[Politics] Dominic Cummings v H&SC and S&T select committees *Official Match Thread*

[Martlet]

Question regarding the Official Secrets Act.
DC would have signed it, surely he would have. It must be a rule that working within No10 you have to sign it.
Therefor any media sent by, or corresponding to, the PM must come within that Act.

The Parliamentary Committee charged him with coming up with evidence to substantiate his claims, which (made to a Select Committee) would not contravene the OSA.

Also - I very much doubt that any of the content of today's release could be construed as breaching official secrets.

 

[zefarelly]

The Parliamentary Committee charged him with coming up with evidence to substantiate his claims, which (made to a Select Committee) would not contravene the OSA.

Also - I very much doubt that any of the content of today's release could be construed as breaching official secrets.

I doubt Bantz via whatsap counts as official secrets?

 

[Curious Orange]

It also confirms we are governed by focus groups and polls.

Indeed, though that hasn't been in much doubt over the last twenty years or so!

 

[Hugo Rune]

Dominic Cummings v H&SC and S&T select committees *Official Match Thread*

Abso-bloody-exactly. When this thread first appeared a fair few posters couldn't seem to grasp that people might be of the opinion that DC is a nasty little shit AND be interested in what he has to say, particularly when most of it didn't seem to be especially surprising i.e. probably true.

Wonder if he's got more to spill.

Indeed. To folk of a simple and basic disposition, the notion that you can think someone is a c*** but not reject everything they say as an untruth is laughable and hypocritical. Oh to live in a world of just black and white with no grey.

 

[beorhthelm]

Question regarding the Official Secrets Act.
DC would have signed it, surely he would have. It must be a rule that working within No10 you have to sign it.
Therefor any media sent by, or corresponding to, the PM must come within that Act.

as i understand it the scope of OSA is far less than assumed, limited to intelligence, defence and international relations. it doesnt cover the tittle-tattle of daily politics, unless impacting on those areas.

 

[cuthbert]

Anyone feeling a bit sorry for Hancock in all this?

Is he just being set up as the patsy in a Johnson/Cummings/Gove love triangle, or is he actually incompetent and totally ****ing hopeless?

In my view Matt Hancock is petulant, truculent, conceited and incompetent. I'm not feeling sorry for him.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Anyone feeling a bit sorry for Hancock in all this?

Is he just being set up as the patsy in a Johnson/Cummings/Gove love triangle, or is he actually incompetent and totally ****ing hopeless?

A little from column A and little from column B. But no, I don’t feel sorry for him. If he had any integrity he would have resigned a long time ago. Then again, so would Johnson. And Patel.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Let them drink Coke!

 

[Lethargic]

as i understand it the scope of OSA is far less than assumed, limited to intelligence, defence and international relations. it doesn't cover the tittle-tattle of daily politics, unless impacting on those areas.

Not necessarily true, the whole area is vague and open to interpretation. Anyone working in central gov will be subject to OSA but then deciding if it is a secret or not is a different story, a bit like Gov data classification - another mess.

 

[Weststander]

What’s interesting is that Cummings attempt at vengeance by a thousand cuts, releasing private information every week to infinity, is making not a jot of difference to polling and public sentiment. Haters already hated.

Adrian Chiles and some political analysts (including from the left) took a look at this recently.

They agreed that the reason is simply that, Cummings always was/is considered to be a thoroughly unlikeable and deceitful person in his own right. He’s disliked by all.

Making this ‘hell hath no fury like a Cummings scorned’ completely ineffectual.

He undoubtedly has a huge ego. I wonder if this hurts?

 

[Albion Dan]

Anyone feeling a bit sorry for Hancock in all this?

Is he just being set up as the patsy in a Johnson/Cummings/Gove love triangle, or is he actually incompetent and totally ****ing hopeless?

How could anyone feel any sympathy for that utter rat of a human being. I can't think of one politician I hold in lower contempt he's that despicable.

 

[vegster]

Anyone feeling a bit sorry for Hancock in all this?

Is he just being set up as the patsy in a Johnson/Cummings/Gove love triangle, or is he actually incompetent and totally ****ing hopeless?

Despite having said he had " The full support of the Prime Minister during the Covid crisis " it rather undermines him a tad to hear that even Johnson though he was " ****ing Rubbish "!

 

[Postman Pat]

About sums it up

 

[Is it PotG?]

About sums it up

View attachment 137752

Gotta love the Star

 

[KZNSeagull]

About sums it up

View attachment 137752

I have to say that this quite amusing.

 

[maresfield seagull]

How could anyone feel any sympathy for that utter rat of a human being. I can't think of one politician I hold in lower contempt he's that despicable.

GOVE just look at him
Could be areal life Harry Enfield character

 

[zefarelly]

GOVE just look at him
Could be areal life Harry Enfield character

Yes, and further confirms why satire is dead, reality took over.

 

[Audax]

What’s interesting is that Cummings attempt at vengeance by a thousand cuts, releasing private information every week to infinity, is making not a jot of difference to polling and public sentiment. Haters already hated.

Adrian Chiles and some political analysts (including from the left) took a look at this recently.

They agreed that the reason is simply that, Cummings always was/is considered to be a thoroughly unlikeable and deceitful person in his own right. He’s disliked by all.

Making this ‘hell hath no fury like a Cummings scorned’ completely ineffectual.

He undoubtedly has a huge ego. I wonder if this hurts?

Yup, the only way this begins to hurt for the Tories is if someone on the opposition benches (I don't care if it's Labour, SNP, Lib Dems, or Greens) steps forward and can take the live ammunition Cummings is handing over and actually make use of it in a way that will get the general public to re-assess. Cummings is playing a very clever game by waiting until Hancock gave his evidence and then shooting for the low-hanging fruit in providing evidence of untruthfulness, but he's forgotten that he simply cannot win the game in the court of public opinion because he's already lost that war a long time ago.

It's a right shame that there's no one with the magnetic personality that average Jo(e) just loves and trusts by instinct to oppose the Tories. Starmer's a decent leader for Labour if they want to tread water at a higher level than Corbyn (who was struggling to keep head above water in the end), but he's not going to get them back on dry land based on what's happened so far. Even with the Tories apparently quite happy to provide the ammunition that should bring them down.

 

[Weststander]

Yup, the only way this begins to hurt for the Tories is if someone on the opposition benches (I don't care if it's Labour, SNP, Lib Dems, or Greens) steps forward and can take the live ammunition Cummings is handing over and actually make use of it in a way that will get the general public to re-assess. Cummings is playing a very clever game by waiting until Hancock gave his evidence and then shooting for the low-hanging fruit in providing evidence of untruthfulness, but he's forgotten that he simply cannot win the game in the court of public opinion because he's already lost that war a long time ago.

It's a right shame that there's no one with the magnetic personality that average Jo(e) just loves and trusts by instinct to oppose the Tories. Starmer's a decent leader for Labour if they want to tread water at a higher level than Corbyn (who was struggling to keep head above water in the end), but he's not going to get them back on dry land based on what's happened so far. Even with the Tories apparently quite happy to provide the ammunition that should bring them down.

Good post.

I had high hopes for Starmer at the beginning, but he comes across as an uncontroversial deputy. I fear for him in the medium term as the likes of Abbott and McCluskey already seem to be subtly or overtly bitching about him. Obviously gutted that he’s centre left.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Good post.

I had high hopes for Starmer at the beginning, but he comes across as an uncontroversial deputy. I fear for him in the medium term as the likes of Abbott and McCluskey already seem to be subtly or overtly bitching about him. Obviously gutted that he’s centre left.

I think you are seriously under-estimating the cult that is Boris Johnson. He had a huge majority and despite everything that he has said and done (and claimed and not done), there isn't any significant movement to question or hold him to account from his followers, at least until things get far worse. And it seems to be completely regardless of who the opposition are or led by

I believe we are already set for decades of struggle as a nation, but it isn't going to stop for a good while yet, whilst he has this 'spell' over his target audience (which let's not forget ironically Cummings played a major role in). I'm afraid that personally, I thought quite a long time back that the best we can do is batten down the hatches, protect what you've got and try and take the position of bemused bystander.

And the bloody auto correct has changed **** to cult