Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Tamas]

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.

You are mistaking the Met with the Tories, although I understand that's easy.

[garbon]

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

Didn't you tell us before about them spending less resource on investigations?

[Sheilbh]

Didn't you tell us before about them spending less resource on investigations?

Yeah - but that's not a defence. It's saying they're failing at their basic job - though I think the last decade of austerity is a big part of that. Police numbers are at the lowest level since the 90s and there's been other funding decisions that mean they are in many ways a non-functioning police service..

They're a police force that basically no longer investigates crime. There's only an investigation if it's a serious violent crimes or crime where they have CCTV. If it's not that - just a casual mugging or burglary, then you'll get nothing. A crime number so you can claim it on the insurance is all you'll get.

[HVC]

Do (did) cops even investigate muggings under normal circumstances? Don't think that's a met thing. Seems like petty crime is ignored unless you're caught in the act


My impression is that it's not investigated in Canada. I'd ask BB but I think berkuts stalking drove him away.

[garbon]

Didn't you tell us before about them spending less resource on investigations?

Yeah - but that's not a defence. It's saying they're failing at their basic job - though I think the last decade of austerity is a big part of that. Police numbers are at the lowest level since the 90s and there's been other funding decisions that mean they are in many ways a non-functioning police service..

They're a police force that basically no longer investigates crime. There's only an investigation if it's a serious violent crimes or crime where they have CCTV. If it's not that - just a casual mugging or burglary, then you'll get nothing. A crime number so you can claim it on the insurance is all you'll get.

Got it

[The Brain]

The police don't even stop crime in progress, if the Downing Street parties are anything to go by.

[Jacob]

My impression is that it's not investigated in Canada. I'd ask BB but I think berkuts stalking drove him away.

When did that happen?

[Sheilbh]

This is going to get so messy:

Sky News
@SkyNews
Sue Gray has received photos of Downing Street parties which include Boris Johnson and others close together with wine bottles, Sky News understands

[Josquius]

I predict they come up with an explanation for why these aren't valid and it wasn't a party and then next we will have a video leak out where somebody says "how are you enjoying your party Boris?" and he says "great party. Best since that one in my 30s with the prostitute with 2 vaginas"

[Jacob]

I'm thinking that these leaks are not helping Boris particularly....

To what degree do you think they're co-ordinated and orchestrated and to what degree do you think they're an organic expression of the current level of incompetence and burned bridges?

[Sheilbh]

I'm thinking that these leaks are not helping Boris particularly....

To what degree do you think they're co-ordinated and orchestrated and to what degree do you think they're an organic expression of the current level of incompetence and burned bridges?

They're the most coordinated, well-timed and devastating leaks I think anyone's ever seen. I think everyone's guess is Dominic Cummings but who knows and that may be too obvious - and Johnson doesn't have a history of being loyal to his people so there's plenty of people it coculd be.

Just a couple of examples - the leaks stopped over Christmas and New Year. No-one's watching the news over that period. Then there's a couple of days of clear press into the new yearwith people start asking whether Johnson can escape etc, and the leaks start again.

Similarly all of the stories have been broken by the same three journalists who I think have been pretty well chosen: there's someone from the Mirror (left-wing tabloid), someone from ITV (a broadcaster) and a junior reporter at the Telegraph (junior - because the senior staff used to colleagues of Johnson). The first scoop the Telegraph get is the one about parties before Prince Philip's funeral which is perfectly designed to ignite the furies of Telegraph readers.

I think what we're sstarting to see now is panic and everyone talking because they think everyone else is talking. Things are getting desperate: people are going to be questioned by the police. The Met in turn will leak like a sieve because they always do - it's interesting to see a couple of stories today came from crime reporters which means the Met is talking, not political correspondents. Although I'm just not convinced that you can get an incriminating report by a civil servant about the Prime Minister without it getting into the press at some point - they will get their hands on it.

It is alarming to an extent to see an organised campaign like this being used to bring down a Prime Minister. On the other hand these are not just embarrassing stories, they are crimes and I don't mind seeing Johnson forced out like this

[Josquius]

Interesting to see the hilarious flailing of new tory mps in Parliament saying pretty much "what about Russia! We should obey our leader and concentrate on them!". One I recall said something about how the opposition and media were in cahoots, some other snarl words thrown in, to take down the democratically elected leader.
They really are textbook gammon with the sheer ridiculousness of what they say.

[Sheilbh]

The police are apparently investigating eight parties - the Met leaks begin

[viper37]

This is going to get so messy:

Sky News
@SkyNews
Sue Gray has received photos of Downing Street parties which include Boris Johnson and others close together with wine bottles, Sky News understands

I never thought the mighty British Empire would fall because of some parties.

[Gups]

Interesting to see the hilarious flailing of new tory mps in Parliament saying pretty much "what about Russia! We should obey our leader and concentrate on them!". One I recall said something about how the opposition and media were in cahoots, some other snarl words thrown in, to take down the democratically elected leader.
They really are textbook gammon with the sheer ridiculousness of what they say.

My favourite so far is Conor Burns:

"Well, as far as I can see, he was in a sense, ambushed with a cake"