General British politics discussion thread

gmisk · 25-01-2022 11:25am

http://www.rte.ie/news/uk/2022/0125/1275710-boris-johnson/

Scotland Yard have finally joined the party...so to speak and decided to investigate "a number of events". It's about time, I don't think he can continue to use "sue gray" as the answer to all questions for much longer

gmisk · 25-01-2022 11:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529096#Comment_118529096

There is also no guarantee downing street will release the full report, the opposite is likely it might be an exec summary by the sound of it.

awec · 25-01-2022 11:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529691#Comment_118529691

It is hard to see them getting away with that now.

VinLieger · 25-01-2022 11:51am

Ugh now that the Met are investigating the whole mess Sue Greys inquiry is gonna be delayed so this mess is gonna drag out even further.

Nody · 25-01-2022 11:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529783#Comment_118529783

Really? I see it being relatively easy between whips, threats (no funding) as well as one or two senior people as sacrificial lambs to take the blame, resign due to "bad judgement" and how they did it all on their own without informing Boris about it as it was seen as "to trivial of a matter". I'd guess his replacements would like to keep him on until at least 2022 to provide a suitable target to pin the upcoming brexit issues on for this year. Would still give a year for the new PM to campaign and call an election in 2023 (before even more bad things happens).

breezy1985 · 25-01-2022 12:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529686#Comment_118529686

They previously said that they don't investigate or police lockdown breaches after the event has occurred.

What's changed ?

Patser · 25-01-2022 12:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529866#Comment_118529866

1 of 2 things:

Optimistic - Sue Gray discovered blatant evidence of serious abuse of power, breaches of rules or there were police that were on duty who lodged concerns at the time, meaning that the issue can be revisited, and its all very serious for Johnson
Cynical - Sue Gray was going to say stuff tomorrow, very damaging to Johnson - politically at least. By having this investigation launched, Sue Gray's report is now seriously delayed, while to Police have to investigate the parties with a much more different, higher threshold of 'Was this illegal?' as opposed to inappropriate. If the Police report no crime committed, then Johnson just says 'I've been cleared, let's move on. Sue Gray who?'

Mr.Nice Guy · 25-01-2022 1:27pm

I was starting to think Johnson's goose might finally be cooked but now I'm thinking this latest development may now see him survive. The police investigation will probably drag out for months by which time some other events will likely have taken over. Hope this won't turn out to be the case.

gmisk · 25-01-2022 1:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529990#Comment_118529990

Number 2 it is by the looks of it. Playing for time. Likely delay of weeks in sue gray report.

https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1485925622782246912?t=8T_I8i-_ymNZ55hO6FNUSg&s=19

Loafing Oaf · 25-01-2022 1:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118530280#Comment_118530280

I wonder would a conviction and fine for rule breaking in itself be enough to 'push him off the ice'...

Capt'n Midnight · 25-01-2022 2:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118530378#Comment_118530378

What about a caution ?

He'd brazen it out if given community service. Turn it into PR.

Patser · 25-01-2022 3:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118530374#Comment_118530374

It'll buy him time alright, and it was written into the terms of the investigation that it would have to be paused if the Police got involved.

But as commentators online have said, overwhelmingly this is more bad than good for Johnson. He is now a Prime Minister under police investigation- unheard of. And he has lost control over the report. Sue Gray was reporting to him, he would have seen that report before anyone else, could choose what to release, and have time to spin her findings.

Now it's all on the Police, with all eyes watching, so they will have to legally stand over their decision. And some reports over the weekend suggested Gray had found damaging stuff that had to go to Police level

PommieBast · 25-01-2022 4:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529866#Comment_118529866

Reputational damage I expect. The Met finally realized that giving ministers an easy ride compared to the general public will cause more large sections of the latter to refuse to engage with the police at all.

cml387 · 25-01-2022 4:37pm

I just don't see why the report should be delayed. It's not a criminal case in court. As far as I can see it's just a cynical maneuver to dellay and hope that the furor will have died down.

Patser · 25-01-2022 5:11pm

Yep, and interestingly the Met Police is said its ok to publish the Sue Gray Report

https://twitter.com/SamCoatesSky/status/1485960953422299139?s=20

This is really bad news for Johnson.

Don't publish the report and everyone asks why? What are you hiding? Police say its ok.

Publish, and firstly you've to deal with all the crap that it contains, and even if its mild, people keep saying 'Ah but you're still under investigation'

Patser · 25-01-2022 5:18pm

And as I was typing above, Sky News break this

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1486008711747354628?s=20

So pressure really on to release Sue Gray report, and still have weeks of Met investigation hanging over him. Weeks of this still being news and not going away

According to that article, Johnson has no say over its release; entirely up to Gray to decide.

Tell me how · 25-01-2022 5:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118531417#Comment_118531417

Saw it suggested on Twitter that the burden of proof in a criminal investigation is higher and so the Met may absolve him and then that result will take precedence over whatever is in Sue's report.

The met have really not covered themselves on glory around all this. Refusal to investigate this after imposing fines (up to 10K) on several members of the public and then the whole reaction to vigils for Sarah Everard, it's not been a positive image for them.

Headshot · 25-01-2022 7:05pm

Sky News understands that officals have handed over to Sue Gray photos of Parties in Downing Street that include Boris Johnson

gmisk · 25-01-2022 7:23pm

Seemingly there are more photos coming out....including pictures of Johnson at parties....I don't think even he can brazen it out much longer

devnull · 25-01-2022 7:51pm

Do we know why the police got involved today and who called them?

Here's a possible theory

Johnson has either already seen some of the Gray report or knows it's bad news for him.
He knows that if he doesn't publish it in full there will be people crying cover up.
Someone has then pulled the police lever
Johnson will now publish the Gray report, redacted, stating it's redacted because of police investigation
Johnson will then pivot that it's for the police to determine what happened and pivot away from saying wait for the Gray report
The police, who have a much higher burden of proof and reporting on criminal activity only, rather than a detailed overview of what happened, will give a far less damaging account
Johnson will then present himself as being somewhat vindicated.

I shouldn't be so cynical at my age, but I'm extremely cynical that the police have got involved in this juncture, it just seems too convenient and beneficial to Johnson that it happens now after the police doing little about it and saying that there is nothing that they can actually do about it.

Patser · 25-01-2022 10:14pm

He's shagged. There are photos, and seems to be from a few parties, of Boris, with wine bottles in groups.

All those staffers that were going the be sacrificed to save Big Dog, have handed Sue Gray evidence she couldn't ignore and handed over to the Met - which Sky news are now reporting Johnson knee nothing about.

So right now the Police are investigating Johnson and co with evidence he doesn't know about, can't try to bluster or explain away or dismiss. His cabinet meeting this morning were ambushed by the news breaking, and all had to come out of Number 10 to face questions about an investigation they weren't prepped on. Absolute rabbits in headlights.

Amazing how the small things like a birthday cake sink someone - not paying of a mistress with public funds, billions in public funding vanishing on dodgy ppe deals, years of lies..... a cake

listermint · 25-01-2022 11:29pm

Amongst all this scandal on the PM. This commitee meeting went ahead this week. Its well worth a watch and its an absolute incredible insight into how MPs view actual basic ethics and even the most minor rules.

Astonishing really the confidence that the believe corrupt practices are OK.

https://youtu.be/a3O8mwDFo4M

A Dub in Glasgo · 26-01-2022 12:14am

Jenkins and Costa attempted to filibuster the committee meeting. It is particulary slimely the way they attempted to turn the questions onto Hislop

VinLieger · 26-01-2022 10:30am

Reports that there are pictures now of the parties which in clude ones of Boris that were sent to Sue Gray. Honestly after Allegra Stratton did they expect other staffers to just go with the flow after it became obvious they were just going to sacrifice anyone it took to keep Boris safe.

Danzy · 26-01-2022 10:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505620#Comment_118505620

The mindset that will have the Tories win once again in the next election.

devnull · 26-01-2022 11:23am

So, Boris Johnson will now be the person to decide how much of the report gets published.

A textbook definition of conflict of interest.

Nody · 26-01-2022 12:08pm

They are already lining up the excuses from the cabinet to push the party to ignore the report:

Cabinet minister Jacob-Rees Mogg has claimed there would have to be a general election if Boris Johnson was ousted by his party and replaced with a new prime minister. He told BBC Newsnight: “It is my view that we have moved, for better or worse, to essentially a presidential system and that therefore the mandate is personal rather than entirely party, and that any prime minister would be very well advised to seek a fresh mandate.”

Taken from here.

A Cabinet minister has said Sue Gray's report may be redacted for "security" reasons – amid calls for it to be released in full.

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, said parts of the internal inquiry could be "problematic to publish".

Taken from here.

So a report on how you party after work is concerning for "security reasons" and besides if you don't keep Boris in power we'll need to call an election and you'll lose your seats so shut up and support him now appears to be today's message to the Tory MPs.

ArmaniJeanss · 26-01-2022 1:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118499617#Comment_118499617

I love the utterly pointless fluff question which always appears between the difficult ones from Starmer and Blackford.

Todays was "Craig Tracey (Con) I ask the PM to join me in thanking health service workers. Will he issue a medal to all key workers who served during the pandemic?"

Always reminds me of 'Your campaign has the momentum of a runaway train, can you explain your incredible popularity' that Lisa Simpsons was encouraged to read to Monty Burns in early Simpsons.

I assume being selected to ask this question is the highlight of many an unknown backbenchers career.

*******

As for the rest of todays PMQs, in truth you could just watch a recording of last weeks.

devnull · 26-01-2022 2:07pm

Another day, another lie, this time about Afghanistan

https://twitter.com/tamcohen/status/1486313695210872832

Here is Boris Johnson lying again back in December.

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1468334501847715841

How far up the corruption index should the UK be these days?

Headshot · 26-01-2022 3:20pm

Just the endless lies

It feels like every day a new lie comes out by BJ.

A leopard doesnt change their spots and BJ is a known liar and has been fired twice for it so it's no surprised he keeps on lying

General British politics discussion thread

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