I know that I, like most of the readers, followed the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. I remember visiting my grandad in the summer of 2020, he was in the conservatory, we were over 2 meters away in the garden. He said that we could hug and that no one would be upset, and I told him that if I had something and gave it to him, I would never forgive myself. We followed the rules to keep each other safe, but now watching the Conservative Party gatherings feel like a stab through the heart.
There were denials that these gatherings had taken place, statements that said that Tier 3 restrictions had been followed as well as claiming that these activities were work related. The public are not stupid, having “drinks, nibbles, and games” during a pandemic in which the death toll was climbing was not a necessity. It was one of the biggest insults to find out.
In a wonderfully leaked 46 second clip Allegra Stratton, a former Downing Street Press Secretary, in a mock news briefing says that it wasn’t a party but merely ‘Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting.’ She also proceeds to laugh as she says that the ‘business meeting’ was not socially distanced. I struggle to really comprehend how this is funny. And for clarification Allegera, no, cheese and wine isn’t alright.
Whilst I will never forget about Partygate, momentarily it had made its way to the back of my mind, until the October 2023 Tory Party conference in which Malin Bogue from the Conservative Party was asked by a Mirror reporter if she would like to say anything about Party gate. Who is Bogue you may ask? She can be seen at the Conservatives “Jingle and Mingle” twirling in a red dress. Oddly enough in the recent video as soon as the questions start to be asked, Bogue quickly loses her smile.
One of the interesting things about these leaked videos is the timing of the events. Christmas 2020 was different for most people, in the sense that it was just you and your household/ covid bubble. There were no work Christmas parties, no large family gatherings no New Year’s celebrations, but rather just you and your covid contacts. At this point the country had been dealing with the pandemic for eight months, and the cold months and high death tolls had led to a low mood across the country. Especially when the third lockdown was announced just after Christmas. Christmas was a low point for many in 2020, and to see the people in power, the ones who were making rules that were supposedly to keep us safe, were laughing at us, I have no words to describe the anger.
The death toll from Covid-19 in the UK is just shy of 230,000. Millions of people have been affected, lives have been changed. In 2023 people with long covid are still affected. An apology, fines and a couple of resignations, it doesn’t feel quite enough for me.
The next General Election will be the first I will be able to vote in. I won’t be forgetting Partygate when I tick my ballot paper.
“Partygate – 02” by garryknight is marked with CC0 1.0.
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Why I will never get over Partygate
I know that I, like most of the readers, followed the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. I remember visiting my grandad in the summer of 2020, he was in the conservatory, we were over 2 meters away in the garden. He said that we could hug and that no one would be upset, and I told him that if I had something and gave it to him, I would never forgive myself. We followed the rules to keep each other safe, but now watching the Conservative Party gatherings feel like a stab through the heart.
There were denials that these gatherings had taken place, statements that said that Tier 3 restrictions had been followed as well as claiming that these activities were work related. The public are not stupid, having “drinks, nibbles, and games” during a pandemic in which the death toll was climbing was not a necessity. It was one of the biggest insults to find out.
In a wonderfully leaked 46 second clip Allegra Stratton, a former Downing Street Press Secretary, in a mock news briefing says that it wasn’t a party but merely ‘Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting.’ She also proceeds to laugh as she says that the ‘business meeting’ was not socially distanced. I struggle to really comprehend how this is funny. And for clarification Allegera, no, cheese and wine isn’t alright.
Whilst I will never forget about Partygate, momentarily it had made its way to the back of my mind, until the October 2023 Tory Party conference in which Malin Bogue from the Conservative Party was asked by a Mirror reporter if she would like to say anything about Party gate. Who is Bogue you may ask? She can be seen at the Conservatives “Jingle and Mingle” twirling in a red dress. Oddly enough in the recent video as soon as the questions start to be asked, Bogue quickly loses her smile.
One of the interesting things about these leaked videos is the timing of the events. Christmas 2020 was different for most people, in the sense that it was just you and your household/ covid bubble. There were no work Christmas parties, no large family gatherings no New Year’s celebrations, but rather just you and your covid contacts. At this point the country had been dealing with the pandemic for eight months, and the cold months and high death tolls had led to a low mood across the country. Especially when the third lockdown was announced just after Christmas. Christmas was a low point for many in 2020, and to see the people in power, the ones who were making rules that were supposedly to keep us safe, were laughing at us, I have no words to describe the anger.
The death toll from Covid-19 in the UK is just shy of 230,000. Millions of people have been affected, lives have been changed. In 2023 people with long covid are still affected. An apology, fines and a couple of resignations, it doesn’t feel quite enough for me.
A year abroad at Cornell: exchange or excommunication?
The next General Election will be the first I will be able to vote in. I won’t be forgetting Partygate when I tick my ballot paper.
“Partygate – 02” by garryknight is marked with CC0 1.0.
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