Boris Johnson tests positive for Covid

[mudskipper]

Professional Lawyers opinion on it.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...570390021.html

He lives at 11 doesn't he? So not his private address - his office address.

[d000hg]

I think he's actually made it worse, if that were possible.

To borrow these immortal words from twitter: "I believed implicitly that this was a work event."

Since he has admitted attending, I can't see what else he can say if he isn't willing to resign.

In the interest of balance, Keir's attempt to label this a "boozy party" is quite obviously a tactic. The photos I saw showed a few tables of 3-4 people dotted about, having a glass of wine. If you think of a "boozy party" involving Tories you picture roast pigs, white powder and someone getting buggered in the bushes. It's not like it ended with them doing the conga with their trousers round their ankles... about the ****est party I've ever seen

None of this matters though, it's clearly utterly against the spirit of the rules regardless if you can wheedle your way out on a technicality. Nobody has a leg to stand on.

[DaveB]

He lives at 11 doesn't he? So not his private address - his office address.

It's effectively all one building behind the doors and the gardens are shared.

Doesn't alter the fact that this was a very carefully worded statement written for him by lawyers with the express intent of limiting his personal liability in any way possible.

[jamesbrown]

Since he has admitted attending, I can't see what else he can say if he isn't willing to resign.

Oh, a catch-22 for sure. He could either provide a fulsome apology, which might admit too much that could eventually scupper him, or he could provide a weak apology (he went for that option), which will not stem the tide of complaints from constituents to Tory MPs or push this off the front pages, which will eventually scupper him. At this point, he's done for, but I think he made things a little bit worse by couching the language so badly - it was sorry, not sorry.

[AtW]

He'll be just fine

[malvolio]

He lives at 11 doesn't he? So not his private address - his office address.

No, Number 10 is his official residence. The flat is above No 11 but not part of it (If you've ever been inside Downing Street, it' a total maze spread over about five separate buildings, so boundaries are a little moot).

More to the point, it is not a public space either (none of Downing Street is) so the regulations (not law!) everyone is banging on about probably don't apply anyway. He's broken guidelines, not laws.

[d000hg]

He's broken guidelines, not laws.

That seems very likely, however it probably doesn't make much difference since we were 'told' to follow guidance not asked in all those #10 briefings, and this is politics.

I would imagine many of us here have done things along these lines, albeit probably with a handful of people rather than 30-100. But you just can't be so dumb as a government as to do it so openly. If Boris and Hancock had a couple of drinks after work discussing matters of the day then realistically, fine. But don't invite 100 people "because they've been working so hard" when everyone else's only interaction with each other is when they stood on their doorsteps banging pans for the NHS

[AtW]

He's broken guidelines, not laws.

Ah that's fine then, nothing to see here, move along.

[WTFH]

Close. A member of his family (could be one of many):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59979118

...allegedly

[SueEllen]

Close. A member of his family (could be one of many):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59979118

...allegedly

I just heard

Must be Carrie.

You don't test babies or toddlers unless you have to.