Dominic Cummings to make public statement this afternoon

[Jordi Culé]

Im not defending DC but Im trying to be fair. From his statement he didn't have contact with his close family either. He said his parents are in their 70s so no way was he going to meet up with them.
Also, whilst the world is baying for his blood, lets remember that he is an employee not a politician and I wonder whether what he did is a sackable offence..ie was it in his job description? Or, was he off work and 'on the sick' at the time it all happened.
Emily Maitlis however did break the rules of her employment, so lets try to be a bit balanced

Fair play, that is really funny.

[lisvaneblue]

Is anyone criticising him for close contact with his family? That hasn't been mentioned once. My understanding is that the outcry is over leaving home with his family and travelling 260 miles.

It would be very odd if his job description specifically mentioned obeying national guidelines. That's a given, usually. Does your job description tell you to drive on the left side of the road?

I would imagine it's easier to sack an employee than a politician.

Was he off work or sick? Didn't his statement say that he didn't speak to his boss?


Very nice attempt at being a bit balanced, but please don't quit your job to join the circus.

Yes he was off work because he took medical advice before returning to work.
Of course it would be odd if a job description mentioned national guidelines which makes it likely that he did nothing that made it a sackable offence.
And lets remember his employer thinks he did nothing wrong. But the BBC says Emily did

[Baloo]

Fair play, that is really funny.

He’s vindicated apparently because it didn’t tell him not to break lockdown rules in his job description

[Jordi Culé]

Yes he was off work because he took medical advice before returning to work.
Of course it would be odd if a job description mentioned national guidelines which makes it likely that he did nothing that made it a sackable offence.
And lets remember his employer thinks he did nothing wrong. But the BBC says Emily did

****inell, this is marvellous stuff.

Please keep it going.

[lisvaneblue]

He’s vindicated apparently because it didn’t tell him not to break lockdown rules in his job description

No, Im not defending his actions, all Im saying ...is it a sackable offence? Be interesting to get a legal view on it

[lardy]

Yes he was off work because he took medial advice before returning to work.
Of course it would be odd if a job description mentioned national guidelines which makes it likely that it did nothing that made it a sackable offence.
And lets remember his employer thinks he did nothing wrong. But the BBC says Emily did

You're talking about his return to work two weeks later. Was he off work or on the sick at the time of his initial travel up the country? He couldn't have been because he didn't tell his boss.

But this is all by the by. I've never had a work contract that says I shouldn't steal things, but that doesn't mean they can't sack me if I do. The details of his contract have absolutely nothing whatsoever with this scandal. And you know this.

[lardy]

No, Im not defending his actions, all Im saying ...is it a sackable offence? Be interesting to get a legal view on it

If he knew that legally he was safe from being sacked, he would never have done the Rose Garden interview.

[lisvaneblue]

If he knew that legally he was safe from being sacked, he would never have done the Rose Garden interview.

That's a rubbish reply. He was being hounded by the press and this was an attempt to set the record straight as he saw it

[lisvaneblue]

You're talking about his return to work two weeks later. Was he off work or on the sick at the time of his initial travel up the country? He couldn't have been because he didn't tell his boss.

But this is all by the by. I've never had a work contract that says I shouldn't steal things, but that doesn't mean they can't sack me if I do. The details of his contract have absolutely nothing whatsoever with this scandal. And you know this.

As I said, be interesting to get a legal view on it

And, back my OP, Emily Maitlis did break the rules of her employment, so should she be sacked?

[Croesy Blue]

As I said, be interesting to get a legal view on it

You’re either very stupid or very biased, hard to work out which it is.

[Jordi Culé]

That's a rubbish reply. He was being hounded by the press and this was an attempt to set the record straight as he saw it

“...Hounded by the press...”

**** me you’re funny, I don’t care if you’re doing it intentionally or not but you’re brightening up my day Please add that his life was being endangered next by the rabble who congregated outside his house with pitchforks.

[Baloo]

As I said, be interesting to get a legal view on it

Do you think it at least warrants a disciplinary procedure?

[dembethewarrior]

Well that was an entertaining page 9.

[lardy]

That's a rubbish reply. He was being hounded by the press and this was an attempt to set the record straight as he saw it

Well if anyone knows a rubbish reply when they see one...


Why does he need to set the record straight? He's not in the public eye. One of the few things he's known for is not caring what people think.

The public may want him to be sacked. But if he legally can't be sacked, all they need to do is wait until it blows over.

There was a good piece on the FT where one of their editors did an analysis of his statement. Basically it's written like a witness statement and the guy concluded that it was a very good one considering it was written in one weekend. I'm quite sure one of those excellent lawyers would have piped up to say "hold on, he can't be sacked anyway" while they were at it if it were true.

[lisvaneblue]

You’re either very stupid or very biased, hard to work out which it is.

Well I can tell you that Im not stupid, and unlike you Im trying not to be biased.

I am however, trying to be controversial

[jeepster]

Does anyone think Cummings actions will kill any hope of track and trace working ?

[lisvaneblue]

“...Hounded by the press...”

**** me you’re funny, I don’t care if you’re doing it intentionally or not but you’re brightening up my day Please add that his life was being endangered next by the rabble who congregated outside his house with pitchforks.

You must have missed the TV news coverage showing loads of reporters outside his home, none of whom seem to care a toss about social distancing. Maybe they should be rounded up and sacked as well for breaking the rules

[Baloo]

Well I can tell you that Im not stupid, and unlike you Im trying not to be biased.

I am however, trying to be controversial

Just so it’s clear then. Are you saying you agree he’s broken rules but he can’t be sacked for it?

[lisvaneblue]

Does anyone think Cummings actions will kill any hope of track and trace working ?

Hope not. But here in Wales we are behind the rest of the UK with it anyhow. Whilst it will start 1 June statement that it will take another couple of weeks before its properly functioning in Wales.

People talk about Cummings but the lot we have at the Senedd makes his actions pale into insignificance. We have the worst record for infections in the UK, almost double England per capita. We have a hopeless record on testing, still much less than the 5,000 a day promised two months ago, and we are the one UK country dragging its heels on giving firm guidance on plans for easing the lockdown.

[Jordi Culé]

You must have missed the TV news coverage showing loads of reporters outside his home, none of whom seem to care a toss about social distancing. Maybe they should be rounded up and sacked as well for breaking the rules

No, I didn’t miss Cummings nonchalantly leaving his home and pointing out the press were not socially distancing, I even commented upon it on here as that also made me laugh.

[Eric Cartman]

That's a rubbish reply. He was being hounded by the press and this was an attempt to set the record straight as he saw it

Are you running PR for him? Clearly his statement was a load of bollocks written by lawyers yet you have taken it as an entirely truthful account.

[lisvaneblue]

Just so it’s clear then. Are you saying you agree he’s broken rules but he can’t be sacked for it?

I don't know, that's why I fed into the thread. But I do know that people think he did break the rules, and he and his boss say he hasn't.

The BBC said the Emily Maitlis did break the rules...nuff said

[Croesy Blue]

I don't know, that's why I fed into the thread. But I do know that people think he did break the rules, and he and his boss say he hasn't.

The BBC said the Emily Maitlis did break the rules...nuff said

So you don’t think Dominic Cummings broke any rules?

[Eric Cartman]

As I said, be interesting to get a legal view on it

And, back my OP, Emily Maitlis did break the rules of her employment, so should she be sacked?

Well clearly not otherwise she would already have been. Her employer has recognised that she has broken their rules, that doesn't mean it is a sackable offence. You are tying yourself in knots here.

[lisvaneblue]

Are you running PR for him? Clearly his statement was a load of bollocks written by lawyers yet you have taken it as an entirely truthful account.

You're putting your bias into my comments now. I never mentioned that I believe what he said...."the record straight as he saw"