‘One rule for them’: newspapers savage Boris Johnson over party scandal

Controversial: Politics & Govt Politics & Govt: In The News
, , ,
1

The crisis engulfing the government over the Downing Street Christmas party scandal has given the newspapers the chance to batter Boris Johnson with varying degrees of savagery.

Amid widespread outrage at the video of No 10 staff joking about whether or not a party was held during last year’s tight lockdown, some normally supportive titles reflect that anger with very critical front pages on Thursday.

The Mail combines Wednesday’s announcement of new Covid rules with the No 10 scandal: “One rule for them, new rules for the rest of us”, the splash headline reads. It carries a large picture of a tearful Allegra Stratton, the No 10 adviser who quit on Wednesday after featuring in the leaked video about a lockdown party that Downing Street had claimed never happened.

The Sun also picks up on the public mood with an elaborate front page of Johnson mocked up as the Grinch. The headline says: “Do as I say… not as I Christmas do”.

The Mirror headline reads “Plan B for us … Plan ‘lie, lie, lie’ for him”, saying that the PM refused to answer questions about two other parties, as new Covid rules were introduced for the whole population.

The Guardian splashes on “PM triggers Covid plan B as party scandal engulfs No 10”, reporting that Boris Johnson had rushed through new Covid restrictions amid fears over Omicron variant, as his government battled a “crisis of credibility” sparked by the Christmas party scandal.

The Telegraph leads with the headline “Don’t go to work, but do go to parties”, referring to Johnson’s announcement about a Covid plan B rather than any ironic reference to the row over the alleged No 10 gathering. It does, however, have a smaller story on calls for the PM to quit if he misled MPs over the scandal.

The Times splashes on “PM orders return to working from home”. The other story on the front, accompanied by a picture of Stratton making her painful resignation announcement, runs with the headline “Tories held raucous second party”.

In Scotland, where Tory leader Douglas Ross has said Johnson should resign if he is shown to have lied, the Scotsman says “Scottish Tories line up to condemn Johnson”, and the Edinburgh Evening News splashes with the words of an ICU nurse: “While they were partying, I was caring for people who were dying”. The Record puts it more bluntly: “Party’s over … now get out”.

The Financial Times says “Johnson adopts plan B to check virus as anger festers over parties”.

In the latest news:

Jack Doyle, then deputy director of communications, gave a speech to 20-30 people at the gathering on 18 December. A source has told the BBC there were food, drinks and games at the event.

This event is one of three government staff gatherings from last year now being investigated by the UK’s top civil servant, Simon Case.

Mr Doyle’s presence at the event mattered because, as the current director of communications, he had been in charge of the strategy (1) for the past eight days to say that no party had taken place.

(1) AKA “lying”

1 Like
2

And labour should have a 12 point lead by now. They’re totally ineffective even in a crisis like this

3 Likes
3

What’s that got to do with the thread topic?

4

not much - sorry.

in my semi-weakened state I must’ve posted on the wrong thread by accident.

5

OK … :slightly_smiling_face:

6

Particularly poignant since Doyle used to work for the Mail

7

At least three people who held or went to unlawful gatherings on the same day as a Downing Street party have been fined by courts this month.

Each of the three cases that ended in fines this month would have required evidence from the Metropolitan Police and a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to proceed.

And due to delays in the courts system, more could be coming down the track from the same period last year.

Ami Goto, a 23-year-old from West London, was last week fined £1,100 plus court costs.

Westminster Magistrates Court found she had, without reasonable excuse, participated in a gathering in a flat in Holborn, central London, on 18 December, despite the area being under Tier 3 restrictions.

Ebru Sen, 26, of Sittingbourne, Kent, was also fined for being at the same gathering.

Both women must pay the fine by 29 December or face bailiffs taking possessions to cover the amount.

In a third case, Emilia Petruta-Cristea, 24, of Wanstead, East London, was also fined £1,100 for being part of an illegal gathering at her own home.

On the day before the Downing Street party - but after London had already moved to the tighter Tier 3 restrictions - 21-year-old Carlos Falco was found to have taken part in an illegal gathering in his flat on an exclusive Victorian square in Chelsea.

Falco received a £200 fine after the magistrate was satisfied he had genuinely tried to pay a fixed penalty notice of the same amount that police had handed to him.

Another rule for “us” … :exclamation:

1 Like
8

Aye…well I’m shaking my head at this. No words really.

2 Likes
10

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned or heard with regard to the ‘party’ is this,
Johnson says he did not know about the party and if we accept that as being the case what does that say about the respect Johnson’s staff have not just for the rules many of us were were observing but also for their boss.

If you have respect for the person you work for you would not do anything to undermine or cause them embarrassment. Perhaps I am ‘old fashioned’ but that is how I see it.

2 Likes
11

November 13 - First leaving party

On November 13, a leaving party was allegedly held for Lee Cain - Boris Johnson’s departing director of communications. The Prime Minister is said to have given a speech at the event.

November 13 - Second leaving do

A second party is also reported to have taken place on the same day. It has been rumoured that the leaving do “continued upstairs” for Dominic Cummings, who left on the same day.

November 27 - Third leaving do

Up to 50 people are said to have gone to Downing Street - including aide Ed Lister - for a leaving do on November 27, according to the Mail. It is claimed that staff crammed ‘cheek by jowl’ into a small room while England was in its second lockdown, with Boris Johnson giving a speech. A source told the paper it was for aide Cleo Watson, who had worked closely with Dominic Cummings.

December 10 - Department of Education

Several reports claimed that the then Education Secretary Gavin Williamson threw a party and gave a short speech on December 10 2020, when London was in Tier 2, which banned mixing between households. Following the revelation, the department admitted it should have cancelled the event.

A spokesperson said: "On December 10 2020 a gathering of colleagues who were already present at the office - and who had worked together throughout the pandemic, as they couldn’t work from home - took place in the DfE office building in London at a time when the city was subject to Tier 2 restrictions.

December 14 - Tory HQ

A Tory spokesperson acknowledged on Wednesday that an “unauthorised social gathering” had taken place on December 14, once again when London was in Tier 2 of coronavirus restrictions. It is thought around 25 people attended.

December 18 - Wine, cheese and Secret Santa

This is the Christmas party that has particularly come under fire, with a video leaking of Mr Johnson’s aides joking about it taking place, despite ministers denying it on several occasions. Allegra Stratton - who was filmed making the comments - has since resigned.

Christmas quiz

A Christmas quiz is also said to have been held in the Cabinet Office for senior advisers and officials at an unknown date in December, according to reports in The Times. Invites were reportedly sent out in advance, with Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfield thought to have attended.

“The most vital necessity is this life is they know how to throw a PARTY !”

(Frank Gallagher)

12

I agree with you Meg.
Everyone is doing their best to oust Boris with their hate-filled vendettas, but what about all the people who attended these so-called ‘parties’? They are to blame every bit as much for atttending. What happens to them? Are they all names and shamed?

I bet that vile Kier Starmer can’t sleep at night for laughing at all this.

13

The Prime Minister was pictured on screen, sitting underneath a portrait of Margaret Thatcher as he read out questions.

A source said many staff huddled by computers, conferring on questions and knocking back fizz, wine and beer from a local Tesco Metro. In one office, the insider said, there were four teams, each made up of six people.

It was December 15 – three days before a gathering now being probed – and the PM was flanked by two members of his top team, although they were not drinking. One was wearing a Santa hat and the other draped in tinsel.

Teams from the PM’s private office, the policy unit and press office were among those taking part. They answered questions on subjects ranging from the history of Downing Street to lyrics of Christmas tunes.

The PM announced he was giving staff a small gift of a bronze lapel pin of the No10 door – and they were handed out that night.

Sources said the quiz finished at around 9pm, but staff stayed on for two hours or so drinking and chatting. Most stayed in their offices, but a few allegedly moved around the building to mingle with colleagues in a further apparent breach of the rules.

On Dec 15 last year, 459 people died from coronavirus, while another 33,828 were infected.

London was then under Tier 2 regulations banning any social mixing between households – which Mr Johnson appeared to have breached by mixing with the aides.

Official guidance also stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”

Party No. 8.

14

There is NO WAY those parties would have taken place without the go-ahead from Boris. He is most definitively complicit! The other party-goers would not have been there if the party hadn’t happened!

As for Kier Starmer - he may not have a forceful personality or a wonderful presence - but he is someone who knows and has practised the law and is fully aware of the difference between truth and lie. Most of all he has INTEGRITY!

I’ve been a Tory all my voting life until Boris came along with his Brexit Bus and the unbelievable lie he based his campaign on. I hate liars and cheats - Boris is both! Self-entitled, privileged, rich-boy - one rule for ‘them’, one rule for him! Never, ever, trust him.

15

I will also add…none of us want another lockdown but unless you live alone and have no family close by who can visit from time to time, you really really, have NO IDEA what it is to go through lockdown - and even less idea of how much fun it isn’t, to spend Christmas by yourself!

Until you’ve experienced that, you can’t see Boris’ partying in the same light.

16

They were talking about this story as a “dead cat” on LBC tonight. Probably true.

17

image
image634×733 104 KB

18

crikey - good to know we still have quality journalism. Good to see they didn’t miss out the secret santa. Clearly in the national interest to know this.

19

Hi

One Rule for them, but not for us.

People have been prosecuted for breaking the rules, they are complaining about themselves being exposed as breaking their own rules and expecting to get away with it.

1 Like
20

A distracting news story that has snowballed anything else. In the meantime bills are going through under the nose of the public to give the Government more powers.

1 Like
21

If the newspapers really wanted to make a point they should release the names of the people breaking the lockdown rules. They know who they are.

They won’t though because a lot of their top journalists were there as well. Don’t buy the Mail or the Telegraph until they do. There should be as much finger pointing at them as there is at the government.

1 Like