Ta
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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.
Wow, is Carlaw a closet STW reader...
https://twitter.com/BBCandrewkerr/status/1265270712543121408
@ratherbeintobago just post the link and it embeds
https://twitter.com/STVColin/status/1265269496564142081?s=19
I got an automated, 'Im really busy with important covid stuff' from my spineless MP
To be fair he did reply when I emailed about proroguing parliament
but his reply was gibberish & I simply chucked it in the recycling
I do wish I had replied to it after the High court judgement though
Scots Tories bricking it over this
Election next year, a sweeping victory for the SNP will pile on pressure for indyref 2
In December we were one of the constituencies in the north that went from red to blue (by a tiny majority). We lost a brilliant MP in James Frith and gained a Tory, James Daly.
I haven't written to him myself. There seems little point.
I'm reading on the local social media that he seems to have opted to self-isolate from his new constituents. A lot of people, rightly angry, are using all avenues to try and contact him regarding the Cummings matter, but he isn't replying to any of them. He hasn't issued any statements and appears to be in hiding. Maybe he's gone for a drive to a castle?
Absolutely nobody is surprised.
People are now posting up all the letters, emails, tweets and messages they've sent to him, none of which have received a response.
No response in 3 days from my MP either, not even a holding one.
I almost hope Cummings stays as focus of voter anger the next election.
James Frith was on a recent podcast, either Remainiacs or The Bunker, and came across really well. A sad loss. Particularly when I think that my parents in law voted for the Tory
No point in contacting my mp alister jack, as he's so far ensconced up johnsons arse that he has taken root as a polyp
From my local (Conservative) MP Mark Pawsey (Rugby and Bulkington)
A letter to the many constituents who have contacted me about Dominic Cummings will be sent out today and the text is now on my website. Mr Cummings has acted against the spirit of the lockdown and the Prime Minister should now ask for his resignation.
Actually improved my opinion of him.
Kimbers
It's high stakes for the Scots tories for sure. Johnson and Cummings have give the SNP a gift
No response from my MP mogg yet.....
No point in contacting my mp alister jack, as he’s so far ensconced up johnsons arse that he has taken root as a polyp
You can't beat my MP when it comes to Tory boy top trumps. I have the T Rex/Superman/Ferrari testarossa of the pack:
Nigel Evans:
Obsequiousness - 9
Hypocrisy - 9
Bigotry - 10
Sleaze - 10
Voting Record - 10
Expenses claims - 10
Unctuosness - 9 ( obviously Gove is the top trump in this category)
I almost hope Cummings stays as focus of voter anger the next election.
Pah, not enough of the electorate will even remember this let alone think "I'm not voting for those lying shits".
They've won, they figured out that your average voter can just about remember what happened on Eastenders a day before and have cynically reinforced that with selective targeting.
These people don't watch the news, they don't listen to the news. They change the channel and watch D-list nobodies eating centipedes or chavs ranting and raving that they are the new Whitney Houston when they've just screeched like a set of contaminated brakes for a minute.
They get their 'news' from their social media accounts when they are scrolling past to see which of their mates have updated their status from 'in the queue at the chippy' to 'currently paying at the chippy' to 'walking home from the chippy'.
And they are being played selective 'news' that is actually their own prejudices played back to them as 'fact'. No balance. No need to stick at it for more than 30 seconds. No need to step back and think.....
"I wonder, have they really got Brexit don........oh look, Shaz has just updated her status to 'eating chips with a can of Stella' good old Shaz. Now where was I? Oh look, a bus with a slogan"....Etc.
Have to say I'm impressed with the tories that are making a stand- especially considering the monolithic, don't even accept that there's a problem response from the top brass.
Hows our bet looking TJ? Still confident?
I'm convinced that he'll still be firmly in place by the end of the week. They've put everything on the line for the little shit because they're lost without him. They have a leader with no interest in detail and a cabinet comprised of a bunch of nodding dogs who couldn't find their own arses using both hands.
They've essentially outsourced policy-making to him
I'm looking forward to my supply run to Greenhalgh's 😀
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Contacted my Tory MP, who doesn't appear to do anything, ever. Jam and jumble sales get her in the local paper but that's it. Asked her to clarify the following:
I am a father of two young children, both my partner’s parents and mine live over an hour and a half away. As a family, we have been ill with a cough and COVID type symptoms, during which time we self-isolated.
As far as I understand it the advice now is to follow Mr Cummings example if we’re ill again. We should not stay at home and isolate, we should travel with our children to be with our parents in case we need childcare? Of course, this is following my instincts as a father and acting for the sake of our children, which appears to be the course of action endorsed by the Prime Minister.
I also asked if that's not the case could she contact Boris and sort out Cummings.
Not expecting to hear anything at all judging by social media posts asking where her replies are.
I haven't seen this kind of internal division within the Tory party since before the last election. Apart from the true blue bloods there are sensible people within the party who know Cummings is now a fundamental liability to moving forward with policy and public favour. Plenty of people who voted for them at the last election are already jumping ship as they weren't exactly natural Tory voters in the first place. This seems like an event that will stick very strongly in voter's minds because it's so personal to so many who haven't seen loved ones since lockdown started. He cannot remain in position without a fundamental crack in the party now.
Wrote to my MP a few days back - pointing out it was the first time I'd done so. Will be interesting to see if I get a response, he's a junior minister so nothing as yet from him personally or on socials. For those saying it's not worth doing, am not so sure. Genuinely, this makes the UK less safe as people will apply their own judgement to the lockdown rules. Sounds to me like MP's are taking a litmus test of public opinion from their emails, it's a small effort so get it done.
Regardless of all the lies about a jolly gone awry, the dangerous part of it all is that one message - the rules can be examined in detail and judgement used - even if you think you have the disease.. I remain convinced that govt. reaction to this will sit alongside the late lockdown, track/trace and quarantine failures, as central reasons why thew UK has so many cases.
The only way Cummings goes is when it hurts BoJos ego too much that the world is laughing at his weakness. I hope they taunt him relentlessly.
If I were Starmer, at next PMQ's I would start with "When is the actual PM coming to answer questions?"
That would be a savage, savage thing to say. I hope he does.
I still think he will have to go Binbins
But if you win - how about a lochinver pie?
Northwind - I am a bit more cynical than you - its the pressure from folk complaining to their MPS and in Scotland the open goal this gives the SNP for May
I have not seen such a public display of dissent in the tory party ever I do not think - and there will be more to come. Its simply not going to go away. Its going to dominate the news for ages yet unless he goes
No point in contacting my mp alister jack, as he’s so far ensconced up johnsons arse that he has taken root as a polyp
They were always known as 'Spikes' in cricket teams I played in.
So-called because they were so far up the captain/coach's arse that all you could see of them was the soles of their boots.
I'll raise TJ's stakes.
If Binners rides his bike to Westminster and punches Dom square in the kisser then I'll personally take Binners to the Snappy Chapati and treat him to a 16" Tandoori Munchie Box and six cans of his choosing.
Just tell the cops you were following your instincts as a father and it'll be fine.
If I were Starmer, at next PMQ’s I would start with “When is the actual PM coming to answer questions?”
It’s what I’d go for.
Paint the relationship as Boris having a desperate servile reliance on Short Cummings. Which, is basically true.
He said yesterday that he is making many key decisions without bothering the PM with them. He can’t appear at PMQs… but he has to appear in front of select committees when requested. He can’t be a key government decision maker without being held to account by MPs.
The only way Cummings goes is when it hurts BoJos ego too much that the world is laughing at his weakness. I hope they taunt him relentlessly.
Global reaction is disbelief:
The German paper is correct; sending out Ministers to defend an advisor is basically reversing the hierarchy, it's painting DC as being the one in charge. What's worse is that all the Ministers that were out there defending him were doing so even as new evidence was coming to light about where he'd been.
The dangers of a populist Government:
[I]"Firing Cummings, even temporarily, would remove his right hand – and Johnson’s most important ministers were appointed because of their views on Brexit, not their expert special knowledge or leadership experience.”[/I]
He can’t appear at PMQs… but he has to appear in front of select committees when requested.
Wasn't he famously held in contempt of parliament for refusing to appear before a commons select comittee?
Tells you everything you need to know about him. He clearly thinks he's above that kind of thing
He can’t appear at PMQs…
i didn’t read that as suggestion he could / should. More a dig that Boris isn’t the actual decision maker.
Tory boy top trumps
Like! Turns out mine is a Hawker Hunter / BMW 318 / Jack Leach / Pterandon (he came out against Cummings on Sunday night shortly after I emailed him - coincidence?? ;-)). Which under the current circumstances is pretty good! Not sure I could stomach having USS Nimitz / SR-71 Blackbird in Gove or Mogg.
^^👍^^
Johnson’s most important ministers were appointed because of their views on Brexit, not their expert special knowledge or leadership experience.”
This is a thing that has always baffled my foreign wife about UK ministers - the health minister has no knowledge of health, the education minister no knowledge of education. It's bizarre.
I love you, Marina.
With this on top of Brexit, the rest of the world must be wondering WTF is going on in this country?
As are most of us?
Wait for he deadline for an extension on the withdrawal agreement to sail past in a couple of weeks, meaning a 'No Deal.... oh sorry... and 'Australian Style' Brexit and we'll have a full house of total ****-wittery.
The next few years are going to be pretty bloody grim for this country. And the main cause of this spent yesterday afternoon sat in the garden at number 10 telling us why he's right and we're all wrong.
The health minister in fact knows so little about health that his inability to follow his own government's corona guidance is quite likely what infected Boris Johnson.
He definitely thinks he's the brains behind the whole operation
Changing his blog to show he predicted CV pandemic shows a desperate need to be the smartest guy in the room
From the outside it must look like he is some kind of absolute monarch
Johnson is terrified of sacking him
Cummings got to hold court in the Rose Garden at number 10 yesterday, 1st time an advisor has been allowed to. Even the PM stands as he addresses the nation, HM Cummings gets to remain seated, I'm surprised he didn't have a throne
He delayed by 30 minutes, meaning little Bozo wasn't allowed to start his daily briefing until 2 hours late
MPs have been obeying the dictats to cut n paste responses saying how it's all lies, then that his apology was sincere
Attorney General & Health Sec have undermined their offices of state defending him, MPs all throwing themselves in the firing line to save Dom, look at Gove pretending driving a car was the way to test your eyesight!
The weakness of Johnson is magnified by the thrall that Cummings has over him
My new MP (Mark Jenkinson) is doing a sterling job of projecting the party line on twitter.
False news - check
Obvious falsehoods in reporting - check
Great father doing what anyone would do - check
Acceptable to drive wherever you want - check
I hope everyone in the Workington constituency who voted for the fat oxygen thief is proud of themselves.
And the steady drip drip drip of tory MPs calling for his head increases. Must be pushing 50 by now
He definitely thinks he’s the brains behind the whole operation
There are not many people, capable of tieing their own shoelaces, who would look around that cabinet table and not draw the same conclusion
