He broke his own government’s emergency rules on restricted travel at a time when he knew (unless he’s actually as stupid as he comes across) that he was high risk of carrying the virus.
HOWEVER HE TRAVELLED, he broke the law. He is eligible for a fine on that basis.
But more pertinently, he risked exporting the virus from London to the North.
And he did it because he is both stupid enough and arrogant enough to assume rules do not apply to him. Which is why he is not, and never was, fit to hold any responsible position.
He's toast. Buy the pound - extension to the post-Brexit transition looks more likely now. With Cummings gone Johnson will be absorbed by the civil service machine.
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
If Boris wanted to be amusing, he should put out a statement that Cummings will resign immediately ... after Stephen Kinnock does for breaking the rules himself!
A thought has just occurred to me. Perhaps The Mirror sat on the story because Boris was ill. What if Boris knew what Cummings was doing and even authorized him to do it? Could Boris be in trouble?
This is absolutely a resigning matter. I doubt, however, that he will resign. Not this side of the weekend anyway.
If the facts are true, I think he'll be gone by tomorrow morning.
Not a fan of Dom, or Boris, but I am sick and tired of the media demanding scalps to generate a story. Boris has four years to iron this issue out if he doesn't sack him. I think the fact that England is now largely open for business, Dom's survival is less contentious that it would have been six weeks ago.
... If he then got home, made the decision that self-isolating in a tiny one or two bed flat with his wife and young child was a bad idea for their safety, packed a bag, and drove alone up to his parents farmhouse in Durham, where he cound self isolate away from his wife and young child, then frankly in the same situation I would have done the same.
As we already know this disease rips through households living in close proximity and I'm not going to blame the man for choosing to remove himself from his wife and child if it is the case that is what happened.
Indeed - much better to risk killing off his parents rather than infect his kid (who is probably immune like most kids) and a woman in early middle age whose immune system will probably handle it better than a man of the same age.
I confess I don't really care if Cummings stays or goes. The more interesting dimension of the story to me is that surely others in government, including the PM and Hancock, will have known that Cummings was off to (or already in?) Durham - he wouldn't have just disappeared. Why did Boris and others not advise him that he was breaking the lockdown, and that this would not look very good if it entered the public domain, which was fairly likely? I suspect the government is in even more disarray than it appears.
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
Fecking hell, I'm not only agreeing with Julia Hartley-Brewer but I'm also agreeing with Tim Montgomerie.
I need a lie down.
I used white gloves to post that tweet. They’re both right though.
It makes a mockery of the government’s moral authority. There is also the question when the Prime Minister knew. Because this story seems to have been rattling around for weeks.
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
You've never watched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde 2)?
... If he then got home, made the decision that self-isolating in a tiny one or two bed flat with his wife and young child was a bad idea for their safety, packed a bag, and drove alone up to his parents farmhouse in Durham, where he cound self isolate away from his wife and young child, then frankly in the same situation I would have done the same.
As we already know this disease rips through households living in close proximity and I'm not going to blame the man for choosing to remove himself from his wife and child if it is the case that is what happened.
Indeed - much better to risk killing off his parents rather than infect his kid (who is probably immune like most kids) and a woman in early middle age whose immune system will probably handle it better than a man of the same age.
Where do you think is easier to self isolate and avoid close contact with people? A two bed London flat, or a sprawling rural farmhouse?
Whatever decisions were taken, I am sure the entire family believed them to be in the best interests of all concerned.
And frankly nobody's business but the family's.
If he wasn't a political enemy and you didn't have a desperate hard-on for a political scalp, you'd think the same.
Fecking hell, I'm not only agreeing with Julia Hartley-Brewer but I'm also agreeing with Tim Montgomerie.
I need a lie down.
I used white gloves to post that tweet. They’re both right though.
It makes a mockery of the government’s moral authority. There is also the question when the Prime Minister knew. Because this story seems to have been rattling around for weeks.
Some on Twitter are convinced a D Notice was in force which amuses me.
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
You've never watched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde 2)?
Should I be concerned by the rise in new cases today? Back over 3000 looks a worrying sign if we are going to ease lockdown restrictions further at the end of the month.
No slide to cover travel numbers today which is also interesting - is there a rise in numbers using public transport contrary to Government advice?
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
You've never watched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde 2)?
You're missing out.
Ditto Big Little Lies.
No, although I was a big cinema (and theatre) fan. Ah! Those were the days.
We were put into strict lockdown by Boris Johnson on he 23rd March.
Cummings was still in London when Johnson was taken ill four days later.
It must have happened after lockdown was brought in.
And, whilst I haven't checked in detail, my memory is that a recurring theme in the lengthy blogs of Dom is the awfulness of political types who think the rules don't apply to them, or welching out on technicalities.
Farage is a journalist: he has a show on LBC. He is explicitly allowed to travel around, covering stories related to coronavirus. The government has expressly allowed this. Journalists in this field are seen as key workers, doing essential work.
Farage’s story was that the government was ignoring a migrant crisis in the Channel while they focused overly on Covid-19. His latest migrant videos have been viewed by millions, which is a lot more people than read the Guardian or the Times.
Entirely justified. Try again.
Nigel Farage as a soldier for truth is a hard claim to stack up. But bravo for trying.
Am still wondering why now? Is it because Starmer revealed his kids were attending school? When all the Cabinets children's schools are shut till September?
Is that because you stayed in a London when your wife was extremely ill?
I am on Dom's side over this issue, however that is an incredibly weak defence. He didn't stay in London when his wife was ectremely ill, but instead went to visit his elderly parents in the North East armed with the knowledge that he was infected with Covid-19. Hmm?
... If he then got home, made the decision that self-isolating in a tiny one or two bed flat with his wife and young child was a bad idea for their safety, packed a bag, and drove alone up to his parents farmhouse in Durham, where he cound self isolate away from his wife and young child, then frankly in the same situation I would have done the same.
As we already know this disease rips through households living in close proximity and I'm not going to blame the man for choosing to remove himself from his wife and child if it is the case that is what happened.
Indeed - much better to risk killing off his parents rather than infect his kid (who is probably immune like most kids) and a woman in early middle age whose immune system will probably handle it better than a man of the same age.
Where do you think is easier to self isolate and avoid close contact with people? A two bed London flat, or a sprawling rural farmhouse?
Whatever decisions were taken, I am sure the entire family believed them to be in the best interests of all concerned.
And frankly nobody's business but the family's.
If he wasn't a political enemy and you didn't have a desperate hard-on for a political scalp, you'd think the same.
Lots of people do not find it easy, but they are not allowed to go hareing off around the country.
He is not a "political enemy" since I am non-partisan. I think that they are ALL f*ck-wits. Every last one of them.
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
Farage is a journalist: he has a show on LBC. He is explicitly allowed to travel around, covering stories related to coronavirus. The government has expressly allowed this. Journalists in this field are seen as key workers, doing essential work.
Farage’s story was that the government was ignoring a migrant crisis in the Channel while they focused overly on Covid-19. His latest migrant videos have been viewed by millions, which is a lot more people than read the Guardian or the Times.
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
You've never watched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde 2)?
He's toast. Buy the pound - extension to the post-Brexit transition looks more likely now. With Cummings gone Johnson will be absorbed by the civil service machine.
For a year maybe but Boris will have to have ended the transition period by the next general election or Leavers will start to defect back to Farage and the Brexit Party again
Farage is a journalist: he has a show on LBC. He is explicitly allowed to travel around, covering stories related to coronavirus. The government has expressly allowed this. Journalists in this field are seen as key workers, doing essential work.
Farage’s story was that the government was ignoring a migrant crisis in the Channel while they focused overly on Covid-19. His latest migrant videos have been viewed by millions, which is a lot more people than read the Guardian or the Times.
Entirely justified. Try again.
So now you’re the expert on who is allowed to travel?
Like how people on here were convinced the Arcuri thing would lead to Bojo resigning. Where did that one go? Oh yeah, nowhere.
Very few people thought it would be the end for Boris and it's a little too early to say it went nowhere. The police have decided there is no criminal case to answer but that does mean that what he did was ethical. It hasn't completely run is course yet.
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
If they're not tiny babies, they'll see that he made a very natural, human mistake and will at least understand the impulse. Seeing as the police took no action against him whatsoever, it's a non-story.
Am still wondering why now? Is it because Starmer revealed his kids were attending school? When all the Cabinets children's schools are shut till September?
Doubt an attempt at a dead wombat bounce would go through the Mirror.
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
You've never watched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde 2)?
You're missing out.
Ditto Big Little Lies.
Pleasantville is a charming film.
It is. And, of course, Election and Cruel Intentions.
She was event decent in The Importance of Being Earnest.
Like how people on here were convinced the Arcuri thing would lead to Bojo resigning. Where did that one go? Oh yeah, nowhere.
Very few people thought it would be the end for Boris and it's a little too early to say it went nowhere. The police have decided there is no criminal case to answer but that does mean that what he did was ethical. It hasn't completely run is course yet.
Oh, what a utter joke! It was an empty non-story that some people salivated over and yet led to absolutely nothing. Precisely as this one should.
Is that because you stayed in a London when your wife was extremely ill?
I am on Dom's side over this issue, however that is an incredibly weak defence. He didn't stay in London when his wife was ectremely ill, but instead went to visit his elderly parents in the North East armed with the knowledge that he was infected with Covid-19. Hmm?
If Cummings goes it will be about the same time into the Trump administration Steve Gannon left
Cummings ain't going nowhere...he's a fossilised mussel solidified on BoJo's anus...you'd have to put a phosphorus incendiary up there to extricate him...this story just doesn't cut it....
Careful with what you say there!* She was the passenger, it was her husband who was being stopped for suspected DUI.
A slight difference in wording, but for afficionadoes of these things, I liked how "Do you know my name?" was followed by "You're about to find out who I am!"
* She might sue you for getting that wrong, she's an American citizen don't you know!
Thank you for the correction(s).
Yuck. Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
You've never watched Legally Blonde (and Legally Blonde 2)?
You're missing out.
Ditto Big Little Lies.
Pleasantville is a charming film.
It is. And, of course, Election and Cruel Intentions.
She was event decent in The Importance of Being Earnest.
And Walk the Line though not much of June Carter about her visually.
Like how people on here were convinced the Arcuri thing would lead to Bojo resigning. Where did that one go? Oh yeah, nowhere.
Very few people thought it would be the end for Boris and it's a little too early to say it went nowhere. The police have decided there is no criminal case to answer but that does mean that what he did was ethical. It hasn't completely run is course yet.
Plenty of people on this board were saying Boris would be gone within weeks at the time, and that was months ago. The police have decided there is no case to answer so it is literally time to say it went nowhere. But you keep clutching those straws if it makes you feel better at night.
This Cummings story is the same. Of huge interest to the Westminster bubble but of little to no interest to the general public, who probably don't have a clue who Cummings is (unless they watched that thingy with Benedict Cumberbatch) and couldn't give a toss - about half of the general public having broken the lockdown in the last couple of weeks anyway.
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
If they're not tiny babies, they'll see that he made a very natural, human mistake and will at least understand the impulse. Seeing as the police took no action against him whatsoever, it's a non-story.
Johnson faces the hardest decision of his premiership so far.
It's the easiest decision imaginable: keep the man who help secure his victory, or let him go and gratify legions of his political enemies for no reason at all.
Cummings has to go - an overgrown Dungeon Master strutting around as if he's above the law just because he landed the role as a plump posh boy's manservant. The Tories might as well hand the Red Wall back to Sir Keir with red ribbon if they allow this to pass.
Ooh. That’s a bigger story. if Bojo allows himself to be portrayed as Mister Lockdown, the Karen of Britain, and Quaratiner-General, he is in big big trouble.
Another kaboom!!! Wow.
Possible dead cat though to divert from Durham's finest mind?
Tory politicians are such conniving, scheming, manipulating,. manoeuvring, ambitious, two faced, hypocritical, untrustworthy fuckwits....and esteemed practitioners of fuckwittery...
Rishi....ticks all the boxes......the boy's got a future
What a joke of an article the Guardian piece is. They've written it like Cummings is going on trial, but it's a non-story.
It's not so long since they ran for three days on "political adviser attends SAGE meeting that political advisers can attend" then had to drop it when it was leaked he'd been asking why Lockdown wasn't sooner. I get it's a slow news season but there's more than one person to report non-news on.
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
If they're not tiny babies, they'll see that he made a very natural, human mistake and will at least understand the impulse. Seeing as the police took no action against him whatsoever, it's a non-story.
Oh come on! PB Tories have been routinely slagging their neighbours off with tales of minor lockdown naughtiness. All of a sudden, when it’s this fucker of all people, it’s a “very natural, human mistake”. It’s not like he failed to observe correct social distancing by 8 inches in Tescos. He wasn’t a bored teenager playing football in the park with his mates. He’s a senior government advisor, who helps set the policy he breached, who travelled (allegedly on public transport, on public transport FFS) from one end of England to another, at a relatively early stage in the outbreak, when he knew he was suffering from the virus, highly infectious, and part of a government that had, only a week before, told people not to do this very thing.
I don’t give a toss if he resigns or not but people are not going to think this is a “natural, human mistake”. This guy sets policy. He will be held to a higher standard. If he stays it will damage the Government. Their call.
The guidelines would allow his parents to travel to collect the children, but not the other way round - but we're at the point of arguing about details and, so, yes, it may save him.
I would never conceive of taking Coronavirus into my parent's house, though.
Johnson faces the hardest decision of his premiership so far.
It's the easiest decision imaginable: keep the man who help secure his victory, or let him go and gratify legions of his political enemies for no reason at all.
Hmm ... that is a hard one.
It's not for no reason.
If Cummings stays, it will be used against Johnson forever. It will be said that it is one rule for him, another for us. While you were in lockdown, the PM's cronies were flouting the rules etc. And those criticisms will be wholly correct.
If Cummings goes, the answer is "he did wrong and he went".
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
If they're not tiny babies, they'll see that he made a very natural, human mistake and will at least understand the impulse. Seeing as the police took no action against him whatsoever, it's a non-story.
Oh come on! PB Tories have been routinely slagging their neighbours off with tales of minor lockdown naughtiness. All of a sudden, when it’s this fucker of all people, it’s a “very natural, human mistake”. It’s not like he failed to observe correct social distancing by 8 inches in Tescos. He wasn’t a bored teenager playing football in the park with his mates. He’s a senior government advisor, who helps set the policy he breached, who travelled (allegedly on public transport, on public transport FFS) from one end of England to another, at a relatively early stage in the outbreak, when he knew he was suffering from the virus, highly infectious, and part of a government that had, only a week before, told people not to do this very thing.
I don’t give a toss if he resigns or not but people are not going to think this is a “natural, human mistake”. This guy sets policy. He will be held to a higher standard. If he stays it will damage the Government. Their call.
The only thing that will damage the Government will be giving in to every petty Opposition demand. Time to show some strength and tell them where to stuff it.
Farage is a journalist: he has a show on LBC. He is explicitly allowed to travel around, covering stories related to coronavirus. The government has expressly allowed this. Journalists in this field are seen as key workers, doing essential work.
Farage’s story was that the government was ignoring a migrant crisis in the Channel while they focused overly on Covid-19. His latest migrant videos have been viewed by millions, which is a lot more people than read the Guardian or the Times.
Entirely justified. Try again.
So now you’re the expert on who is allowed to travel?
Why isn't Beth Rigby arrested whenever she leaves her house? How can Kay Burley get to the studio? Should Piers Morgan be arrested on the GMB sofa?
Actually the last one would be quite entertaining, but the media are key workers. I despise Farage but he's a journalist now not a politician and as a journalist he's allowed to report on stories. Just as Carole Cadwaldr or others are too.
The day the government starts arresting journalists for going out to report on a news story is a day we've gone far too far.
The guidelines would allow his parents to travel to collect the children, but not the other way round - but we're at the point of arguing about details and, so, yes, it may save him.
I would never conceive of taking Coronavirus into my parent's house, though.
It's not just the guidelines, it's the logic of the position.
"We were too ill to look after the kids, but not too ill to drive three or four hours to my parents".
Johnson faces the hardest decision of his premiership so far.
It's the easiest decision imaginable: keep the man who help secure his victory, or let him go and gratify legions of his political enemies for no reason at all.
The guidelines would allow his parents to travel to collect the children, but not the other way round - but we're at the point of arguing about details and, so, yes, it may save him.
I would never conceive of taking Coronavirus into my parent's house, though.
You are saying that about the man who unleashed Brexit on the nation...a particularly horrible virus that infects the brain, and appears untreatable.....
Infecting his parents with Covid...it's positively tame in comparison....
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
If they're not tiny babies, they'll see that he made a very natural, human mistake and will at least understand the impulse. Seeing as the police took no action against him whatsoever, it's a non-story.
Oh come on! PB Tories have been routinely slagging their neighbours off with tales of minor lockdown naughtiness. All of a sudden, when it’s this fucker of all people, it’s a “very natural, human mistake”. It’s not like he failed to observe correct social distancing by 8 inches in Tescos. He wasn’t a bored teenager playing football in the park with his mates. He’s a senior government advisor, who helps set the policy he breached, who travelled (allegedly on public transport, on public transport FFS) from one end of England to another, at a relatively early stage in the outbreak, when he knew he was suffering from the virus, highly infectious, and part of a government that had, only a week before, told people not to do this very thing.
I don’t give a toss if he resigns or not but people are not going to think this is a “natural, human mistake”. This guy sets policy. He will be held to a higher standard. If he stays it will damage the Government. Their call.
The only thing that will damage the Government will be giving in to every petty Opposition demand. Time to show some strength and tell them where to stuff it.
The leader of the opposition has made no such demand. It’s you that seems to be spoiling for a fight.
Johnson faces the hardest decision of his premiership so far.
It's the easiest decision imaginable: keep the man who help secure his victory, or let him go and gratify legions of his political enemies for no reason at all.
Hmm ... that is a hard one.
It's not for no reason.
If Cummings stays, it will be used against Johnson forever. It will be said that it is one rule for him, another for us. While you were in lockdown, the PM's cronies were flouting the rules etc. And those criticisms will be wholly correct.
If Cummings goes, the answer is "he did wrong and he went".
Literally _everything_ is used against Boris forever. Remember the prorogation? The unprorogation? His children? The Andrew Neil empty chair interview? The watermelon smiles? His jokey columns from 25 years ago?
His opponents bring up everything all the time - one more won't make any difference. As Jowett said 'Never regret, never explain, never apologize', and Boris should bloody well follow that example.
PB Tories not exactly lining up to defend their (mad)man.
The police have spoken to him. He did the crime, he served his time.
Jenrick survived so should Dom.
Hmmm.
While Jenrick was undoubtedly a fool, and was lucky to survive, the fact Himself was a carrier of coronavirus and had every reason to suspect he might be puts this on a different level.
The fact that he’s a stuck up third rate Oedipus Complexer whom nobody likes isn’t exactly going to help him either.
To be honest if he travelled 250 miles on public transport knowing he had covid he must go. No ifs or buts
No, no, no. This sort of weakness is what debilitates governments; brashness makes them invincible. Just brush it off and say that the matter had been dealt with and is now closed. The end.
You think all those people who have been unable to visit parents, attend funerals, see grandchildren for months are going to shrug it off because Cummings is an he's important Tory and he should be allowed to do what we can't?
If they're not tiny babies, they'll see that he made a very natural, human mistake and will at least understand the impulse. Seeing as the police took no action against him whatsoever, it's a non-story.
Oh come on! PB Tories have been routinely slagging their neighbours off with tales of minor lockdown naughtiness. All of a sudden, when it’s this fucker of all people, it’s a “very natural, human mistake”. It’s not like he failed to observe correct social distancing by 8 inches in Tescos. He wasn’t a bored teenager playing football in the park with his mates. He’s a senior government advisor, who helps set the policy he breached, who travelled (allegedly on public transport, on public transport FFS) from one end of England to another, at a relatively early stage in the outbreak, when he knew he was suffering from the virus, highly infectious, and part of a government that had, only a week before, told people not to do this very thing.
I don’t give a toss if he resigns or not but people are not going to think this is a “natural, human mistake”. This guy sets policy. He will be held to a higher standard. If he stays it will damage the Government. Their call.
The only thing that will damage the Government will be giving in to every petty Opposition demand. Time to show some strength and tell them where to stuff it.
You don’t understand. You’ve been spoiled by 5, 10 years of terrible opposition. Starmer has very deliberately NOT demanded his resignation. The Opposition wants him to stay, and thus allowing the Government to show the absolute contempt they have for the rules they themselves set. Boris can go to the States, Dom can visit his parents while suffering from the virus everyone is scared of. You ordinary guys, not so much.
Comments
HOWEVER HE TRAVELLED, he broke the law. He is eligible for a fine on that basis.
But more pertinently, he risked exporting the virus from London to the North.
And he did it because he is both stupid enough and arrogant enough to assume rules do not apply to him. Which is why he is not, and never was, fit to hold any responsible position.
Don't yield Boris!
I need a lie down.
Until now I, for one, had never heard of Reese Witherspoon.
It makes a mockery of the government’s moral authority. There is also the question when the Prime Minister knew. Because this story seems to have been rattling around for weeks.
You're missing out.
Ditto Big Little Lies.
Whatever decisions were taken, I am sure the entire family believed them to be in the best interests of all concerned.
And frankly nobody's business but the family's.
If he wasn't a political enemy and you didn't have a desperate hard-on for a political scalp, you'd think the same.
Is that because you stayed in a London when your wife was extremely ill?
Should I be concerned by the rise in new cases today? Back over 3000 looks a worrying sign if we are going to ease lockdown restrictions further at the end of the month.
No slide to cover travel numbers today which is also interesting - is there a rise in numbers using public transport contrary to Government advice?
Cummings was still in London when Johnson was taken ill four days later.
It must have happened after lockdown was brought in.
https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1263928049046884354
I think adultery was the cause.
Mao, Lin Biao, Liu Shaoqi and Hua Guofeng are all on a boat. The boat sinks. Who is saved?
China.
Is it because Starmer revealed his kids were attending school? When all the Cabinets children's schools are shut till September?
He is not a "political enemy" since I am non-partisan. I think that they are ALL f*ck-wits. Every last one of them.
Also, I do not get hard-ons...
It meant I'm in the same category as Prince Charles.
Very few people thought it would be the end for Boris and it's a little too early to say it went nowhere. The police have decided there is no criminal case to answer but that does mean that what he did was ethical. It hasn't completely run is course yet.
Goodnight all
And, of course, Election and Cruel Intentions.
She was event decent in The Importance of Being Earnest.
Edit: & she won an Oscar for it.
This Cummings story is the same. Of huge interest to the Westminster bubble but of little to no interest to the general public, who probably don't have a clue who Cummings is (unless they watched that thingy with Benedict Cumberbatch) and couldn't give a toss - about half of the general public having broken the lockdown in the last couple of weeks anyway.
It is a non-story in the real world.
I feel sorry for his missus who has to wake up looking at his miserable, pruned face in the morning....
Johnson faces the hardest decision of his premiership so far.
Hmm ... that is a hard one.
https://twitter.com/Ianblackford_MP/status/1263933667262464000
Possible dead cat though to divert from Durham's finest mind?
Not many pubs in Saudi Arabia, for instance...
Rishi....ticks all the boxes......the boy's got a future
It's not so long since they ran for three days on "political adviser attends SAGE meeting that political advisers can attend" then had to drop it when it was leaked he'd been asking why Lockdown wasn't sooner. I get it's a slow news season but there's more than one person to report non-news on.
Which Dom would be worse ?
I don’t give a toss if he resigns or not but people are not going to think this is a “natural, human mistake”. This guy sets policy. He will be held to a higher standard. If he stays it will damage the Government. Their call.
I would never conceive of taking Coronavirus into my parent's house, though.
If Cummings stays, it will be used against Johnson forever. It will be said that it is one rule for him, another for us. While you were in lockdown, the PM's cronies were flouting the rules etc. And those criticisms will be wholly correct.
If Cummings goes, the answer is "he did wrong and he went".
https://twitter.com/ExStrategist/status/1263935901308203008?s=20
Perhaps it might reverse Brexit - lol.
Actually the last one would be quite entertaining, but the media are key workers. I despise Farage but he's a journalist now not a politician and as a journalist he's allowed to report on stories. Just as Carole Cadwaldr or others are too.
The day the government starts arresting journalists for going out to report on a news story is a day we've gone far too far.
"We were too ill to look after the kids, but not too ill to drive three or four hours to my parents".
Pure, steaming bullshit.
I doubt also if either have many pubs like ours.
Few countries do.
Infecting his parents with Covid...it's positively tame in comparison....
It’s you that seems to be spoiling for a fight.
His opponents bring up everything all the time - one more won't make any difference. As Jowett said 'Never regret, never explain, never apologize', and Boris should bloody well follow that example.