On 12 December, Theresa May faces a vote of confidence as prime minister. But no matter what the outcome, the Tories are set to party. Because in a delicious twist of irony, at the same time as the vote is going on, there’s a Christmas party at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).
Awkward
According to the Spectator, the Christmas bash is still going ahead. The timing of this is awkward. To say the least.
According to the editor of Conservative Home, one of the top raffle prizes at the party is a signed photo of the prime minister:
It appears that a bunch of Conservative Associations have been given a fundraising prize for Christmas raffles and auctions this week: one signed photograph of the Prime Minister. Genuinely, not the best timing.
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) December 12, 2018
The timetable ‘clash’ even led Commons Speaker John Bercow to propose a new contender for the leadership challenge, should May lose:
https://twitter.com/HoC_Speaker_MP/status/1072833099925467137
Visions of just quite how this party might look, and how people will behave are spreading across Twitter:
With the CCHQ Christmas party scheduled tonight, never has this meme been more relevant. #Tories #toryleadership pic.twitter.com/CfCNlnAMqI
— Anastasia Zawierucha (@AnastasiaZaw) December 12, 2018
It's the Conservative Party Christmas Party tonight. Wonder how that's going to go?#NoConfidence #MerryChristmas pic.twitter.com/dIugVU237S
— Christina (@55krissi55) December 12, 2018
Meanwhile, others wondered about Secret Santa gifts:
https://twitter.com/zokko10/status/1072895375458099202
Others came up with suggestions for party games:
Party game suggestions for Conservative Party Christmas party tonight:
– musical chairs
– murder in the dark
– unfollow the leader
– pass the Brexit parcel— Paul Coleman (@PColemanchester) December 12, 2018
Some recognised that the Tories are doing a good line in cracker ‘jokes’ at the moment:
"Moderate, mainstream, compassionate and governing in national interest"
Andrew Bowie making a late play for Conservative Party Christmas Cracker jokes #toryleadership #torymeltdown #TheresaMay https://t.co/6Z91RIL8jY
— Fly you fools! (@Duffy81) December 12, 2018
And some ‘interesting’ conversations took place about who’s now on the guest list:
https://twitter.com/DaveLarkhall/status/1072600236714008578
“Shit show”
As one person said that thinking about how uncomfortable so many Tories will be at this party “almost” makes “this shit show enjoyable”:
The knowledge it's the Conservative Christmas party tonight is almost making this shit show enjoyable.
— Louisa Wells (@Louisa_Wells) December 12, 2018
Of course, although there’s lots of amusement about the fact this party’s going ahead, it’s not really funny. Because it says it all that despite throwing the country into a total constitutional crisis, most Tories won’t think twice about skipping off to an extravagant Christmas bash. They’ll just ignore the homeless people sleeping on the streets outside and won’t give a second thought to the lives their party has destroyed through austerity or the thousands of people who’ll need to use foodbanks to eat this Christmas.
Regardless of the outcome of the confidence vote, we’ve got to get rid not just of May, but of this entire Tory government before we’ll see any real change. Then everyone can party.
Featured images via Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916/Flickr and Pixhere
