In the news

“fancy a rattle on that underage girl?”

She wasn't underage. She was 17.

I think you're either an edge lord or you're being naive.

I hesitate to say this in case it reads as though I'm condoning his actions - which I'm not - , but what he's alleged to have done is not super out there or uncommon.

When I was a teen (almost around the same time) I knew plenty of girls who were seeing men in their 20s, a couple in their 30s. A girl in my halls started going out with a guy in his 20s when she was 14 - but it was "fine" because they didn't have sex till she was 16. I was in a minority of people who thought that was totally fucked. Anyone who's been to those shit but expensive West End nightclubs will have seen old guys with young girls. Same in Cannes, and I'm sure plenty of other places.

As a society we've been horrified by the idea of men having sex with prepubescent children for a while. But it seems like we're only now getting to a stage where people reject the idea of men having sex with pubescent children. I think Epstein's original sweetheart deal shows that pretty clearly.

Idk any teenagers (or none who'd talk to me about it) now, so I have no idea if what was pretty common when I was growing up still happens. But I'd hope it's at least less prevent.

Edit: I'd add that I also don't want to take anything away from Virginia Giuffre's experience. It's fucking horrible and from everything I've seen of her my gut says that it's the truth.

The editor of the Sun must be wondering why his now deputy, James Slack, didn't tell him about the drinks party at Downing street that was held to mark Slack leaving his job as Johnson's director of communications. You'd think they'd be all over a story like that.

She wasn't underage. She was 17.

In large parts of the US, including the state she was born in and the state she was living in when she met Epstein the age of consent is 18.

Absolutely. Hence the US investigation.

As I understand it, even where you have an age of consent of 16, often it's only if the other person is a similar age.

But in the UK it's 16. Which is why again I don't think it's the unfathomable scenario whatshischops does.

Telegraph publishing Bridgen keeping himself relevant and calling on Boris to go
https://twitter.com/ABridgen/status/1481744603162329091

Having been a teenage girl, albeit a decade or so earlier, this is pretty much spot on. We didn’t think we were kids, we thought at 15 upwards we were grown up young women and equal partners to boyfriends in their 20s. It’s only as I got into my 20s and older I understood how childish teens are in comparison and I realised how icky it was.

I don’t think those older boyfriends deliberately/consciously groomed us (so that’s unlike what Epstein and Maxwell were doing), it’s more like society in general groomed us to be flattered by older male attention and to want to be seen as women (ie sexual).

Edited to add: I'm not posting this to say it's ok or excuse anyone, more that I find the current public/media hand wringing quite hypocritical when adult men with teenage girlfriends was so very common back then that a good few of the people who are so very shocked - shocked I tell you - today must have been quite ok with it at the time.

The Sun knew about it but they’ve got their own lockdown Christmas party to worry about, that’s why they’ve been low key on the story.

BJ is lucky that he was away for the weekend when the latest two reported parties took place.

Tonight's was actually quite good in parts. Someone made a horrific attempt at a handy Andy joke near the end.

Er you forgot to mention Bill Wyman but that is a whole world of wierd.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/14/novak-djokovic-visa-cancelled-tennis-2022-australian-open-immigration-minister-australia

Shouldn’t they just whisk him off to Nauru while the lawyers all argue about it?

I am a nice 'chap' just not to dickheads.

Can't help feeling the new party allegations actually help Johnson. Will go towards showing an endemic drinking/party culture that puts more blame on the civil servants. He doesn't drink/party much apparently so can pretty easily distance himself from these, apart from the one he has non-apologised for. I now think he survives.

I assume some sort of evidence for the party he allegedly held in his private flat on the day he fired Cummings will be in the media soon.

I now think he survives.

Possibly for now until the his replacement is established, but I don't think he'll see the other side of a general election. Or at least, whether by removal or resignation I don't think he'll be allowed to remain in a position to run one

Edit: I've just seen the headlines about the party the night before Phillips funeral... not sure that's going to go down well at all.

^^^
It still shows that he has no leadership, as he should be the responsible adult in charge of his home address.
Likewise the others showed no respect and took the piss, knowing that he isn't a responsible adult.

It will add to the feeling that they are all taking the piss and that he doesn't set a good example but I suspect the report won't be fatal - if the Tories stay behind in the polls he will be replaced, if not he will hang on. I do think the stink will linger around him though and that he won't ever be seen in the same way again by a lot of the people who voted for him, rather than just voting Tory, last time.

That is the danger for him of chucking all the staff under the bus, but he always takes any opportunity to kick the can down the road, and I think that's what'll happen here.

And of course it shows a complete lack of leadership/authority, but I don't think he'll give a shit about that. 'I'm too busy with more important business than checking up on junior staff goings on' etc.

they are all taking the piss

sir kieth starmtrooper QC has also been pictured having a drink at a 'work do' with lots of people during last year's lockdowns ofc

If you're going to join the UKIP-Momentum love in, at least spell Keith correctly.

Any bounce the Tories might get in the polls as this quietens down will be wiped out when the cost of living increases hit everyone in April.

Johnson is toast, the only question is how long he survives for.

UKIP-Momentum love in

no idea what this means but it's spelled kieth, thanks

I would think they'll want to tie the cost of living issue and then the drubbing in the May local elections to him, as they walk him down the plank.

The question that I'm wondering about is whether Truss would call an immediate general election to renew her mandate with The People - which I suppose will depend on whether they think that they can ride the coat tails of the "best vaccination program in the World!" fairy tale to another four years, and before the issue of falling wages and increasing inflation become impossible to ignore.