Sue Gray's report into Downing Street "Partygate"

Alex_Alumni

It's been a big day for No. 10 Downing Street, as Sue Gray's report into parties held there during the coronavirus lockdown is published. BBC News provides a summary of the key points:

Summary

• Boris Johnson has again apologised after the long-awaited report by Sue Gray into rule-breaking parties in and around Downing Street during the pandemic

• Sue Gray found that many of the events "should not have been allowed to happen" and that staff who raised concerns were not treated with respect

• The 37-page document includes details of wine spilled down walls, vomiting, and parties lasting until 4am

• Senior leadership at Downing St must bear responsibility for this culture, Gray says

• Johnson has argued that he believed the gatherings he attended had been work events

• Labour's Keir Starmer says the Gray report shows how No 10 treated the sacrifices of the public with contempt

• WhatsApp messages reveal Martin Reynolds, a former top aide to the PM, was warned of "comms risks" around parties

• He also suggested in a different message that officials had "got away with" a large event in the No 10 garden on 20 May

The very latest news is that Boris Johnson feels that: "it’s time to move on" and hasn't thought of resigning. 

Are you surprised at the findings?

Do you think the Prime Minister will be forced to resign?

What impact will this have on the general election, in your opinion?

Cartini

For my pennies worth......

 I wasn`t impacted by Covid (loss of friends / family) so I`m not baying for his head (so to speak).  Knowing the way I am, I still probably wouldn`t do even if I had been impacted.  I know what politicians are like; they only want you when they want you and when they`ve got you it`s the "victory sign" for you.  So I would most likely think the same as I do now "nothing unexpected here".

 Politicians are all as bad as each other.  You have Starmer calling for the PM to "pack his bags" despite photo`s showing Starmer in similar circumstances. You have Rayner slagging Tory politicians for being sexist & misogynistic with reference to "Basic Instinct" yet, if the tabloids are to be believed, it was Rayner herself who started that rumour.

 I think politicians are disgusting in that they have adopted the unprofessional "yank" approach to politics but, unfortunately, we have to have a party in power.  Who?  Conservatives?  Labour?  Lib-Dems?  Greens?

I don`t like the Tories, but I would rather they were in power than Liebour (deliberate spelling), Lib-Dems or Greens.

What we need now is a unified effort by all political parties to help the country with the sledgehammer that is on the horizon, instead of petty bickering between themselves. 

In answer to your questions:

 Are you surprised at the findings?  No, not in the slightest bit.

Do you think the Prime Minister will be forced to resign?  No, and I hope he isn`t forced to do so.

What impact will this have on the general election, in your opinion?  My personal feeling is that, despite the small number of back-stabbing Tories trying to crawl up the ladder, the Conservatives will make amends and will, most likely with a very small margin, be voted back in.

 Andy

leeCal

Boris Johnson now sees it as his duty to stay in office! Unbelievable twisting of logic, but then he’s also twisted every fact to suit himself over the last few months. 

Im hoping that the general,public aren’t so easily fooled and we get the chance to make a ‘correction’ in the next general election despite any billion pound assistance due to the current financial crisis. After all, any government worth their Salt would be assisting us right now. 

Cartini

woodbine said:

He was wrong, he was "economical" with the truth and any other PM I can think of would have resigned.
However personally I hope he won't resign because quite frankly he has become unelectable and will lead the Tories to certain defeat in 2024.

Bliar (deliberate spelling) didn`t resign when he took us to a war that had nothing to do with us on the premise of "eradicating weapons of mass destruction". The Chilcot report didn`t go as far as calling him a liar, but it did say "that the former Prime Minister deliberately blurred the distinction between what he believed and what he actually knew"

Bliar committed a bigger offence than Johnson (in my opinion).

Grinchy

Can't stand toryies, they are all the same, making up excuses to cover the lying halfwit we have in office, never forget one rule for them but another for the rest of us, 

janer1967

I have never really been involved with politics mainly because I think they are all as bad as each other and have no concept of what daily life is like for majority of working class citizens 

Boris and his underlings have behaved appallingly and lied throughout and how can we trust these people to lead and represent our country but who else could do the job nobody in cabinet comes to mind 

The Queen should step in and sack him (,if she has the power ) 

janer1967

Interesting but not likely to happen 

Cartini

As someone who hates the monarchy, I would be furious if she stuck her nose where it really shouldn`t be.