looks like it's going to say there was wide spread problems, Johnson will fire some civil servants, and then try to move on.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Of course the Telegraph are bought into it - which was my point about it being cold, hard and rational. Anyone with any political nous knows Johnson’s leadership has been in terminal decline since at least the Owen Paterson corruption scandal.

The only question was when, not if, he would replaced and who would the successor be. It is untenable for the Telegraph, or anyone else seeking to influence, to leave the timing and changeover to chance. At some point they need to move when conditions are favourable to their man (or woman) or leave that opportunity to shape the next two years to other actors or worse risk Starmer winning. Which despite the odd Mystic Meg on here seems an increasingly likely outcome unless someone steadies the ship.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

So am I

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Agree on why its downpage.

When I talk about The Telegraph being a tool, I mean a tool in the same way that ITV News was a useful tool for someone when it distributed the leaked email about the 20th May party.

I can't see why most UK news outlets would not go in heavily if presented with this material, unless there was a good reason not to. For example, The Sun would be a poor choice to leak this story to as one of the Downing Street leaving-dos was for James Slack, now its deputy editor.

The Telegraph is a shrewd choice to leak this article to given its fondness for royalty.

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

tbf, it wasn’t "Secret", you just got put away for a long time if you talked about it… ;)

If only I had been able to experience the roller-coaster of excitement and intrigue that was Council HR in the 70s and 80s, instead of my boring job of monitoring the Sovs in the island of Democracy that was West Berlin in the middle of East Germany.

Ah well - what you haven’t had, you’ll never miss…

Re: All those No.10 lockdown parties
 

Tomorrow’s Times claims the finding will be that the gatherings were “not criminal”, which is a technicality Boris might use to try to cling on but what scintilla of moral authority he still has, will be gone.