Dominic Cummings to make public statement this afternoon

[The Bloop]

The trip to Barnard Castle on 12 April happened be on Mary Wakefield's birthday. How nice to be able to have a trip out to celebrate.

[Rjk]

https://twitter.com/jwiechers/status...758884354?s=19

If you haven't bothered clicking on this link yet, you should do - he made a point of talking about this article in his press briefing.

I'm really surprised that it hasn't gained wider circulation. there was a time that this kind of blatant attempt at deceiving the public would have been career ending

[Croesy Blue]

I'm really surprised that it hasn't gained wider circulation. there was a time that this kind of blatant attempt at deceiving the public would have been career ending

Post truth era, the elite politicians can get away with what they want these days.

The funny thing is they have the conspiracy theorists fooled and backing them up in many cases.

[Hilts]

He claims he was thinking about his child.

He put his child in a car with someone with coronavirus. The result that child is hospitalized.

He also becomes ill.

He arranges care from a 17 year old.

He tests his eyesight by driving to a castle.

Even if you believe his story and he did this out of instinct and he isnt exploiting his own rules it should still lead to his sacking if he wont resign.

What if he had to stop. This wasnt even a local journey was it.

Lets face it this Government's handling of the crisis has been a disaster. Did he portray as someone youd want in these times anyway.?

[lardy]

He claims he was thinking about his child.

He put his child in a car with someone with coronavirus. The result that child is hospitalized.

He also becomes ill.

He arranges care from a 17 year old.

He tests his eyesight by driving to a castle.

Even if you believe his story and he did this out of instinct and he isnt exploiting his own rules it should still lead to his sacking if he wont resign.

What if he had to stop. This wasnt even a local journey was it.

Lets face it this Government's handling of the crisis has been a disaster. Did he portray as someone youd want in these times anyway.?

I think what was amazing is that this totally normal guy with a story that wouldn't convince any boss is apparently one of the keenest strategic brains in the country.

[Croesy Blue]

If that's how his brain works would you trust him to do anything?

[cyril evans awaydays]

He claims he was thinking about his child.

He put his child in a car with someone with coronavirus. The result that child is hospitalized.

He also becomes ill.

He arranges care from a 17 year old.

He tests his eyesight by driving to a castle.

Even if you believe his story and he did this out of instinct and he isnt exploiting his own rules it should still lead to his sacking if he wont resign.

What if he had to stop. This wasnt even a local journey was it.

Lets face it this Government's handling of the crisis has been a disaster. Did he portray as someone youd want in these times anyway.?

Don't forget rushing home to wife fearing she had covid-19 cleaning up her puke, leaving her with a 4 year old child and going back into his place of work.

During the period of self-isolation and apparently showing signs of the virus himself going to a local hospital to pick up his child.

[life on mars]

There's a provocative post if ever I've seen one. While some might argue the 260 mile trip "for family reasons" was a reaction many, remote from their families would take, there can be absolutely no justification for the trip to Barnard Castle and clearly was a breach of the rules. If his eyes were potentially bad why did he subject his son to the dangers of a 60 mile round trip?

Nobody seems to have an answer for that and it was surprising to me the journalists at the time didn't pursue it further. Yet again they flunked their chance and only got their act together when questioning Johnson later which he was able to bat off with ease by saying why didn't they ask Cummings when they had the opportunity.

And if testing ones eyes why risk the family on the test trip , has anyone asked him why his wife didn't drive .

Boris is in a right mess over this .

As a side story Alistair Campbell ( remember him) another the Cummings type , was on this morning and was asked did he ever lie , he profoundly said good god no

[the other bob wilson]

Not for me. I do think he did what he thought was best for him and his family though.

However, the 'flexible' stay at home guideline related to children that he refers to I don't believe was intended to justify moving a family with suspected symptoms across England. It was related to accepting that there are certain isolation type measures that may be challenging for those with children at home.

I think the whole emphasis and point of the message was to stay at home if at all possible. But it seems he didn't explore any options available for him to do this. I'm sure there must have been options available to somebody of his profile in London if he had genuinely really tried to keep to the stay at home message.

In travelling with suspected symptoms he introduced the, albeit remote, risk of breakdown or accident exposing other to the virus (another reason to avoid it).

I don't know why he returned to work when somebody in his household had symptoms. I'm not really sure why he and his wife visited the hospital when there are so many stories about people not being able to do this (in any case, it highlights why people are asked not to travel to avoid potential spread of the virus into other vulnerable locations, particularly from London at the time). As for the safety test-drive, well what can you really say about that?

All in all, it is precisely to avoid 'ifs, buts and maybes' and personal interpretations that people have been told clearly to stay at home, particularly when exposed to symptoms. I think he just had an easy option not available to many people and rather selfishly took it.

I'm in general agreement with you - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say I can't argue with your first paragraph, but you do a good job of explaining why, for me, his judgement was faulty in so many ways.

We are into, or very close to, "if, but and maybe's" territory when it comes to interpreting Government guidelines now, the original ones were, presumably, designed to be crystal clear and, as Matt Hancock said in one of the briefings were instructions, not recommendations.

One other thing, I've been listening to 5 Live a lot this morning and there are plenty of people phoning in to defend Dominic Cummings citing how awful the press have been to him. I won't say those defending him are the type who call people they disagree with "snowflakes" as a matter of course, but an awful lot of them seem very sensitive to criticism, as does Mr Cummings it appears given the part "security" played in his decision to drive his family to Durham - it all seems very snowflakish to me

[life on mars]

I think what was amazing is that this totally normal guy with a story that wouldn't convince any boss is apparently one of the keenest strategic brains in the country.

That was my thought , I should imagine he is a boffin type good in small room pushing an agenda thumping desks in front of weak civil servants a type of bullying role like Campbell was , he has probably lots of blue sky moments that may impress those in the Whitehall bubble and lets not forget they live in awe of his Brexit moment which if one is lead to believe was a raging loon but hitting the spot sometimes with ideas ,this guy is not long term and i'm wondering what the long game is the corridors of the Tory office , think Boris is up in front of the 1922 committee this week ,that may change the matter .

Boris and Cummings look a lot weaker post Covid . In Boris's case he still looks unwell , not convinced about how bad Cummings had it Covid , he wasn't in a critical care unit unlike Boris ?

[life on mars]

I'm in general agreement with you - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say I can't argue with your first paragraph, but you do a good job of explaining why, for me, his judgement was faulty in so many ways.

We are into, or very close to, "if, but and maybe's" territory when it comes to interpreting Government guidelines now, the original ones were, presumably, designed to be crystal clear and, as Matt Hancock said in one of the briefings were instructions, not recommendations.

One other thing, I've been listening to 5 Live a lot this morning and there are plenty of people phoning in to defend Dominic Cummings citing how awful the press have been to him. I won't say those defending him are the type who call people they disagree with "snowflakes" as a matter of course, but an awful lot of them seem very sensitive to criticism, as does Mr Cummings it appears given the part "security" played in his decision to drive his family to Durham - it all seems very snowflakish to me

think your right, did you catch the Alistair Campbell "I did lie " call ????? made me chuckle

[Cyclops]

His actions all hinge on his wife throwing up.

How often has she thrown up in the past? Does she often drink in the daytime? If often ill, why did they conclude it was the virus? If not common, surely the best course was to stay put until she was diagnosed?

It all smacks of a knee-jerk reaction and a strong wife who can impose herself on her husband.

How long before she's also a part of the Sage/Cobra/Brexit set-up?

[Gnojek]

I assume I wasn't the only one to see right through the mumbling and soft voice? All the act of a desperate man, trying to cling on to his job by attempting to make people feel sorry for him.

[caerkid]

Boris and Cummings look a lot weaker post Covid .

Definitely weaker according to this (check Boris' approval rating)
https://savanta.com/coronavirus-data-tracker/

That's a hell of a drop, shame they couldn't do the same in the other graphs we've got used to seeing

[life on mars]

I assume I wasn't the only one to see right through the mumbling and soft voice? All the act of a desperate man, trying to cling on to his job by attempting to make people feel sorry for him.

yeh , has he forgotten we have see the real him cocky i'm in a scruffy pants an shirtless moment . Did he watch Cumberbatch play him ??

Lucky old Cumberbatch has spent the coronavirus lockdown periuod in NZ Hawke's Bay with his lady

[Cleve van Leef]

Sure as eggs is eggs, nothing will be done, and he’ll keep his position under useless Boris

[life on mars]

Definitely weaker according to this (check Boris' approval rating)
https://savanta.com/coronavirus-data-tracker/

That's a hell of a drop, shame they couldn't do the same in the other graphs we've got used to seeing

Shocked that Sir Keir is so low ,after his car home rant ??

[Baloo]

Shocked that Sir Keir is so low ,after his car home rant ??

Talking of which has there been any response yet from KS to Cummings press conference?

[jon1959]

Following his press conference, 59% of Britons think Dominic Cummings should resign from his role as Boris Johnson’s senior adviser over his conduct during lockdown, a poll suggests.

The YouGov poll found 27% of those surveyed believe Cummings should not resign while 14% answered “don’t know”.

The data showed 52% of those surveyed who voted leave in the 2016 EU referendum want Cummings to resign, with 38% answering “should not resign” and 10% “don’t know”.

YouGov said it surveyed 1,160 adults on Tuesday.

ay/26/uk-coronavirus-live-dominic-cumwww.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/mmings-boris-johnson-latest-updates

[xsnaggle]

Following his press conference, 59% of Britons think Dominic Cummings should resign from his role as Boris Johnson’s senior adviser over his conduct during lockdown, a poll suggests.

The YouGov poll found 27% of those surveyed believe Cummings should not resign while 14% answered “don’t know”.

The data showed 52% of those surveyed who voted leave in the 2016 EU referendum want Cummings to resign, with 38% answering “should not resign” and 10% “don’t know”.

YouGov said it surveyed 1,160 adults on Tuesday.

ay/26/uk-coronavirus-live-dominic-cumwww.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/mmings-boris-johnson-latest-updates

But at the risk of repeating myself, polsters can predetermine the answer they want by the questions they ask and the way they ask them.

[jon1959]

But at the risk of repeating myself, polsters can predetermine the answer they want by the questions they ask and the way they ask them.

Indeed.

The question YouGov asked was:

'Do you think that nice Mr Cummings should be sacrificed to the baying False News liberal rabble who will invent any old rubbish to get him, or should he stand by Boris and his high humanitarian principles and stay put to Get Brexit Done for the fine British people'?

59% replied 'sack the privileged evil idiot'. 27% said 'don't sack the lying fool yet'. 14% didn't understand the question!

[Baloo]

But at the risk of repeating myself, polsters can predetermine the answer they want by the questions they ask and the way they ask them.

I think question asked is here: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics.../05/23/56b74/2.

Although not sure results quite tally with Jon1959's post. A higher % thought he broke the lockdown rules (see other link on page).

Edit - just noticed the poll I've linked was before Cummings Press Conference.

[the other bob wilson]

I'm really surprised that it hasn't gained wider circulation. there was a time that this kind of blatant attempt at deceiving the public would have been career ending

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...f-virus-threat

[xsnaggle]

Indeed.

The question YouGov asked was:

'Do you think that nice Mr Cummings should be sacrificed to the baying False News liberal rabble who will invent any old rubbish to get him, or should he stand by Boris and his high humanitarian principles and stay put to Get Brexit Done for the fine British people'?

59% replied 'sack the privileged evil idiot'. 27% said 'don't sack the lying fool yet'. 14% didn't understand the question!

[jon1959]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...f-virus-threat

This could turn out to be the thing that destroys Cummings.

He may just avoid being sacked for the lockdown breaches if Johnson and Gove calculate that they can't do without him and they have already tied themselves together too tightly - but if he has been lying to the press and public as this suggests - about a relatively small side issue - he could be toast.

Jonathan Aitkin and Jeffrey Archer ended up in sacked and in gaol - not for the original wrongdoing, but for the way they lied and perjured themselves to spin their stories.