Dominic Cummings

[MrGongGong]

From Trumpton on FB

Ronnie Biggs is to be posthumously pardoned after revelations that he ‘acted legally, responsibly and with integrity like any father would have'

[oddoneout]

I read a couple of comments elsewhere a couple of hours ago that said the child is autistic and this meant Cummings' actions were permitted and justified, particularly since the lockdown regulations were adjusted to take the needs of such individuals into account. I haven't gone back to look at those in detail but at the time I got the impression the alterations were to do with the difficulties of complying with one exercise/outside outing for many of the more severely affected, and to allow for more frequent movements. However that in itself is linked with something that is common to so many(all?) on the autistic spectrum, and that is dislike(often profound and causing severe distress and behaviour problems) of changes in routine. Taking the child away from his usual environment and routine(and do they not have staff to help with childcare?) does not seem to me to be the best course of action if the child is indeed autistic.
We shall see - possibly.

[burning dog]

Just testing my eyesight

[DracoM]

Nothing he has said changes the fact that DC thought he could get away with it - EVEN to not talking / mentioning it to his boss about it.
He underlined time and again how important his role was in No 10 at a time of crisis, which, of course, makes that silence to his boss about absenting himself in the midst of a major govt lockdown PR initiative, even less credible or justifiable.

And there really is NO-ONE in London of all places for a man / family like his for childcare.................? Come off it...........

If that truly is how DC makes decisions, IMO it makes him even less sustainable / credible as BJ's minder and a force in legislation that affects ALL of us.

[MrGongGong]

Nothing he has said changes the fact that DC thought he could get away with it - EVEN to not talking / mentioning it to his boss about it.
He underlined time and again how important his role was in No 10 at a time of crisis, which, of course, makes that silence to his boss about absenting himself in the midst of a major govt lockdown PR initiative, even less credible or justifiable.

And there really is NO-ONE in London of all places for a man / family like his for childcare.................? Come off it...........

If that truly is how DC makes decisions, IMO it makes him even less sustainable / credible as BJ's minder and a force in legislation that affects ALL of us.

He is lying
I'm sure there are very few people who don't think that
The bigger (?) problem is maybe that folks think that this is somehow acceptable

It's not really going to change i'm afraid

[Count Boso]

More relaxed regulations, updated 22 May:

1.1 What can I do that I couldn’t do before?

If you are showing coronavirus symptoms, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating, you should stay at home - this is critical to staying safe and saving lives.

1.7 Are there restrictions on how far I can travel for my exercise or outdoor activity?

No. You can travel to outdoor open space irrespective of distance. You shouldn’t travel with someone from outside your household unless you can practise social distancing - for example by cycling. Leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at another home is not allowed.

1.9 Are day trips and holidays ok? Can people stay in second homes?

Leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at another home for a holiday or other purpose is not allowed. This includes visiting second homes.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do#when-am-i-allowed-to-leave-the-house

So what I need to know is: If my wife has contracted coronavirus and I'm feeling distinctly grotty myself, are we allowed to drive 260 miles up to a second home?

[DracoM]

.........yes, provided you resign from your post as chief SPAD to the nation's PRIME MINISTER, who it now seems apparently can't move unless you tell him to.

Blimey..............does he truly take us all for as credulous idiots as manifestly his boss is?

[gradus]

I thought his statement was a good example of his style and why Johnson values him so highly; everything can be explained away.

[oddoneout]

Just testing my eyesight

I thought the new method involves driving a car...

[burning dog]

I thought the new method involves driving a car...

Then moving on to brain surgery...

[Dave2002]

Our TV has narrowly escaped permanent damage. What an absolutely dreadful performance. Then afterwards one of the commentators saying something along the lines of "what happens now will depend on public opinion".

I would have been less annoyed if there was any evidence of contrition, or of having made mistakes, but this doesn't seem to be the way these jokers operate. I hope that public opinion will continue to be upset by this.

[Old Grumpy]

Petition for sacking here, FWIW:

http://chng.it/WcH9C5XbG5

Currently > 350,000 signatures

[muzzer]

Cummings gave an account based on the publicly known facts. Classic guilty defendant tactic. Plainly he also lied. He came across as evasive, halting and generally reluctant to say what he believes, which is that he is above the law. The questions were mostly poorly directed and missed the chance to pin him down. It was yet another depressing episode in this most shameful period of British history.

[LMcD]

Petition for sacking here, FWIW:

http://chng.it/WcH9C5XbG5

Currently > 350,000 signatures

Just over 600,000 now.

[oddoneout]

Cummings gave an account based on the publicly known facts. Classic guilty defendant tactic. Plainly he also lied. He came across as evasive, halting and generally reluctant to say what he believes, which is that he is above the law. The questions were mostly poorly directed and missed the chance to pin him down. It was yet another depressing episode in this most shameful period of British history.

The eye test was a new one on me and, I thought, a pretty stupid thing to add. It was almost as if he was saying - yeah I know that doesn't stack up, but what you gonna do about it? Throwing down a gauntlet/flaunting his impregnability.