Partygate continues tomorrow, as Boris Johnson returns from Covid seclusion for Prime Minister’s Questions.
Big Dog, as he is known to his team, will pull off an amazing conjuring trick that transforms him from a lying fool into a credible purveyor for truth. You are only kidding.
Our leader stood up last week and apologized profusely for his attendance at a “party” in Downing Street on lockdown May 20th, violating his rules.
It was an apology that was completely inept. He claimed he attended the gathering as a work event and that he was only there for about half an hour. This did not make his behavior any less unacceptable.
Public opinion is not foolproof. Seven out of ten people polled thought that he didn’t tell the truth, and eight out of ten said that the event, regardless of its title or name was in direct violation of rules. He should resign, according to half of the respondents.
Big Dog as he’s known to his team will perform a conjuring trick where he transforms from being a lying idiot into a convincing purveyor or truth. Joking
We’ve learned about many Downing Street events that are ‘work-related’ since then. One was held the night before the Duke’s Funeral, and the other two were at the end of the evening. A DJ performed and people danced until the early hours.
It was mentioned that there are regular quiz nights and leaving drinks. There is also hot weather celebrations.
Gavin Williamson, a Department of Education employee, hosted an early December drinks party to thank staff – even though indoor drinking was prohibited.
Everybody (probably even the cleaners) that has moved to another place since the pandemic began seems to have received a drunken send off. Dominic Cummings is the exception to this rule.
Kate Josephs had to organize a leaving party last December with dozens of Cabinet Office employees.
She didn’t mind breaking her rules, even though Cabinet ministers were on television to tell the public that such behavior was not acceptable. The instructions were to keep our socializing to a minimum and to remain’sensible.
There is no doubt that the number of Whitehall parties will increase, with grovelling apology after apology. Dominic Cummings is proving more persistent than ever in his quest to bring down his ex-boss. He promises more photos and revelations.
The Prime Minister claimed he was lying to him when he “apologised” and stated that the party of May 20th had nothing to with him. Cummings, still on the salary roll at the time, claims he said to Boris that ‘you have got to grasp a hold of this madhouse.
He claimed that the party to “bring your booze” was permitted to proceed despite an additional official check by the Prime Minister.
Downing Street’s alcohol culture may reflect the reality of what went on in other parts of the UK in the aftermath. We were forced to work at home as all restaurants, bars, and clubs had closed. To stock up on alcohol, we went to the supermarkets.
Our leader apologized for not attending the Downing Street party during lockdown last May 20, violating his own rules, and stood up to offer sincere apology.
The cost of going out was lower than buying food, so we were able to eat more and save money. We also didn’t have to drive. Over-consumption may be criticized by other family members (and who is listening to them). A few units a day could provide solace for misery or isolation.
Many of us have become serious drinkers thanks to Covid. According to Royal College of Psychiatrists addictions faculty, there was an increase in Brits who drank enough to endanger their own health. This number rose from 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 between October 2019 and now.
Experts say the shutting down of society has caused a major health problem. Drinking levels will drop for up to five more years, according to experts.
While the average person was consuming their unit in front of the television, Downing Street’s young workers were looking for the bottles that they had stored in under their desks and in their mini bars. We were told that teams of workers met every Friday to drink and celebrate the end of a hectic week.
This is not something that the NHS’s nurses and doctors could do between resuscitating ICU patients.
Although the public was not allowed to visit care home relatives during the heat, nor pass them cans of beer, Downing Street special advisors and civil servants were experimenting with chianti, corking Prosecco and making cheeseboards. This was despite being told by Downing Street that their large garden was only an office so they were within the regulations. (It wasn’t).
Boris Johnson’s office lifestyle under Boris Johnson is more complicated the more information we find about its inner workings.
Police stopped friends who were walking their dogs near a beautiful spot in rural England miles away from London and asked them if they knew each other.
For inviting neighbors to a party, people were punished with thousands of pounds. The prohibition was placed on christenings, funerals and weddings. A stiff fine was imposed on anyone who dares to swim or sunbathe in the sunlight.
Is it really necessary? It was necessary because the police had to deal with confusing regulations.
JANET STREET PORTER: Big Dog sounds more and more like Dead Meat.
Illegal Downing Street parties show an atmosphere where everybody thinks they’re’special’, not bound by the same rules and workplace boozing that I thought was out of style by the 1980s.
Boris Johnson, Carrie and other officials were seen in the Downing Street Garden photo on May 15, 2020. There are also bottles of wine or cheese at various tables. Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings are visible in the background.
Culture that allows boozing while at work can be just as hazardous as the excessive drinking the rest of us indulge in at home.
However, we weren’t given any responsibility for protecting our shores, nuke deterrents launch, or running National security and the NHS.
Now we know Downing Street is where employees drink, booze and sleep under their desks. The next day they continue to work in the same outfits. Because you are ‘essential workers’, lunchtime drinking that extends into the afternoon is common.
However, this is not the way that modern workplaces worked before covid.
It sounds a lot like office culture forty years ago, or even more. This was when I first started working in TV, the entertainment industry and newspapers. Except for some MPs, who drinks lunch these days, other than the House of Lords’ ancient members?
No one drinks that way if they’re a young entrepreneur or business woman looking to build their empire.
How can an office celebrate a week of hard work by having drinks in the office Friday afternoons to toast its accomplishments? Maybe if you are selling houses, running a small business flogging cars….but really, do we expect the people running OUR COUNTRY to behave like seventies throwbacks?
Downing Street 2022 could be compared to the glory days of journalism in the 1980s. Long gone.
Big Dog sounds more and more like Dead Meat.