In the news

How can they be bank robbers, they are wearing suits.

Suggests that he, fully briefed and prepared, couldn’t and can’t think of a better reason.

The line has shifted from “it was an outdoor meeting”, to “it was a harmless outdoor drink after a meeting, where indoor social distancing rule’s didn’t apply” - in the space of a an hour or so. Did the brief change, or did Raab take his own line given the ludicrous idea that they were having a meeting?

They’re fucked. There must be so much incriminating shit that can be drip dripped out for as long as it takes. Question is, why is it only a full 18 months to a year after all this happened that our brave press Corps is now reporting on this?

Feels like the Leveson enquiry was a watershed moment for the country. Like we walked up to the point where we were all taking seriously what a hideous monstrous thing the UK press was, and had we carried on through to Levenson II maybe that would have come to a meaningful conclusion. But instead it all just rolled back and that chance has gone, is probably never coming back, and the press just pull bullshit left and right with impunity.

They probably told Raab one thing and changed the brief when it didn't fly. They don't really care if that reflects badly on Raab. Ministers being sent out to talk to the press are lambs to the slaughter. Not sure why they agree to it to be honest when the most likely outcome seems to be that Boris will U-turn whilst you're live on air leaving you looking like an idiot

Because this bunch wouldn't be in the Cabinet any other way

Question is, why is it only a full 18 months to a year after all this happened that our brave press Corps is now reporting on this?

Exactly!

What is going on in the background that we don't see.

Bingo. One way to promote loyalty in your minions is to promote those who would never get such roles from anyone else. Pass over the competent - they could get the role on merit. Only have the incompetent, the venal, the stupid - who know in their bones that without you they’re nothing.

Question is, why is it only a full 18 months to a year after all this happened that our brave press Corps is now reporting on this?

I imagine because it's only now that whoever has these pictures, etc have chosen to leak them.

💯 whos gathering the intel then sitting on it for months?

So much dirt it’s unreal. The flat refurb, covid, cash for honours, where does it stop?

I think it's more that people had the pictures from being there but as Johnson has shown he is willing and likely to throw the underlings under the bus to save his skin, they are leaking to get him fucked properly as they know he was deep in it as well.
Doubt there's an 18 month conspiracy waiting for the right moment.

#managerlifehacks

It was the usual Tory business meeting, a bit of wine and cheese before sacking of early to sodomise a dead pig

So much dirt it’s unreal. The flat refurb, covid, cash for honours, where does it stop?

Hate to say I told you so:

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/15959775/

So which underlings are getting nervous then?

The ERG throwing a tantrum over not getting their way? Boris never really seemed to face up to them.

Meanwhile NHS privatization plans are going ahead, Human Rights Act is being hollowed out, dual nationals can have their UK citizenship removed w/o warning.

All a nice distraction this from that sort of Fuckery. But Boris is such a funny guy, hahaha. FFS.

Boris never really seemed to face up to them.

His stonking majority meant he never had to.

So which underlings are getting nervous then?

The ERG throwing a tantrum over not getting their way? Boris never really seemed to face up to them.

No - the staff in no10. When Johnson pivoted from 'no rules were broken' to 'i haven't broken any rules' but agreed that all evidence would be passed to the rozzers (for whatever good that will do) from the investigation, I expect some of them thought that they're not going to get shafted without Johnson also getting called out. Maybe the odd one also has a moral compass and belatedly realised that they fucked up.

So it was no longer a work meeting and now after work drinks?
https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1472907231460999168

The webs they weave

"I think the public understands this was people discussing work after normal working hours”

Fuck off you gaslighting twats.

It's just weird, surely if its after work drinks, that is just socialising

Seems like they have a a drink problem in the workplace but also get they can't really all just head to the pub after work and chat openly

Re. when stuff gets published, Ros Atkins interviewed the Daily Mirror/ITV news reporters who got the Allegra Stratton story and the timeline appears to have been

1. hearing about the existence of footage
   
2. hearing about the contents of the footage
   
3. not being able to confirm the contents of the footage for a year
   
4. getting the footage through 'a source' but legal saying their isn't yet a public interest defence to publishing probably illegally obtained footage.
   
5. Denials of Xmas party = public interest to publish.
   

Do you think they were involved in the first leak?

But yeah makes sense, he has no loyalty to anyone.

Little bit of mixed messaging from the health service.

On the one hand, for fuck's sake get vaccinated to save the NHS:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/19/london-hospital-staff-speak-out-were-not-here-to-judge-but-please-get-your-covid-vaccines

On the other hand, we might not be able to operate next year because a significant number of our staff refuse to get vaccinated:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/20/england-hospital-units-may-close-as-staff-revolt-over-jab-mandate-says-nhs-leader

How far back do you got? It always surprises me how these people get so far in life. They’re all intelligent people with degrees from excellent universities. But if you hear Liz Truss speak you wouldn’t imagine she could work in a supermarket stacking shelves.

It is the government that handed down the vaccination mandate, not the NHS.

I don't know if the NHS wants mandatory vaccinations.