UKH

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-03-15/exclusive-first-pictures-of-downing-str...
 

I’m going to guess that most posters on here will agree with me that this is just downright embarrassing. But I’m hopeful some of the more conservative amongst might contribute to telling us - does this fill you with pride? Is it a ‘good’ thing (all the flags etc)?

I’m genuinely interested in hearing from anyone who buys what Boris is selling. I mean his popularity has increased 6%. Personally, I find that astounding.

I think it's Dow Reet

£2.6m??

To redecorate one room of the house?

Not just noticed that. Utterly fantastic. Sums up this government wonderfully.

It couldn't be more british... did you not spot the henry to stage left? 

He’s found a magic money forest. I think his popularity increase is down to control of the media, in particular, the BBC where fascist like control of criticism is happening before our eyes.

... at some point we'll all wake up and realise the last 5 years has just been a really, really bad dream...

Yeah but......

If we don't have the flags I might get confused as to which country I'm in .

That plinth looks a little cheap , like hardboard.

I'd have gone with Obsidian .

Maybe in 2024 when the rotten sack of offal is re-elected.

jk

You lack imagination, my friend.

I'd have gone with a solid gold eagle, the epitome of strength. Wings outspread to show inclusion. And in its razor sharp talons, the poor, the needy, the downtrodden. Symbolically being lifted up by their richer, more powerful, master. 

And that's why I should work in PR.

Most of that went on the hidden frickin' laser beams

It looks a bit... blue. Now it makes sense that they do have a dedicated space for doing such conferences especially as until now they have been held in what looks like a corridor. Pretty damn expensive at £2.6m, and it is too blue and cheap looking.

I think they could get away with just about anything. A plinth depicting a Viking male, dragging a woman by her hair, trampling over a prostrate black slave, looking contemptuously back at all of Europe... that should keep  Mark Francois happy. It  would only offend a few snowflakes.

Could so easily stick a ring of yellow stars onto that background

I think it will look very good indeed with a map table and lots of plastic tanks being pushed round while Boris says how "match fit" our Challengers are (based as they are on upgraded stuff developed for the Shah that our troops got because of the loss of that deal)

perhaps we can buy some Armata (about which I've had some concern for a while, once it is fully developed) from Russia as we move away from Russia - I'm sure there must be a business cronychain there somewhere

If we have to face the Armata with our old stuff then we'll need Sir Francis Drake (or Chichester) back

An inevitable outcome for Governments that can no longer control the messaging in the traditional media and the majority of the electorate begin to get their news from social media.  More governments will follow as they attempt to talk "directly to the people" and cut out the media/social media.

While I might not agree with the price (although I suspect that it primarily the cost of networking the place to make it viable for news organizations to live broadcast from it on a daily basis) - I don't see this as a tory move.  IMO 100% inevitable that Labor (if they ever get back into power!) will use it also to by pass the right wing British media.

We'll see them popping up everywhere soon enough.

That’s an interesting point. We probably won’t see a Labour government for any significant period of time (who might dismantle it?), so it’s highly likely the room will be accepted as common practice and become part of our political landscape.

Maybe they got the bills mixed up and it was £200k for this and £2.6 million for Carrie’s flat redecoration ...

It is, but more seriously I think its very existence shows the depth of contempt of the current government for our 'constitution' and our parliamentary democracy. (What's left of it.)

The PM and the government are supposed to announce things in parliament, not to a room full of carefully selected journalists.  The ministerial code specifically forbids advisors, civil servants etc., from making policy announcements on behalf of the government or speaking on 'controversial' subjects.  (Under previous governments, Dominic Cummings's press conference at no.10 would have been a resigning offence in itself.)

The dissonance is incredible.  It's like Priti Patel reaffirming her commitment to the ministerial code (whilst acknowledging that bullying is bad mmmkay?) and at the same time hiring Barry Knuckles as a special advisor and spending a million quid setting up a gold-plated boxing gym at the Home Office where he can dish out punishment beatings to civil servants on her behalf.

Our government is not supposed to 'talk directly to the people' or the media.  They are supposed to make any significant policy announcements in parliament, and the media report on what happens there.  That's how a 'parliamentary democracy' is meant to work, the PM is not supposed to be a sort of British equivalent of the POTUS.

Speaking of the media though - does it seem like a complete coincidence that we have not one but two right-wing "opinionated news" TV channels launching soon?  Because who could have watched what's been going on in the USA the last few years and not thought to themselves that what the UK really needs right now is its own version of Fox News.

or Der Stuermer?  If this is a way of getting round OFCOM we could end up with anything being propagated

Don't disagree ... only making the case that I think it is an inevitable outcome of their loss of ability to control the messaging they want to get out and what actually lands on the ears of the electorate.  They are changing the rules of the game.

Probably on a related note [1] complaints were made to ofcom against the Scottish government to the effect that their daily Covid briefings had become "a platform for SNP views".  The complaints were dismissed but warning we're issues about impartiality.

I for one think that the daily covid briefings issued by both the Scottish and the UK government were undoubtedly a platform used by those governments to advance their standings in the electorate at the expense of opposition parties.

I think governments are learning that running a daily briefing, on the balance of probabilities, advances and entrenches the status quo at the expense of diminishing the opposition simply because they do not get an equivalent platform upon which to get their views out.

[1]  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19144343.ofcom-dismisses-complaints-bia...

OFCOM.  Hmm.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/31/johnson-poised-to-appoint-pau...

You cant say that. The right wingers are having a hard time getting their voice heard. What with winning all those elections and pushing through badly thought out legislation. If you're suggesting that we don't need two echo chambers, then you're part of that 'cancel culture' that stops the right from winning elections.

I'm sure you're right.  No doubt ongoing attacks on what remains of the BBC's impartiality are part of that picture too.

Yes, I'd noticed that.  It'd be hard not to with the poor loves shouting from the rooftops about how they've been silenced.

In potato-related political correctness news, I enjoyed the irony of some of the American right wing commentators who've been losing their minds about poor old Mr Potato Head being the very same who were 'cancelling' french fries back in 2003.  (If you were at the Capitol and wanted chips with your chicken nuggets in a canteen in congress, you'd have had to order "freedom fries" from 2003-2006.  They're French again now.)

I was shocked by that as well. I always thought it very sporting that the US enlisted the help of the French in order to beat the British. We've been fighting and marrying the French for 1000 years. So to give them a chance to right some historical wrong was very inclusive.

I note that those same right wingers didn't dump the Statue of Liberty, that icon of American freedom, in the sea. 'Those dam cheese eating surrender monkeys, coming over here, winning our wars and providing an enduring global symbol of freedom. Just where do they get off!'

the desk is a wheeled office table.

I don't advocate spending more than necessary, so I applaud the functional nature of this item over one that may look more grandiose and cost a lot.

But it probably cost a lot as well as looking shoddy

Grade II listed building. Good luck with getting anything done and past the planners. Everything had to be renovated to start with and you can’t fix things to walls. 

If you ever get to visit Old Billingsgate Market the whole thing is suspended inside the building on steel beams and nothing touches the brickwork at all. All the air- conditioning units and pipes etc. are self supporting. 
 

I’m in a modern office block and a refit of a media room costs hundreds of thousands. 

In one of the papers this morning, apparently a tory mp had already pointed out that a plain blue background is a gift to any internet comedian..........

I look forward to some of the more creative uses.....

A lot of people are balking at the cost, but this is a brand new TV studio in a listed and historical building so whilst it is a lot, I don't think it's that much more than I would have expected...

This isn't just redecorating a room - there's the actual set, lighting, sound dampening, connectivity, vision mixing and control systems, mics and sound mixing, cameras (looks like there's a load of hot head cams in there, they're not cheap) and all their control systems for those, fibre to BBC/BT Tower/ITV the list goes on and on...

As everybody who works in TV tech will tell you, the costs are high, really bloody high as a lot of this kit is sold in relatively small numbers compared to consumer products.  I remember when I first started in TV I was asked to pick up a tape deck a sling it into a rack.  As I struggled with the weight of the thing a VT operator remarked "careful with that, it's worth £30 grand".  I laughed... "no, really...." 

Added to this, putting all this in to a space inside a grade 1 listed building where there wasn't a TV studio before is a massive task.

There are far, far worse examples of govt spending than this where many times the amount has been spent and there are still no tangible assets after project completion and that's before we even start on Hancock's PPE spending.

In all, yes, it is a bit spendy but I can see how it's got that high, and seeing as billions have been wasted on far less worthy endeavours it's not that bad.

As for the need for this itself - I quite like the idea of American style daily press briefings.  I tell myself that it's because it'll make it easier for journo's to question the government and hold them to account more, which may be true, but deep down it's just because I loved The West Wing.

I got thinking about costs after writing this.  

Check this out, they'll have at least one of these (or similar server from another manufacturer) https://www.esbroadcast.com/product/used-evs-xt3-8-channels-production-serv...

That's just under £100k for a second hand 8 channel version.  They'll have a brand new 12 channel one... You're getting towards £200k on that alone!

the real cost is that Parliamentary accountability is bypassed and undermined, replaced by the Press.  This weakens our democracy, but then this is the gang who tried to prorogue Parliament illegally

It's just a shame that it looks like a village hall about to hold a cheap am dram production of the West Wing.

I'm surprised others haven't picked up on the blue paint, being exactly the same blue that they use as stage decor at Conservative conferences, Party political broadcasts, etc. It seems to me to be far too overtly partisan. What would people say if a Labour PM had had it painted bright red?

The building itself of 10 Downing Street (now forever Dow reet) should imo be politically neutral, and when the PM is giving a press conference he is giving it as PM of the UK, not as leader of the Conservative Party. It should have been some neutral colour, or wooden panelling (at that ridiculously exorbitant price).

I’m not that fussed about the cost. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not that much. Particularly given the tech they’ll have had to fit.

I’m more concerned/laughing at the shameful nationalist symbolism. 

It’s just all a bit reminiscent of more frightening historical nationalist regimes.

Some Art Deco Eagles would have been nice

Yeah I’d agree with you (and the others who have mentioned it). I don’t like the look at all!

I just wanted to speak up re. the costs, especially as some idiot in the press (think it’s linked in the article) is saying that this could have been done for £200k which identifiably horseshit.

Did you miss the bit where they held daily coronavirus press conferences, and instead of answering journalists questions they simply answered a question they they would have liked to have been asked, followed by the journalist asking it again, and them answering their fictitious question again, followed by them cutting the journalists mic and moving on, with the public none-the-wiser except for using about the wonderful job search were doing in difficult circumstances?

The house of commons is a bit of a joke, but at least in there, there's a speaker who can ask them to come back to the house and correct the record. In the press room they can get away with downright lies. Repeatedly.

Does anyone know what was wrong with the ol' 'plinth-outside-number-10'?

Also if someone could explain what was wrong with the lovely wooden banquet hall that they were doing the daily covid briefing from, that would be great. 

Briefings should be focussed on their content rather than their showy aesthetics and bravado. What does that remind me of?

Why are they spaffing so much money on bullshit when our public services are getting shafted and we're in a hole of debt?  

Friday Night with Jonathon Ro.S.S.?

I am not sure you can completely avoid it being political to some extent. Its worth noting though it wont be him doing it normally but instead his new press secretary who has been specifically hired since unlike the standard "number 10 government official" she can be politically partisan.

And some pictures of Bull Dogs.

Maybe the PM should wear a suit made from the Union Flag when addressing the Prolls?

I suspect that that's fine for occasional one off announcements or on an ad hoc basis, but when they do this each broadcaster has to turn up and rig their own mics, cameras, satellite van, tender etc which they're probably fine with once in a while, but aren't going to be able to commit that kind of resource for a daily press briefing.

Not sure why they can't use that wooden banqueting hall anymore, they must need it for something else?  Or maybe it's a temporary setup so this brings challenges and limitations.  Or maybe Carrie Symmonds needs it for a yoga studio. 

Agreed, but my point is that the decor is unacceptably overtly Tory Party to the exclusion of all else. Saying: this is what the whole country is, or should be; all the rest is crap.

The Tories are knuckling down for another decade of power. Curb protests, daily party political broadcasts (bypassing parliament and unfavorable news outlets eventually), China-style vanity transport projects giving the illusion of progress, dismissing normal checks and balances (ministerial code, financial accountability), boost military spending (to counter largely fictitious threats) etc.

Woo.

What are we going to do with the flags when Scotland has gone?

jk

I'm staggered that the refurb was done by a firm with links to Moscow. Surely, there was a bloke in Hancock's pub or Raab' s gym that could have benefited from £2.6 million. The cost of a few IKEA chairs, some blue Dulux, a Henry hoover and a couple of flags is not insignificant!

They probably realised they'd sent most of the skilled tradespeople in this country back to the continent. 

Glad ITV are toeing the line; none of this European nonsense about being able to opt out of cookies...

just think of the SIGINT opportunities!

I wonder if the Russkis could use some info on links from No 10 to GCHQ?

Have you seen how many tory donors are Russians?

pass along please, nothing to see here, pass along ....

It's a direct route in to the House of Lords. 

You're surely not suggesting that UKC is left wing echo chamber?

It's an absolute outrage. Four whole union jacks. In Britain of all places. Absolutely disgraceful. 

Whatever next, this? https://tinyurl.com/jzupbdvr

If you are genuinely interested I recommend you find somewhere else to ask the question 'cos you ain't going to get an answer on here.

That's because you spend too much time on UKC!

Get out of the bubble. You might not like what you find out there but you might not be so astounded.

I think it's heart warming to see Henry the Hoover.

Looks like they went for the budget Leni Reifenstahl range.   They should have sprung for the floor to ceiling banner flags.

https://tashpix.wordpress.com/tag/documentaries/

are you thinking something like this ?

https://images.app.goo.gl/hJSnRTcpLkYpV2J2A

how the lead contractors must laugh . Quick wander round . Few numbers in a spreadsheet . Actual cost £700,000. Lick finger , hold it in the air and feel the direction the breeze ,look of intense  concentration, thinks < are we going to double it or triple it ? > . Decides to check with boss . Boss get s annoyed . " why are asking me , moron , this is a government job , not a school  , triple it and add a bit on for my new Porsche " 

That’s equally embarrassing.

I can’t. We’re in lockdown.  

I think I would TBH. That anyone votes Tory, other than reasons for personal greed, is beyond me. That anyone voted for Boris’ Tories is even more beyond me. And as for his popularity going up. 

Thanks for replying, except you didn’t. You’re right I should know better.
 

Having worked on similar types of projects before, what normally happens is the systems integrators first send you a BOM that has everything including the kitchen sink on it, and then the tech team will go through line by line removing anything that they already have, can get a better price on directly for the manufacturer, pairing down anything which is overprovisioned, and removing any works they or other suppliers can do themselves for a better price.

Eventually after much back and forth a new BOM is issued and agreed upon that has a much smaller total cost than the first version.

However, this being the government and not a TV company they won't have the required knowledge, staff, relationships and resources to do this process, so they probably just looked at the first BOM and said "when can you start?".

Just imagine what Jeremy corbyn could have spent that money on? Certainly he wouldn't have wasted it on flags and more propaganda stages. The man the right warned was a threat to the UK. 

Woohoo! G&Ts all round!

Being cynical I think it is Boris trying to be more American.

He has adopted a Trump like stance of saying anything to make himself sound good, irrespective of any accuracy.

The recent move to have a Union Jack in the background when just about any Secretary of State is interviewed.

And now having a press secretary and a briefing room.

Dave

Yeah I agree.

He's always had a bit of affection for the US, maintained his US citizenship till he became Mayor of London...

What's left or right about a media briefing room?

I suspect the nationalism embodied in the surfeit of flags won't play well here nor the sidestepping of parliamentary scrutiny but that's not inherently left or right, it's just authoritarian nationalism. 

Ditto. Who let the monster out though, Johnson or Starmer?

No? You seem like you might be a fan and I know there are several others always quick to Johnson's defence.

Re. Johnson's popularity bump:

So it's a UKC thing, the cronyism and corruption? The dithering, mixed messages and appalling covid death toll? The catastrophic mess in NI and Scotland? The collapse in cross channel trade? The shafting of the fishing communities used to sell brexit? The Gordian knot of red tape they've ensnared us all in? The bonfire of rights? The utter lack of preparedness for the one thing this government exists to do, brexit and the one thing it should have been laser focused on, covid? The exodus of industry and business? The authoritarian attacks on our democracy and freedoms? The utter utter f*cking shambles, that's not real, it's all an artefact of my bubble? Mkay.

Johnson's stock has risen because the vaccines bring an end to this phase of the pandemic in sight. That's all.

jk

You seem to be rather easily embarassed, it's a room with some flags in it, it's better than a broom cupboard for it's purpose. Why fret over it?

You’re right, why should I concern myself if someone else wants to decorate badly. It’s not like I even think of myself as British.