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After lavishly redecorating their Downing Street flat, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie now risk being homeless — and face calls to find a new venue for their wedding party. news online
The couple married in a secret ceremony in London in May 2021 and were limited to having 30 guests to a garden party in Downing Street afterwards because of Covid restrictions.
They have been planning a more glamorous reception at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat northwest of London, on July 30.
In announcing his resignation Thursday, Johnson said he would stay in office until a new Conservative leader is elected in the coming months, possibly until October.
But the Daily Mirror, Guardian and others reported that the timeline has more to do with his desire not to lose the perks of Chequers ahead of the bash, explaining that invitations had already gone out.
Critics said Johnson had the 16th century country home on his mind in his resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street, when at one point he misspoke in thanking “the wonderful staff here at Chequers”.
“As much as we’d all like to have a lavish wedding at the taxpayer’s expense in Chequers, he won’t be able to do so because the British public will find it abhorrent,” London mayor Sadiq Khan told LBC radio.
“And those decent Tories… will not accept a situation where is seeking to stay on as prime minister for his personal benefit, rather than the national interest,” the opposition Labour politician said.
Chequers was already the subject of recent headlines over claims that the Johnsons wanted to build a treehouse there worth £150,000 ($180,000) for their two-year-old son Wilf. They denied that.
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But in another of the many scandals that have dogged his tenure, he had to repay tens of thousands of pounds for luxury wallpaper that he and Carrie used for a makeover of their government flat above 10 Downing Street.
The Johnsons now begin the search for a new home. They own at least two properties together, but one is a small London apartment, and both are said to be rented out.
Alastair Campbell, who was director of communications to Labour prime minister Tony Blair, said Johnson should not enjoy any more perquisites including a departing premier’s right to nominate state honours.
He appears “determined to squat in a country home so he can have his oligarch funders round for fun and games, and resignation honours parlour games,” Campbell tweeted. “Just go, crook.”
Prominent Conservatives including former prime minister John Major also said it was dangerous politically to allow Johnson to cling on for so long.
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Notes from APS Radio News
According to Statista, an award-winning service that compiles and analyzes almost all matter of data for corporations and governments, in the US, the average mortality rate of the virus has been about .07%.
In previous years, when the seasonal flu was still being recorded, the mortality rate could be as high as .13%, according to observers.
As well, during the past few years, it’s been reported that the recovery rate of the virus has been about 99% for most age groups.
Concerning masks and the like, in February 2020, just before lockdowns and mask mandates were implemented in many locations, the CDC released the results of a study:
According to the study, there was little or no difference between wearing masks or not wearing mask, where the transmission of viral particles was concerned.
A number of studies have shown that those who a-symptomatic likely are also not contagious.
The results of a major Danish study done in 2021 showed that there was little difference between wearing masks or not wearing masks, where the transmission of viral particles were concerned.
The policies of Mr. Johnson and his counterparts in other countries caused the shuttering of many businesses, a number of which never opened again.
As well, it’s been reported that, during lockdowns and the like, the number of suicides, instances of drug abuse, instances of deferred medical care, instances of domestic abuse and alcoholism increased, as many people fell into despair.
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