Dominic Cummings

[Bryn]

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.

Quite! Whether he constructed his story by himself of had help from the serial lier, Johnson, we cannot know but it all too transparently a convenient fit to the so far reported confirmable sightings. Where a sighting was less easy to validate, he denies its veracity.

[Count Boso]

1. If all the women in the country aged 25-39, who have already contracted the virus (c 15,000) and who had one or more young children, had (been) driven to a second home, that could have been up to c. 50,000 people (men, women and children) on the move. I wonder how many actually did?

2. Is this some form of "personal exceptionalism" in that either a) Cummings is the one person who has a proper understanding of what the regulations mean, or b) he and his family are uniquely important to the nation's well-being?

[oddoneout]

1. If all the women in the country aged 25-39, who have already contracted the virus (c 15,000) and who had one or more young children, had (been) driven to a second home, that could have been up to c. 50,000 people (men, women and children) on the move. I wonder how many actually did?

2. Is this some form of "personal exceptionalism" in that either a) Cummings is the one person who has a proper understanding of what the regulations mean, or b) he and his family are uniquely important to the nation's well-being?

Just personal exceptionalism judging by his display yesterday, no justification/reason needed.

"the rules make clear that if you are dealing with small children that can be exceptional circumstances and the situation I was in was exceptional circumstances"

(from a bbc report)The fact that the rest of the population, when faced with such difficulties, managed to deal with matters without claiming exceptional circumstances and running around the country is irrelevant in Cummingsland.

[MrGongGong]

I was considering following my "instincts as a parent"

I've been coppicing willow for the last week and just need to do a bit of practice for the song then all will be prepared



But the one thing we know is that it's fine to completely ignore any and all the advice if our "instincts" say so

Isn't driving with defective eyesight a criminal offence ?

[oddoneout]

I was considering following my "instincts as a parent"

I've been coppicing willow for the last week and just need to do a bit of practice for the song then all will be prepared



But the one thing we know is that it's fine to completely ignore any and all the advice if our "instincts" say so

Isn't driving with defective eyesight a criminal offence ?

Isn't coppicing usually done in winter?
Whatever, a good session of goat-farts and Strip the Willow seems eminently suitable for these mad times.

[burning dog]

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

.

That's the first thought I had when the story broke. According to the Sun the whole thing has been blown up by remainers. Don't think so!

[MrGongGong]

Isn't coppicing usually done in winter?
Whatever, a good session of goat-farts and Strip the Willow seems eminently suitable for these mad times.

Needs must

I'm going to have to play the squeezebox for the singing so if anyone fancies the role of Lord Summerisle step forward.

[Count Boso]

According to the Sun the whole thing has been blown up by remainers. Don't think so!

Pots and kettles. Check out which papers have led on the 'Shops to reopen' this morning story: Sun ('OPEN FOR BUSINESS'), Express ('HURRAH! SHOPS TO OPEN DOORS!'), Telegraph ('High Street to reopen as UK edges back to normality'). Brexiteers sweeping the dirt under the carpet? D. Mail still not convinced (NO APOLOGY NO REGRETS) though.

As to Cummings quote re exceptional circumstances, there was a bit he forgot to quote: 'The day after lockdown began, 24 March, the deputy chief medical officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, clarified who could look after a child if both parents or carers were incapacitated.

'She said: "Clearly if you have adults who are unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance.

"And if the individuals do not have access to care support - formal care support - or to family, they will be able to work through their local authority hubs." '

So the relevance is in the phrase 'have access to'. But you don't legally 'have access' to your family 260 miles away if it means breaking the law to get to them. Do you?

[LMcD]

Needs must

I'm going to have to play the squeezebox for the singing so if anyone fancies the role of Lord Summerisle step forward.

'The Wicker Man' was reportedly Christopher Lee's favourite among his films. I love the line about the straight copper.

[Barbirollians]

'The Wicker Man' was reportedly Christopher Lee's favourite among his films. I love the line about the straight copper.

Douglas Ross the Under Secretary of State for Scotland has resigned over the Cummings affair.

[ardcarp]

'Booing at Boris' has been hotly tipped as a replacement Thursday evening activity. However one of my more scatological g-kids suggested 'Dumping on Dominic'.

(Maybe we should do this indoors rather than adopting Diogenes' tactics.)

[Dave2002]

If you drive 50 miles to a beach near you, and are stopped by the police, you can say "I'm doing a Dom".

[LeMartinPecheur]

Isn't driving with defective eyesight a criminal offence ?

But as he's a highly intelligent, socially responsible man, surely we must assume he checked his eyesight before driving?

Oh. Ummm...

[Barbirollians]

Yes driving with defective eyesight is a crime. Apparently, police officers already reporting Cummings conduct being raised when they are stopping people they suspect are breaching the Regs.

[Dave2002]

Allegedly Whitty and Vallance refused to go to the press conference yesterday. This has been reported to me second hand by a Times reader. In the meantime, the Times has this cartoon -

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/schrank-times-cartoon-may-26-2020-ml28s0h65