Coronavirus

[Gordon]

The Guardian are reporting that a complaint has been made regarding the Barnard's Castle visit aspect, where the complainant has provided car registration details: if true then Boris the Liar's evasion of this on TV earlier could come back to haunt him.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/24/witness-complains-to-police-about-dominic-cummings-as-pressure-mounts

[Anchorman]

Interesting to note that here in Scotland we have our very own wee Tory blowhard, in Jackson Carlaw, who can normally be relied upon to sound off berating Nicola Sturgeon/the SNP at ever available imagined opportunity, has said nothing about this - the silence from him is deafening.

Mind you that is an improvement of sorts.

   



Yep. 'Car lot' was first off the mark when calling - rightly - for the Scottish CMO's resignation...his silence speaks volumes as to his integrity.

[Roses]

The Guardian are reporting that a complaint has been made regarding the Barnard's Castle visit aspect, where the complainant has provided car registration details: if true then Boris the Liar's evasion of this on TV earlier could come back to haunt him.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/24/witness-complains-to-police-about-dominic-cummings-as-pressure-mounts

If the Police have the evidence they require Cumming should be prosecuted.

[Udayana]

If the Police have the evidence they require Cumming should be prosecuted.

But... what if their instincts tell them they'd be better off burying it?

[SteveH]

But... what if their instincts tell them they'd be better off burying it?

Bit late for that - it's out in the open.

[Roses]

But... what if their instincts tell them they'd be better off burying it?

It has been resurrected, burial is not an option.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I have a neighbour who actually views Sturgeon as the nearest thing in the UK we have to a national leader.
Most English voters of course plumped for Billy Bunter incarnate, a man after their own hearts...incompetent, upbigging, bullshitting and no neck.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

After not only not condemning but commending Cummings, where does a mind like Johnson's go next?
I should imagine going even further to illustrate the difference between the ruled and the ruling.

So expect jailings for those whose reports of Cummings whereabouts 'fail' to be corroborated and a knighthood for Cummings.

[Robbie]

That won't happen but I think he has been made into a hate figure by the media & I don't subscribe to that. I'm sick of seeing his name everywhere now and wonder what more important things that obscures.

[Nearly Sane]

Quite extraordinary


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52798632

[Nearly Sane]

That won't happen but I think he has been made into a hate figure by the media & I don't subscribe to that. I'm sick of seeing his name everywhere now and wonder what more important things that obscures.

I don't hate him but I do hate that his actions have pissed upon those who obeyed lockdown and lost loved ones that they couldn't see to Covid 19. You worried elsewhere that we would not come out of this kinder, which I do doubt as well,but in part that will have been because of this blatant breach of the rules by someone who didn't think the rules applied.  That in itself is why this is very important.

[Roses]

That won't happen but I think he has been made into a hate figure by the media & I don't subscribe to that. I'm sick of seeing his name everywhere now and wonder what more important things that obscures.

Cumming's actions should be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and so should the PM for supporting him. Cummings must do the decent thing and resign.

[Nearly Sane]

Seems coincidentally close to 2 weeks after the last bank holiday. 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-hospital-stops-accepting-new-22081378.amp?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&__twitter_impression=true

[ProfessorDavey]

Cumming's actions should be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and so should the PM for supporting him. Cummings must do the decent thing and resign.

I find the excuses being trotted out astonishing - effectively that the self isolation rules apply, unless you don't want them to be.

I understand the issue of child-care. But firstly thousands of other people struggled and managed without driving 260 miles. But secondly, surely making a hugely risky drive of that nature would have to be the very, very last option only once every other option that did not involve Cummings and/or his wife (the details aren't clear on who did or did not have symptoms) leaving the house as self isolation means you do not leave the house for any reason and you distance yourself from others in the house.

So were they both so ill that they feared from the safety of their child - clearly not as they drove 260 miles.

Did they not have a network close by in London to help them out. Yes they did - I gather several relatives live in London, including I think her brother who was a friend of Cummings and introduced them.

Does he not have friends and neighbours able to help - surely he or she does.

As a senior member of the government, and her a leading journalist could they not have gained help through those channels - of course they could.

[Roses]

I find the excuses being trotted out astonishing - effectively that the self isolation rules apply, unless you don't want them to be.

I understand the issue of child-care. But firstly thousands of other people struggled and managed without driving 260 miles. But secondly, surely making a hugely risky drive of that nature would have to be the very, very last option only once every other option that did not involve Cummings and/or his wife (the details aren't clear on who did or did not have symptoms) leaving the house as self isolation means you do not leave the house for any reason and you distance yourself from others in the house.

So were they both so ill that they feared from the safety of their child - clearly not as they drove 260 miles.

Did they not have a network close by in London to help them out. Yes they did - I gather several relatives live in London, including I think her brother who was a friend of Cummings and introduced them.

Does he not have friends and neighbours able to help - surely he or she does.

As a senior member of the government, and her a leading journalist could they not have gained help through those channels - of course they could.

I agree the fact they managed to drive all that way proves they were not that poorly and were capable to looking after their child. They have absolutely no excuse for their behaviour, especially if they stopped off at services stations on their way up there for toilets breaks, petrol, etc. 

[Nearly Sane]

Great lockdown location

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g190814-d2048791-Reviews-Barnard_Castle-Barnard_Castle_County_Durham_England.html

[Nearly Sane]

Be back soon, just going for a 30 mile drive to test my eyesight.

[jeremyp]

Be back soon, just going for a 30 mile drive to test my eyesight.

Needless to say you're making that up.

He went for a drive to check if he would be fit enough to do the longer drive back to London. He didn't say his eyesight was still affected at the time. Having said that, it was still pretty questionable: if you think you might not be fit enough for a drive, you're not fit enough for a drive.

Other than that, I won't condemn him for this episode because I probably would have done the same thing in the same situation.

[Nearly Sane]

Needless to say you're making that up.

He went for a drive to check if he would be fit enough to do the longer drive back to London. He didn't say his eyesight was still affected at the time. Having said that, it was still pretty questionable: if you think you might not be fit enough for a drive, you're not fit enough for a drive.

Other than that, I won't condemn him for this episode because I probably would have done the same thing in the same situation.

Would you have taken your 4 year old with you? Would you have broken lockdown at the other end when you said you felt sick? Would have allowed your boss to lie about you not having been in Barnard Castle?

[Roses]

His excuses were pathetic!

[Gordon]

The claim about going for a drive to Barnard's Castle to check he was fit to drive is odd. If you were testing your general fitness to drive a longer distance on the following day but were otherwise well then that might work - but not if you reported eyesight issues since then you'd be putting other road users at risk, and in that situation why on earth would you take a child on your test drive!

I see from the tweets shown on the BBC that the Tories are already falling over themselves to defend his statement.

[Udayana]

Would you have taken your 4 year old with you? Would you have broken lockdown at the other end when you said you felt sick? Would have allowed your boss to lie about you not having been in Barnard Castle?

The ins and outs of his personal conduct are not really the most important problems. The problems are:

1. The lock down message has been completely undermined.

2. The PM doesn't have the sense or intelligence to have fired him immediately or even when the story broke.

3. When Johnson was himself self-isolating and later in hospital there was no-one effectively performing his duties/role.

   

[Gordon]

I see a comment elsewhere to the effect that 'Teflon' is to be renamed 'Cummings' - since nothing sticks to it.

[wigginhall]

I think he will get some sympathy, and this will save him.  But some of it is hilarious, e.g., the test drive.  But it seems to weaken the regulations, since I have some scope for interpretation.   A big plus for him is how boring it was.

[Gordon]

Even if Cummings survives after today surely Johnson has been weakened by this, in that Johnson's assurance last night that he was happy with Cummings' account wasn't enough.