Will Cummings go?

[wellquickwoody]

I am very anti Cummings, think he is an arrogant **** with too much influence, but why have the Police not charged him? Genuine question.

 

[kevo]

I think the distinction that a LOT of people are missing is that Cummins is not a leader. He is not elected. Those we chose to be elected have decided his advice is good for the country. That is it. In the same way a footballer who broke lockdown (and there have been plenty of them!) are not sacked, there is no reason for him to be judged worse. And he has behaved far better and far more admirably than a lot of those.

I also ask who hasn't technically broken some of the lock down rules? No one done more than one exercise a day when the restriction was one? No one made a trip to click and collect something that wasn't essential? No one collected from a takeaway five miles away just because it's nicer than the one down the road?

Human beings are not perfect, they just do the best they can.

We really shouldn't be giving this one man's actions the attention when the other issues effecting us are massive by comparison.

We all make errors of judgment. I think what most people object to isn't this, it's his utter lack of humility.

If he'd come out and said: "I did what I thought was right for my son, and regret that my actions may seem wrong to others who have made great sacrifices and that I may have compromised the government's measures on lockdown" - then I think people would kind of have accepted that. But he displays no empathy, he has no regrets, and hasn't made an apology.

The fact that the story about his trip to Barnard Castle on his wife's birthday to 'test his eyesight' is so obviously concocted also does him no favours. It would actually have been better for him to have said: "Yes we went for a drive and had a short self-isolated walk. I realise now that we were wrong to do so."

Your assertion "Who hasn't broken lockdown rules?" is also disingenuous. I haven't. Have you?

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Anyone down the beach , no need to wet yourself; stay alert !
Regards
DF

 

[Baker lite]

These are the sort of 'leaders' you want?
It's ****ing surreal, theres people on NSC who gave the reason for Brexit as 'not wanting to be governed by unelected people in the EU', and we end up with this shower of chancers,
This unelected individual seems fairly important to the clowns currently in power otherwise he would be long gone.

You never got back to Me the other evening David, what was your service number and what ships did you serve on?

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

These are the sort of 'leaders' you want?
It's ****ing surreal, theres people on NSC who gave the reason for Brexit as 'not wanting to be governed by unelected people in the EU', and we end up with this shower of chancers,
This unelected individual seems fairly important to the clowns currently in power otherwise he would be long gone.

​

You don"t live here, stick to EU issues
Regards
DF

 

[Bakero]

In the land of the blind ...

...the wonky-eyed drive.

 

[kevo]

I am very anti Cummings, think he is an arrogant **** with too much influence, but why have the Police not charged him? Genuine question.

For the same reason Johnson wasn't charged over the Accuri affair. There is no way the police would charge the Prime Minister's special adviser. There will be all kinds of pressures on them not to pursue the case.

It's interesting that Durham Police changed their statement over the weekend. On Friday, they said they had spoken to Cummings' family about lockdown rules. On Monday, they issued a different statement saying they didn't speak to the family about Coronavirus at all, but about security. A complete U-turn.

Why was the statement changed?

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

You never got back to Me the other evening David, what was your service number and what ships did you serve on?

The Hood
Regards
DF

 

[SeagullinExile]

I am very anti Cummings, think he is an arrogant **** with too much influence, but why have the Police not charged him? Genuine question.

Because he's Cummings. If they fine him, it means he's guilty. Which means he'd have to go.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I am very anti Cummings, think he is an arrogant **** with too much influence, but why have the Police not charged him? Genuine question.

Because in the scheme of things, it is not a major law break, if one at all. This is all about the attempted cover-up given known facts.

 

[clapham_gull]

I am very anti Cummings, think he is an arrogant **** with too much influence, but why have the Police not charged him? Genuine question.

He is currently being invested by Durham Police and because of the potential reputational damage to the Police force (they have already given contradictory statements) it's being undertaken at a very high level.

"Politically" I suspect they will focus on the second journey, since he already "admitted" driving when unsure about his eyesight. They didn't know anything about that till Monday when he gave his statement beyond rumours on Twitter.

They are interviewing witness and tracking his car movements.

 

[Grombleton]

I think the distinction that a LOT of people are missing is that Cummins is not a leader. He is not elected.

And we definitely don't want unelected bureaucrats telling us what we can and cannot do!

Hang on....

 

[Southcoast Corsair]

Nus Ghani still keeping her powder dry. Nothing on her Twitter feed for the last few days apart from retweets about Eid. Not had the courtesy of an acknowledgement of receipt of my email communication with her. It's almost like she doesn't want to put her head above the parapet.

Nor me. First letter ever to an MP. I don’t expect a fanfare, but some form of acknowledgement would be a courtesy.

 

[daveinplzen]

You never got back to Me the other evening David, what was your service number and what ships did you serve on?

P127893T Ark Royal & Lowestoft. (Sea)
Raleigh & Mercury (Training)
Warrior (3 months waiting for Lowestoft to finish refit)

 

[SeagullinExile]

Nor me. First letter ever to an MP. I don’t expect a fanfare, but some form of acknowledgement would be a courtesy.

I wrote to mine on Saturday. Still no reply.

I shall however remember that for the next time she wants my vote. ****.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Spoken like a true Tory MP. Please don't apply your interpretation to me retrospectively. I followed it to the letter.

After Westminster and Southwark, where I live was one of the worst initial areas.

My Tory MP has sent me a very balanced and sympathetic reply, much to my surprise.

Many thanks for your email.

I know people are very disappointed by the actions of Mr Cummings as while he has not broken the letter of the law, they feel he has done untold damage to the spirit of the law. I have been working this weekend as a nurse in the NHS so I have not seen or heard much of the media around this and I did not watch the press briefing last night but I do know the many sacrifices people have made to try and fight this disease, from not seeing loved ones in weeks to financially suffering because of the inability to work due to lockdown.

I would say two things to you. Firstly be reassured that I have fed the anger about the whole situation to the PMs team as it is not just what Mr Cummings did that has been so difficult for everyone to deal with but also the manner in the which it has been handled.

Secondly while the temptation is for everyone now to break lockdown, lockdown is actually there for you and your family’s protection. The strict socially distancing measures are working and we are now seeing the lowest levels of infections and deaths for nearly eight weeks. This does not mean the virus has gone and the only way to protect yourself and your family is to still follow these rules, set by the leading medics in the country. We have no cure yet for this virus and you have done the right things by following the scientific guidelines which have been proven in other countries to work too. Having looked after many patients with the virus during this crisis, lockdown rules also protect those of us in the NHS and social care who are putting our lives on the line trying to save as many people as possible.

I understand your anger and your frustration . Having looked after dying patients whose families could not be with them at the end, there are experiences in the last eight weeks that I never want to witness again but don’t let your anger or frustration over events of the last 48 hours put you or your loved ones at any further risk.

Please be reassured that I will be crystal clear with the powers that be about the anger and frustration from constituents over what has happened.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Best Wishes,

Maria

Maria Caulfield MP

 

[SUA Seagull]

We really shouldn't be giving this one man's actions the attention when the other issues effecting us are massive by comparison.

The central issue’s no longer about whether Cummings is elected or whether or not he lied (the balance of probability is almost certainly that he did in that his account of events seems highly implausible); it’s about the rank hypocrisy of those in government blindly defending him, unable or unwilling to evaluate the long-term damage they are imposing upon themselves and their party. One has to ask; why?

I have family and friends on all sides of the political spectrum and they are united in their condemnation of the way in which the government has stubbornly supported Cummings during a time of crisis when our elected leaders should be focused on more pressing matters. In fact, my Conservative pals are the most vocal in their criticism given their concerns over the lasting damage that this episode will undoubtedly inflict upon the government. A totally avoidable own goal.

Boris should have seized the initiative as soon as the story emerged and sidelined Cummings in a display of strong leadership. That he chose not to, and in so doing put his own reputation on the line, beggars belief, demonstrates arrogance and weakness and reflects an appalling lack of judgement which I think will haunt him for a long time to come.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I know you are a die in the wool conservative and brexit supporter, but you have made some rational well thought out points over time, and didn’t strike me as the kind of person to strap some lead on and clear radioactive graphite off the roof just because the party told you to*.

Often criticising your party feels like bowling for the opposition, but sometimes you have to be a neutral in the crowd simply in it for the game, not who wins. I don’t think this is about party politics and Starmer and his team are keeping well out of it, and so they should as the British public won’t like them taking advantage anymore than they like Cummings taking the piss.

Same with Brexit really, if there are aspects you don’t like about what is transpiring in negotiations (such as say customs checks on goods moving within our own borders) then being against those doesn’t put you ‘on the other side’, what happens politically effects everyone.

If Brexit was about taking back control from unelected officials making rules, what exactly does it say about Cummings making, then breaking, then lying about them? Surely it isn’t the looney left that should be most mad about this? This isn’t about a man taking his family somewhere, this is about the very principles on which the government was elected so convincingly.

It’s a tough one because you know how many Labour voters are posting so the natural reaction is to defend, but there is a point at which you have to have a non partisan view. As said above, the very principles on which Cummings appears to have been successful in campaigning appear to be his undoing.

[*Ive finally caught up with the Chernobyl boxset]

I agree with this. I let my membership of the LibDems lapse 25 years ago because I felt uncomfortable canvassing for a position I didn't 100 percent agree with. Five years ago, at the height of the first swathe of Brexit mayhem, I rejoined - I still didn't agree with chunks of their policy but I did agree with their general approach to the issue that was eclipsing all others. Perhaps I will stay this time, possibly I won't. What is certain is that I will restrict my blind support for anything to the Albion.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

I wrote to mine on Saturday. Still no reply.

I shall however remember that for the next time she wants my vote. ****.

Political point scoring ,your MP must be bored to tears
Regards
DF

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

I agree with this. I let my membership of the LibDems lapse 25 years ago because I felt uncomfortable canvassing for a position I didn't 100 percent agree with. Five years ago, at the height of the first swathe of Brexit mayhem, I rejoined - I still didn't agree with chunks of their policy but I did agree with their general approach to the issue that was eclipsing all others. Perhaps I will stay this time, possibly I won't. What is certain is that I will restrict my blind support for anything to the Albion.

Flakey doesn't even cover it. pissing into the wind might
Regards
DF