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Still claiming Geidt and EC said the same Mefty?
Brownlow made two more payments directly to the supplier, bringing the total sum to £112,549. The following month, Johnson paid back the cash to the supplier, which then returned the funds it had received from Brownlow and the Cabinet Office.
How Johnson footed the bill remains unknown. The commission said: “Any payments between the prime minister and the supplier are outside the scope of our investigation.”
Grauniad but this is a real issue - where did that money come from?
which is why it would be better to have come clean, but hindsight is wonderful
You don’t need hindsight to avoid defaulting to lies and a “because I say it’s true” attitude. Johnson has shot himself here, because of who is, and shown complete failure of judgement, and that is why this is so damaging for him, even as regards his standing in his own party. “There was no party”… a repeated lie… when he could so easily have said from the start, “we’ll look into that”… and then passed on some apologies from his team after some half hearted internal questions to “uncover” what he no doubt already knew… that would all have been plausible… assuming he thought and had advice that he could take that approach within ending up on the wrong side of the law…
Its always the ;lies and cover up that gets politicians
Again, ITV/ Peston well and truly putting the boot in.
Parties, wallpaper, a lying PM.
I’m still not convinced the Tories won’t hang on to North Shropshire, which will save his skin
If its a dramatically reduced majority though I think some Tories will get very uncomfortable and the knives may still be out.
With another (normal) person I'd say a bit of paternity leave and they might come back saying they've done their job to get Brexit over the line and its time for someone else to take the country forwards whilst I retire to look after my family. But not this idiot.
Ironically as the proponents of snappy slogans the 'one rule for them, another rule for us' type slogan seems to be catching on in the public mind.
Apparently he first started to call himself Boris when he was at Eton, that was when he developed this bumbling confused and cuddly persona which we all know and love.
Incidentally I find it astonishing how people seem so confused with regards to Johnson and his personality. A couple pages back several posters were claiming that Johnson couldn’t care less what people think. In contrast I don’t know of any UK politician that cares more about what people think than Johnson.
Johnson is a showman and an attention-seeker. I have never heard of attention-seeker who did not want to be loved, or a showman that didn’t want to be liked by his target audience.
Johnson appears to share several characteristics with Donald Trump. Apart from the gorgeous blonde hair, and the endless compulsion to lie, they are both narcissists who have an insatiable need to be liked.
It's a fair point, to some extent the act even draws in his detractors, ultimately yes "bumbling Boris" is an endearing character played to distract/deflect from some far more glaring realities. But it was always a limited life game. I think finally a better appreciation of his true nature is sinking in for those slower on the uptake...
His ability to operate is reliant on the majority buying his schtick and letting him deflect accurate criticism with bluster and bullshit. That's dropped away now and he's knackered as a result.
We'll see how it shakes out but I'd be surprised if he's still PM come summer.
he will not resign. It will have to be a defenestration
(according to FT) Geidt wants to reopen investigation in light of these whatsapps that Johnson seems to have witheld/ lied about
But only Johnson can reopen it
That leaves Geidt with not much choice, his own reputation already trashed enough by this as it is.
His reputation was dust as soon he stepped into replace Allan.
Even yougov at it now
https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1469079943070068746?t=gdbyUmJuuzF9muP8litNTA&s=19
Remember Tony Blair still managed to win a general election after no weapons of mass destruction were found and being responsible for the greatest foreign policy blunder and ill thought out planning of modern time. I’m not sure how Christmas parties in Downing Street stack up against that.
I think the point there is that its not necessarily the party that wins but the opposition that loses! Michael Howard and Alex Salmond probably won that for Tony Blair more than he did by being too unpalatable to vote for!
Neither am I, the greater damage is likely to be to his standing with his MPs but again not convinced it will be terminal.
Well actually right now that's all that matters - Boris won't quit, so it takes either a vote of no confidence or a leadership contest from within the party to oust him.
But just like in a General Election the alternatives might be what stops them. You need a credible alternative - not just with MPs but the electorate eventually and that's hard. Rishi Sunak could be an obvious choice - but would he want to live in a house Carrie decorated - its not like he can get a tory donor to redo it for him now!
its not like he can get a tory donor to redo it for him now!
He doesn't need one, he redecorated the flat in No 10 at his own expense.
^^ I think you are flogging a dead course there, in any meaningful way anyway.
Boris is basically on life support at the moment and Sunak has the plug in his hand. Truss doesn’t have anything to back her up except a bit of party support due to her being Boris lite and they being idiots. Sunak has the support of big business, his own money and a raft of well connected individuals plus his own intelligence. The key is whether he wants it enough and if so, when.
I think you are flogging a dead course there, in any meaningful way anyway.
I was referring to Sunak, he lives above no 10, Johnson lives above no 11, when the story about the refurbishment first broke he informed the press about his funding of his own refurbishments - an early indication of maneuvers.
The only story now is the exit plan.
johnson is a busted flush; his only plan is to escape with some remaining shred of credibility.
No 11 was changed into a family home for the PM when Blair was in there. Sunak doesn’t need money from anyone to do anything, he and his wife are rich behind Johnson’s dreams. After all this mess, that may well appeal to party members if his name is given to them in a leadership contest. Which is depressing in many ways… Johnson’s unwillingness to live within his means (and the means that we as a tax payer provide him with) could end up making politics even more of a rich person’s game. £30k for decorating a flat (not repurposing or refitting one) that is already in great condition should have been plenty.
I note that Gove, Shapps and Raab are all conveniently isolating, away from public appearances for a few days...
^^ Anyone want to place a bet that at least one of them was at the/ a party...currently bricking it at its only a matter of time until the news breaks?
Also knowing that the longer they stay quiet the worse it will be when they finally admit the inevitable.
I'm still waiting for the pics/vid of the actual party taking place. Someone used a camera smart phone, they just did.
That video/pic could be worth a LOT of money right now. The papers will bite a hand off for it...if they haven't already got it.
Alexander de Pfeffel taking some paternity leave. I wonder if he'll be taking the opportunity to find that time with family is important and so for now will step down from being pm
just a way of avoiding the next PMQs He will not resign - too big an affront to his self image
I didn't mean voluntarily take more time to be with family. He's to self absorbed for that.
Perhaps a locked room a loaded revolver and a glass of good whisky? Too cowardly.
It would be so typically British if the PM resigns over lying about wallpaper rather than lying to the Queen about proroguing Parliament.
A future of bankruptcy and alcoholism awaits.
greyspoke - alcoholism maybe but bankruptcy - not a chance. all tmose favours to collect on . He will be multimillionaire after being PM.
Unless the people that backed him decided that they did not want to pay him after all. After all, him suing for the money "owed" would heavily prove he was corrupt in office, right?
I was partly joking, but all those rich folk he has sponged off must hate him. So he will be reduced to conning ordinary folk out of their savings like Trump and Farage, and writing books that end up in the discount pile after a week. He's bound to screw up somehow.
If he listens to advice he may be able to reinvent himself in some way, game-show host being charming to ordinary peep competitor kind of thing. He just needs persuading that his talents lie outside politics.
A future of bankruptcy and alcoholism awaits
For us as a nation, or for Our Glorious Leader?
Mystic Meg sees divorce and more alimony in your future
Anyone want to place a bet that at least one of them was at the/ a party
I reckon if Gove was there he’ll have picked up Charlie and Mandy on the way.
Its always the ;lies and cover up that gets politicians
Hubris, every time.
The only story now is the exit plan.
johnson is a busted flush; his only plan is to escape with some remaining shred of credibility.
Don't be so sure. He has never traded on his credibility because he has never had any. Bluff, bullshit and flag waving has worked wonders up to now.
time with family
Which one?
A future of bankruptcy and alcoholism awaits
Hope springs eternal.
Anyone want to place a bet that at least one of them was at the/ a party
You get the feeling that the press are rabid now for a video, list of attendees and some juicy details over all the parties. I bet that money will make someone talk/share the video....
Looks like the press are going to release this in dribs and drabs, one person at a time, to drag it out and cause maximum damage
Boris Johnson’s senior aide ‘gave awards at No 10 Christmas party’
Communications chief Jack Doyle addressed up to 50 people at event last year despite Covid restrictions, according to reports
As the drip drip continues it becomes less and less tenable for Johnson to deny any knowledge of it
Looks like the press are going to release this in dribs and drabs, one person at a time, to drag it out and cause maximum damage
To be honest, this is what any prosecution, defence, news outlet, whatever has to do when confronted by power whose MO is always the most cynical possible lie to get to the next day with as little damage as possible.
If the great British public was worth the candle, this would already have been amply demonstrated to them to make them angry enough that Johnson would be gone already. But then if they were worth the candle the prerequisite for someone like this to be in power (Brexit) would never have happened either.
What Cummings demonstrated to the likes of Johnson was that whatever contempt they held the public in, it was likely to be well-earned and probably under-egged. He showed them exactly how base and ignorant a large enough section was. He's been proved right over and over. Johnson hasn't got the minerals or courage to change tack now and why would he? Laughing at his support, throwing them a few crumbs of intolerance every now and then and bedazzling them with panto has worked up until now. It may well continue to work. You only have to do enough to satisfy your audience. If a bit of 'anti-woke' faux-intolerant bullshit is all that is required that is all he will do.
🤷♂️
Boris is currently a "bullet magnet" and that suits the Tories while all these bullets are flying.
He will be in post until a new leader can benefit from Boris taking all the hits.
I dont think its imminent his departure the Brexit import misery needs to be absorbed first.
Now that would be satisfying.
Why don’t labour stand down & tell their supporters to vote LD?
Why don’t labour stand down & tell their supporters to vote LD?
That is a many-faceted consideration.
Personally I think it would be best if the Tories could be beaten without anything their rabid fans could construe as an electoral stitch-up - on this one-off basis. But a Lib-Lab pact of some degree is still probably needed at a GE. This is because all the Tories need to do to appeal to their current base is say that Labour want to 'give your money to asylum seekers, benefits cheats, single mothers etc' and it is job done.
It also involves Labour admitting that they need to address the centrist vote - something that the Momentum nutters will fight tooth and nail to stop now they've had their moment in the sun with Corbyn (not in the sense of actually winning at an election*, God forbid, but looking hard in front of people whose support is already a given).
*Or even inflicting some kind of reverse on Johnson and his shitshow.
Why don’t labour stand down & tell their supporters to vote LD?
I have no idea! Its the obvious thing to do. I have read that there was a behind the scenes pact not to campaign too much by labour in this seat and the libdems did the same in the last bye election but it needs to be much more open and real and the candiate needs to step down. Labour and the tories ran an anti snp non agression pact inthe 2017 electionin Scotland
If labour and lib dems did this in 150 seats at a GE then the tories would be out, there would be a big anti tory majority and then labour and lib dems could introduce PR and we would never have a tory government again
UK politics is too mired and inward-looking.
It is all about giving as little as you can to achieve a desired outcome by a minimal margin. The vested interests know this and immediately mobilise against anything that undermines their power. The parties then become unduly focused on what a few people say they can/will do, rather than what is actually in the best interests of the majority of the people. It is politics without vision, without imagination and without obligation.
Someone like Johnson is well-adapted to this. He has no policies that are precious to him, no vision, no desire to do anything other than accrue more power, positions and influence to satisfy his ego. He is a political nonentity who doesn't stand for anything other than making it to the next morning still feeling like a big man. Anything.
Oh happy day. 😀
🎉🥳🥂
Garden tiger - ENGLISH POLITICS
The other really telling thing bout this is how the tory back benches and even some ministers are backing away from him. Not very much support in the media and no one going on the radio shows to defend him.
Do you think at the time they all thought it was Jolly Wheeze ? the sheer naivety of it all is staggering (and even after the shit show that was Barnard Castle).
I have no idea! Its the obvious thing to do. ... and lib dems could introduce PR
there's your reason, labour still think they can win majorities so why make it harder for themselves!
Why don’t labour stand down & tell their supporters to vote LD?
Simple as it this seems, it's easy to forget that there are Lib Dem voters out there who would never vote Labour. Perhaps they would rather have a Conservative government than a Labour Government, given the choice. So for them it is not a question of 'Anyone but the Tories', it's 'Anyone but Labour'
Not very much support in the media and no one going on the radio shows to defend him.
Yep, even the usual human shields are nowhere to be seen. Its coming to something when you can't even coax a Theresa Coffey or a Helen Whately into the morning TV studios
It also involves Labour admitting that they need to address the centrist vote – something that the Momentum nutters will fight tooth and nail to stop now
The problem there is the centrists loons have clearly demonstrated that they are willing to fight tooth and nail to prevent a left wing government. So its going to be tricky to convince left wing voters to vote for them.
It will only be when the centrists fruitcakes comprehend that whilst they can swing a election they are only part of the story that things could change.
Round and round and round.
The Democrats managed to work together, Labour need to as well.
Not very much support in the media and no one going on the radio shows to defend him.
Sooner or later this had to happen. How often did they trot someone out to follow Johnsons current line only for them to look like idiots the next day when that line was shown to be wrong?
Yep, even the usual human shields are nowhere to be seen. Its coming to something when you can’t even coax a Theresa Coffey or a Helen Whately into the morning TV studios
Shows how committed the government is to its public health messaging a few days before extra restrictions come in.
I’ve heard the reason “no tules were broken” is due to the way legislation was brought in doesn’t cover the Crown Estate.
Hiding behind this is completely morally bankrupt. Not only do they think it’s one rule for them, they’ve actually written the rules so they don’t!!!
Do you think at the time they all thought it was Jolly Wheeze ? the sheer naivety of it all is staggering (and even after the shit show that was Barnard Castle).
I imagine the only thought (if any) was "**** it, it'll be tomorrow's problem if at all and we'll just announce something about turning migrant dinghies around if we do get found out".
Their contempt for the electorate (and especially those who buy their lies) is total, their cynicism boundless.
the way legislation was brought in doesn’t cover the Crown Estate
I bet Queenie is thrilled with that one.
centrists loons
No such thing, by definition.
Loony Left, Rabid Right, sure.
No such thing, by definition.
About as accurate as Johnsons claims that discussions about the parties is closed. It does show the delusion and superiority complex of some centrists though.
Anyone want to place a bet that at least one of them was at the/ a party
*RUMOR*
(Source: a colleagues neighbour, a journalist)
Is that there are photo(s) of BoJo at party(s), but a super injunction has been granted yesterday as "it is not in public interest" to show such pictures, as they may encourage partaaaaying, just as Omicron kicks numbers upwards.
*/END RUMOR*
If that is the case, how long for a *insert random other country here* news site to run the picture anyway?
Wouldn’t surprise me one bit
centrists loons
No such thing, by definition.
Loony Left, Rabid Right, sure.
How about the loon Jo Swinson? total grandstanding loon.
You get the feeling that the press are rabid now for a video, list of attendees and some juicy details over all the parties.
the Sun’s deputy editor was at the Downing Street party and yet somehow they’ve neglected to put the issue in their front page
Swinson was indeed a massive loon 🤣
Is that there are photo(s) of BoJo at party(s), but a super injunction has been granted yesterday as “it is not in public interest” to show such pictures, as they may encourage partaaaaying, just as Omicron kicks numbers upwards.
Wow, ok. _IF_ that is true, that is pretty damaging and I cannot imagine it is not in the public interest to show that. The only person whose interest it is not in is, well, Johnson.
I wonder if the Swedish press will run with this.
the Sun’s deputy editor was at the Downing Street party and yet somehow they’ve neglected to put the issue in their front page
In which case a) he won't be the only one and b) explains why only certain parties are being 'examined' by the various members of the press....
We need some junior hack from the Middlesbrough Recorder* or similar to do an expose of all that attended the parties...
And now I am drawn into rumor mongering and spectating. Time to get back to work....
would give them the stamp of authenticity!
The only person whose interest it is not in is, well, Johnson.
I can't see how they'd get a superinjunction for that, the one about Gove for example sounds reasonable, but whether Johnson is snapped partying or not won't make much difference to compliance
I don't believe the superinjunction. I'd be pretty surprised if any judge decided that it was in the public interest to suppress such pictures. Indeed I'm not sure any judge would even be persuaded that if such pictures existed that the public would be any less cooperative if they were out that with the current scandal.
If a paper had those pictures, they could go to any opposition MP and ask them to out the story with parliamentary privilege.
Kimbers - please don't tell me it's the daily star and there's nudity in the pics!
No he's living with his aide & it's to protect his kids allegedly
We'll only know Gove is going for leadership campaign when it's a splash in the Sunday papers about his new life
Quick question. Is there a reason someone in opposition hasn't triggered a vote of no confidence? I know the parliamentary majority means it is bound to fail, but it sends a powerful message and the constituents of Tory MP's who stick up for the shithouse will be able to see the regard their representative holds for them.
Quick question. Is there a reason someone in opposition hasn’t triggered a vote of no confidence?
Its just pointless. No one cares
I'd expect Boris is now effectively trapped in the job until we start seeing some positive signs from Covid, Brexit, whatever. Right now anyone taking the job has to deal with the bit of a mess that BJ's government has created, so they are happy to let him wallow in the mire for a bit longer then when even his teflon skin is well and truly coated in crap someone else can come in and 'save the day' (spoiler alert, days will only be saved for mates of the new incumbent)
I’ve heard the reason “no tules were broken” is due to the way legislation was brought in doesn’t cover the Crown Estate.
David Allen Green suggests that this is only good for the organisers, those attending may not be covered by Crown Immunity, especially those from the press corps.
the Sun’s deputy editor was at the Downing Street party and yet somehow they’ve neglected to put the issue in their front page
The Sun had a similar, probably illegal, party around the same date, so it's somewhat awkward for them. (source: Private Eye)