Will Boris eat his cake and still have it?

[d000hg]

There is mention of 1 (I think just one) event held in the PM's private flat, but that said she is clearly not there to place blame only to report what happened. The judgements are for others to draw.

It does read as pretty balanced, abridgement aside of course.

[Paralytic]

Only takes a couple of minutes to read, even if you go the extra mile and read the bits saying "This page intentionally blank"

This brain intentionally blank

[d000hg]

Got to love that "Keir Starmer, Jimmy Saville" was temporarily trending on Twitter.

[malvolio]

Only takes a couple of minutes to read, even if you go the extra mile and read the bits saying "This page intentionally blank"

That's done deliberately across the Civil Service. It's meant to indicate this is a filler page to separate sections of the whole, not that something has been deleted leaving a blank page. In reality of course, it does not actually achieve that purpose....

[mattster]

but the events themselves are still trivial.

It isn't, and hasn't ever been, about the "events". It's about the lying and the hypocrisy surrounding the "events". It's similar to the many times we've seen MPs end up in prison because they lied about their ("trivial") speeding tickets (my wife was driving), or the PC who was sacked for lying about the amount of money he put into a charity box. The coverup is very often worse than the original offence.

The fact that the event themselves were so "trivial" (not entirely sure I agree, given where we were as a country back then, but I'll go with it), actually makes the lying *worse* IMO. If you are willing to lie so easily to get out of taking responsibility for the little things, what else are you willing to lie about? We simply can't have an habitual liar leading our country.

[SueEllen]

[jamesbrown]

It isn't, and hasn't ever been, about the "events". It's about the lying and the hypocrisy surrounding the "events". It's similar to the many times we've seen MPs end up in prison because they lied about their ("trivial") speeding tickets (my wife was driving), or the PC who was sacked for lying about the amount of money he put into a charity box. The coverup is very often worse than the original offence.

The fact that the event themselves were so "trivial" (not entirely sure I agree, given where we were as a country back then, but I'll go with it), actually makes the lying *worse* IMO. If you are willing to lie so easily to get out of taking responsibility for the little things, what else are you willing to lie about? We simply can't have an habitual liar leading our country.

Agree with this as someone who would probably never vote Labour. There is some basic level of decency and honour required of any PM and it was blatantly obvious to some of us that Boris never had it and to more of us now. I cannot think of another PM in living memory who was so devoid of any moral fabric or substance. He is not a serious person. The details of the partygate stuff is a sideshow because what serial liars do best is lie, in all contexts (e.g., see the Afgan pets fiasco for a more serious example). Once you're considered a massive lying ****wad by the electorate, that opinion doesn't get reversed, especially not under the spotlight of a campaign. Either Boris is stuffed or the Tories are stuffed or quite possibly both.

[malvolio]

Agree with this as someone who would probably never vote Labour. There is some basic level of decency and honour required of any PM and it was blatantly obvious to some of us that Boris never had it and to more of us now. I cannot think of another PM in living memory who was so devoid of any moral fabric or substance. He is not a serious person. The details of the partygate stuff is a sideshow because what serial liars do best is lie, in all contexts (e.g., see the Afgan pets fiasco for a more serious example). Once you're considered a massive lying ****wad by the electorate, that opinion doesn't get reversed, especially not under the spotlight of a campaign. Either Boris is stuffed or the Tories are stuffed or quite possibly both.

I kind of agree with both of you, and obviously lying is a very serious matter for a PM (and he isn't the first, by some distance). However he has apologised and attempted to explain his position, but until we see whatever Gray has found and what (in "less than a year" FFS) the Met finally come up with, we can't actually judge Bojo's veracity, or lack of it. And today he has reacted immediately and positively to as much of the Gray report as has been released; the bugger's still fighting his corner.

I will totally agree that his history of being more than a little economical with the truth on occasion will come up and bite at some point, but if he survives this episode - a very big if, admittedly - he will be around for a while.

My only fear is which of his surrounding Tory nonentities will we get in his place.

[OwlHoot]

Agree with this as someone who would probably never vote Labour. There is some basic level of decency and honour required of any PM and it was blatantly obvious to some of us that Boris never had it and to more of us now. I cannot think of another PM in living memory who was so devoid of any moral fabric or substance. He is not a serious person. The details of the partygate stuff is a sideshow because what serial liars do best is lie, in all contexts (e.g., see the Afgan pets fiasco for a more serious example). Once you're considered a massive lying ****wad by the electorate, that opinion doesn't get reversed, especially not under the spotlight of a campaign. Either Boris is stuffed or the Tories are stuffed or quite possibly both.

Agree entirely, and I'm as right wing as Attila the Hun! Even if the Poodle temporarily wriggles out of this on technicalities, his goose is well and truly cooked with the electorate, especially as he won't (can't ? ) change and this very likely won't be the last scandal.

Interesting article: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022...s-johnson.html

[CheeseSlice]

Concluding his statement on the Sue Gray report, Boris Johnson said: “I get it, and I will fix it. I want to say to the people of this country I know what the issue is.”

Labour MPs shout back: “You!”