The UK response to Covid-19 [MOD WARNING 1ST POST]

hotmail.com

Looks like Boris will have to sack him.

Is Boris even doing the job? The illness knocked him sideways. Surely his days are numbered as well.

Patser

hotmail.com wrote: »

Looks like Boris will have to sack him.

Is Boris even doing the job? The illness knocked him sideways. Surely his days are numbered as well.

Boris is a bit like Trump in this - optimistic sound bites, spin, insults etc mean absolutely nothing to Covid 19. Instead it's a steamroller of reality and consequences, that no one has real control over.

So for Boris, still relatively fresh in position, and who got there through bluster to suddenly realise that buck entirely stops with him in an unprecedented global emergency, has to have shaken him.

CrabRevolution

I'm picturing the UK cabinet a bit like this at the minute

Stalling and straining with all their might to come up with any sort of implausible convoluted cover story to try and contradict or excuse the reality that everyone has already been made aware of.

Even if Cummings does go (and I think it's unlikely) it won't impact the government overall.

cmac2009

devnull wrote: »

Beth Rigby has summarised the sightings of Cummings nicely here:
https://twitter.com/BethRigby/status/1264276044086939648

I didn't realise the one about Barnard Castle thats now on the Guardian website, that means a third breach.

Fantastic journalism, but I'm struggling to understand how they didn't anticipate this coming out as well? He's a well know government figure, did he assume people wouldn't take any notice of him.

devnull

cmac2009 wrote: »

Fantastic journalism, but I'm struggling to understand how they didn't anticipate this coming out as well? He's a well know government figure, did he assume people wouldn't take any notice of him.

They are used to getting away with it and the behaviour has become so routine that it is now pathological and it is the automatic response to everything. I honestly think that it's so ingrained that they cannot stop themselves.

Effectively they've been in power for so long and are used to getting their own way for so long that they are deluded and out of touch with reality. This happens with many governments who have won many successive elections, the only way that such Governments learn from this is a spell in opposition.

In a normal, functioning political climate the Tories would have been kicked out of office long ago. But because there has been no effective opposition for so long from the Labour Party, they have effectively been allowed to plod on when an effective opposition would have ensured they were kicked out of office.

Indestructable

First bit of decent journalism I've seen in years. Really well done, for a change. Just gave him enough rope earlier in the day.

Call me Al

cmac2009 wrote: »

Fantastic journalism, but I'm struggling to understand how they didn't anticipate this coming out as well? He's a well know government figure, did he assume people wouldn't take any notice of him.

His arrogance and self certainty have always worked for him. Power-mad.
Why would he believe it would let him down now?

Patser

Indestructable wrote: »

First bit of decent journalism I've seen in years. Really well done, for a change. Just gave him enough rope earlier in the day.

And the other great thing is, now they'll be even more flummoxed as to how to respond to this as they'll be wondering if there's a part 3 ready to roll depending on how they defend him.

Imagine -

Govt: Oh it's an unnamed source who mistook who he was. Dominic was nowhere near Durham that day.

The Mirror/Guardian tomorrow evening: Here's a selfie taken with Dominic Cummins, while holding an easily dated newspaper in his hand, coming out of a pub that should have been closed, with Gove and 5g of coke.

Joe_ Public

I dunno did they know this was coming at all. The way Kuennsberg was tweeting to Pippa Crerar last night shows she hadnt a clue there was more coming today which suggests mirror/guardian ran an impressively tight ship on this one. And i doubt Cummings actually communicates with any of the politicians outside of Johnson so they had no chance of mounting any sort of effective counter campaign. I'd say Johnson bricking himself now and wondering wtf to do.

devnull

Any chance of the BBC reporting on this latest development on their website or news bulletins?

I also notice Laura has gone very quiet on Twitter as well. Be interesting to see how much time there is between the Tory machine to start working again and the Ministers to start talking and her doing her thing.

fr336

This is going to be delicious. It still amuses me how the government is now the B list of British politics. Sure Cameron, Osborne and co were horrendous Tories, but even they never went to the depths of Priti Patel and Dominic Raab etc. Always kept them low in the pecking order then cleared them out at the first opportunity. But of course Boris is a C list Prime Minister. He would have never got the gig had it not been for the cult of Brexit. Everyone knows he has never been up to the task and so it had to involve a once in a generation political "moment" for him to sneak his way in. See the 80 plus majority also - not an 80 majority for Boris or even the Tories, but for Brexit. I think Starmer is going to steamroll them.

Speaking of Cameron and Osborne, they also had no time for Cummings. Not because he was a bit of a nutter, though that too, but probably because he's an arrogant idiot. As is coming to pass now.

devnull

Durham Constabulary have released another statement:
https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1264285594970206209
More bad news for the Tory spin department, who now claim fake news

https://twitter.com/joepike/status/1264291113550176258

Full Trump in......

robinph

cmac2009 wrote: »

Fantastic journalism, but I'm struggling to understand how they didn't anticipate this coming out as well? He's a well know government figure, did he assume people wouldn't take any notice of him.

A middle aged bloke shuffling around Downing Street in scruffy clothes and tatty hat trying not to be noticed by the TV cameras that pick him out on a daily basis whilst he pretends to be Kevin The Teenager would never stick in someone's mind if they spotted him on the street.

He's got to be one of the most recognisable people in the country just purely down to how badly he manages to try not to be noticed. If he wanted to be ignored he should have a shave, wear a suit and nobody would pay attention to him outside of political circles. That there is a moody teenager on telly being described as the one controlling Johnson it what make him noticeable... And an idiot if he thinks he's invisible.

devnull

Interesting tactic being used by Sophy Ridge here (see thread)
https://twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1264274539422388225
Good to see the media are finally getting wise to the lengths that the Tories will go to avoid answering questions.

I so so hope that there is a part 3 to come out tomorrow

BonnieSituation

bilston wrote: »

What's wrong with clapping for NHS workers?

Nothing in essence. But you certainly didn't get what I meant anyway.

extra gravy

Transport minister being thrown under the bus. How fitting.

declanflynn

extra gravy wrote: »

Transport minister being thrown under the bus. How fitting.

Theres a lot of people that have gone under that bus and probably a lot more to go under it as long as this tory government lasts.

WoollyRedHat

Guardian/ Mirror to reveal the next Gotcha in 3..2..1

BonnieSituation

hotmail.com wrote: »

Journalists shouldn't be bothered with exerting maximum damage. Journalists uncover information, release it and then let the public and other politicians take the next steps.

If they had this information weeks ago, it's disturbing that they haven't released the information earlier.

The Guardian reported back in April about Cummings making a trip and there was no real traction.

So yeah, Cummings should get away with it now cos the journalists decided to time the story. How very dare they.

Remember how the Telegraph sat on the Ferguson story and then released it when it was needed to cover up the Total Deaths v Italy news. I'm sure you were all over that announcement criticising the Telegraph, yeah?

dfx-

Enzokk wrote: »

This tweet sums it up, those ministers will be right idiots if this is true.

Even if he doesn't go, it's fun that some of the very people Cummings despises or treats with contempt - Fleet St/Westminster media establishment - are the ones who carefully laid the trap he walked into.

BonnieSituation

devnull wrote: »

Durham Constabulary have released another statement:
https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1264285594970206209
More bad news for the Tory spin department, who now claim fake news

https://twitter.com/joepike/status/1264291113550176258

Full Trump in......

That No 10 statement is outrageous

devnull

In tomorrow's Daily Mail.

Faithful and loyal partner and husband to his ex wife, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (remember him?) says that Cummings shouldn't be fired because he was looking out for his children rather than having an affair.

https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264304509951582219
Can't make this up, they're really scrapping the barrel now.

VinLieger

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I so so hope that there is a part 3 to come out tomorrow

Why do you think sky are laying out the questions so clearly? There will be at least one beautiful "gotcha" in there somewhere.

VinLieger

VinLieger wrote: »

Why do you think sky are laying out the questions so clearly? There will be at least one beautiful "gotcha" in there somewhere.

I hope so. But I still think that it will be old news by Tuesday and there is no PMQ until June

devnull

VinLieger wrote: »

Why do you think sky are laying out the questions so clearly? There will be at least one beautiful "gotcha" in there somewhere.

Indeed, they are essentially trying to make it harder for him to avoid answering the questions like he tried to do today. Of course he could use this time to prepare some spin to answer the questions, but on the other hand the spin that the Tories used today hardly worked out well for them.

You will find that Sky, like the Guardian and Mirror and some of the other media, will not give him an easy ride like Laura and the BBC. If you contrast Beth Rigby, Sky's political editor, and Laura's approach to this, you will notice a big difference. Rigby has been far more analytical and been piecing things together whereas Laura has just been amplifying Government messages.

There's another element to this story just been released as well
https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1264299662846177281
So, it seems that completely by co-incidence, it was his wifes, and mothers birthday around the time he HAD to get to his parents in order to access childcare he couldn’t get from friends or family in London, just in case he came down with a serious dose of Coronavirus, like his wife?

What an amazing co-incidence.

LuckyLloyd

hotmail.com wrote: »

Cummings gone and some other Tory will fill his place. The Brits voted for a Tory government a few months ago.

Ah now, I'd have thought you were smart enough to know Cummings is no garden variety Tory.

BonnieSituation

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I hope so. But I still think that it will be old news by Tuesday and there is no PMQ until June

June's next week practically.

Something else will come out by then to let this sink below the front page.

But there's gonna be something.

Enzokk

If you needed any evidence why Brendan O'Neill should be ignored, here it is.

https://twitter.com/LeoHickman/status/1264253876087123968?s=20

So what is the difference between these 2 stories? Other than the Brexit element?

devnull

Government just announced that discussion of lifting lockdown to take place on Monday in a meeting to be held by Johnson.

Not a massive dead cat but announcement timing of 11pm on Saturday night of a Bank Holiday weekend means it's a dead cat neverless.

Joe_ Public

Not sure is Pippa hinting at a possible Part 3 here. She'll be on Marr in the morning, essential viewing for a change!

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1264297237598941185?s=20

BonnieSituation

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Ah now, I'd have thought you were smart enough to know Cummings is no garden variety Tory.

Well if you didn't know that Lloyd, clearly you're not smart enough?

: sar :

Enzokk

devnull wrote: »

Government just announced that discussion of lifting lockdown to take place on Monday.

Dead cat.

Yes, there is the story that Shapps will want to focus on tomorrow. This is so reckless, no other country that has had a outbreak like we have had in Europe is thinking about ending the lockdown, but all it takes is the most powerful man in the UK to be caught with his pants down with his hand in the cookie jar as well.

If they exit the lockdown as a consequence of this story and more people die, I mean that is sending people to their graves for Cummings.

Amirani

According to Twitter he was in Durham in May also.

ChikiChiki

Enzokk wrote: »

If you needed any evidence why Brendan O'Neill should be ignored, here it is.

https://twitter.com/LeoHickman/status/1264253876087123968?s=20

So what is the difference between these 2 stories? Other than the Brexit element?

Double standards by the Government. One was sacked and completely thrown under the bus whilst the other is being vehemently defended despite multiple breaches.

Kermit.de.frog

Johnson has to fire him. This totally inept 'leadership'.

BonnieSituation

Enzokk wrote: »

If you needed any evidence why Brendan O'Neill should be ignored, here it is.

https://twitter.com/LeoHickman/status/1264253876087123968?s=20

So what is the difference between these 2 stories? Other than the Brexit element?

This is what happens when you let "peasant Irish stock" get ahead of themselves.

The right-wing have ALWAYS engaged in double standards. The problem is no one else ever plays them at their own game so they keep winning. It's very infuriating tbh.

This Cummings story is an example of how EXACTLY to play the game.

There were examples during the election campaign where the Tories could just keep ignoring hard questions long enough for something else to get in the way and distract the press. The thing is, this was exactly their weakness, but they had the temerity and the major press and the BBC on their side so it was fine.

This time you have an opposition made up of Sturgeon (and BBC creation Davidson is gone) and Starmer so things are different.

---

Does anyone think that if Starmer was in charge that Boris would have gotten away with the fridge escape? The Andrew Neil escape? The flood mopping?

Not a chance.

---

Also, while.we.may lament that the Scottish CMO shouldn't have resigned, the fact that she did shows that the SNP are different and regardless of talent or faith, you have to be above reproach.

Look how skillfully Sturgeon has managed to maneuver away from Salmond?

---

Honestly, looking at how this Cummings story has developed it merely has shown how little there is up top with the Tories.

devnull

Enzokk wrote: »

Yes, there is the story that Shapps will want to focus on tomorrow. This is so reckless, no other country that has had a outbreak like we have had in Europe is thinking about ending the lockdown, but all it takes is the most powerful man in the UK to be caught with his pants down with his hand in the cookie jar as well.

If they exit the lockdown as a consequence of this story and more people die, I mean that is sending people to their graves for Cummings.

I was actually earlier going to post that one of their options to get out of this situation, alongside the vaccine/cure/treatment dead cat strategy, would be to end the lockdown or make large relaxations to it, but didn't post it, because I thought that would be a pretty crazy thing to do and maybe I was being a tad over-dramatic and sensationalist and even this Government couldn't be that bad.

But I hear about their actions tonight, I see the statement from Boris in the Daily Mail and see their most recent laughable statement backing up Cummings again tonight and also see them basically accusing the police of being liars as well and I have to admit it really make you wonder if they would go that far to protect Cummings.

Exiting Lockdown to take the heat off Cummings is literally risking trading the death of many people in order to keep him in a job. You'd like to think that no Government in modern times would be capable of these things, even really out of touch ones like these and I still hold onto the comfort that what I like to think is true, we'll see if it's misguided or not.

You'd like to think that if push comes to shove there are enough decent Tory politicians who would rebel and revolt, but you know, seeing some of their most recent intake and some of the principled people who got deselected or are no longer part of the Tory party, you really wonder if there are many decent Tory MPs.

Call me Al

https://twitter.com/iamsimonyoung/status/1259591486523486209?s=20

And then there was 10th May...?

I see sheep

This ain't going to go away Dom sorry :P

He's done

Looking forward to Johnson having to run things himself

Joe_ Public

Senior tory quoted in tomorrow Sunday Times: "if this was someone else Dom would be the first one screaming about the out of touch Westminster elite."

Not the only one piling in by all accounts, including at least one cabinet minister, all anonymously of course.

devnull

I thought it was unusual that the Daily Mail keeps getting these briefings that nobody else seems to get and how Boris has spoken to the Mail on Sunday but nobody has seen him....

Well, interesting titbit from Alistair Campbell - the Daily Mail's political editor is Harry Cole, and Harry Cole just happened to have a good friend and a former lover who currently works as the director of communication of the Conservative party.

Her name? Carrie Symmonds.

Kermit.de.frog

Yes, it's quite the incestuous clique at the top of British politics and their friends in the media.


The BBC wan apparently knew about trips back in April.

BonnieSituation

devnull wrote: »

I was actually earlier going to post that one of their options to get out of this situation, alongside the vaccine/cure/treatment dead cat strategy, would be to end the lockdown or make large relaxations to it, but didn't post it, because I thought that would be a pretty crazy thing to do and maybe I was being a tad over-dramatic and sensationalist and even this Government couldn't be that bad.

But I hear about their actions tonight, I see the statement from Boris in the Daily Mail and see their most recent laughable statement backing up Cummings again tonight and also see them basically accusing the police of being liars as well and I have to admit it really make you wonder if they would go that far to protect Cummings.

Exiting Lockdown to take the heat off Cummings is literally risking trading the death of many people in order to keep him in a job. You'd like to think that no Government in modern times would be capable of these things, even really out of touch ones like these and I still hold onto the comfort that what I like to think is true, we'll see if it's misguided or not.

You'd like to think that if push comes to shove there are enough decent Tory politicians who would rebel and revolt, but you know, seeing some of their most recent intake and some of the principled people who got deselected or are no longer part of the Tory party, you really wonder if there are many decent Tory MPs.

But there's no decent Tories left in positions of power.

Julian Smith for example, by far the best SOSNI since Mo Mowlam, and that's precisely why he was run out of the place.

I didn't like Javid, but again, same thing.

bilston

Enzokk wrote: »

If you needed any evidence why Brendan O'Neill should be ignored, here it is.

https://twitter.com/LeoHickman/status/1264253876087123968?s=20

So what is the difference between these 2 stories? Other than the Brexit element?

Not even Coronavirus can escape Brexit.

Go on Twitter, people who want less lockdown tend to be Brexiteers and those who want more or at least don't want restrictions lessened tend to be Remainers.

Brexit shapes everything in British politics these days.

BonnieSituation

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Yes, it's quite the incestuous clique at the top of British politics and their friends in the media.


The BBC wan apparently knew about trips back in April.

Again, everybody knew about them in April. The Guardian even reported then. They've just managed to flesh them out and make it relevant again. Incredible journalism all 'round.

Joe_ Public

BonnieSituation wrote: »

But there's no decent Tories left in positions of power.

Julian Smith for example, by far the best SOSNI since Mo Mowlam, and that's precisely why he was run out of the place.

I didn't like Javid, but again, same thing.

Remember Cummings had one of Javids advisers escorted out of her building by security officers. A lot of righteous schadenfraude being felt by a few people tonight i would think. Whether Cummings ever goes or not. But when a spad starts becoming the news regularly, as Alistair Campbell will attest, it's already the beginning of the end.

BonnieSituation

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Remember Cummings had one of Javids advisers escorted out of her building by security officers. A lot of righteous schadenfraude being felt by a few people tonight i would think. Whether Cummings ever goes or not. But when a spad starts becoming the news regularly, as Alistair Campbell will attest, it's already the beginning of the end.

Malcolm Tucker had to go when he became the story. Dom's goose is cooked.

Guy:Incognito

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Malcolm Tucker had to go when he became the story. Dom's goose is cooked.

Theyre only months in to a 5 year term. If they really just decide to front it out, anyone that still remembers it at that stage will be shouted down by Tory fans with a mix of making enough changes to dampen the severity of the issue that the vast majority of lay people will just assume thats how they remember it, plenty of "but Keir Starmer/Jeremy Corbyn/ etc did X (plenty of this already) and just plain old "you lefty remoaners still going on about that non story"

Strazdas

devnull wrote: »

I thought it was unusual that the Daily Mail keeps getting these briefings that nobody else seems to get and how Boris has spoken to the Mail on Sunday but nobody has seen him....

Well, interesting titbit from Alistair Campbell - the Daily Mail's political editor is Harry Cole, and Harry Cole just happened to have a good friend and a former lover who currently works as the director of communication of the Conservative party.

Her name? Carrie Symmonds.

I read that Johnson is having yet another well deserved break this weekend and is not in London.

He must be the laziest PM in history.