Dominic Cummings

[MrGongGong]

One of the most hilarious things i've heard for ages
on the way back from the shops turned on the radio and it was Radio5
with a tory MP trying to argue that DC's actions were "nuanced" and that that he had "exceptional circumstances"
quite rightly given a hard time and stuttering away refusing to answer questions


I really hope there is a list of all those who are going along with this sham and they get what is coming to them .... (in the niceset and polite way, of course)

[Serial_Apologist]

From the local rag. He is a business man, I wonder how he would react to an employee taking liberties with his company's rules? Would grit in the oyster be seen as desirable then?

And Mr Mayhew added: "The media reports suggest that Mr Cummings has a difficult personality. My personal view is that everty large organisation desperately needs difficult people to ask awkward quesions, to challenge the comfortable status quo, to ruffle feathers, to provoke change"

Neatly sums up the Boris Johnson-type government-supporting business man's typical answer - change is all to the good good even when not necessary if it ends up making people such as myself lots more money.

[Count Boso]

Psychologically fascinating. Neither Johnson nor Cummings wants to be seen to back down (by sacking or resigning), either of which solution would help the government out of a hole - to say nothing of the party in the country. That said, Cummings says he's never belonged to a political party, so perhaps …

[eighthobstruction]

Why does he want to hang on in any case, for heavens sake? What's so important that he has to disrupt the workings of the country? Does he really think he's so important, or a saviour of us all, or is it all about Dominic Cummings? If it's just money, he probably wouldn't be any worse off if he resiged. The country would be better off - and he would still be able to make inputs to government in other ways if he felt so strongly.

It's completely to do with Cummings being integral to, Brexit, and Civil Service changes etc....there is a worry in No10 that all projected changes will fissle out without his strong strategy, vision and drive....as you point out , the not backing down is a symptom of this group of 'reformers.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's completely to do with Cummings being integral to, Brexit, and Civil Service changes etc....there is a worry in No10 that all projected changes will fissle out without his strong strategy, vision and drive....as you point out , the not backing down is a symptom of this group of 'reformers.

So, Cummings acts as a sort of replacement nanny for BJ then?

[Dave2002]

It's completely to do with Cummings being integral to, Brexit, and Civil Service changes etc....there is a worry in No10 that all projected changes will fissle out without his strong strategy, vision and drive....as you point out , the not backing down is a symptom of this group of 'reformers.

If that is the reason, which I don't necessarily agree with, then the rest of the government are totally useless (no surprise there, then!) and don't deserve the positions they've got themselves into.

I still think it can't just be about one man, though. He's really not that important, even if he thinks he is.

[oddoneout]

If that is the reason, which I don't necessarily agree with, then the rest of the government are totally useless (no surprise there, then!) and don't deserve the positions they've got themselves into.

I still think it can't just be about one man, though. He's really not that important, even if he thinks he is.

But what if the PM thinks/believes Cummings is important - in the sense of necessary - to the point of not being able to function without him? After all it is pretty obvious that the PM is incapable of doing his job without an enormous amount of behind the scenes management, and even then he struggles. If Cummings has persuaded the PM of his(Cummings) indispensability then the PM isn't going to ditch him. We know the PM doesn't give a toss about the country, but it's interesting to see that he also doesn't seem overly bothered about the Tory Party either, as this whole mess is not doing that entity a great deal of good either.
At another time I would cheer but the in the midst of a grossly mismanaged pandemic and with no deal Brexit almost upon us, this is not the time I fear for the ruling Party to become even more self-obsessed, and distracted by damage limitation.

[eighthobstruction]

But what if the PM thinks/believes Cummings is important - in the sense of necessary - to the point of not being able to function without him? After all it is pretty obvious that the PM is incapable of doing his job without an enormous amount of behind the scenes management, and even then he struggles. If Cummings has persuaded the PM of his(Cummings) indispensability then the PM isn't going to ditch him. We know the PM doesn't give a toss about the country, but it's interesting to see that he also doesn't seem overly bothered about the Tory Party either, as this whole mess is not doing that entity a great deal of good either.
At another time I would cheer but the in the midst of a grossly mismanaged pandemic and with no deal Brexit almost upon us, this is not the time I fear for the ruling Party to become even more self-obsessed, and distracted by damage limitation.

Yes even the ERG has a separation - Steve Baker on one side Andrew Bridgen on the other....I think you are right, BJ is a blithering clever idiot without his Senior Adviser....Does anyone really believe the govt with or without Cummings will be any different in 2 weeks, 6 months time....Those people who are going to vote thinking Ref to Cummings incident have already made up their minds. It's 4.5 years to next election [plenty of times to forget] and they still have 80 majority...

[oddoneout]

Didn't see that coming. Problem solved by changing the rules, so now we can all do what DC did. And who better to announce the good news than Robert Jenrick, that stickler for abiding by both the letter and the spirit of the rules on unnecessary journeys/second home visits etc.
Wonder if anyone's bothered to tell Scotland, Wales and NI?

[vinteuil]

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... who better to announce the good news than Robert Jenrick, that stickler for abiding by both the letter and the spirit of the rules on unnecessary journeys/second home visits etc.

... ah, now - you can't criticize Robt: Generic for visiting his second home. It was his third home he was visiting.


.

[Count Boso]

It's completely to do with Cummings being integral to, Brexit, and Civil Service changes etc....there is a worry in No10 that all projected changes will fissle out without his strong strategy, vision and drive....

Apart from replacing 'strong' with 'ruthless', I agree. After a string of victories to his (dis)credit, landing Special Adviser to the Prime Minister topped them all off, a thumbing of his nose at the elite. Resigning would be seen as a victory for the other side, than which he would rather die in a ditch. Johnson is no sort of politician at all. He certainly seems to feel that he needs Cummings as his political brain and idea-spinner.

[DracoM]

Watching BBC Parliament now - and blimey, does he NOT get it or what........!
Frightening, seriously frightening.

[vinteuil]

.

It's completely to do with Cummings being integral to, Brexit, and Civil Service changes etc....there is a worry in No10 that all projected changes will fissle out without his strong strategy, vision and drive....as you point out , the not backing down is a symptom of this group of 'reformers.

... yes. I think Marina Hyde in The Guardian had it right :

"The thing about Johnson is that he desperately wanted to become prime minister, and he desperately wanted to have been prime minister. It’s just the bit in between he struggles with. With Othello, it was jealousy. Macbeth: ambition. Lear: pride. Johnson: career liar, hollowed out by narcissism, who not even his friends would joke was motivated by public service. I guess it’s the little things that trip you up, isn’t it? Anyone who imagines his defence of Cummings is born of loyalty is unfamiliar with the concept “Boris Johnson”. This is actually a simple story: man with no ideas is too terrified to sack his ideas man. Or to put it in the complex intellectual terms it deserves, some street heckler once shouted at David Hasselhoff: “Oi! Hasselhoff! You’re nothing without your talking car!” Cummings is the talking car to Johnson’s Hasselhoff."

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[Dave2002]

With respect I think Mr Johnson is being very honest!

Talk about broken record, parrotting a whole lot of absolute rubbish.

This is just a farce. He is incapable of understanding, and I'd rather not have to see him. He is not a leader.

There isn't much I can see which can be done - as there is no impeachment or similar in this country, and in any case it would take too long to carry out any such action.

I can see no reason why DC is so essential to solving problems in this country. Right now he is the problem, rather than a solution to any of the very serious issues which are facing the UK.

[muzzer]

He keeps trying to push the line that “many of the allegations in the press were false”. That’s utter horse****. The whole point is Cummings was bang to rights. The barefaced aboutfaced lying is Trumpian.