Shameful

[Biscuit Barrel]

However, thinking about it - did he drive to pick the boy up from Hospital at the time when his wife wrote that he was bedridden and couldn't move...?

Just goes to show what a wonderful father and human being he is.

 

[Lever]

If Cummings gets away with this he will have achieved a most remarkable escape act at the expense of media and public opinion; he must be salivating at the thought of it.......

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

If we dismiss Cummings account of his actions, then I guess we should have a stab at a more plausible set of reasons for them.

I am generally hyper-critical of Cummings, Johnson and the rest of the crew but I do buy Cummings' explanation that the trip was basically precautionary. I don't think that justifies it, but I can see where he's coming from. I also can understand that maybe given that he was under pressure (personal and professional) he wasn't thinking things through fully. I can also see that a 'safe haven' in Durham would have been attractive and tempting. I can even nearly buy that stuff about the niece being a fall-back child minder (she's clearly expendable!).

I don't buy the stuff about his house being under siege. One phone call to the local nick would sort that one.

I don't buy the eyesight bollocks. No way.

I think there is more than a dash of arrogance in the way he made his calculations even if they were well meaning.

Net judgment: guilty as charged.

Net result: he'll get away with it.

 

[Lever]

Questions he should have been asked:

1. You said you took medical advice before leaving Durham to go back to London, but you didn’t say whether it was a local GP or a more senior practitioner. You explained that you did not consult the Prime Minister before leaving for London to go to Durham, but you had access to other Cabinet ministers, civil servants, top doctors, scientists, lawyers and the police. Why didn’t you consult any of them before embarking on your journey?

2. At the time you left London your wife was ill but she didn’t know if she had Covid. You were well and your child was well. It was reasonable to fear that you might be taken ill and both you and your wife might need help with child care. You live in the centre of the biggest city in Europe. Should such an emergency arise (which in the event it never did) surely it would have been possible for a well-off and influential person to organise child care locally? While you were in Durham your child was taken ill and went to hospital. Excellent hospitals are available in London.

3. You set off for Durham, a journey of more than 260 miles taking about five hours. A number of cases have been reported in which Corvid symptoms have set in suddenly. If you had been taken ill before completing your journey, what would you have done then?

Only asking (unlike Her Majesty’s Loyal Press Corps).

 

[1066familyman]

If we dismiss Cummings account of his actions, then I guess we should have a stab at a more plausible set of reasons for them.

I am generally hyper-critical of Cummings, Johnson and the rest of the crew but I do buy Cummings' explanation that the trip was basically precautionary. I don't think that justifies it, but I can see where he's coming from. I also can understand that maybe given that he was under pressure (personal and professional) he wasn't thinking things through fully. I can also see that a 'safe haven' in Durham would have been attractive and tempting. I can even nearly buy that stuff about the niece being a fall-back child minder (she's clearly expendable!).

I don't buy the stuff about his house being under siege. One phone call to the local nick would sort that one.

I don't buy the eyesight bollocks. No way.

I think there is more than a dash of arrogance in the way he made his calculations even if they were well meaning.

Net judgment: guilty as charged.

Net result: he'll get away with it.

Excellent post. Nailed it!

 

[smartferndale]

His explanation sounded plausible but not the statement that he had to return as he had to make important decisions had to be made. Who is the Prime Minister? I thought he advised.

 

[knocky1]

If we dismiss Cummings account of his actions, then I guess we should have a stab at a more plausible set of reasons for them.

I am generally hyper-critical of Cummings, Johnson and the rest of the crew but I do buy Cummings' explanation that the trip was basically precautionary. I don't think that justifies it, but I can see where he's coming from. I also can understand that maybe given that he was under pressure (personal and professional) he wasn't thinking things through fully. I can also see that a 'safe haven' in Durham would have been attractive and tempting. I can even nearly buy that stuff about the niece being a fall-back child minder (she's clearly expendable!).

I don't buy the stuff about his house being under siege. One phone call to the local nick would sort that one.

I don't buy the eyesight bollocks. No way.

I think there is more than a dash of arrogance in the way he made his calculations even if they were well meaning.

Net judgment: guilty as charged.

Net result: he'll get away with it.

Maybe but the man at the end of the strings will never move on from this.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

And the whole point of not going to second homes and so on was so that the local NHS could cope with the resident population. He can't say that he did not add to the NHS issues in the NE by his additional presence, as his boy went to hospital - taking valuable resources.

Quite. He seemed to explain this away by saying the cottage is really just ‘concrete blocks’. Oh ok Dominic, your parents own an unpleasant empty cottage so none of it counts....

 

[NooBHA]

None of what he said is true.

Absolutely none it it. He knows it and he know that wider Public know he knows it.

But that is not his "Strategy".

His "Strategic Avenue" out of this now is to go on the attack by claiming "Victimisation"

It's classic Donald Trump Territory. Claim that the Press have it in for him . That's already begun and the next will be to attack the Public for rounding on him and his family. He knows that will work because that then becomes the talking point as opposed to the original misdemeanor.

At this stage in events he has support of no more than 10% of the country. If he can up that support to 20 or 25 % . Then he will have ridden this out because the Press will need to tread more carefully .

At this moment in time he is doing so much damage to the Reputation of all of his family. It's like even they are expendable.

His parents standing in their own community will have been damaged

He has to go down the "we are victims route"

This has turned so sour in so many ways. It really isn't about the original event any more. It's an all out slog.

I think his actions will cost lives when people now flout Regulations; however, dragging this out will do even more damage by wasting time when we should be working on a way out of this.

The man is a liar. His family and friends are liars. I would so hate it if the media frenzy allows him to turn it all around and we allow him to become the victim. And that will happen if it is dragged out.

He had a little smirk on his face when he was walking back into the house after the he Press Conference today. He knew he had got his " I am Victim " agenda across.

The media are just not seeing it that they are clearing this escape route for him.

 

[Lever]

This....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88SmtRRVER4

 

[Medwayseagull]

His explanation sounded plausible but not the statement that he had to return as he had to make important decisions had to be made. Who is the Prime Minister? I thought he advised.

Johnson is Prime Minister in name only - as the front man. Make no mistake this individual is the person in charge. That is whyJohnson can't get rid of him.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I was going to buy one of those portable breathalysers for the car. Think I'll just drive to Arundel and back and see how I feel instead now.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Questions he should have been asked:

1. You said you took medical advice before leaving Durham to go back to London, but you didn’t say whether it was a local GP or a more senior practitioner. You explained that you did not consult the Prime Minister before leaving for London to go to Durham, but you had access to other Cabinet ministers, civil servants, top doctors, scientists, lawyers and the police. Why didn’t you consult any of them before embarking on your journey?

2. At the time you left London your wife was ill but she didn’t know if she had Covid. You were well and your child was well. It was reasonable to fear that you might be taken ill and both you and your wife might need help with child care. You live in the centre of the biggest city in Europe. Should such an emergency arise (which in the event it never did) surely it would have been possible for a well-off and influential person to organise child care locally? While you were in Durham your child was taken ill and went to hospital. Excellent hospitals are available in London.

3. You set off for Durham, a journey of more than 260 miles taking about five hours. A number of cases have been reported in which Corvid symptoms have set in suddenly. If you had been taken ill before completing your journey, what would you have done then?

Only asking (unlike Her Majesty’s Loyal Press Corps).

you missed one out the first question they should have him - Dominic Cummings why are you such a c**t?

 

[Norman Potting]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52806086

Someone with principles - perhaps he could explain the concept to Johnson and Cummings?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

As against the Saints of Momentum and their acolytes, Jezza Carbomb, Lady 'white van' Nugee, and the latterly anointed Northern-town rape-apologist Sir 'I-Vote-for-Remain' Starmer.

Pots and kettles etc.

I honestly don't understand the point you are trying to make. In any sense.

 

[NooBHA]

Johnson is Prime Minister in name only - as the front man. Make no mistake this individual is the person in charge. That is whyJohnson can't get rid of him.

I don't think that's true at all.

I think Johnson is the man in charge.

The issue is that Johnson is quite lazy and although he is fairly intelligent, he isn't all that willing to put in a lot of work. He wants to do all the easy bits of the job. The little visits to schools and hospitals and factories for photo opportunities - '' Hard Graft '' he avoids like the plague.

Dominic Cummings probably makes himself amenable to that. He probably does all the Hard Graft for Johnson. Then probably breaks that knowledge down into an easy Readers Digest version which Johnson can present to the Media as his own work.

Cummings is probably happy to do that and let Johnson take the credit knowing that ultimately he gets to sit at the Top Table so to speak.

For Johnson to go and find someone else willing to do that for him without wanting the Public Accolade themselves. He knows that there would be a transitional period in that and given the situation we are in there isn't any wriggle room for a transitional period. I have a feeling that's why he is possibly reluctant to sack him, just plain pure and simple Laziness and a propensity to be ''Work Shy''

 

[Dr Q]

Perhaps you would like to swap your place with one of the many asylum seekers crossing the Channel each day?

There's a bell missing an end somewhere, please go back to it!

 

[Medwayseagull]

I don't think that's true at all.

I think Johnson is the man in charge.

The issue is that Johnson is quite lazy and although he is fairly intelligent, he isn't all that willing to put in a lot of work. He wants to do all the easy bits of the job. The little visits to schools and hospitals and factories for photo opportunities - '' Hard Graft '' he avoids like the plague.

Dominic Cummings probably makes himself amenable to that. He probably does all the Hard Graft for Johnson. Then probably breaks that knowledge down into an easy Readers Digest version which Johnson can present to the Media as his own work.

Cummings is probably happy to do that and let Johnson take the credit knowing that ultimately he gets to sit at the Top Table so to speak.

For Johnson to go and find someone else willing to do that for him without wanting the Public Accolade themselves. He knows that there would be a transitional period in that and given the situation we are in there isn't any wriggle room for a transitional period. I have a feeling that's why he is possibly reluctant to sack him, just plain pure and simple Laziness and a propensity to be ''Work Shy''

Then I suggest you understand little about what is really going on in government. As for the assertion that Johnson is fairly intelligent, you must have a very low threshold to assess someones intelligence.

 

[vegster]

I don't think that's true at all.

I think Johnson is the man in charge.

The issue is that Johnson is quite lazy and although he is fairly intelligent, he isn't all that willing to put in a lot of work. He wants to do all the easy bits of the job. The little visits to schools and hospitals and factories for photo opportunities - '' Hard Graft '' he avoids like the plague.

Dominic Cummings probably makes himself amenable to that. He probably does all the Hard Graft for Johnson. Then probably breaks that knowledge down into an easy Readers Digest version which Johnson can present to the Media as his own work.

Cummings is probably happy to do that and let Johnson take the credit knowing that ultimately he gets to sit at the Top Table so to speak.

For Johnson to go and find someone else willing to do that for him without wanting the Public Accolade themselves. He knows that there would be a transitional period in that and given the situation we are in there isn't any wriggle room for a transitional period. I have a feeling that's why he is possibly reluctant to sack him, just plain pure and simple Laziness and a propensity to be ''Work Shy''

This in entirety, Cummings goes and Johnson's job can't be shirked. He's pretty much useless as he is, without Cummings he's rudderless and won't survive long in the job.

 

[nicko31]

With Johnson its the hope that kills me, I keep thinking he will get his sh1t together and show some leadership for the sake of our nation. But, it never happens...