Dominic Cummings Enq'

[Sussexboy]

31 minutes ago, Mungler said:

It appears to me that in the event of a global pandemic / asteroid strike / volcano eruption / alien invasion then it’s best endeavours only - there’s no minimum body count to aim for or be pleased with, there’s no ‘great’ outcome and it’s the moment where people who hoped all their lives to become PM wish that they weren’t PM.

The government got some stuff wrong (as would any government) and it got some stuff right - I surmise that the population knows all of this and are happy to agree that vaccine roll out makes good / trumps all previous failings.

All this looking backwards at a pandemic that is barely over is so very very wearing. I suspect it’s only of interest to the chattering classes and those in Westminster.

Me, I’m entirely focusing on the future and I couldn’t care any less to rake over the ashes - that’s for others to do.

.

 

Hear, hear. I agree with the honourable member from Essex.

[discobob]

49 minutes ago, Sussexboy said:

Hear, hear. I agree with the honourable member from Essex.

and I bet you would give Essex all your points in a Eurovision type contest as well

[TIGHTCHOKE]

18 hours ago, Vince Green said:

Where is Cummings going to go after this. What can the future possibly hold for him? 

He is trying to damage Boris and we all know why

He may succeed (a bit) but the damage to himself will be far greater and longer lasting

Downing street last year to sweeping the street next year?

We are watching the man commit suicide 

He has apparently decided to go down and take a few with him. 

He is now absolutely unemployable, perhaps we will see him on the Dragons Den pitching a new idea he has come up with?

[oldypigeonpopper]

8 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

He has apparently decided to go down and take a few with him. 

He is now absolutely unemployable, perhaps we will see him on the Dragons Den pitching a new idea he has come up with?

Hello, he could buddy up with Ant and Dec , Whoops get me out of here !!!!!

Edited May 27, 2021 by oldypigeonpopper

[oldypigeonpopper]

13 hours ago, CaptC said:

Ask lamb and sheep farmers in Wales? Exports finished. 
Come to Cornwall and bring Farage with you - one way fishing trips available?

Hello, will it be the same for beef farmers and the Australian fiasco 

Hello, I am sure there are many X government ministers who have thought to do the same as Mr Cummings 

Edited May 27, 2021 by oldypigeonpopper

[ditchman]

if he didnt dress and act like a slob ......people would take him more seriously..........dont know about you lot...but im sick to death of him..........

the govt were dealing with something so out of their security zone.............i wouldnt have done any better

cummings is assuming people give a **** about him............

[bavarianbrit]

Scuse my ignorance but what does "the lardiest nation in Europe." mean?

[39TDS]

14 minutes ago, bavarianbrit said:

Scuse my ignorance but what does "the lardiest nation in Europe." mean?

Lard = fat

[oowee]

2 hours ago, Mungler said:

It appears to me that in the event of a global pandemic / asteroid strike / volcano eruption / alien invasion then it’s best endeavours only - there’s no minimum body count to aim for or be pleased with, there’s no ‘great’ outcome and it’s the moment where people who hoped all their lives to become PM wish that they weren’t PM.

The government got some stuff wrong (as would any government) and it got some stuff right - I surmise that the population knows all of this and are happy to agree that vaccine roll out makes good / trumps all previous failings.

All this looking backwards at a pandemic that is barely over is so very very wearing. I suspect it’s only of interest to the chattering classes and those in Westminster.

Me, I’m entirely focusing on the future and I couldn’t care any less to rake over the ashes - that’s for others to do.

.

 

And it's this couldn't care less attitude to our leaders behaviour and actions, our tolerance of poor standards in public life that cascades down to the rest of society. If we don't care about what starts at the top we encourage the same moral's to cascade throughout our society.

The next time some low life keys your car or breaks into your shed reflect on the fact that our tolerance of poor standards at the top is part and parcel of the same problem.

Have a higher moral standard for yourself,  expect a higher moral standard in public life and we will all be better for it. 

[CaptC]

46 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, will it be the same for beef farmers and the Australian fiasco 

Hello, I am sure there are many X government ministers who have thought to do the same as Mr Cummings 

Spot on!!

[JohnfromUK]

1 minute ago, oowee said:

If we don't care about what starts at the top ........

That is true - but we have a choice of what is on the ballot paper;  In practical terms in the UK there are a number of considerations;

1. Do you vote for the local candidate on their merits as candidate ....... or because of the party for which they are standing?  (It may well be the same, but not always)
2. Do you vote for the party - and just see the candidate as 'the way it works'.  Note that a few candidates have a very poor record of following party discipline once elected.
3. Do you vote for the party leader/figurehead?

In the last general election, I wasn't a fan of any party leader, but in effect there were only two realistic parties - and one of those was (in my opinion) totally unelectable - with a disasterous leaderrship/front bench team and policies that were unacceptable to me.  The reason Johnson got in was in part due to there being no credible opposition, a situaltion that remains today in a slightly differenbt guise, and as shown by the recent local elections/by election.

Johnson doesn't have to be good, or even mediocre to be miles ahead of the present opposition.  The lack of any credible opposition is at least in part responsible for where we are now.

[oowee]

7 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

That is true - but we have a choice of what is on the ballot paper;  In practical terms in the UK there are a number of considerations;

1. Do you vote for the local candidate on their merits as candidate ....... or because of the party for which they are standing?  (It may well be the same, but not always)
2. Do you vote for the party - and just see the candidate as 'the way it works'.  Note that a few candidates have a very poor record of following party discipline once elected.
3. Do you vote for the party leader/figurehead?

In the last general election, I wasn't a fan of any party leader, but in effect there were only two realistic parties - and one of those was (in my opinion) totally unelectable - with a disasterous leaderrship/front bench team and policies that were unacceptable to me.  The reason Johnson got in was in part due to there being no credible opposition, a situaltion that remains today in a slightly differenbt guise, and as shown by the recent local elections/by election.

Johnson doesn't have to be good, or even mediocre to be miles ahead of the present opposition.  The lack of any credible opposition is at least in part responsible for where we are now.

Agreed, but when they then shown to be incompetent or have low moral standards we have to shout from the roof tops. Get them out and try again. Only then will our standards be reflected in our Govt. If we simply do not care then we are part of the problem of promoting drivel. 

[clangerman]

23 minutes ago, oowee said:

And it's this couldn't care less attitude to our leaders behaviour and actions, our tolerance of poor standards in public life that cascades down to the rest of society. If we don't care about what starts at the top we encourage the same moral's to cascade throughout our society.

The next time some low life keys your car or breaks into your shed reflect on the fact that our tolerance of poor standards at the top is part and parcel of the same problem.

Have a higher moral standard for yourself,  expect a higher moral standard in public life and we will all be better for it. 

you are absolutely right it’s been the me myself and stuff everyone else attitude for many years now 

[JohnfromUK]

1 minute ago, oowee said:

If we simply do not care

I do care ............ but not (anywhere near) enough to have risked the possibility of a Corbyn, Abbott, McDonnell, Long-Bailey, Piddock, Burgon et al led government. 

[Vince Green]

14 hours ago, CaptC said:

Ask lamb and sheep farmers in Wales? Exports finished. 
Come to Cornwall and bring Farage with you - one way fishing trips available?

Sheep farming was down the pan five years ago, due to a collapse in the demand for wool

as we import far more meat than we export in this country the balance should still be in the farmers favour

Edited May 27, 2021 by Vince Green

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, despite the what I call, The Cummings fiasco, there were failures on the covid pandemic right from the start and maybe some of his rhetoric will show Boris and his team did get things wrong or were to slow on setting up a pandemic strategy , eg 1000s flying in to UK from Covid hit countries with no checks or isolation rules to the NHS  putting elderly patients from hospital to care homes with no PPE , would Labour or Lib Dems faired better, 

[Mungler]

36 minutes ago, oowee said:

And it's this couldn't care less attitude to our leaders behaviour and actions, our tolerance of poor standards in public life that cascades down to the rest of society. If we don't care about what starts at the top we encourage the same moral's to cascade throughout our society.

The next time some low life keys your car or breaks into your shed reflect on the fact that our tolerance of poor standards at the top is part and parcel of the same problem.

Have a higher moral standard for yourself,  expect a higher moral standard in public life and we will all be better for it. 

No, it’s being realistic - it’s all to easy to judge based on hindsight and what ifs and I don’t project super human powers on the PM or the cabinet.

The only key mistake that I believe was made and which needs looking at was the policy of returning old people with Covid to care homes.

Saying that, we still haven’t got a true handle on transmissibility and it may be in the future we learn that PPE and masks weren’t the answer - I’d lay money that transmissibility through the eyes is where it’s all at. I digress 

30 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

That is true - but we have a choice of what is on the ballot paper;  In practical terms in the UK there are a number of considerations;

1. Do you vote for the local candidate on their merits as candidate ....... or because of the party for which they are standing?  (It may well be the same, but not always)
2. Do you vote for the party - and just see the candidate as 'the way it works'.  Note that a few candidates have a very poor record of following party discipline once elected.
3. Do you vote for the party leader/figurehead?

In the last general election, I wasn't a fan of any party leader, but in effect there were only two realistic parties - and one of those was (in my opinion) totally unelectable - with a disasterous leaderrship/front bench team and policies that were unacceptable to me.  The reason Johnson got in was in part due to there being no credible opposition, a situaltion that remains today in a slightly differenbt guise, and as shown by the recent local elections/by election.

Johnson doesn't have to be good, or even mediocre to be miles ahead of the present opposition.  The lack of any credible opposition is at least in part responsible for where we are now.

Spot on

21 minutes ago, oowee said:

Agreed, but when they then shown to be incompetent or have low moral standards we have to shout from the roof tops. Get them out and try again. Only then will our standards be reflected in our Govt. If we simply do not care then we are part of the problem of promoting drivel. 

And replaced with what?

[Vince Green]

To me it all sounded like Cummings saying (subliminally) over and over again "I'm cleverer than they are"

and people who know him have been talking about his self obsession with his own intellect

What rankled him at the end of the day was he wasn't the Cabinet Minister, he was just the hired help

and after all this his next public appearance is likely to be behind the counter in McDonalds

or even worse, I'm a Celebrity.........................

[clangerman]

end of the day any of them would have taken the same route because they all have the same cv liar cheat selfish greedy etc 

[Gordon R]

Quote

Have a higher moral standard for yourself,  expect a higher moral standard in public life and we will all be better for it. 

I have a high moral standard and I expect the same of those in public life. That said, it hasn't made the slightest difference.

Johnson isn't the best prime Minister ever - far from it, but he is better than Blair, Brown, Major, Heath, Callaghan and more. Worse still would have been Corbyn and Starmer. A dearth of quality politicians at the present.

 

[Lord v]

Frankly I think Cummings has played a blinder. 

1) He's got his story in early under privilege. 

2) His story sounded believable enough to be true although I am positive there was just enough spin on it all 

3) His answers will shape future questioning.

4) There were just enough sound bites to sound reflective and apologetic but still clearly passed the buck. 

All he has to do now is shut up while ministers (who he spent considerable time reminding the panel had the 'real' power) answering awkward questions that he has basically written. (I would suggest that Hancock's career is political toast no matter what he says in reply). He can just refer to the statements he has already made or sit back and let the media do it for him. 

By the time the dust has settled he will be largely forgotten and in a cosy gig in the private sector. 3 to 4 years time he will be back on team Rishi and probably right back in the same place.  The only thing that will happen is if [Future Leader] decides his presence is politically untenable. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by Lord v
Just to show I can count

[welsh1]

10 minutes ago, Lord v said:

 

By the time the dust has settled he will be largely forgotten and in a cosy gig in the private sector. 3 to 4 years time he will be back on team Rishi and probably right back in the same place.  The only thing that will happen is if [Future Leader] decides his presence is politically untenable. 

I cannot see anyone wanting to hire Cummings now or in the future, he has shown he is never to be trusted, and he will gather information to use against you or your company should he be dismissed.
You would be crazy to employ someone like him.

 

[JohnfromUK]

6 minutes ago, welsh1 said:

I cannot see anyone wanting to hire Cummings now or in the future, he has shown he is never to be trusted, and he will gather information to use against you or your company should he be dismissed.
You would be crazy to employ someone like him.

 

/\ This - multiple times.

[London Best]

Would any of you buy a car if Cummings was the salesman?

[Lord v]

24 minutes ago, welsh1 said:

I cannot see anyone wanting to hire Cummings now or in the future, he has shown he is never to be trusted, and he will gather information to use against you or your company should he be dismissed.
You would be crazy to employ someone like him.

 

All I would say is that that doesn't necessarily stop him being useful. 

And never underestimate the hubris of politicians.