Cummings in the soup?

[The Heron]

So if D C was unfortunate enough to pass away we are stuffed no replacement no nothing I really thought that we were over the Boris clown era but apparently not. 

[Gordon R]

To those who say that Cummings is running the country  - if that is true, he would hardly sack himself. It is an exaggeration worthy of The Guardian.

[JohnfromUK]

8 hours ago, Retsdon said:

So why from the rose garden of Number 10?

I answered this earlier - my answer remains the same;

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

8 hours ago, Retsdon said:

What affords his personal affairs that kind of status?

See answer above; common sense and practical

I can understand the 'dog with bone' pictures when you repeat the same question that has been answered a few hours earlier. 😇

[Dave-G]

9 hours ago, oisin og said:

I’m intrigued that none of the many supporters of the Tory party who regularly post have raised the issue of Dominic Cummings.

Do people consider that his story is credible?

Were his actions in driving to his fathers home place justified?

Should the PM continue to support him or sack him?
 

What do you think?

Fair point: I think it should have been admitted then allowed to float away after a few days, far better than shooting his own foot off about testing his eyesight by driving.

The scandal is so stupidly ridiculous it sets senior conservatives up as pathetic clowns.

[Raja Clavata]

Does anyone know if all the Tory MPs calling for Cummings to go are exclusively Remainers or a mixed bag?

I see the Liason Committee is meeting today which is itself a bit controversial since Boris skipped a meeting previously, probably a coincidence that the new committee chairman is Sir Bernard Jenkin who is a staunch Brexiteer.

Could be an interesting day for Boris, Dom and the Govt in general.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

4 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

Does anyone know if all the Tory MPs calling for Cummings to go are exclusively Remainers or a mixed bag?

I see the Liason Committee is meeting today which is itself a bit controversial since Boris skipped a meeting previously, probably a coincidence that the new committee chairman is Sir Bernard Jenkin who is a staunch Brexiteer.

Could be an interesting day for Boris, Dom and the Govt in general.

Might be, watching with only moderate interest!

[SpringDon]

Is there a readers digest version of the timeline of him activities? He doesn’t seem to have broken any laws and apart from the eye test thing (which I haven’t seen on the bbc), the explanation seems plausible.

As he is unelected, presumably he is an employee and should be sacked in the case of serious misconduct. This does not seem to be the case.

And, whilst on the subject of unelected, the civil service is the executive body for government and none of its members are elected. Perhaps Cummings is particularly unpopular because he is outside the cosy relationship of senior civil servants and mps.
Finally, if he is the dark power behind the prime minister then sacking him is the last thing we want at this stage as it would (apparently) leave the country leaderless.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 minute ago, SpringDon said:

Is there a readers digest version of the timeline of him activities? He doesn’t seem to have broken any laws and apart from the eye test thing (which I haven’t seen on the bbc), the explanation seems plausible.

As he is unelected, presumably he is an employee and should be sacked in the case of serious misconduct. This does not seem to be the case.

And, whilst on the subject of unelected, the civil service is the executive body for government and none of its members are elected. Perhaps Cummings is particularly unpopular because he is outside the cosy relationship of senior civil servants and mps.
Finally, if he is the dark power behind the prime minister then sacking him is the last thing we want at this stage as it would (apparently) leave the country leaderless.

It is very much a witch hunt because DC has browned off a lot of people in the past and now the media are after his blood.

I quite agree we need him doing his job more than ever at the moment.

[JohnfromUK]

1 minute ago, SpringDon said:

He doesn’t seem to have broken any laws

Agreed.

2 minutes ago, SpringDon said:

apart from the eye test thing (which I haven’t seen on the bbc), the explanation seems plausible.

I even think the eye check thing is understandable - short journey first (after being given medical 'all clear') to make sure your eyes won't rapidly tire - and with a second driver available in the car.  Perhaps unwise at this time, but normally quite sound sense.

4 minutes ago, SpringDon said:

Perhaps Cummings is particularly unpopular because he is outside the cosy relationship of senior civil servants and mps.

Very plausible.  I think he has 'courted' a reputation for intolerance, unconventionality, and being anti 'establishment'.  I think it extends uncomfortably close to bullying even - and that I find pretty repugnant.

4 minutes ago, SpringDon said:

Finally, if he is the dark power behind the prime minister then sacking him is the last thing we want at this stage as it would (apparently) leave the country leaderless.

He is the senior advisor.  I don't see anything 'dark' about his position.  He has never sought to conceal his position/role, nor has he or Johnson particularly tried to disclaim the importance of that role.

 

 

[Raja Clavata]

20 minutes ago, SpringDon said:

Finally, if he is the dark power behind the prime minister then sacking him is the last thing we want at this stage as it would (apparently) leave the country leaderless.

One of the key questions is, to what extent can the government and Boris allow this whole debacle to affect their public approval ratings - according to the yougov poll it's tanked 12% since the start of the month. That's a trajectory which could conceivably lead to a vote of no confidence in the PM before too long.

Some people appear to want to make this all about Brexit, which I can only assume is some kind of deflection tactic. Brexit is neither here nor there in the big scheme of things, there's a ton of grief coming Boris' way shortly and there are only so many he can throw under the bus before he pays the price for his handling of COVID.

[SpringDon]

45 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

<snip>

He is the senior advisor.  I don't see anything 'dark' about his position.  He has never sought to conceal his position/role, nor has he or Johnson particularly tried to disclaim the importance of that role.

 

 

Well to be clear, I agree. He is an advisor and if that advise is taken and acted on, that still makes him an advisor not an architect. 

[AVB]

44 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

One of the key questions is, to what extent can the government and Boris allow this whole debacle to affect their public approval ratings - according to the yougov poll it's tanked 12% since the start of the month. That's a trajectory which could conceivably lead to a vote of no confidence in the PM before too long.

Some people appear to want to make this all about Brexit, which I can only assume is some kind of deflection tactic. Brexit is neither here nor there in the big scheme of things, there's a ton of grief coming Boris' way shortly and there are only so many he can throw under the bus before he pays the price for his handling of COVID.

When it appears that the majority of people (MP’s and PWers) who are critical of Cummings are remainers is would beg to differ. 
 

we are light years away from a vote of no confidence in Boris. By the end of the year it will all be about the economy and Brexit. 

[Mighty Ruler]

Alistair Campbell, who keeps calling for Cummings to go tweeted a picture of himself shoulder to shoulder with some bloke he met swimming in the Serpentine, then quickly deleted it, but not quick enough, it’s on Guido Fawkes’s site. Ha ha, hypocrite, just waiting for something about Piers Morgan now.

[Rewulf]

16 minutes ago, Mighty Ruler said:

Alistair Campbell, who keeps calling for Cummings to go tweeted a picture of himself shoulder to shoulder with some bloke he met swimming in the Serpentine, then quickly deleted it, but not quick enough, it’s on Guido Fawkes’s site. Ha ha, hypocrite, just waiting for something about Piers Morgan now.

Is that what they call it these days 

 

1 hour ago, Raja Clavata said:

Some people appear to want to make this all about Brexit,

No 'appear' about it , Cummings = Brexit = Bad = Cummings bad...
And that gives you every right to hound a man, his wife, and 4 year old autistic child into and out of their house every time they appear, theyve even whipped up the neighbours to do it, phones and cameras in their faces, heckling, abuse... justify THAT.

[clangerman]

fully grown men taking a beano script for the bible is one thing but trying to claim it’s now about brexit come on how low do we plan on sinking to defend a idiot 

[Raja Clavata]

49 minutes ago, AVB said:

When it appears that the majority of people (MP’s and PWers) who are critical of Cummings are remainers is would beg to differ. 
 

we are light years away from a vote of no confidence in Boris. By the end of the year it will all be about the economy and Brexit. 

Of course you would, you're just as biased in the opposite direction.

Light years, yeah right.

Just now, Rewulf said:

No 'appear' about it , Cummings = Brexit = Bad = Cummings bad...
And that gives you every right to hound a man, his wife, and 4 year old autistic child into and out of their house every time they appear, theyve even whipped up the neighbours to do it, phones and cameras in their faces, heckling, abuse... justify THAT.

I thought you'd already conceded that by rights he should be gone.

I'm over Brexit and made no secret of my dislike for the man previously, I'm sure you recall the discussions.

As for his wife, I know very little about her apart from her publishing the story about their COVID / lockdown experience which conveniently overlooked their travels.

The son, clearly innocent. I do wonder about the mettle of a man that hides behind his son to deflect criticism from himself. As for the autistic bit, sorry, that sympathy card does not work with me - some would have us believe that autism is some kind of new phenomena.

I still hold the conviction that Cummings will go, it's just a matter of time, in the meantime I'll sit back and observe some people continuing to try to defend the indefensible.

I don't need to justify anything about him, this whole episode has reinforced my belief that he is an odious arrogant cretin (cretin being a refinement based on the point of hiding behind his son).

[Danger-Mouse]

42 minutes ago, Mighty Ruler said:

Alistair Campbell, who keeps calling for Cummings to go tweeted a picture of himself shoulder to shoulder with some bloke he met swimming in the Serpentine, then quickly deleted it, but not quick enough, it’s on Guido Fawkes’s site. Ha ha, hypocrite, just waiting for something about Piers Morgan now.

[Retsdon]

For anyone who might know the original.....

'We were somewhere around Barnham on the edge of Durham when the virus began to take hold. I remember saying something like ``I feel a bit shortsighted; maybe I should drive....'' 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Retsdon

[Rewulf]

49 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

I thought you'd already conceded that by rights he should be gone.

I didnt say that, I said Im surprised he isnt gone, I dont believe hes done enough 'wrong' to warrant the sack.

 

50 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

I'm over Brexit and made no secret of my dislike for the man previously, I'm sure you recall the discussions.

You dislike him because of Brexit, so youre really not 'over' it 😄

 

51 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

The son, clearly innocent. I do wonder about the mettle of a man that hides behind his son to deflect criticism from himself. As for the autistic bit, sorry, that sympathy card does not work with me - some would have us believe that autism is some kind of new phenomena.

Really ?
What is he supposed to do with his son, lock him away till it all dies down ?
What would you do in the situation ?

 

53 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

I still hold the conviction that Cummings will go, it's just a matter of time, in the meantime I'll sit back and observe some people continuing to try to defend the indefensible.

But defend the 'indefensible he has , and there he sits....

 

54 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

I don't need to justify anything about him, this whole episode has reinforced my belief that he is an odious arrogant cretin (cretin being a refinement based on the point of hiding behind his son).

[Mighty Ruler]

Lisa Nandy was on the BBC this morning calling for Cummings to be sacked but she was ok with Kinnock keeping his job. Kinnock’s not even the worst Labour lockdown breaker either.

[Raja Clavata]

Just now, Rewulf said:

I've been very straightforward and honest about this from the off, even admitted I was biased.

[amateur]

23 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Douglas Ross a Junior Minister from the Scotland Office I believe!

I say again, who?

Clearly front rank

[Newbie to this]

So let me get this right.

The media and some people want Cummings to go because he understood the lockdown guidance better than them.

[Rewulf]

22 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

I've been very straightforward and honest about this from the off, even admitted I was biased.

Cant fault you for that 

But context is everything... why do you and others hate DC so much , when the man is simply doing the job he is paid to do, and doing it well ?

[Raja Clavata]

22 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

Cant fault you for that 

But context is everything... why do you and others hate DC so much , when the man is simply doing the job he is paid to do, and doing it well ?

Comes back to my point about thin end of the wedge and what comes next. You and I will be OK but what happens if he goes after people with lower than average IQ next?

Just because he was good for Brexit, does not make him a good person and certainly not good for everything.

There is a certain irony in the fact that he has been linked with eugenics yet has an autistic son to whom's genes he himself was a significant contributor.

So far he openly admitted manipulating the public in the vote Leave campaign and out did Labour in the GE, gee whizz, hardly the making of a legend.

I have always thought that in the long run he was likely to do more bad than good and if he stays in office that becomes even more probable now than previously (much more power).