I’m trying to work out how big that room is to be able to fit 30 socially distanced people in it.

I’ve been in. Essentially exactly the size you’d imagine for a 30-people meeting room, but most of it is taken up by a very large table. Quite long and thin, with a bit of room at the door end to mingle.

There’s some arab swords on a table on one side and a fireplace on the other, so you have to squeeze past people to get from one end to the other. (#humblebrag over 😉 )

Nooooo. Dougal does not deserve that!

The good thing about the older traditional Tory voter is that there are less of them around on a daily basis due to Covid and the  dismantling of the NHS. The irony of their expedited demise is lost on them cos it’s all Corbyn’s fault

Sadly , if there was a general election tomorrow, most Tories would still vote for Johnson. My FiL, a lovely bloke, but a dyed in the wool Tory, certainly would.

I just asked my tory voting Johnson fan brexiteer relative if she had changed her mind on any of it.  She said she had not.  Thats the bit I find weird.

The sad thing is there seems to be plenty of younger Tory voters replacing them. It seems for some people a bumbling fool = relatable = good politician = gets my vote

She said she had not. Thats the bit I find weird.

I’m not surprised. People aren’t rational, and the more you criticise them for being wrong (either directly or inadvertently) the less likely they are to admit they were wrong.

Grant Schapps (or whatever his name is today)

Grant Schnapps?

Cressida Dick confirms Met police will investigate Downing Street parties

Finally!

But now the sue gray report ant be published if its part of a police investigation?

Grant Schapps (or whatever his name is today) dancing on the head of a pin, tying himself up in semantics to try and defend the indefensible.

“Internet Fraudster Grant Shapps” I think.

But now the sue gray report ant be published if its part of a police investigation?

I wondered if this would happen, report won’t be published and who knows how long it will take for the Met to say there is insufficient evidence?

But now the sue gray report ant be published if its part of a police investigation?

Yes chances are its going to be punted far into the future. So nice work by the met there. I am sure they will get the pat on the back from Johnson they so richly deserve.

‘Rishi Sunak…briefly attended but sources stressed that he has ‘not been invited’.’ Hmmmm.

I just asked my tory voting Johnson fan brexiteer relative if she had changed her mind on any of it. She said she had not. Thats the bit I find weird.

Unfortunately I have many many tory voters around here and most of them express solidarity and support for Bozza. They believe that anyone criticising Bozza are being unfair and mean. They claim Bozza has done his best, delivered vaccines and is working he’s way through Brexit. I simply despair and no longer engage in any sort of political conversation with them, I will add that they are generally pleasant and engaging people that I’m happy to spend time with.

Yes chances are its going to be punted far into the future. So nice work by the met there. I am sure they will get the pat on the back from Johnson they so richly deserve.

Yep, it sounds like a good thing – oh the Met are investigating at last! – but it’s another distraction technique at this point. Can’t publish an independent inquiry while there’s a criminal investigation going on. Met will take months and months to find “limited evidence of wrongdoing” or something similar and conclude that there’s no point in any further action as it’s not in the public interest by which time the Sue Grey report will be a footnote in the history books, if it ever makes it to publication.

‘Rishi Sunak…briefly attended but sources stressed that he has ‘not been invited’.’ Hmmmm.

As far as gatecrashing parties goes that is not a good one to gatecrash

The best thing is… when both reports are finished… the Gray one will say Johnson lied though his teeth, and broke the rules… but the Met one will say that they won’t be prosecuting… and Johnson will focus on the second… “there was no wrong doing, the Met have cleared me”.

YEah – no publication of the Gray report for a while…

Peston

Other politicians and ministers have resigned / stood aside whilst under police investigation.

What are the odds?

What are the odds?

Slim to none, sadly.

Is there one of those perfect German words (like schadenfreude) that means

“I’d like to swear, but I’ve already used up all my good ones and I’ve run out of ways to really express how I feel about how utterly shit this whole thing is”

They believe that anyone criticising Bozza are being unfair and mean. They claim Bozza has done his best

Argh I particularly hate this line.

Have you suggested to them, that if this really is ‘his best’, then he’s not up to the job?

Don’t think Tony Blair stood down when he was questioned by the police.

Backpfeifengesicht

“a slappable face”

Argh I particularly hate this line.

Yes. I know I would be shit at several jobs so guess what I dont apply for them.
Or to put it in tory terms. This isnt primary school sports day where everyone gets a prize for trying.

Yep Gray report delayed

met will say ‘ couldnt find any evidence’

then Johnson will claim he doesnt need to release Gray report as Met have cleared him

🚨 It is understood that Sue Gray will not publish her report into the gatherings at No 10 and Whitehall before the Met investigation has concluded https://t.co/4C0LuktDs0

— PoliticsHome (@politicshome) January 25, 2022

The Sue Gray report will be a whitewash. Waste of time, as are most things of this nature where corrupt politicians etc are involved. Nothing genuine or sincere ever comes out of government these days.

A large part of me is really hoping her report is left on a bus

Preposterous Syrupus..

O.K. fair play, that got a genuine LOL out of me.

I just asked my tory voting Johnson fan brexiteer relative if she had changed her mind on any of it. She said she had not. Thats the bit I find weird.

Consistent polling data (bourne out by the North Shropshire by election) would suggest that, whilst we all know a few diehard Tories, there aren’t enough of them out there to guarantee a future GE victory when BJ’s popularity is cratering so spectacularly.

And all of the potential replacements for Johnson have their own pitfalls.

One for Binners’ Monty Python collection…

"The government is going from strength to strength" pic.twitter.com/SnB5z6oGth

— Jon Newton (@MrJonNewton) January 25, 2022

So the Met are going to investigate, triggering a pause in the publication of the Grey report (as indicated in here terms of reference). I assume No 10 invited the Met in in order to achieve this. A desperate measure.

gresyspoke – that bothers me not one jot as all it does it continue the crisis and makes it longer damaging the tory party further and deeper.

Rees-Mogg is right though. They are certainly going from strength to strength. Its just sadly not positive strengths.

does it continue the crisis and makes it longer damaging the tory party further and deeper.

That or the media get bored and go onto the next subject. Depends on how many more parties get leaked out.

I agree tj – we can only assume that the alternative was even worse from Johnson’s perspective. Presumably he got wind of what was in the report and it was damning.

One for Binners’ Monty Python collection

He is a high flyer in the ministry for silly walks.

You really had to laugh at Mogg calling wee Dougie Ross a lightweight(shitehouse would have been more accurate),this from a man that took his nanny on a campaign trail in Fife,then needed Henry McLeish to save him from the locals.🤣🤣

edit: nope, image not working. 🙁

I’m sure that kicking the Grey Report into the long grass for Boris will earn Cressida her place in the Lords.

Thats the normal payoff, isn’t it?

Its all about day to day survival for him, and a journalists take on what amounts to survival: obfuscate and dodge and then if the media storm passes he’s in the clear

I think Kimbers is right though: the Met police will clear and then the Sue Gray report will never see the light of day. And it’ll be over a matter of weeks which is a lifetime in BJ survival world. We could have a full on WW3 by then so they can bury any bad news