Defending the indefensible - another PM thread

[diable rouge]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> I always thought it was Chinese water torture, but

> hey - I guess no-one?s got the monopoly on torture

> methods !!

You're right on both accounts KK, the CIA aren't shy when it comes to waterboarding.

Telegraph journalist on Newsnight last night mentioned the drip, drip, drip technique, and said they've heard from ministerial sources that videos exist.

If that's the case I expect they are holding fire to see what Johnson says next, PMQ's later will be 'interesting'...

[diable rouge]

diable rouge Wrote:

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> And here's what the Met were tweeting on the day

> of the BYOB party...

>

> Have you been enjoying the hottest day of the year

> so far? 🌞

>

> It is important that we all continue to

> #StayAlert

>

> You can relax, have a picnic, exercise or play

> sport, as long as you are:

>

> ➡️ On your own

> ➡️ With people you live with

> ➡️ Just you and one other person

>

> Nothing to see here eh boys in blue?...

From journalist John Harris...

The other half of the story, clearly, is that nothing happens in 10 Downing Street without the cops knowing, and that looks like a very big question indeed.

Boom!...

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Cressida Dick inexplicably kept her job last year.

[JohnL]

The defence now is he thought it was a work event.

[diable rouge]

Cue photos of interns necking back Jagerbombs, the line manager inappropriately too close to the secretary, and a spotty work experience student photocopying his arse...

[Del in ED]

Painful listening to the prime minister is babbling excuses, which surely nobody can reasonably be expected to believe!

[TheCat]

SO BJ thought he was at a work event, and didnt realise he was at a party?

Its a tough sell...but he could have easily slipped this past most of his critics, if only he'd starting his PMQ's address with "My truth...."

[diable rouge]

However he worded his non-apology, it all unravels with his duplicity...

Another Tory MP told me that in the tearoom the PM told him and colleagues 'it's not his fault and he's bravely taking the blame for others' - 'caused much consternation among colleagues' given that he'd just given a public apology

What did they expect, this is how Johnson has always operated, say whatever is necessary to placate whoever's in the room e.g. telling a group of NI business leaders that there would be no border in the Irish Sea when he knew full well there would be.

The blame rests just as much on them as it does on Johnson...

[malumbu]

Wow, I never thought when I started this thread that so much more would come out, and still more to come. Keep posting!

[TheCat]

Another leak from Downing Street....

[Spartacus]

I am fascinated by how this story is unfolding, not from the point of "what's coming next" but from the perspective of who's leaking the information , why now and what are they hoping to gain ?

I'm not excusing what's happened but someone clearly has an agenda and expects to see benefits from either a change in PM or toppling the Tory party from power.

Politics is a dirty business and the press seems to be showing their true colours by not digging deeper into what the story behind the leaks is.

Is it Dom out for revenge, Gove doing a power play or Andrew looking to deflect news away from himself? (okay the last one is unlikely)

I'm personally curious to look behind the headlines and understand more about who and why these leaks are being drip fed to us at this moment in time. After all they must have sat on them for many months !

[Seabag]

TheCat Wrote:

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> Another leak from Downing Street....

Is that Govey after(again) after one too many refreshing drinks?

[jazzer]

You've been listening to LBC, because that was exactly what was said on last nights show with Tom Swarbrick.

Spartacus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am fascinated by how this story is unfolding,

> not from the point of "what's coming next" but

> from the perspective of who's leaking the

> information , why now and what are they hoping to

> gain ?

>

> I'm not excusing what's happened but someone

> clearly has an agenda and expects to see benefits

> from either a change in PM or toppling the Tory

> party from power.

>

> Politics is a dirty business and the press seems

> to be showing their true colours by not digging

> deeper into what the story behind the leaks is.

>

> Is it Dom out for revenge, Gove doing a power play

> or Andrew looking to deflect news away from

> himself? (okay the last one is unlikely)

>

> I'm personally curious to look behind the

> headlines and understand more about who and why

> these leaks are being drip fed to us at this

> moment in time. After all they must have sat on

> them for many months !

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Who wants Johnson's job? Who's outside the cabinet and wants (back) in after a reshuffle? Who wants Cressida Dick's job?

What is actually surprising is that this HASN'T come out before considering at least 100 people knew. I wouldn't have thought this administration had the discipline to keep a secret - so they've proved me wrong.

[Spartacus]

Jazzer how very dare you

The only time I've ever heard LBC was in the back of an uber where some shouty bloke was going on about "bulldogs .... save the Queen"

No idea and I prefer the mellow sounds of smooth FM 😎

DKHB interesting point ... maybe it's all lies including the actual parties and it's being let loose to hide something else 🤔

[Sue]

Spartacus Wrote:

---------------------------------------------------

>

> DKHB interesting point ... maybe it's all lies

> including the actual parties and it's being let

> loose to hide something else 🤔

🤣

[jazzer]

Clearly there's a rat in No.10, well we knew that, no doubt the search is in full swing to find said person and have them dealt with. Can't see Boris wanting more tales being told. But in all seriousness, Boris has shown that he is an incompetent fool, incapable of being PM and running the country. However unless he's pushed, Boris won't go, although he need's too. He is a laughing stock himself and is making the UK a laughing stock as well. Needs to walk the plank sooner than later. Who steps in to take over, I haven't got the foggiest of ideas who can do the job or who may even want the job. We are like a rudderless ship in the ocean, not knowing where we are going............the Boris saga unfortunately continues!

[diable rouge]

I agree with billy that the most surprising thing about all of this is that it was never leaked before now, despite the number of people involved. Was it down to loyalty or were they being 'leaned-on' to keep schtum? I'm tempted to lean towards the latter because it was a very 'young' administration, they'd only been in power 6 months, and many would've been non-political civil servants. Throw in that the PM and Downing Street gets 24/7 protection which the Met either handle directly themselves or would certainly be made aware of, and it does leave a stench of a 'turning a blind-eye' to what was going on.

As to who has been doing the leaking, you have to first ask who has a motive. The big finger of suspicion points at Cummings, there's no doubt that he hates Johnson since he was ignominiously booted out with cardboard boxes in hand.

I very much doubt it's a political opponent within the Tory party, the risk of being exposed is too great and would also finish their career. It's vey likely that the source of the leaks will one day be known, so rather than ask who has the most to gain from seeing Johnson go, perhaps we should be asking who has least to lose...a very minor civil servant? Johnson had no qualms throwing Allegra Stratton under the bus, she will have friends still working in No. 10.

Another interesting element is who has been given the leaks in the first place. The choice of Paul Brand at ITV is a strange one. And the other main recipient, Pippa Crerar at the Mirror, could suggest someone left-leaning is behind the leaks. Or could it be an elaborate double bluff, PC was the journalist that broke the Barnard Castle story, so if Cummings was doing the leaking, she would be the last journalist he would give a scoop to...or would she?

[sjsl]

And now he's self isolating for a week because a member of his family has Covid, how very (suspiciously) convenient!

[diable rouge]

Johnson not 'understanding' his own rules again...

[Spartacus]

If I was a gambler, I would bet on this will be touted as the reason the leaks are happening now : BBC News - Chinese agent infiltrates UK Parliament, says MI5

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59984380

Funny how the news is,released 24 hours after the PM was forced to apologise during PMQs

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

jazzer Wrote:

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> Clearly there's a rat in No.10, well we knew that,

> no doubt the search is in full swing

We know there's a love rat in No 10, that's for sure.

The real question is whether any Tory contender for the job will stab him in the back...or will they wait until after May elections? And will we end up with someone who appeals more to the right wing of the Tory membership (Truss, Patel), someone more technocratic and supposedly business oriented (Sunak), or someone more Centrist and post-COVID cuddly (...???).

[Seabag]

For his dancing alone he should be made to say sorry, and mean it.

He?s up there with Gove in style. Even Trump wasn?t this painful.

And there you go, he?s our leader.

[JohnL]

A suitcase full of bottles wine from the Co-Op :)

No10 really was having a ball.

[diable rouge]

Well, at least the latest revelations clear-up one puzzle, namely why The S*n hasn't been headlining with previous Partygate revelations. Because their Deputy Editor-in-Chief had his previous job's leaving do in No. 10 during the lockdown. I wonder how many other journalists were in attendance? I'd previously read rumours about The S*n having parties during lockdown but just put it down to wishful thinking/anti-S*n bias, now looking more likely than unlikely.

The Met's latest statement saying that they too will wait for Sue Gray's report for evidence of any criminality is just as incredulous. That's what the police are supposed to do, that's their job, determine what is and isn't criminal, not leave it to a layperson. We can't have a police force seen to be 'in-hock' to a sitting Gov.

This whole thing is growing into something much than No 10 being caught with it's pants down, it's further undermining the public's trust in Gov and the police. Not good in the long run...