Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Syt]

Haven't lived in a home with wallpapers since I moved out from my parents.

EDIT: Not entirely true, my previous place had an ugly 80s wallpaper that I did not have the option to remove.

[Sheilbh]

Interesting - it's definitely come back into fashion here. Especially fairly bold/striking designs often just on one wall as a () "feature wall":
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/house-garden/best-wallpapers-b1970675.html

Separately it looks like this is already going well. The Met aren't commenting officially but Number 10 are already having to back out of the "we can't release the report" point. Apparently the police didn't request the delay and feel there's no evidential reason to delay publishing the Sue Gray report and they don't really have a strong view one way or the other.

The request to delay publication came from Downing Street who are now saying they'll only delay publishing about the parties the police are investigating. I'm not sure that position's very tenable and it might not last the day.

[The Brain]

Come to think of it, I do have one wall with wallpaper. It's a nice detail that enhances the overall look.

[Sheilbh]

Apparently the police not only don't really have a strong view but want the whole report published:

Sam Coates Sky
@SamCoatesSky
Am told by sources the Met Police want the whole Sue Gray report published - there is surprise that government has decided it won't be

So that line from Downing Streets lasted about half an hour, I think.

There was also a cabinet meeting this morning - cabinet ministers normally leave their phones outside. Johnson knew, but didn't tell them about the police investigation meaning the cabinet were some of the last people in the country to find out. That's going down about as well as you'd expect.

Edit: Also Tory MPs continuing their tradition of incredibly helpful supportive points - one MP in the Commons just now that Johnson has only committed a "relatively minor offence" is quite the defence he thinks it is

Edit: Think Dan Hodges' point is also accurate - there's lots of lobby reporters and MPs who think this from the Met is a lifeline. I'm not sure if that works - not least because people will just hear "police investigating Prime Minister". But also a fortnight ago the thinking in Number 10 was the Gray report would be enough to draw a line under this and move on - to today when, apparently, the report by the Cabinet Office civil servant suggests there's prima facie evidence of a crime. It seems that things have got worse.

And it's striking why Dick has said they've launched an investigation:
The people involved knew, or should have known what they were doing was an offence;
It significantly undermines the legitimacy of the law; and
"There was little ambiguity around the absence of any reasonable defence."

I feel like that last line especially should worry Downing Street - and some of the attendees of these parties.

[garbon]

Wait, you guys don't use wall paper?

For me wall paper screams "old people live here". I don't think it's even sold in normal shops.

I think my parents used to have it in the house while I was growing up, but at some point when I was still quite little they took it off and it was white walls from then onwards.

Same here.

My parents eventually did away with wallpaper but veered to different color palettes for each room. So different colors and different textured painted patterns.

[mongers]

Wait, you guys don't use wall paper?

For me wall paper screams "old people live here". I don't think it's even sold in normal shops.

I think my parents used to have it in the house while I was growing up, but at some point when I was still quite little they took it off and it was white walls from then onwards.

Same here.

My parents eventually did away with wallpaper but veered to different color palettes for each room. So different colors and different textured painted patterns.

So Johnson's one key success as PM, the return of garish wallpaper prints, is culturally a failure? 

[Grey Fox]

There were wallpaper in my house when I moved in 10 years ago. I promptly took it off. Nicotine pit they are.

Also there was 70s & 80s wallpaper covered up on the kitchen too.

When I repainted my children rooms in September, the decoration store had a vast selection of new age wallpaper.

I like chintz stuff, it belongs on floors in a ceramic form.

[Sheilbh]

And totally backing out of the earlier line Although I still feel there's a lot here being piled on a civil servant which is not appropriate:

Sam Coates Sky
@SamCoatesSky
NEW: The Sue Gray report could still be published in the coming days, Sky News understands.

With no objection from the Met Police, Gray must now weigh up what to publish/when. This could mean everything is out in days.

This is an evolution of earlier situation
A final decision has yet to be taken

Gray will consult with lawyers and some officials. The Prime Minister and political advisers in No10 are NOT part of this decision, I'm told

[Tamas]

And totally backing out of the earlier line Although I still feel there's a lot here being piled on a civil servant which is not appropriate:

I mean, sure, but who else should this be on? Johnson and the cabinet never worked on anything but short-term buzzwords, and the police have washed their hands on anything that doesn't fall in their laps oven-ready (except maybe if they can beat up women).

[Sheilbh]

I mean, sure, but who else should this be on? Johnson and the cabinet never worked on anything but short-term buzzwords, and the police have washed their hands on anything that doesn't fall in their laps oven-ready (except maybe if they can beat up women).

Look, it's very difficult to investigate crime if you don't have a full video of it happening. Did it even occur? Who can say.

My point is I think the bar has been set higher for Sue Gray's report than what she can do and she is going to be incredibly aware of the constitutional implications. The early briefings from Downing Street was basically that Sue Gray would determine if any laws had been broken and whether that meant the PM should go - both of those are not her (or any civil servants') job. It's for the police and courts to decide on crime and it's for the elected politicians to decide on the political consequences.

I think that last point is also going to be something she has to decide - especially now that she also has to determine how much of her report is released to the public (I think it will leak anyway though). I think she, or any other civil servant, will be incredibly uncomfortable with the idea that they - an unelected, impartial servant of the elected government - are or are perceived as toppling a PM. I think the most she will and can do is prepare an immaculately loaded gun and then leave that on the table for the cabinet or the MPs to use it if they wish.

So I think there's too dual games of expectations management going on because of that. For Number 10 they're trying to say that anything less than the Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax videos is an exoneration of Johnson and that unless Gray says he broke the law/should go (which she can't and won't do) then the matter is closed. The flipside is I think the public have made up their mind and unless the report is utterly damning, they'll think it's a whitewash.

I think the media probably needs to explain a little bit what this will look like - it's going to be a report by a civil servant and nothing more. Plus I think she will rightly want to protect junior civil servants who are ultimately just in the culture set by their boss and it feels right that his career ends over it, but not that a 25 year old working in the press office who went to the parties does too. So I think one reason the full report won't be released is because I imagine there will be a huge amount of redactions.

Edit: Apparently though the report is complete, "very uncomfortable" and might be out either this evening or tomorrow - so we'll soon see.

[garbon]

I mean, sure, but who else should this be on? Johnson and the cabinet never worked on anything but short-term buzzwords, and the police have washed their hands on anything that doesn't fall in their laps oven-ready (except maybe if they can beat up women).

Look, it's very difficult to investigate crime if you don't have a full video of it happening. Did it even occur? Who can say.

Is this a joke? If you have several eyewitnesses and emails about it, you can be pretty sure. You can probably even then unearth some photographic evidence.

[Jacob]

Is this a joke? If you have several eyewitnesses and emails about it, you can be pretty sure. You can probably even then unearth some photographic evidence.

Yes garbon, it's a joke

[Sheilbh]

Profiles in courage.

Worth noting that's a junior minister and a very strong long-standing Johnson supporter - if they've mainly got him in the media, we're really down to the palace guard.

I can only assume the Tories have realised that Jacob Rees-Mogg was endangering the union and Michael Fabricant committing casual Islamophobia every time they spoke, so needed someone else.

[garbon]

Is this a joke? If you have several eyewitnesses and emails about it, you can be pretty sure. You can probably even then unearth some photographic evidence.

Yes garbon, it's a joke

I wasn't sure given his earlier defense of the Met.

[Sheilbh]

I don't think I've ever defended the Met