Helen MacNamara

1966_and_all_that

1966_and_all_that

Well-known member
Hele MacNamara, the former head of ethics in Government is one of those given a fixed penalty charge for attending a raucous party in Downing Street on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral. You couldn't write it, could you? But, get this....she now works for the EPL and has been put in charge of the Premier League's response to the fan-led review into football governance.

Remember Johnson telling Parliament that there were no such goings on in Downing Street? Well...he lied or (if you believe Rees-Smug), he was given wrong information. It is worth noting that whilst Johnson was not at the party, the former Cabinet Secretary, Mark Sedwill, and Dominic (lie, sorry, eye test) Cummings, were. Cummings, in his defence of the lady whose leaving do this was, had this to say:
"it is deeply, deeply contemptible that not just the PM but senior civil servants have allowed such people to have their reputations attacked in order to protect the sociopathic narcissist squatting in the No 10 flat.”

Aah, all pals together, eh?
 
Johnson is our Trump who used the EU as a scape goat to win power. More worryingly he's got luck on his side coupled with a disengaged electorate. Everytime I think he's done something comes along to divert attention. Brexit/pandemic; partygate/war. It may have been the final trigger for Putin seeing his key ally and Rouble lover in trouble.
 
ElBurroSinNombre said:
www.standard.co.uk

Watch: Johnson insists no rules broken amid claims of ‘boozy’ Downing Street party

Boris Johnson did not deny that a “boozy” Christmas party was held in Number 10 during the lockdown but insisted that no rules were broken.The Prime Minister was accused by Sir Keir Starmer of “taking the British public for fools” as the Labour leader insisted that any festive event would have...
www.standard.co.uk www.standard.co.uk
Click to expand...

Specifically, the question was about a "cheese and wine night" on 18 December 2020, AFAIK the PM was not in attendance.

So now you need to prove:
  • that rules were broken;
  • that the PM knew that rules were broken;
otherwise it is not a lie.

From the time: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59591610

The Metropolitan Police has ruled out an investigation for the time being into the 18 December Downing Street gathering, citing an "absence of evidence" of any criminal wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he had been "repeatedly assured" that "there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken" on that date - at which time London was under Covid rules banning people from meeting indoors.


And of course your link is not the claim the OP made.
 
I think this whole party gate business has really passed its sell by date. If they had partied at some public venue and were risking spreading or catching Covid then yes, I could understand the furore, but all they have done is have a drink with colleagues in the work place.
 
Lost Seasider said:
Specifically, the question was about a "cheese and wine night" on 18 December 2020, AFAIK the PM was not in attendance.

So now you need to prove:
  • that rules were broken;
  • that the PM knew that rules were broken;
otherwise it is not a lie.

From the time: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59591610

The Metropolitan Police has ruled out an investigation for the time being into the 18 December Downing Street gathering, citing an "absence of evidence" of any criminal wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he had been "repeatedly assured" that "there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken" on that date - at which time London was under Covid rules banning people from meeting indoors.


And of course your link is not the claim the OP made.
Click to expand...

www.theguardian.com

Johnson apologises for staff video but says no party was held at No 10 in lockdown – video

Boris Johnson has apologised for a video showing No 10 officials joking about a staff lockdown party last December while still insisting that, as far as he was aware, no party took place
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

He says in the clip above that no rules were broken and that there were no parties.
Both of these are untrue.
It later transpired that he was at some of the parties.
You are extremely gullible if you actually believe that he hasn't lied about this in the HoC
 
Lost Seasider said:
Specifically, the question was about a "cheese and wine night" on 18 December 2020, AFAIK the PM was not in attendance.

So now you need to prove:
  • that rules were broken;
  • that the PM knew that rules were broken;
otherwise it is not a lie.

From the time: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59591610

The Metropolitan Police has ruled out an investigation for the time being into the 18 December Downing Street gathering, citing an "absence of evidence" of any criminal wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he had been "repeatedly assured" that "there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken" on that date - at which time London was under Covid rules banning people from meeting indoors.


And of course your link is not the claim the OP made.
Click to expand...
Why do you think fixed penalty notices have been handed out?
 
Lost Seasider said:
Specifically, the question was about a "cheese and wine night" on 18 December 2020, AFAIK the PM was not in attendance.

So now you need to prove:
  • that rules were broken;
  • that the PM knew that rules were broken;
otherwise it is not a lie.

From the time: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59591610

The Metropolitan Police has ruled out an investigation for the time being into the 18 December Downing Street gathering, citing an "absence of evidence" of any criminal wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he had been "repeatedly assured" that "there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken" on that date - at which time London was under Covid rules banning people from meeting indoors.


And of course your link is not the claim the OP made.
Click to expand...
A cheese and wine do for which a Karaoke machine was brought in and, which, according to Sue Gray, was one of the most raucous parties to be investigated. This was the night before the D of E's funeral.
 
Lost Seasider said:
So you've not checked then.
Click to expand...
I trusted the BBC journalist who said he'd done it. It's really only children who need visible proof of things for them to believe. That's because they lack experience of the world and are, necessarily, insecure. For an adult to continually require this does seem a bit odd.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
I trusted the BBC journalist who said he'd done it. It's really only children who need visible proof of things for them to believe. That's because they lack experience of the world and are, necessarily, insecure. For an adult to continually require this does seem a bit odd.
Click to expand...

Lefties like you have a tendency to make stuff up to suit their agenda, the best way to deal with that is to challenge them to prove it, something you've once again failed to do.
 
Lost Seasider said:
Lefties like you have a tendency to make stuff up to suit their agenda, the best way to deal with that is to challenge them to prove it, something you've once again failed to do.
Click to expand...
I am content to believe experienced journalists who state that Johnson said there were no parties in Downing Street, when in fact there were - hence the fixed penalty notices issued by the police. It is not for me to prove anything. Did Johnson deny in Parliament that such a party took place? I have heard somebody competent state that he did. Now, if you have a problem with that I suggest that you do what I suggested and check in Hansard.

Oh, and just so there's no doubt, this thread is about a party that occured on 28th June 2020. I make no comment here about December parties.
 
Eternaloptimist said:
I think this whole party gate business has really passed its sell by date. If they had partied at some public venue and were risking spreading or catching Covid then yes, I could understand the furore, but all they have done is have a drink with colleagues in the work place.
Click to expand...
Who then go out and about and back home to their relations to spread it. In any case, the point is that it was against the law. There is no time bar in that.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
I am content to believe experienced journalists who state that Johnson said there were no parties in Downing Street, when in fact there were - hence the fixed penalty notices issued by the police. It is not for me to prove anything. Did Johnson deny in Parliament that such a party took place? I have heard somebody competent state that he did. Now, if you have a problem with that I suggest that you do what I suggested and check in Hansard.

Oh, and just so there's no doubt, this thread is about a party that occured on 28th June 2020. I make no comment here about December parties.
Click to expand...

So you believe journalists unquestioningly, fair enough, but they're wrong more often than you might expect.
 
The “one rule for us, another rule for those in charge” probably goes further than we think.
What level of fine do we think MacNamara was given? £50? £100? Maybe £200? We don’t know because they will not tell us. Can we assume it might well be at the lower end of the scale? MacNamara is said to have provided a karaoke machine for the party, at which there was also a drunken brawl.

While others, ordinary often poor people, are fined thousands of pounds by single magistrates sitting in secret with no defendants attending and, in many cases, no pleas sought either. This is not justice, with all equal under the law. It certainly is not “past the sell-by date” for those poor people still struggling to pay huge fines. Justice needs to be seen to be done, so tell us what the Downing Street fines are.
www.independent.co.uk

Young couple fined £2,000 for baby shower days before Covid laws changed

Judge agrees to lower monthly repayment amount - but ‘not so you can still watch Sky Sports or anything’
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
 
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1966_and_all_that said:
I trusted the BBC journalist who said he'd done it. It's really only children who need visible proof of things for them to believe. That's because they lack experience of the world and are, necessarily, insecure. For an adult to continually require this does seem a bit odd.
Click to expand...
You trusted a BBC journalist? There’s some gullible people about that’s for sure
 
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