Reply to: That party that never happened, or did it, or didn't it.

[SueEllen]

But 10 Downing Street have refused to say what the apologies are for.

They also refuse to talk about Wilf's swing being broken at the party.

[SueEllen]

Number 10 Downing street has just apologised to Buck Palace over the party that happened before DofE's funeral.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politi...ngham-25946651

Humiliated Downing Street officials have apologised to Buckingham Palace over a boozy party in No10 the night before Prince Philip ’s funeral.

The PM’s deputy official spokesman said: “It’s deeply regrettable that this took place at a time of national mourning, and No10 has apologised to the Palace.





“You’ve heard from the Prime Minister this week, he’s recognised No10 should be held to the highest standards and take responsibility for the things we did not get right.

“We have apologised to the Palace.”

[WTFH]

If you've got the time, read the most recent google reviews for the Co-op on the Strand.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/othe...rty/ar-AASLOdn

[d000hg]

Using the queen to inflame a political stories in the papers is probably more likely to upset her. Re-posting photos of her mourning her husband is pretty crass.

[SueEllen]

Always good to upset the Queen....

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...uneral-reports
Staff inside Downing Street held two staff leaving events featuring alcohol, and one with loud music, on the evening before Prince Philip’s funeral in April last year, when such social contact remained banned, according to new allegations reported on Thursday.

Eyewitnesses told the Daily Telegraph that a combined total of about 30 people took part in what appeared to be social events in different parts of Downing Street, before both gatherings combined in the garden.

[SueEllen]

https://www.businessinsider.com/down...22-1?r=US&IR=T

Watching Newsnight last night and the mirror reporter Kirsty Wark had on said they had been told about lots of "gatherings". They were just working out which ones were work events and which ones were parties.

[WTFH]

https://www.businessinsider.com/down...22-1?r=US&IR=T

[WTFH]

OK, I'm off to the septic tank with a can of Mr Sheen.

[mattster]

Certainly a plausible candidate to a reasonably sane electorate, but the Tory membership isn't exactly that. I suppose it's remotely possible if the polling showed that she was would put the Tories emphatically ahead, because all electorates like a winner but, realistically, she is too left wing and too much of a remainer for this electorate and she probably wouldn't want the job anyway.

Yes, agree with all that - just wishful thinking on my part trying to think of a Tory that is not too awful. Most in that bracket left at the last election. The Tory membership is indeed insane, a distillation of the all of the worst elements in the party (my parents in law are members). This is why it incumbent on the parliamentary Tories to keep the worst options away from the member vote, as they managed to do with Bojo for quite a while, until he looked like their only salvation.

[mattster]

Definitely not an attempt at sunlit-uplands deflecting by the Express, but they are running a story about how imports from outside the EU are up by 822%.

Although the devil is in the detail...
1. It was for the month of January last year (not the whole year, just the one month)
2. It was reported in May last year
3. It was for one vegetable - courgettes
4. It was for imports from Morocco

So, the actual story is that the UK imported more of one vegetable from one country that happens to be outside the EU in a particular month than it had for the same month a year previously.
Not exports, not some great trade deal, not wide-ranging, but a great distraction to those who need it.

According to one Twitter breakdown I saw, this amounted to about £650k (wholesale value) of courgettes. Win.

[WTFH]

Definitely not an attempt at sunlit-uplands deflecting by the Express, but they are running a story about how imports from outside the EU are up by 822%.

Although the devil is in the detail...
1. It was for the month of January last year (not the whole year, just the one month)
2. It was reported in May last year
3. It was for one vegetable - courgettes
4. It was for imports from Morocco

So, the actual story is that the UK imported more of one vegetable from one country that happens to be outside the EU in a particular month than it had for the same month a year previously.
Not exports, not some great trade deal, not wide-ranging, but a great distraction to those who need it.

[DaveB]

Easily done if needed, although she'd have to renounce her peerage too, before being dropped into a byelection in a safe seat. There actually has been a lord as PM before but I believe it is no longer allowed, but still possible to be part of the cabinet.

If they tried that I think you'd see a concerted effort from the two other main parties to agree not to fight each other on that seat and vote tactically to win it.

[jamesbrown]

Both the Con party leadership and the PM require you to be an MP at the time of being elected, although losing your seat during an election while PM would be a more interesting situation (if your party retained power).

[jamesbrown]

Leftfield possibility (and rather a good one, IMO): Ruth Davidson?

Certainly a plausible candidate to a reasonably sane electorate, but the Tory membership isn't exactly that. I suppose it's remotely possible if the polling showed that she was would put the Tories emphatically ahead, because all electorates like a winner but, realistically, she is too left wing and too much of a remainer for this electorate and she probably wouldn't want the job anyway.

For much the same reason, Sunak has probably got it in the bag if he can get through the upcoming energy/cost-of-living crisis and he didn't attend any illegal parties. Although Truss is appealing to the grassroots, they will see the same polling about who is more popular among the wider electorate and Sunak is really the only one that comes close to a pre 2020/21 Johnson. The rest would probably lose the next election for the Tories. Personally, I am not a fan of Sunak, but he could probably beat Starmer or, at least, not lose.

[mattster]

She isn't an MP.

You need to be an MP to be PM.

Easily done if needed, although she'd have to renounce her peerage too, before being dropped into a byelection in a safe seat. There actually has been a lord as PM before but I believe it is no longer allowed, but still possible to be part of the cabinet.