Dominic Cummings

[StephenMcK]

The great distortion of our times has been the subduing of the Sir Humphreys and the rise of the SPAD ('Special Adviser': take note, in the rail industry it is also the acronym for 'signal passed at danger').

All this hokum and humbug about democracy and taking back control, only for us to have an entirely unelected and unaccountable Machiavellian barely concealed in the shadows and pulling the strings.

Yes, Wilson had his kitchen cabinet and Blair had Alistair Campbell wielding far too much political power, but the manipulations of Cummings are in a completely different league.

Let us not forget, in its neurosis about quitting Europe, there has never been a proper and sensible debate about the future course of Britain's future.

In years to come, a lot of voters will come to rue the blank cheques they've been writing of late.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I'm not denying the reach of his malevolence, but he is in place at the PM's pleasure. I presume his usefulness will come to an end.
Hold on to that thought, and per The Times a few examples where he didn't get his way:

• its not lawful for him to recruit/dismiss civil servants so he can forget that
• He wanted the PM to be at the centre of a high tech "command centre" to be installed in No 11's floor area but Johnson preferred sitting in the office of his predecessors (revelling, no doubt, in the knowledge of where Churchill et al sat...)
• If he thinks he is going to relocate the best club in London to York..... well, we've heard no more of that.
• The abandonment of Govt depts, merger of others (inline with Cummings' deep hatred of the Civil Service) is also understood not to be happening (although it does remain to be seen). Because the immediate burst of governmental action and achievement - especially for The North and The Midlands (window dressing or actual) would have to wait whilst any radical re-organisation was planned and implemented.

I would say again, I fear the worst like many here, but try to hold on to reasons to hope it won't be that bad.....

[ahinton]

Those elected should be making the decisions. But in this instance, it appears that this unelected bureaucrat is telling the government what to do.

Indeed, though is that really any worse in principle than elected Prime Ministers getting the electorate to tell the government what to do, as one of them unwisely did recently?(!)...

[Serial_Apologist]

Indeed, though is that really any worse in principle than elected Prime Ministers getting the electorate to tell the government what to do, as one of them unwisely did recently?(!)...

I would doubt one can so so far as to deduce a general principle over what is worse, based on Brexit.

[muzzer]

If I remember correctly Cummings has the permanent get out of jail card of “non emergency surgery for a long standing condition” which he has threatened to play several times to date and doubtless will jump to do so before he is pushed.

[Stunsworth]

Rasputin was an unelected bureacurat, wasn't he!

Yes, though I doubt Cummings will find himself the subject of a Boney M single.

[CGR]

The lowdown on the man who's really running the country:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/06/inside-the-mind-of-dominic-cummings-brexit-boris-johnson-conservatives

JR

Article in The Guardian !!!

[Pulcinella]

Article in The Guardian !!!

So?

[DracoM]

Article in The Guardian !!!

Ditto? So.........why the surprise?

[Pulcinella]

Ditto? So.........why the surprise?

I assume that CGR considers it fake news, whereas if it was in the Daily Wail it would of course be completely true and unbiased.

[ardcarp]

On R4's Broadcasting House today there was an interview with John Burcow. Towards the end he was asked about DC. His reply stretched a tactful answer to its limits....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000f5r9

...interview begins about 7 mins from start.

[LHC]

The great distortion of our times has been the subduing of the Sir Humphreys and the rise of the SPAD ('Special Adviser': take note, in the rail industry it is also the acronym for 'signal passed at danger').

All this hokum and humbug about democracy and taking back control, only for us to have an entirely unelected and unaccountable Machiavellian barely concealed in the shadows and pulling the strings.

Yes, Wilson had his kitchen cabinet and Blair had Alistair Campbell wielding far too much political power, but the manipulations of Cummings are in a completely different league.

Let us not forget, in its neurosis about quitting Europe, there has never been a proper and sensible debate about the future course of Britain's future.

In years to come, a lot of voters will come to rue the blank cheques they've been writing of late.

As you note, this is not the first time an unelected advisor has wielded far too much political power, cf the ghastly Campbell's role in 'sexing up' the intelligence on Iraq in advance of the Commons vote on the Iraq war.

And before we get too sniffy about Cummings, we should remember Seumas Milne and Len McCluskey and his cronies, Karie Murphy and Andrew Murray, could be said to have had a similarly malign influence on the Labour Party over the last four years.

[Dave2002]

On R4's Broadcasting House today there was an interview with John Burcow. Towards the end he was asked about DC. His reply stretched a tactful answer to its limits....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000f5r9

...interview begins about 7 mins from start.

There is mention of David Cameron about 14 minutes in, but the comments on Dominic C are around 23 minutes in.

[Frances_iom]

Len McCluskey with his union paymaster power has foisted two poor + unelectable leaders on the labour party and can be said to hold considerable responsibility for Brexit

[Bryn]

Len McCluskey with his union paymaster power has foisted two poor + unelectable leaders on the labour party and can be said to hold considerable responsibility for Brexit

Hmm, better to have a rich + electable Tory Blair, eh?