Updated: Boris resigns as party leader

Originally Posted by Mick

It was a planned piss up and curry night.

I don’t think anyone has said here Boris isn’t still in political jeopardy, but surely even you can’t surmise that the amount of lying from Labour is just as bad as the Tory party lying here?

The Tories lied about multiple parties and did so to Parliament on a couple of occasions. Not sure why it's different, there was just more of it.

Originally Posted by Damien

The Tories lied about multiple parties and did so to Parliament on a couple of occasions. Not sure why it's different, there was just more of it.

Lying to parliament hasn’t been proven it’s being investigated by that committee they all voted for few weeks back.

It’s immaterial because rule breaking is rule breaking. Starmer stood on his moral soap box, used emotional stories about family members not being able to see dying loved ones when he himself had organised a curry and piss up night and claimed he was working, when he wasn’t.

Originally Posted by Mick

Lying to parliament hasn’t been proven it’s being investigated by that committee they all voted for few weeks back.

It’s immaterial because rule breaking is rule breaking. Starmer stood on his moral soap box, used emotional stories about family members not being able to see dying loved ones when he himself had organised a curry and piss up night and claimed he was working, when he wasn’t.

Well this has not been proven either yet, it's being investigated by the police. Maybe Starmer has evidence they were working whilst eating? Who knows.

As I said he should resign if fined and now it turns out he will.

As you said rule-breaking is rule-breaking and if Starmer goes for one incident then so should Johnson. Especially so if Johnson gets fined multiple times for multiple parties.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Mick

Your last point is wrong. Mixing in doors, sharing of food, at the time of Starmers curry & piss up event, wasn’t allowed.

I appreciate that this is a sincerely-held belief of yours, Mick.

However, whilst I am no Starmer fan, everything I’ve seen about that period indicates there was an exemption for working meals.

For example:

Evening Standard On informal business meetings, or business lunches, the [No. 10] spokesperson said that work meetings that need to take place face-to-face are exempt from gathering restrictions. She again highlighted the fact that some people, such as the self-employed and freelancers, may not have a workplace to conduct such business meetings, and so could do so in a hospitality setting.

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/...us-b79350.html

What were the rules during Beergate and when was it?
…Outdoor socialising was permitted, but only in groups of up to six people from two separate households. Pubs and restaurants were allowed to open, providing outdoor service only.
Outdoor socialising was permitted, but only in groups of up to six people from two separate households. Pubs and restaurants were allowed to open, providing outdoor service only.

However, indoor gatherings were allowed as long as they were for “work purposes”. This permitted colleagues to eat and drink together where this was “reasonably necessary for work”.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news...rules-23909439

TBH I don't care as much now he said he'll resign.

The worst-case scenario was Starmer is fined and then both Johnson and him pretend none of it happened and you have two lying leaders who broke laws they voted for debating each other every week. At least now there will only be one.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I appreciate that this is a sincerely-held belief of yours, Mick.

However, whilst I am no Starmer fan, everything I’ve seen about that period indicates there was an exemption for working meals.

For example:

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/...us-b79350.html


https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news...rules-23909439

No but your a bloody good comedian

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

The only reason Sir Kier should resign is because he went on and on at the Prime Minister to do so just for being investigated by the police! Guilty before the evidence was even tested!

A fine for a breach of the lockdown rules is nothing. If it was an offence carrying a prison sentence, that would be different.

Yes, some people are indeed upset because they may have lost loved ones during the pandemic, and that's understandable, but associating the party allegations with their cicumstances is grossly over-egging the pot. The rules were on place to protect them and they would have been in place no matter what was going on at no 10.

People have become very picky in recent years and its time that we started debating the real problems we face in this country and the rest of the world. This self-righteous nonsense needs to cease. We nesd to get a collective grip.

I'm just having fun, OB. I'm more interested in "holier than thou" Starmer getting got than Boris, though I do want Boris out.

When/if Starmer goes, then the barrage on Boris will be even greater and the fun will be even better.

[jonbxx]

I notice that while Twitter goes in to meltdown with special mentions for Dan Wooton of GB News, Dan Hodges of the Mail on Sunday and Harry Cole of The Sun, senior conservatives are very quiet on all of this, even Nadine Dorries.

Either they have a pretty good idea of the outcome, are worried how this might affect Boris Johnson, or are letting their client journalists whip up the fury while keeping their hands clean. I suspect a little of each

The Times has already reported that Senior Conservatives have been trying to die down talk of resignation and got a bit angry when some Tory came close to suggesting it the other day.

The ideal for the Tories is Starmer is fined and stays. Him resigning probably won't cause Johnson to resign but still looks bad and the next Labour Leader has a clean slate to attack especially if it happens before the Sue Grey report arrives.

[Sephiroth]

I've just returned from a weekend in Vienna.

The dozens of people with whom I interacted are all of the opinion that Boris is a total clown. When I mention Starmer, I get: "Wass ist Dass?"

More seriously, when Boris is gone, maybe our political reputation in Europe will rise - for a short while at least.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I've just returned from a weekend in Vienna.

The dozens of people with whom I interacted are all of the opinion that Boris is a total clown. When I mention Starmer, I get: "Wass ist Dass?"

More seriously, when Boris is gone, maybe our political reputation in Europe will rise - for a short while at least.

There isn't any chance of anyone in Europe taking the UK seriously again. We're an irrelevance.

[1andrew1]

The Mail seems to be tying itself up in contradictions! Monday it crticises Starmer for not clearing the air, Tuesday it criticises him for clearing the air!

Of course, all this comes on top of its previous headline that criticised the opening of a police investigation into the No 10 parties!


No respect to their readers' intelligence.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Mr K

There isn't any chance of anyone in Europe taking the UK seriously again. We're an irrelevance.

Not what my interlocutors were saying. It was just Boris they were laughing at plus serious regret that the UK's departure from the EU enabled France (Macron) to get busy with their ludicrous plan to lead everything.

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I've just returned from a weekend in Vienna.

The dozens of people with whom I interacted are all of the opinion that Boris is a total clown. When I mention Starmer, I get: "Wass ist Dass?"

More seriously, when Boris is gone, maybe our political reputation in Europe will rise - for a short while at least.

I like Vienna.

And yeah it's typical people don't know who the opposition is in most countries I would say. I doubt many people in England could name the most senior member of the opposition in France, Germany, Italy e.t.c.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by jonbxx

I notice that while Twitter goes in to meltdown with special mentions for Dan Wooton of GB News, Dan Hodges of the Mail on Sunday and Harry Cole of The Sun, senior conservatives are very quiet on all of this, even Nadine Dorries.

Either they have a pretty good idea of the outcome, are worried how this might affect Boris Johnson, or are letting their client journalists whip up the fury while keeping their hands clean. I suspect a little of each

I think you're right.

---------- Post added at 13:01 ---------- Previous post was at 11:56 ----------

Originally Posted by Mr K

There isn't any chance of anyone in Europe taking the UK seriously again. We're an irrelevance.

In terms of Europe and Ukraine we're centre stage and not an irrelevance.