Just had my mate asking if I want to go for a ride in the sunshine tonight. Said there was no risk of transmission and if 'cummings can do what he wants he can't imagine anyone would have an issue with it'..
People will catch cornonavirus because of that man's actions and lack of remorse. And some of them will die from it.
Absolute xxx of a man.
*Sigh* He’s still an MP. He resigned from his post as a Scottish Office minister.
Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense.
He should resign from the Conservative party altogether then let the people elect again in that constituency.
p/s: I don't know anything much about Scotland and don't wish to know about them. Scotland can go and do as they wish as far as I know. But this case is linked to the South so I asked. When the title of the news says he resigned I thought he resigned as an MP.
When politics is concerned Chew loses his ability to do nuance and critical thinking it’s all rather sad (bigly so).
Yes, because I have a very low opinion (very) for all politicians regardless.
Just had my mate asking if I want to go for a ride in the sunshine tonight. Said there was no risk of transmission and if ‘cummings can do what he wants he can’t imagine anyone would have an issue with it’..
You can meet with one other for a socially distanced ride, even if you aren’t DC.
franksinatra - write back. You must ask for your specific questions to be answered and keep asking until they are.
I wrote to Anthony Magnall and asked for my views to be represented, he responded that he shared many of my concerns and has raised them. We live in the middle of an elderly community down here constantly at risk from tourism and 2nd homers. He knows that and feels the anger.
They need to know that this is not going to go away, despite the likes of that newt faced coke sniffer on breakfast TV this morning. It goes away if we let it go away.
At least most people are getting a reply from their MP's that discusses the problem at hand.
The Penrith and Borders MP Neil Hudson has an automatic reply that states due to the scale of emails he is receiving at the moment he is only addressing constituency matters.
No backbone whatsoever and just goes to prove this man will never represent the people of the region he has been dropped in to and will only ever look after his own personal interests.
I live ten minutes further away from Barnard Castle than Durham is but I would never have dreamed of heading there on the 12th of April when we were in full lockdown mode.
I wrote to Anthony Magnall and asked for my views to be represented, he responded that he shared many of my concerns and has raised them
You know that's a cut and paste response from Tory central office, right?
interests.
I live ten minutes further away from Barnard Castle than Durham is but I would never have dreamed of heading there on the 12th of April when we were in full lockdown mode.
Even if you needed to check your eyesight?
I think he is also busy ” not interrupting an enemy while they are making a mistake”
Very much so. I know it’s not the same but if I’m interviewing someone and they’re digging themselves a massive hole I keep my mouth tightly shut and let them dig.
This has run it’s course.
I don't think it has run its course, but Cummings & Co are attempting to diffuse it with a confusing mix of lies and shade. More "coincidences" and invented conspiracies just help them.
There are specific statements by Cummings that suggest he is lying, or has committed specific breaches of the rules. I hope the press and his opponents continue to pursue these.
For example, he stated yesterday that neither he nor his wife had specific Coronovirus symptoms when they left London. Despite his claim he was interpreting the rules correctly, I cannot see how non essential travel because you "thought you might get Coronavirus" is anything other than a breach.
He should resign from the Conservative party altogether then let the people elect again in that constituency.
Why should he do that? He has resigned from the government, probably in part to appease the people locally who voted for him, the message couldn't be clearer, he can't serve BoJo while Cummings is running things
Cant stop being annoyed about him altering his blog
yes he desperately needs to be seen as smarter than he really is
but he only squeezed it in when asked about his wider failures in the pandemic
he wrote it day after getting back & while Johnson was in ITU,
I think he was building a defence
he KNEW his herd immunity (something he HAD mentioned in a blog before) plan had been a terrible mistake
what a snake
he stated yesterday that neither he nor his wife had specific Coronovirus symptoms when they left London.
hold up, wasn't he too ill to get out of bed?
he still broken lockdown by going 250 miles, let's not get distracted
he KNEW his herd immunity (something he HAD mentioned in a blog before) plan had been a terrible mistake
I think the idea of sacrificing a big old bunch of people doesn't go down to well with most of us.
I guess as a functional psychopath, that is unlikely to have occurred to him.
, probably in part to appease the people locally who voted for him,
There are scottish elections next May. The tories know how badly this will play out in scotland. Some of them are frantically trying to distance the tories in Scotland from westminster
I don't think it'll die anytime soon, no (serious) journalist is buying it
The only ones coming out to bat for him are those pair of ****s Tom harwood and Darren Grimes also Guido and the usual right wingers
hold up, wasn’t he too ill to get out of bed?
This is part of the obfuscation. Various stories were allowed to circulate prior to the press conference suggesting that either he or his wife (or both) actually had CV and went north to isolate. Obviously driving north while in the throes of illness with a car full of CV is a clear breach, so he is now stating his wife was "ill" (but specifically not with CV symptoms) and he thought he "might" get ill.
If that is actually true, he should not have left London. Non essential travel because you think you "might" get ill is not permitted. He and his family (despite his claims to the contrary) were not in immediate danger. His behaviour was a breach.
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he still broken lockdown by going 250 miles, let’s not get distracted
Indeed. It seems to be the approach that if you repeat something enough, people will eventually begin to believe it.
There have been no exceptional circumstances given that warranted their travel to the other end of the country. Their circumstances were no different to anybody else's.
I don’t think it’ll die anytime soon, no (serious) journalist is buying it
Theres too much to play with. Such as Blo Hards clear desperate dependency. Or the country being run by an unelected bureaucrat.
This mornings Metro went in for slurring them as the “Elite” which is simply a statement of fact.
And Gove is actually saying Cummings was 'wise' to go for a car based eye exam...
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-pm-banks-on-easing-lockdown-to-deflect-from-cummings-controversy-11994654
They're properly just taking the piss now.
They’re properly just taking the piss now.
I can't work out if Gove is really intelligent and playing all this to some sort of master plan or if he's one of the thickest people in the entire world.
Either way, he's got a face I could literally never get tired of punching.
This mornings Metro went in for slurring them as the “Elite” which is simply a statement of fact.
Well, that was a major part of yesterday’s nonsense… DC kept making it clear that he and the PM were too busy and too important to be expected to follow the rules, or be honest about their actions.
One thing's for sure.
I'm going for a ride later on and I am going to ride all the cheeky stuff I have been gagging to ride for weeks.
Any aggro from miserable dog walking gammons is going to be met with "Rules don't apply anywhere any more. Moan about it to Dominic Cummings if you like".
I may chuck in a cheerful "**** off" for added amusement.
“Rules don’t apply anywhere any more. Moan about it to Dominic Cummings if you like”.
I may chuck in a cheerful “**** off” for added amusement.
Congratulations for lowering yourself to his standard.
I have very low expectations of this particular bunch of Tory's - let's be brutally frank about this, they're nothing but a bunch of nodding Brexiteer dogs
But I can't be the only one who's truly gobsmacked at the haste they all rushed to essentially debase themselves by rushing to Cummings defence, before at least getting some facts first. I actually feel embarrassed for them. It's genuinely humiliating to display such a glaringly obvious spinelessness
One that stands out, in particular, is Suella Braverman. She's the attorney general FFS, which is meant to suggest a degree of legal impartiality. Did she not read the brief? She surely can't expect anyone to take her seriously in that role after the last couple of days?
I'd read the stuff implied in the press that she was as thick as mince, but reserved judgement on it thinking that there might be a degree of nastiness as she's female and the wrong colour.
Well... the Jury is certainly no longer out on that one
He must be so rich or he must have something in the pipeline to suddenly resign during this uncertain time. A 2nd or 3rd job (footie referee) or living on wife’s income? (wife must be very rich)
@chewkw - when a minister resigns they don't become unemployed. They continue as an MP on their £82k pa. salary (plus expenses, staff etc). They do forfeit their ministerial allowance which for a junior minister is something like £24k on top of that - but I think he might still get paid it for the next three months anyway (not sure if that applies if he resigns, or only if fired). Not everyone, not even every tory, thinks with their wallet first.
There are scottish elections next May. The tories know how badly this will play out in Scotland. Some of them are frantically trying to distance the tories in Scotland from Westminster
Given that, I don't understand why Carlaw hasn't been much more critical of Cummings. He could play the, "its a matter for the Westminster party, but I think it is unhelpful and he should do the right thing and go" card, much like UK govt ministers did over Scotland's CMO. I'm not sure seemingly condoning the issue (both the travel and the response) does anything to boost the Union in Scotland - it surely just makes more people think "we would be better off away from them?" I think its just possible the Douglas Ross is actually astonished/ashamed/astounded and has acted accordingly - rather than to try and get re-elected in the future.
Well… the Jury is certainly no longer out on that one
When she was taking the lead for the ERG she made a lot of media appearances… she never came across as having thought through any of her responses… just repeating key phrases as if her string was being pulled.
Congratulations for lowering yourself to his standard.
Not really. I don't have an active case of covid-19 in my household. I am not driving to another part of the country and I am allowed unlimited exercise.
If you want to try to draw a parallel between rules around public health that were breached by Cummings and a few crappy no cycling signs you could try, but that'll make you look even more daft.
Besides, my eyesight is a bit dodgy today, so a bike ride is the only possible way I can test if I am safe to ride a bike. I'm suffering from a rare form of astigmatism that makes small signs unreadable.
Reply from my MP, not what you’d call a vote of confidence for Cumbag;
I listened to his explanation of his actions. Whilst one might have some sympathy with his motives and his concern for his family, I am angry that so many have sacrificed so much for public safety and yet this man has decided his interpretation of “doing the right thing“ overrode the clear instruction of Stay at Home. It is clear to me that Mr Cummings has broken some of the guidelines which we all were instructed to follow.
I am concerned that his actions have undermined our, and my, efforts to keep Wimbledon safe. My concern moving forward is the distraction this is causing at a time of national crisis and the way it is undermining confidence in the public health message. Public adherence to the rules is achieved by consent in this country and that is made much harder if people feel it is one rule for them and another for senior Government advisors.
I am disappointed he chose not to apologise however Mr Cummings conceded that many reasonable people will not agree with his actions. I share much of the confusion and anger that so many constituents have expressed. I would have not made the decisions that he did. I have not seen my elderly parents since the beginning of March.
I have always tried to do the best thing for Wimbledon and whilst I think it would be served by Mr Cummings leaving his role, I accept that is the Prime Minister’s decision who he employs as a Special Adviser. I have made my concerns and the anger of my constituents very clear to the Whips and colleagues in the Cabinet and asked that they pass them to the Prime Minister.
We probably shouldn't expect anything less from the Brexit government who lied and played with words like sophists during the Leave campaign. Like Trump, if you get caught lying you just deny it was a lie in the first place and never apologise. Black becomes white and up is down. My truth is better than your truth. There are no principles only a culture war where my team is always right.
Utterly depressing. Perhaps we deserve these bums?
Poly - Carlaw is absolutely skewered by this. Both an utter toady to Downing street and used Calderwood to castigate the Scottish Government and Sturgeon in particular. Thus nothing they can do will avoid the stench of hypocrisy unless they call for the dismissal.
The Scots tories realise this leaves them in a terrible position.
A key part of the FoD MP’s email there is the lack of an apology for the day trip Cummings made with his family. A simple, “in hindsight, we shouldn’t have done that, sorry”, would have meant the argument could still be made for people sticking to any ongoing and new instructions from the government about public health measures, and would pacify a lot of Conservative voters upset about the “one rule for us, another for them” approach surrounding this story. Just a simple apology was needed to keep existing supporters on side (that wouldn’t be enough for many of the rest of us, but would make it MUCH easier for Tory MPs to deal with Cummings staying). The “no regrets, I did nothing wrong” approach is so hard to defend… it’s telling everyone else they got it wrong by staying put, not visiting relatives, not escaping London, not going out for birthday day trips at the peak of the ‘lockdown’ measures.
nickc
Subscriber
I wrote to Anthony Magnall and asked for my views to be represented, he responded that he shared many of my concerns and has raised themYou know that’s a cut and paste response from Tory central office, right?
I don't think so because I tabled specific concerns about my mother's terminal cancer which were addressed directly in the response to me.
NSFW:
Like Trump, if you get caught lying you just deny it was a lie in the first place and never apologise. Black becomes white and up is down. My truth is better than your truth. There are no principles only a culture war where my team is always right.
Indeed. If you've not watched the Adam Curtis documentary Hypernormalisation, then that explains how we've been gradually conditioned over the last few decades to find acceptable all manner of shit.
Its well worth a viewing. Unsurprisingly, Trump figures prominently
I wrote an email to my MP, Bill Wiggin on Saturday. I have yet to receive any response, not even an automated one. I can only assume that it wasn't important enough or perhaps he is continuing to sit on the fence for a day or two till he sees the way the land lies.
No response from my MP. He's too young to have built up a sufficient profile (or probably wad of cash) to be able to have principles.
Particularly ironic that he is a Minister of State for health and supposedly a clever man (Oxford graduate). My last email was just a polite way of saying "You're an intelligent man, you don't really buy this shit, do you?"
I'll be sending another one later with a slightly different slant, see if I can hit a nerve.
@kilo The man Hammond by any chance?
Yes, as he’s already been laid off once before by the lunatic fringe I suspect he’s not much of a fan.
Carlaw has apparently now come out and said Cummings must go.
MP, Bill Wiggin on Saturday
That’ll be 20,000+ majority Wiggin would it? I’ve written to him numerous times - mainly in support of the Hands Off Our Forest campaign a few years ago. He is a typical tory shit. Vote entirely down party lines and answered my letters with just enough insouciance to be properly irritating.
However this has not stopped me writing to him again, reminding him that as a constituent, I deserve more than a cut and paste reply.
I expect a cut and paste reply 😉 Democracy at its finest.
ratherbeintobago
Where have you seen that? The only thing I have seen was backing Johnson over it in a very lukewarm manner
I don’t think so because...
@DavidB sorry to hear about your mum, hope his response isn't a cut & paste, I've seen those words reprinted a couple of times now on emails from Tory MPs.
