Cummings in the soup?

[Retsdon]

The rose garden at No 10 is has always traditionally been used for diplomatic or state affairs. That Cummings made free with it to brief the press corps on his personal doings speaks volumes about who is really in charge of this government.

I suppose there's no reason why the country shouldn't have an unelected and unaccountable individual with an undefined role directing the affairs of state. It may be some new form of democratic parliamentary democracy. But not parliamentary democracy as we know it, Jim.  

.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

[JohnfromUK]

5 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

That Cummings made free with it to brief the press corps on his personal doings speaks volumes about who is really in charge of this government.

Or it speaks volumes about common sense and being practical;

The normal daily briefing set up was scheduled to be used just afterwards (by the Prime Minister).  It was nice weather and indoors I'm guessing, but suspect in No 10 or surrounding govt buildings there are few easily accessed rooms big enough to have social distancing other than very formal rooms (like the Cabinet Room - which would definitely be inappropriate).  Outside spaces are better for lower risk.

So an outside space, with a basic trestle table was used.

Non story

[oowee]

Given the questionable decision making of this guy and the contempt with which he treats the general public (eye test baloney) we get a clear indication of his approach when giving advice to BJ. One can only wonder at the how this contempt for the concerns of others will play out in the negotiations. 

All equal but some are more equal. 

[Retsdon]

23 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I really do like that picture. It's a long time since I had a view like it of a young dog and it brings back happy memories. Can he keep hold if you swing him around?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well, like you he will NOT let go!

[Retsdon]

🤣😁😁

[Vince Green]

When you are in a hole stop digging and when you have nothing new to say don't call a press conference.

It was a display of arrogance and not much else 

[Scully]

2 hours ago, Retsdon said:

The rose garden at No 10 is has always traditionally been used for diplomatic or state affairs. That Cummings made free with it to brief the press corps on his personal doings speaks volumes about who is really in charge of this government.

I suppose there's no reason why the country shouldn't have an unelected and unaccountable individual with an undefined role directing the affairs of state. It may be some new form of democratic parliamentary democracy. But not parliamentary democracy as we know it, Jim.  

.

I don’t think it’s the first party with unelected ‘aides’. 
However, all you have to do if you’re not happy is vote that particular party out at the next election. 🙂

[Gordon R]

That is the answer. Cummings - like him or loathe him, appears to be staying. The story seems to have peaked and I think it will diminish.  If you prefer Keir Starmer and his anti-semitic bunch, rather than the Tories, advised by Cummings - vote for them.

Those who moan about people missing out on various events or seeing friends / relatives should perhaps have read the guidance as closely as Cummings did.. 

The exceptions are there and perhaps Cummings acted unwisely, but lawfully.

The VE celebrations are being blamed for a spike in Weston super Mare, Cheltenham and the Liverppol match allegedly resulted in many more deaths. Where are the media on this? Are they calling those involved idiots or camping outside their homes. I think not. Bunch of hypocrites.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Gordon R

[Retsdon]

20 minutes ago, Scully said:

I don’t think it’s the first party with unelected ‘aides’. 

No it's not. But its the first government to have one of its aides make personal statements from the garden of Number 10 Downing Street.  It's quite plain now that Cummings considers himself untouchable. The real questions to ask do not lie in the minutiae of his trip to Durham (and his exhaustive, mocking elaboration of those details yesterday bears this out) but in the bigger question of WHY he is untouchable. Why has the entire cabinet been instructed to back him up unequivocally? Why has public health policy been retrospectively reoriented to protect one man's position? What is the nature of the power he wields?

This isn't a party political issue. It's a constitutional one.

[lancer425]

Why is it that those who wanted DC bringing to task on his alleged covid 19 rule breaching. Why are the reporters not social distancing not being persecuted with the same amount of vigour. /

[AVB]

26 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

No it's not. But its the first government to have one of its aides make personal statements from the garden of Number 10 Downing Street.  It's quite plain now that Cummings considers himself untouchable. The real questions to ask do not lie in the minutiae of his trip to Durham (and his exhaustive, mocking elaboration of those details yesterday bears this out) but in the bigger question of WHY he is untouchable. Why has the entire cabinet been instructed to back him up unequivocally? Why has public health policy been retrospectively reoriented to protect one man's position? What is the nature of the power he wields?

This isn't a party political issue. It's a constitutional one.

I think you are losing the plot being in isolation in Saudi. Does it really matter where he made the statement from? Have the Cabinet been ‘instructed’ to support him or, rather, they think he didn’t do anything wrong and is being persecuted? 

[GingerCat]

I think the whole non story is getting a bit silly now and clearly lock down is driving people insane. 

The Brexit issue is raising its head and the remainers want him to go, hey will do anything to see that happen, that's the real issue. 

[Mighty Ruler]

42 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

No it's not. But its the first government to have one of its aides make personal statements from the garden of Number 10 Downing Sreet.

Perhaps he should have driven back to Durham to make his statement.

[clangerman]

this plank was so worried about his eyesight he loaded his WIFE and CHILD in the car for a test drive if that’s not a LIE people are supporting someone who risked killing a woman and child or is that now the acceptable way to test your eyesight 

[grrclark]

2 minutes ago, GingerCat said:

I think the whole non story is getting a bit silly now and clearly lock down is driving people insane. 

The Brexit issue is raising its head and the remainers want him to go, hey will do anything to see that happen, that's the real issue. 

I voted for Brexit, i'm a Conservative party member, i am personally completely ambivalent about Dom, i'm ridiculously pragmatic and reasonable about almost everything and I very much think that he should go.

What he did in itslef is relatively trivial, the image that is presents to millions of people in this country is not.  It absolutely re-enforces the stereotype of one rule for the elite Tories and a different one for everyone else.  It will do BoJo and his government lasting harm.

[JohnfromUK]

28 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

Why has public health policy been retrospectively reoriented to protect one man's position?

It hasn't been.  The Covid 'lockdown' rules were set by Parliament (in a Statutory Instrument presented by the Government) and came into force on 26th March.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/pdfs/uksi_20200350_en.pdf

Changes (relaxations in England only) were made on 13th May - which are the first changes made and weren't retrospective.

The legislation has always been open to interpretation because it relies on phrases like 'reasonable' and 'without reasonable excuse'.  Specific 'excuses' mentioned for movement restrictions (para 6) as allowable include some relating to childcare and one relating to where a person may be 'unsafe'.

35 minutes ago, lancer425 said:

Why is it that those who wanted DC bringing to task on his alleged covid 19 rule breaching. Why are the reporters not social distancing not being persecuted with the same amount of vigour. /

Because although they are criticising Cummings for apparently seeing himself as being above the law ......... they do obviously consider themselves as being above the law.  Could that be the reason?

[Walker570]

I see the other suspects have waded in as well.... no guesses.... Grant and Rowling of course they need the publicity and are in no way politically biased are they. Pathetic.

[ditchman]

both media's are having a field day winding things up..............................that Kay Burley is just a nasty mouthed hag...a dirty piece of work.......it is appalling the way she talks to people

the cummings thing will only go away when the media can no longer suck anymore pus out of it............then they will find something else to miss report and twist into a story

the whole covid-19 thing has now turned into a political bun fight

[Rewulf]

19 minutes ago, AVB said:

I think you are losing the plot being in isolation in Saudi. Does it really matter where he made the statement from? Have the Cabinet been ‘instructed’ to support him or, rather, they think he didn’t do anything wrong and is being persecuted? 

 It could be the heat .

 

10 minutes ago, GingerCat said:

I think the whole non story is getting a bit silly now and clearly lock down is driving people insane. 

The Brexit issue is raising its head and the remainers want him to go, hey will do anything to see that happen, that's the real issue. 

Exactly.

 

5 minutes ago, clangerman said:

this plank was so worried about his eyesight he loaded his WIFE and CHILD in the car for a test drive if that’s not a LIE people are supporting someone who risked killing a woman and child or is that now the acceptable way to test your eyesight 

Do your eyes ever get tired on a long drive ?
Mine do, maybe I shouldnt drive with anyone else in the car too ?

 

3 minutes ago, grrclark said:

I voted for Brexit, i'm a Conservative party member, i am personally completely ambivalent about Dom, i'm ridiculously pragmatic and reasonable about almost everything and I very much think that he should go.

What he did in itslef is relatively trivial, the image that is presents to millions of people in this country is not.  It absolutely re-enforces the stereotype of one rule for the elite Tories and a different one for everyone else.  It will do BoJo and his government lasting harm.

Thats an interesting point.
Who exactly has presented this 'image' ?
Have they done so unbiasedly , factually ? 
Or has the press gone after him like a pack of starving hounds ?

This is the image they have presented to US , and personally , I think its backfired.
As much as they tried to stir up this fake anger in everyone, its not got everyone so riled, this is obvious from these very pages.
Words like 'disgusted'  'angry' 'odious' ... is that how they really feel ? Or is it the way the media makes you believe you SHOULD feel.
To listen to some people on social media, you would think that Cummings had sold off everyones first born to the dark lord or something.
We didnt elect him , hes not a politician, hes a civil servant, and advisor, if he had anything to do with covid planning or lockdown strategy, it was something he was doing on the advice of medical professionals .
So he went for a drive on lockdown, because he thought that was the best thing to do, big deal !
So its NOT leading by example, no one would even know about it if the media didnt detest the man so much, do you think hes the only high profile person that got clocked breaching the guidelines ?

The media hate him because some of them dont like his politics, others dont like him because he doesnt like the media, and quite rightly so 99% of the time.
Dont hate him because the media tell you to, its the oldest weapon in their arsenal - trial and execution by destruction of reputation.

[clangerman]

3 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

 

Do your eyes ever get tired on a long drive ?
Mine do, maybe I shouldnt drive with anyone else in the car too ?

 

he did not have tired eyes he admitted his eyesight was not up to driving let’s assume like cummings does your half wits who believe him that makes him either a liar or the most irresponsible person in the country unfit to advise a lamppost or he is lying take your pick none of you sound like half wits to me 

[oowee]

33 minutes ago, grrclark said:

I voted for Brexit, i'm a Conservative party member, i am personally completely ambivalent about Dom, i'm ridiculously pragmatic and reasonable about almost everything and I very much think that he should go.

What he did in itslef is relatively trivial, the image that is presents to millions of people in this country is not.  It absolutely re-enforces the stereotype of one rule for the elite Tories and a different one for everyone else.  It will do BoJo and his government lasting harm.

I reckon DC is pretty good at what he does and clearly helping Boris to build a fomidable power block within Govt. It will be interesting to see the view of the Private Members Committee but I guess we won't hear that unless he is to go, and the alignment with Borris in the current crisis will surely carry him through for the moment.

[crosswaters]

53 minutes ago, GingerCat said:

I think the whole non story is getting a bit silly now and clearly lock down is driving people insane. 

The Brexit issue is raising its head and the remainers want him to go, hey will do anything to see that happen, that's the real issue. 

THIS !!!!!!!! 

[grrclark]

1 minute ago, Rewulf said:

Thats an interesting point.

Who exactly has presented this 'image' ?
Have they done so unbiasedly , factually ? 
Or has the press gone after him like a pack of starving hounds ?

This is the image they have presented to US , and personally , I think its backfired.
As much as they tried to stir up this fake anger in everyone, its not got everyone so riled, this is obvious from these very pages.
Words like 'disgusted'  'angry' 'odious' ... is that how they really feel ? Or is it the way the media makes you believe you SHOULD feel.
To listen to some people on social media, you would think that Cummings had sold off everyones first born to the dark lord or something.
We didnt elect him , hes not a politician, hes a civil servant, and advisor, if he had anything to do with covid planning or lockdown strategy, it was something he was doing on the advice of medical professionals .
So he went for a drive on lockdown, because he thought that was the best thing to do, big deal !
So its NOT leading by example, no one would even know about it if the media didnt detest the man so much, do you think hes the only high profile person that got clocked breaching the guidelines ?

The media hate him because some of them dont like his politics, others dont like him because he doesnt like the media, and quite rightly so 99% of the time.
Dont hate him because the media tell you to, its the oldest weapon in their arsenal - trial and execution by destruction of reputation.

The "blame the media" claim is straight from the Donald Trump playbook and is a dangerous approach to follow.  Of course the media have hyped this up and many of them will be relishing the opportunity to give Dom and BoJo a bloody nose, no denying that.  I do agree that the media is often times too obsessed with selling copy, but we also have to recognise that Dom has used that very fact to his advantage for years.

The press' job is to hold government to account, all the more so those in high office in governement that are unelected and so not directly accountable to the electorate. In pointing out that a senior architect of the Stay at Home policy was prepared to ride roughshod over the spirit of that is I think a very good example of them doing their job.  Sure they gloated during the presser to make the guy squirm, but he deserved it.

I'm actually a little bit surprised at you being so vocal in support of him staying, not about the indiscretion as it is relatively minor in itself, but at the fact that it clearly demonstrates the government machine is deeply content to be manipulative of the truth and inconsiderate of public sentiment.

If you are content to go along with the "Do as I say and not as I do" example of this will you be content when that applies to things that you really care about?  So when the government made promises around some of the Brexit things in order to get the public support, but actually deliver somethign very different? We have clear example now of 'what they say' and 'what they do' diverge and they're happy to obfuscate that in sophistry of an argument.

The reason the Tories have a significant majority and could progress the Brexit agenda from the endless stalemate it was in was because Boris said "Trust me, we will level up the country, we will do this together, I will deliver what you ask me to" then his key advisor goes and does somethign that portrays the polar opposite.

As a Tory and Brexiteer I am dismayed, albeit not suprised, at the failure of leadership of BoJo on something that is entirely about perception of the integrity and honesty of the government.  BoJo is an inveterate liar and is seen as someone without integrity, here he had a chance to demonstrate otherwise and spectacularly failed.