Peston reporting 'that'email has been found by Sue Gray

Abel Tasman said:
All that will happen I surmise is Johnson will deny seeing the email - Reynolds finally falls on his sword and all we hope then is that he calls Johnson out. No doubt Reynolds has the promise of a knighthood for keeping schtum.
Click to expand...

If this email does actually exist, you have to ask yourself why does it exist? Civil servants are very careful to ensure that written material (which can be subject to freedom of information requests) only exists when there is a specific need for it.

In this case, the existence of such an email suggests to me that a senior civil servant, who has tried to advise the PM to cancel the garden party but been rebuffed, felt it necessary to follow up that conversation with an email. The purpose of the email would not be to try and change the PM's mind, it would be to provide evidence that the civil servant advised against it.

If that is the case, you can guarantee that the wording will include something along the lines "Following our meeting earlier today, I wish to reiterate my advice that...". It wouldn't really matter whether the PM read the email or not. Its existence would provide strong evidence that he was, indeed, advised that it breached the rules and that he should cancel it.
 
Billy Horner said:
If this email does actually exist, you have to ask yourself why does it exist? Civil servants are very careful to ensure that written material (which can be subject to freedom of information requests) only exists when there is a specific need for it.

In this case, the existence of such an email suggests to me that a senior civil servant, who has tried to advise the PM to cancel the garden party but been rebuffed, felt it necessary to follow up that conversation with an email. The purpose of the email would not be to try and change the PM's mind, it would be to provide evidence that the civil servant advised against it.

If that is the case, you can guarantee that the wording will include something along the lines "Following our meeting earlier today, I wish to reiterate my advice that...". It wouldn't really matter whether the PM read the email or not. Its existence would provide strong evidence that he was, indeed, advised that it breached the rules and that he should cancel it.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree with this, the government will be inundated by FOI requests, so anything that is recorded, especially emails that are so easily retrievable, will have been written with that in mind.
 
Billy Horner said:
If this email does actually exist, you have to ask yourself why does it exist? Civil servants are very careful to ensure that written material (which can be subject to freedom of information requests) only exists when there is a specific need for it.

In this case, the existence of such an email suggests to me that a senior civil servant, who has tried to advise the PM to cancel the garden party but been rebuffed, felt it necessary to follow up that conversation with an email. The purpose of the email would not be to try and change the PM's mind, it would be to provide evidence that the civil servant advised against it.

If that is the case, you can guarantee that the wording will include something along the lines "Following our meeting earlier today, I wish to reiterate my advice that...". It wouldn't really matter whether the PM read the email or not. Its existence would provide strong evidence that he was, indeed, advised that it breached the rules and that he should cancel it.
Click to expand...
"I didn't receive an email"
"I had taken receipt of a new phone and did not have access to my old emails"
"I did not read the email until after the work event"
"I am dyslexic"
"No-one told me how to read"
 
ThePrisoner said:
"I didn't receive an email"
"I had taken receipt of a new phone and did not have access to my old emails"
"I did not read the email until after the work event"
"I am dyslexic"
"No-one told me how to read"
Click to expand...

Don't doubt for a minute that he'll try all of those and more. My point, though, is that if this email does exist, it will actually provide evidence that he was spoken to (i.e. face to face) by a senior civil servant and advised that it broke the rules and should be cancelled.

What would he do then? Claim that he doesn't speak English?
 
Billy Horner said:
Don't doubt for a minute that he'll try all of those and more. My point, though, is that if this email does exist, it will actually provide evidence that he was spoken to (i.e. face to face) by a senior civil servant and advised that it broke the rules and should be cancelled.

What would he do then? Claim that he doesn't speak English?
Click to expand...
He would if he thought it could help him stay in power but he will come up with some semi-plausible excuse such as he is a classics chap and doesn't understand how email and computers work. Or he will just find another underling to throw under the bus. He will never go of his own volition.
 
Billy Horner said:
Don't doubt for a minute that he'll try all of those and more. My point, though, is that if this email does exist, it will actually provide evidence that he was spoken to (i.e. face to face) by a senior civil servant and advised that it broke the rules and should be cancelled.

What would he do then? Claim that he doesn't speak English?
Click to expand...
"I don't personally see all emails addressed to me, this must have been filtered out by an employee. I shall order an enquiry led by (a random friend of the party) to find out who is to blame. As to this supposed corridor conversation it refers to, I have no memory of it ever happening, and I know I would remember any such conversation. Oh look over there, the NHS/BBC/(insert hated lefty organisation of your choice) is a disgraceful waste of public money and must be reformed."
 
HarryVegas said:
"I don't personally see all emails addressed to me, this must have been filtered out by an employee. I shall order an enquiry led by (a random friend of the party) to find out who is to blame. As to this supposed corridor conversation it refers to, I have no memory of it ever happening, and I know I would remember any such conversation. Oh look over there, the NHS/BBC/(insert hated lefty organisation of your choice) is a disgraceful waste of public money and must be reformed."
Click to expand...
Sadly that is exactly what will follow the report. They are all too smug and confident to believe they can’t shake off whatever this report will say. I find it incredible that you have tolerated this ridiculous defence of their behaviour.

The only way to get rid is to not vote for them.
 
ThePrisoner said:
He would if he thought it could help him stay in power but he will come up with some semi-plausible excuse such as he is a classics chap and doesn't understand how email and computers work. Or he will just find another underling to throw under the bus. He will never go of his own volition.
Click to expand...
We know how it ends, as tory popularity collapses, his back bench friends will fear for their seats, and to save their own neck they will 'do the moral thing' and get rid of a man 'whose behaviour wasn't right, but was a good leader and the right man until that point'....or some such nonsense. Tories look after number one first, always have, always will.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top