If Boris

[TheOstrich]

Soz - slip of the fingers - I meant to type Sharon

I still don't get why what Dominic did or didn't do influences us? By now we know what we should and shouldn't be doing, don't we?
If people are selfish or stupid enough to choose some feeble excuse for breaking the rules like "well Miss he did it" they would have broken the rules anyway and probably have been doing since the beginning.

Absolutely, MM, I think you've summed it up very well.

At one end there are people who are obeying the rules to the letter of the law and bark at you if you come too close. At the opposite end are the people who simply invade your personal space without any thought for your wellbeing.
Thankfully most of us have decent matters and an inherent understanding of both the situation and how folk should be treated. We smile or cheerily wave to each other from across the road or as we pass as far as apart as possible in the supermarket aisle.

As for Cummings, he has a complete blind spot when it comes to human behaviour. He's well on the spectrum, it's not his fault, it's just how he is. It's just a pity he has been elevated to such a position of influence.

Boris is weak and as he relies on him so much, he would never sack him. To me, it's very much like the relationship Jim Hacker's had with Sir Humphrey in "Yes Minister". The problem is, Boris is actually the best person for the job at the moment. He rallies the troops and cajoles us along. Can you imagine Theresa May leading us through this? Or Cameron? I think you would have to go back to Gordon Brown or Tony Blair to find someone who could both show statesmanship and lead us through this mess ….

[medsec222]

You forgot to mention Jeremy Ossie. For a man who for most of his political life voted against everything connected with the EU, he was remarkably mute on the subject when he was leader of the opposition. He managed to sit on the fence for three years without actually saying if he wanted to remain or leave the EU. I dread to think of him being in charge at the moment.

[jenniren]

I have no idea whether Dominic Cummings has managed to put some spin on the account of his journey to Durham or not, but to be honest there were far too many journalists interrogating him ad infinitum on the same points. How many times can you answer the same question? All that was missing was Karen from Facebook giving him a piece of her mind. There comes a point when members of the public might start to think it looks like a witch hunt.

My thoughts exactly.

I still don't get why what Dominic did or didn't do influences us? By now we know what we should and shouldn't be doing, don't we?
If people are selfish or stupid enough to choose some feeble excuse for breaking the rules like "well Miss he did it" they would have broken the rules anyway and probably have been doing since the beginning.

Absolutely MM.

You forgot to mention Jeremy Ossie. For a man who for most of his political life voted against everything connected with the EU, he was remarkably mute on the subject when he was leader of the opposition. He managed to sit on the fence for three years without actually saying if he wanted to remain or leave the EU. I dread to think of him being in charge at the moment.

That's too ghastly to even think about!!

[Workingman]

Jeez, Corbyn is no more. He is history, archive, the past. He is not and never, ever, will be, in charge. He's history. Using him as a 'what if' argument is so tired and desperate.

What we do have in the present is Mr Mop-head.

I could do a "Suff" and and promote him with straw men, deflection and various soundbites, but I wont. He's doing an admirable job on his own of 5hitting in his own strawberry patch.

[medsec222]

Gone but not forgotten Frank

[cromwell]

The treatment of Cummings tells us something about his enemies, and about the media and about the type of country we have become; and none of it is nice.
Lots of people have broken lockdown. Government minister Robert Jenrick. Opposition MP Stephen Kinnock. Prince Charles?
In Ireland Leo Varadkar has broken his own rules on social distancing and picnics, and there hasn't been a whisper.
None of them were subject to the attack like the one on Cummings. Why?
Because he is close to the PM and made enemies in the civil service? He was recently eported to have squashed a deal to delay Brexit. Was that the reason? Was his profile in the Brexit movement the reason?
Whatever the reason was it is plain that he has made serious enemies.
The media. I do hope that we have the worst media in the world. I wouldn't like to think that people in another country have to suffer a worse media.
They have moved from reporting the news to trying to make it.
Their treatment of Cummings has been disgraceful. The screaming, capitalised headlines, the doorstepping, the false outrage, the double standards, the bias, the attempts to whip up trouble.
Their conduct has been vicious and ugly.
And imo it is going to continue.
The UK media is beyond the pale.

[medsec222]

My other half and I have been talking this morning over that very point Crommers. We were both most uncomfortable last evening watching Cummings being grilled relentlessly by journalists and other inquisitors one after the other. The fact that people were collecting outside his home and baying for 'justice' was disgraceful. What sort of people would do that? Yes, Cummings may have made the wrong judgement during lock down and many people are upset and disappointed that he did not self isolate at home and they are perfectly entitled to express their views. But do they need to do it in such an ugly way.

[cromwell]

Yes, that was a "campaign" group. Pointing a giant tv screen at his house and putting the volume up to 11.
Cummings wasn't in, so his wife and child had to bear that.
And the police did nothing.

[Workingman]

Oh that nasty media.

Remind me; when was the last time that a world class hypocrite was given the 'honour' of a prime time slot to explain away their hypocrisy?

And how was it that he had forensic knowledge of and explanations for the happenstances of the various 'visits' but was as clear as smog on when and where they might have stopped for fuel or a cuppa or a pee?

Looking at today's media and his PR stunt has fuelled discontent within the Tory party. One junior minister has resigned and quite a few senior MPs are calling for him to go.

[Kaz]

Well said Frank! I can't believe the excuses people are making for this man. He broke the rules, and is not in the least bit contrite. As for the others mentioned, they did not have the virus. The media are, quite rightly, holding him to account.