# The Dominic Cummings file



## brogdale (Sep 4, 2019)

Had to happen?

Inspired by the words of tory MP Roger Gale, I thought we might like the opportunity to comment on the man behind the man.



"Unelected, foul-mouthed oaf.."; did he miss the opportunity to include drunken?


----------



## a_chap (Sep 4, 2019)

However, although's he's "dangerous", he's still "acceptable"...


----------



## brogdale (Sep 4, 2019)

a_chap said:


> View attachment 183186
> 
> However, although's he's "dangerous", he's still "acceptable"...


Source : Grauniad


----------



## StoneRoad (Sep 4, 2019)

That's the guy who stripped the whip off the rebels last night after his boss lost a vote


----------



## Sprocket. (Sep 4, 2019)

Dominic Cummings in an earlier guise.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Sep 4, 2019)

is he talking about Cummings or Johnson? Or both?


----------



## brogdale (Sep 4, 2019)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> View attachment 183189
> is he talking about Cummings or Johnson? Or both?


I'm sure that if Gale had been referring to TCJ he'd have added 'racist' to the list.


----------



## bluescreen (Sep 4, 2019)

He has a blog, not updated since June.
https://dominic fill in the gap cummings.com

Haven't had a chance to riffle through it yet, but this looks interesting:
https://dominic fill in the gap cummings.com/2019/03/27/on-the-referendum-24n-actions-have-consequences/


----------



## killer b (Sep 4, 2019)

there is never enough time to rifle through Cummings' blog.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Sep 4, 2019)

Not sure this really trashes the reputation of the Tories tbh; just a bit unusual that it's not an MP pissed and ranting.


----------



## stavros (Sep 4, 2019)

He tarnishes the great reputations of his predecessors, such as Alastair Campbell and Andy Coulson.


----------



## sim667 (Sep 5, 2019)

Dominic Cummings has been asked to answer questions to the Investigation into disinformation during the referendum, and has refused to do so.

A bit of background, cummings was the strategist for Vote Leave, and was the chap who involved Cambridge Analytica in their campaign. Thats important because its regarded that Cambridge analytica broke the law in the way that they harvested information. They harvested social media information by using those stupid facebook games that people play, and grant them access to their profiles, but not only do the grant them access to their own profiles, they grant them access to all the information on the profiles on their friends list, to the point they gather about 500 data points on each facebook profile they have access to, by abusing API's against the terms and conditions of facebook. Using those data points they targeted undecided votes with fake adverts to push them toward leave. The tooling they built to do this was also used in Trumps campaign and a number of times previously, in one example to stop young voters from a specific ethnic background from voting. 

The tooling used is so powerful it is classified as a weapon and has to be reported to numerous services such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ if deployed from the UK against another country, but because it was deployed from the UK against UK citizens, it didn't have to be.

In short Dom Cummings is an absolutely disgusting cunt who should be in prison.


----------



## sim667 (Sep 5, 2019)

This letter is interesting reading RE: Cummings



And this one about him being in contempt of parliament


----------



## killer b (Sep 5, 2019)

sim667 said:


> The tooling used is so powerful it is classified as a weapon and has to be reported to numerous services such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ if deployed from the UK against another country, but because it was deployed from the UK against UK citizens, it didn't have to be.


I'd be interested in reading more about this - got any links?


----------



## Part 2 (Sep 5, 2019)

killer b said:


> I'd be interested in reading more about this - got any links?



It's in a film on Netflix...The Great Hack

The Great Hack: the film that goes behind the scenes of the Facebook data scandal


----------



## sim667 (Sep 5, 2019)

killer b said:


> I'd be interested in reading more about this - got any links?


Ok, I've got it a little wrong, but prior to 2014 this would have been the requirement, the legal designation changed in 2014. This was something that surfaced in Brittany De Kaisers testimony to the investigation.

Cambridge Analytica’s Weapons-Grade Communication Tactics | Heavy.com


----------



## sim667 (Sep 5, 2019)

The work Carole Cadwallr, Wolfie Christl and Frank Pasquale do around data privacy is probably a good thing to look at if privacy issues interest you.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 5, 2019)

In his own words.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Sep 5, 2019)

Part 2 said:


> It's in a film on Netflix...The Great Hack
> 
> The Great Hack: the film that goes behind the scenes of the Facebook data scandal


it's a really good watch.


----------



## Poi E (Sep 5, 2019)

He comes across as a death cult sort of guy. The lean henchman with the kool aid.


----------



## elbows (Sep 5, 2019)

Poi E said:


> He comes across as a death cult sort of guy. The lean henchman with the kool aid.



Quit the double act with Johnson. Bunker mentality meets spunker mentality.


----------



## Lucy Fur (Sep 5, 2019)

Part 2 said:


> It's in a film on Netflix...The Great Hack
> 
> The Great Hack: the film that goes behind the scenes of the Facebook data scandal


This is a really, really good watch.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 5, 2019)




----------



## steveo87 (Sep 5, 2019)

MrSki said:


>



I remember when they projected a naked Gail Porter on the HoC, years ago.
Simpler times.


----------



## killer b (Sep 5, 2019)

steveo87 said:


> I remember when they projected a naked Gail Porter on the HoC, years ago.
> Simpler times.


I haven't played the video yet... is it... a naked dominic cummings??


----------



## teqniq (Sep 5, 2019)

One-stop shop for all things Cummings.

Dominic Cummings and the Downing Street Plan of chaos - TruePublica


----------



## MrSki (Sep 5, 2019)




----------



## elbows (Sep 6, 2019)




----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Sep 6, 2019)

MrSki said:


> In his own words.




https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sack-anarchist-dominic-cummings-says-sir-john-major-d2ds3zcnr


MrSki said:


> In his own words.




We were also inundated with WAR FAMINE CLIFF EDGE JOB LOSSES TANKED ECONOMY  stuff for the entire campaign, why didn’t that work?


----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Sep 6, 2019)

He’s been on the left values quiz pished and gotten Council Communist 

Sack anarchist Dominic Cummings, says Sir John Major


----------



## MrSki (Sep 6, 2019)

HoratioCuthbert said:


> https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sack-anarchist-dominic-cummings-says-sir-john-nnmajor-d2ds3zcnr
> 
> 
> We were also inundated with WAR FAMINE CLIFF EDGE JOB LOSSES TANKED ECONOMY  stuff for the entire campaign, why didn’t that work?


Probably because there were not one & a half billion targeted adverts in the last four days. Paid for by unknown sources but there are strong links to Russians & also the USA. 
Hard to think why either would want to undermine to EU?


----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Sep 6, 2019)

MrSki said:


> Probably because there were not one & a half billion targeted adverts in the last four days. Paid for by unknown sources but there are strong links to Russians & also the USA.
> Hard to think why either would want to undermine to EU?


You can’t think of any other reason? We are living in a time when people are (rightly) challenging the idea that a diagnosis of dementia instantly renders you completely incapable of independent thought and ability to make choices and yet this shit is seen as the cutting edge of progressive thought.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 6, 2019)

HoratioCuthbert said:


> You can’t think of any other reason? We are living in a time when people are (rightly) challenging the idea that a diagnosis of dementia instantly renders you completely incapable of independent thought and ability to make choices and yet this shit is seen as the cutting edge of progressive thought.


Did you watch the video? An average of 20 odd adverts,in four days. sent to a specific group selected using illegal data harvesting. If people are fed the same crap enough then they start to believe it. That is why newspapers & other media sources have such a sway on public opinion. Why the conservatives are trying to brand Corbyn a chicken & it works if only on a subliminal level. It has nothing to do with dementia just the power of targeted advertising.


----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Sep 6, 2019)

MrSki said:


> Did you watch the video? An average of 20 odd adverts,in four days. sent to a specific group selected using illegal data harvesting. If people are fed the same crap enough then they start to believe it. That is why newspapers & other media sources have such a sway on public opinion. Why the conservatives are trying to brand Corbyn a chicken & it works if only on a subliminal level. It has nothing to do with dementia just the power of targeted advertising.


Yeah that’s what I said, leave voters have dementia.


----------



## William of Walworth (Sep 7, 2019)

I generally like your posts HoratioCuthbert , but I do think MrSki 's insight works better on this .... no offence intended though


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)




----------



## butchersapron (Sep 7, 2019)

Hang on  - she's one of the corbynite anti-semite extremist nutters you are always on about.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)

butchersapron said:


> Hang on  - she's one of the corbynite anti-semite extremist nutters you are always on about.


I think you are maybe confusing me with someone else.


----------



## butchersapron (Sep 7, 2019)

MrSki said:


> I think you are maybe confusing me with someone else.


Yep, mr moose - apols


----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Sep 7, 2019)

William of Walworth said:


> I generally like your posts HoratioCuthbert , but I do think MrSki 's insight works better on this .... no offence intended though


That’s nice that you like my posts, even I don’t like my posts


----------



## gosub (Sep 7, 2019)

William of Walworth said:


> I generally like your posts HoratioCuthbert , but I do think MrSki 's insight works better on this .... no offence intended though



Some taken, people do remember there was a referendum and which way they voted. A lot better than what subliminally got through their fb purity / ad blocker


----------



## kenny g (Sep 7, 2019)

_LRB · Richard J. Evans · The Demented Dalek: Michael Gove makes cummings sound vaguely human_


----------



## redsquirrel (Sep 7, 2019)

William of Walworth said:


> I generally like your posts HoratioCuthbert , but I do think MrSki 's insight works better on this .... no offence intended though


What _insight_? An unsupported contention that people simply accept what they are told. Strange how this only works one way, people like Ski don't  believe what they do because of the 'power of targeted advertising'.


----------



## Steel Icarus (Sep 7, 2019)

redsquirrel said:


> What _insight_? An unsupported contention that people simply accept what they are told. Strange how this only works one way, people like Ski don't  believe what they do because of the 'power of targeted advertising'.


I once had a conversation on Twitter about advertising where someone genuinely said to me "You just have to be clever enough to not be a sheep. You don't want to buy something, you don't buy it. Simples."


----------



## Proper Tidy (Sep 7, 2019)

S☼I said:


> I once had a conversation on Twitter about advertising where someone genuinely said to me "You just have to be clever enough to not be a sheep. You don't want to buy something, you don't buy it. Simples."


Does what it says on the tin


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Sep 7, 2019)

*I* make informed consumer choices after considering all of the available evidence.
*You* are subliminally influenced by advertising because you do not have the the insight to recognise it, or the strength to reject it.
*He/she* is a sheep.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Sep 7, 2019)

Often this stuff (targeted facebook adverts, the bus) is applied to motivations of specific voters too, eg poorer ones, desperate and misled and don't they know about EU grant funding for poor areas. Similar process to sugar tax & minimum alcohol pricing I suppose, protect them from themselves for they know not what they do, we can make choices and have agency though


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)

Using bots obviously has worked in the past & is working now.





I expect that I am a victim to subliminal adverts as much as the next person. The nature of them is that you don't realise you are being influenced.


----------



## maomao (Sep 7, 2019)

Is all campaigning useless because everybody's made up their mind already then?


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)

maomao said:


> Is all campaigning useless because everybody's made up their mind already then?


No. Why? 
What pisses me off is if the Met Police & NCA pulled their fingers out then it is possible that Cummings Johnson Gove & Fararge could have already been tried for the fraud in the referendum. It has been three years & still no answers.


----------



## teqniq (Sep 7, 2019)

Not to forget Aaron Banks, you have to wonder why.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)




----------



## redsquirrel (Sep 7, 2019)

Seriously. It was the Russian that won it, FFS.

brogdale this is the type of silliness I was talking about.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)

redsquirrel said:


> Seriously. It was the Russian that won it, FFS.
> 
> brogdale this is the type of silliness I was talking about.


I didn't say they 'won it'
Read this from the LSE


> In the fourth report, perhaps the most shocking, the Conservative-led Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee concluded Russia engaged in ‘unconventional warfare’ during the Brexit campaign. This included ‘156,252 Russian accounts tweeting about #Brexit’ and posting ‘over 45,000 Brexit messages in the last 48 hours of the campaign.’ As it said, Kremlin-controlled media, ‘RT and Sputnik had more reach on Twitter for anti-EU content than either Vote Leave or Leave.EU, during the referendum campaign’. This alone is damning – but we know it is nowhere near the full extent, because Facebook and Alphabet (which owns YouTube and Google) have not been forced to disclose how their platforms were exploited. The DCMS committee did not undertake legal analysis, but it is an offence for broadcasts (which include memes or videos online) ‘to influence persons to give or refrain’ from giving their votes ‘from a place outside’ the UK. Aiding and abetting a crime is also potentially a crime. This should enable the police to force Facebook and Alphabet to disclose its data on the extent to which Russian-financed bots exploited ‘like’, comment and sharing functions.



Full text here.


----------



## redsquirrel (Sep 7, 2019)

Mad centrist shit. Urgh.


> _A case soon to be heard in the High Court will argue that the result should consequently be deemed void._


How did this legal case go then?

And let's be clear this is not from the LSE is it 


> _This post represents the views of the author and not those of the Brexit blog, nor the LSE._


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)

redsquirrel said:


> Mad centrist shit. Urgh.
> 
> How did this legal case go then?
> 
> And let's be clear this is not from the LSE is it


Sorry I should have said 'Hosted on the LSE website' 

The court case is still stuck with the Met Police & NCA. for some strange reason it is taking them a long time to investigate.


----------



## redsquirrel (Sep 7, 2019)

An author who states



			
				Ewan McGaughey said:
			
		

> 17 September is when the UK Supreme Court will rule on whether Parliament can be prorogued indefinitely for an ulterior, despotic motive.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 7, 2019)

> 161.The Committee heard evidence of a co-ordinated, long-standing campaign by the Russian Government to influence UK elections and referenda, and similar evidence of foreign interference is being investigated by the US Congress in respect of the 2016 US Presidential Election. Thanks to these hearings we know that, during the Presidential Election, the Russians ran over 3,000 adverts on Facebook and Instagram to promote 120 Facebook pages in a campaign that reached 126 million Americans192
> 
> 162.Disinformation is an unconventional warfare, using technology to disrupt, to magnify, and to distort.193 According to research from 89up, the communications agency, Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik published 261 media articles on the EU Referendum, with an anti-EU sentiment, between 1 January 2016 and 23 June 2016. Their report also showed that RT and Sputnik had more reach on Twitter for anti-EU content than either Vote Leave or Leave.EU, during the Referendum campaign.194 195



From the Parliament UK website here. You saying that is bollocks too?


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Sep 7, 2019)

There's an unusual number of bot accounts on this at the moment, on Twitter at least.

I actually get a bit concerned about replying to them - you get a human if you reply, but are they paid by post? They probably don't get a lot of money so maybe I should keep on going back and forwards.


----------



## MrSki (Sep 8, 2019)

So in his own words without the £350 million on the bus Leave would have lost.


----------



## butchersapron (Sep 8, 2019)

Oddly enough, he's wrong - and didn't quite say that either. So the paraphrase is wrong not the argument that people quite like the NHS and look to support it.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Sep 8, 2019)

Dominic Cummings thinks leave would have lost without Dominic Cummings


----------



## brogdale (Sep 8, 2019)

Proper Tidy said:


> Dominic Cummings thinks leave would have lost without Dominic Cummings


Perhaps he watched that C4 thing?


----------



## Proper Tidy (Sep 8, 2019)

My theory is that remain might have won it offered some sort of prospect of change, just a hunch tho


----------



## MrSki (Sep 8, 2019)

Article about Cummings from today's Observer here by Carole Cadwalladr


----------



## teqniq (Sep 8, 2019)

I am amazed that the word 'conspiracy' is touted around as if it's tinfoil hat territory when what Cummings and others have done is a matter of public record.


----------



## teqniq (Sep 8, 2019)




----------



## butchersapron (Sep 8, 2019)

He's adviser to Boris Johnson not Parliament.


----------



## teqniq (Sep 8, 2019)

I know.


----------



## teqniq (Sep 8, 2019)

Why indeed has he got a security pass, particularly when he's in contempt of pariament?

Anger over Westminster security pass for Cummings


----------



## Proper Tidy (Sep 12, 2019)

A bolshevik apparently 

Dominic Cummings' ex-boss lifts lid on spin doctor's controversial past

Dominic Cummings' ex-boss lifts lid on spin doctor's controversial past


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Sep 13, 2019)

Proper Tidy said:


> My theory is that remain might have won it offered some sort of prospect of change, just a hunch tho


'remain' wasn't one thing, though. Some unions stressed worker rights that come with EU directives. And tbf, with more than 60 per cent labour voters voting remain that may have hit some kind of a chord. Biggest issue there surely is the number of tory voters voting leave, and here I would suggest Cameron's dismal performance can't have helped. I didn't follow him closely, but the one bit I did see was awful - he just had a narrow line about the EU being good for business and refused to engage in anything beyond that at all. 

I saw Yanis Varoufakis talking about 'radical remain', and he did get that people wanted change, whatever you think of his position. Labour could have stressed that more, too, but then, more labour voters voted remain than SNP voters. And these were not all some kind of detached 'liberal elite' types - around 70 per cent black people voted remain, for instance, irrc. That wasn't cos they feel themselves European or any such bollocks. That was to a large extent because they feared the increased xenophobia and racism that this vote has triggered, because of who it was that wanted 'leave' to happen. You'd have to say that such fears, which were expressed by many on here too, were justified. 

But then there's the age demographic of the vote. So many young people voted remain (75 per cent under 25s is a huge majority), and surely it is young people who are going to be most keen on change, no? People like my mum and dad, in their 80s and voting leave, many of them seem really to have voted, deep down, I think because they thought there had been _too much_ change. And of course more old people vote than young people, which also tips things on this particular issue. 

tbh democratic exercises like this aren't so finely tuned as all that, given the people who don't vote, or can't vote, and the variety of the reasons behind people's votes, including flat-out misunderstandings of certain issues. Let's not beat around that one - some people blame things like immigration for aspects of their own lives whose causes are not what they think they are. I'm not screaming 'thicky leavers' here, but it's absurd to pretend this isn't a factor in many people's voting habits, the very factor that was exploited by the likes of Cummings with their targetted ads. ffs how else do you explain so many people voting tory, so many people believing the tories are 'safer with the economy' than labour, despite the mountain of evidence that the exact opposite has been true historically. Really the best we can say is that the country is divided over the issue, but it is way more divided now, post-referendum. There wasn't a massive clamour for this referendum outside the tory party, really. For most people, however they voted, they weren't waking up in the morning thinking 'fuck the EU' or 'yay the EU'. 

And any referendum on any issue is a blunt instrument. Those who feel they themselves are doing ok are more likely to vote 'no change' for that reason, while those who feel badly done by will be more likely to vote 'change', pretty much irrespective of the issue actually on the ballot paper, and we all confabulate reasons post-fact to justify our positions that are really no better than fiction - that's just what we do, all of us, whether we know we do it or not. So an EU referendum not in the middle of vicious public sector cuts may have turned out differently, even though it really is a stretch to blame the UK's austerity on the EU. 

fwiw my main objection to brexit remains very simply my opposition to the politics, interests and values of the vast majority of those who actively seek it. Nothing good can ever come from empowering cunts like that. It's massively depressing to me the number of people prepared to support racist cunts like Farage or Johnson. That's been the worst aspect of the brexit shitfest.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Sep 13, 2019)

littlebabyjesus said:


> 'remain' wasn't one thing, though. Some unions stressed worker rights that come with EU directives. And tbf, with more than 60 per cent labour voters voting remain that may have hit some kind of a chord. Biggest issue there surely is the number of tory voters voting leave, and here I would suggest Cameron's dismal performance can't have helped. I didn't follow him closely, but the one bit I did see was awful - he just had a narrow line about the EU being good for business and refused to engage in anything beyond that at all.
> 
> I saw Yanis Varoufakis talking about 'radical remain', and he did get that people wanted change, whatever you think of his position. Labour could have stressed that more, too, but then, more labour voters voted remain than SNP voters. And these were not all some kind of detached 'liberal elite' types - around 70 per cent black people voted remain, for instance, irrc. That wasn't cos they feel themselves European or any such bollocks. That was to a large extent because they feared the increased xenophobia and racism that this vote has triggered, because of who it was that wanted 'leave' to happen. You'd have to say that such fears, which were expressed by many on here too, were justified.
> 
> ...


Yeah I agree neither remain nor leave were one thing in terms of motivations to vote. My comment was in the context of the remain campaign. Which didn't offer any prospect of change, hence why imo it lost


----------



## brogdale (Sep 15, 2019)

He's a very naughty boy.


----------



## Libertad (Sep 15, 2019)

brogdale said:


> He's a very naughty boy.
> 
> View attachment 184218



Fucking bunch of chancers.


----------



## agricola (Sep 15, 2019)

Libertad said:


> Fucking bunch of chancers.



Whilst the Opposition (collectively) are unwilling to get rid of this Government via a no confidence motion, it makes that sort of daftness possible.


----------



## Gaia (Sep 15, 2019)

MrSki said:


>



Ah Rachael ‘Fuck Me Jezza!’ ‘Swindon’, Twatter’s one-woman Jezza propaganda machine. I was shocked when I found out she was a real person, I thought she was a bot run by Labour HQ.


----------



## brogdale (Sep 15, 2019)

Gaia said:


> Ah Rachael ‘Fuck Me Jezza!’ ‘Swindon’, Twatter’s one-woman Jezza propaganda machine. I was shocked when I found out she was a real person, I thought she was a bot run by Labour HQ.


Oh dear.


----------



## SpineyNorman (Sep 15, 2019)

Gaia said:


> Ah Rachael ‘Fuck Me Jezza!’ ‘Swindon’, Twatter’s one-woman Jezza propaganda machine. I was shocked when I found out she was a real person, I thought she was a bot run by Labour HQ.


Are you real?


----------



## maomao (Sep 15, 2019)

SpineyNorman said:


> Are you real?


Some of us think not.


----------



## MickiQ (Sep 15, 2019)

brogdale said:


> He's a very naughty boy.
> 
> View attachment 184218


He's a bit like the black knight in Monty Python he really doesn't get when he's beaten


----------



## equationgirl (Sep 15, 2019)

Gaia said:


> Ah Rachael ‘Fuck Me Jezza!’ ‘Swindon’, Twatter’s one-woman Jezza propaganda machine. I was shocked when I found out she was a real person, I thought she was a bot run by Labour HQ.


You posting things like this in politics is getting more than a little tiresome, Gaia. 

I don't have an opinion on Rachael Swindon particularl, but describing her in this way comes across as more than a little sexist and offensive. She may well be a one woman propaganda machine as you put it, but why phrase it the way that you have? Are you trying to be controversial?


----------



## MrSki (Sep 15, 2019)

Gaia said:


> Ah Rachael ‘Fuck Me Jezza!’ ‘Swindon’, Twatter’s one-woman Jezza propaganda machine. I was shocked when I found out she was a real person, I thought she was a bot run by Labour HQ.


You are getting a bit repetitive now. So I think it is established you are not a fan of Corbyn. Have you got anything else to add?


----------



## Nylock (Sep 15, 2019)

MrSki said:


> You are getting a bit repetitive now. So I think it is established you are not a fan of Corbyn. Have you got anything else to add?


Going by their other content here, probably not....


----------



## Dogsauce (Sep 21, 2019)

Don’t know if this is Cumming’s doing, but I’m getting police recruitment ads on my Facebook from the government, which emphasise that they’re recruiting 20,000 new coppers. Blatant politicking using the police recruitment budget isn’t it? Given my age I can’t see how I would be considered a suitable candidate, and they do have control over who these ads are targeted at. Would be interesting to dig and see who they’ve thrown these ads out to, and what justification they might give for targeting people outside of the candidate age range. Slippery cunts.


----------



## andysays (Sep 21, 2019)

Dogsauce said:


> Don’t know if this is Cumming’s doing, but I’m getting police recruitment ads on my Facebook from the government, which emphasise that they’re recruiting 20,000 new coppers. Blatant politicking using the police recruitment budget isn’t it? Given my age I can’t see how I would be considered a suitable candidate, and they do have control over who these ads are targeted at. Would be interesting to dig and see who they’ve thrown these ads out to, and what justification they might give for targeting people outside of the candidate age range. Slippery cunts.


How old are you?

Conservative Party targets over-45s with Facebook Brexit ads


> The Conservative Party has been targeting older Facebook users with political adverts about Brexit, according to research by BBC News. In contrast, younger Facebook users are being shown ads by the party on issues such as policing and mental health. Tory adverts, mostly seen by users over 45, criticise opposition leaders for wanting "to ignore our Brexit vote".


----------



## Poi E (Sep 21, 2019)

Hmm. Police now working for Cummings and paying the bill.


----------



## teqniq (Sep 21, 2019)

Fuck that. No ads on Facebook for me, not of any description.


----------



## Dandred (Sep 21, 2019)

Dogsauce said:


> Don’t know if this is Cumming’s doing, but I’m getting police recruitment ads on my Facebook from the government, which emphasise that they’re recruiting 20,000 new coppers. Blatant politicking using the police recruitment budget isn’t it? Given my age I can’t see how I would be considered a suitable candidate, and they do have control over who these ads are targeted at. Would be interesting to dig and see who they’ve thrown these ads out to, and what justification they might give for targeting people outside of the candidate age range. Slippery cunts.



Add blocker, and then any sponsored ads you see report as sexually inappropriate, have seen an ad on my FB for years.


----------



## Dogsauce (Sep 21, 2019)

Dandred said:


> Add blocker, and then any sponsored ads you see report as sexually inappropriate, have seen an ad on my FB for years.



Don’t think I can run that on an iPad. I tend to only stick my nose in about once a week as some berks send me messages through it which I won’t get elsewhere, so not really that bothered about ads appearing. More concerned that propaganda is being disseminated using the police budget. I am over 45 too, and in a heavily remain area.


----------



## ricbake (Sep 25, 2019)

I assume the lack of "g" indicates someone other than the No 10 adviser


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (Sep 26, 2019)

Interesting article

Dominic Cummings: The Machiavel in Downing Street


----------



## brogdale (Oct 2, 2019)

So, by this afternoon Cummings will have lined up the complete cast of enemies of the people in his blame-game scenario:

Parliament (both houses)
All other political parties (except the DUP)
The judiciary
The 'establishment'
The Irish
The EU
I, for one, hope he gets the opportunity to blame anyone he likes for stopping NDB.


----------



## gosub (Oct 14, 2019)




----------



## William of Walworth (Oct 14, 2019)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Interesting article
> 
> Dominic Cummings: The Machiavel in Downing Street



Definitely worth spending the fifteen (at least!) minutes I did to read it ...




			
				DC article said:
			
		

> “There’s a lot of anger in him about how the country is run,” says an insider who has known him for years. *“He’s angry so much of the time, particularly at establishment powers.* It boils over.”



If you read all the rest of the article though, it's as clear as daylight that Dominic Cummings is as establishment as fuck. 
All this "People versus the elite" propaganda being put out by Cummings and all the others, just take a look at those fully establishment types pushing it  
Johnson or Farage as anti-establishment heroes? 
Do kindly fuck off


----------



## MrSki (Nov 2, 2019)

Interesting to see how this plays out.


----------



## Chilli.s (Nov 3, 2019)

Would be hilarious if any "economic/financial" links he may have to Russia turned out to implicate him in spying.


----------



## Badgers (Nov 3, 2019)

From Russia with corruption


----------



## ska invita (Jan 20, 2020)

Long new feature on Cummings in the FT here - full background and history. I didn't know Cummings was also instrumental in all of Gove's fuckeries with schools. Makes a lot of sense




__





						Subscribe to read | Financial Times
					

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication




					www.ft.com
				




Its a relatively positive piece on him, but this is the FT. Concludes that he particularly is motivated to "represent people who live outside London and people living in the north-east, where he comes from."
actually not a huge amount of politics in the piece, the one posted by Teqniq iirc is a lot better on that score
I think the biggest insight into whats planned from this piece is

" He wants to set up a civilian version of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (formerly known as Arpa), pursuing “high-risk, high-return projects that markets won’t fund — ie failure is normal”. His WhatsApp profile says: “Get Brexit done, then Arpa”. "

I've turned it into a PDF if the paywall is a problem


----------



## Sasaferrato (Jan 20, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Had to happen?
> 
> Inspired by the words of tory MP Roger Gale, I thought we might like the opportunity to comment on the man behind the man.
> 
> ...



Alistair Campbell MKII then?


----------



## William of Walworth (Feb 7, 2020)

Apologies for bumping this thread from page five  

But if you've got (a fair bit of!) time, this Long Read by Stefan Collini on what motivates the interior of Dominic Cummings' head, is probably worth attention ....  "like C. P. Snow on speed"

Or more likely, given that Cummings seems to keep poaching and mis-summarising ideas from others  :




			
				Collini said:
			
		

> At other times, I felt I had been backed into a corner at a party by a wild-eyed obsessive jabbing his finger into my chest and saying, “Not many people know this, but … ”



Plenty of evidence in that piece for Cummings being a high-functioning lunatic, anyway ....


----------



## teqniq (Feb 11, 2020)

What the fuck?


----------



## MrSki (Mar 14, 2020)

So there will be a lot of changes on the way.


----------



## stavros (Mar 14, 2020)

On Beeb 2 this Wednesday, Taking Control: The Dominic Cummings Story, with Emily Maitlis.


----------



## MrSki (Mar 14, 2020)

stavros said:


> On Beeb 2 this Wednesday, Taking Control: The Dominic Cummings Story, with Emily Maitlis.


See how far the Beeb will take it in the current climate. I predict not too far at all.


----------



## stavros (Mar 14, 2020)

MrSki said:


> See how far the Beeb will take it in the current climate. I predict not too far at all.



I suppose they could go in full-bore, knowing even the biggest puff piece isn't going to convince the Tories of Auntie's value.


----------



## gosub (Mar 15, 2020)

needs making, if only to flesh out a Benidict C|umabatch caricature


----------



## Fez909 (Mar 15, 2020)

MrSki said:


> So there will be a lot of changes on the way.



here's the speech that was taken from if you want to see what he was talking about:


----------



## stavros (Mar 19, 2020)

So, did anyone watch it? It was OK, although I'm no wiser as to what Cummings and his ilk specifically want, as opposed to what they don't want. Washy statements like "take back control" and "get Brexit done", lack any kind of vision of the end result.


----------



## Treacle Toes (Mar 22, 2020)

The Sunday times today? Anyone got it and can confirm?


----------



## Serge Forward (Mar 22, 2020)

Not surprising... but wow... just wow... confirmation here: Cummings led government strategy which protected economy and put elderly at risk


----------



## Raheem (Mar 22, 2020)

However, blame the owner, not the dog.


----------



## bimble (Mar 22, 2020)

Raheem said:


> However, blame the owner, not the dog.


Exactly.


----------



## nogojones (Mar 22, 2020)

Raheem said:


> However, blame the owner, not the dog.


I think the dog needs putting down as well in this case though. One of those breeds


----------



## Plumdaff (Mar 22, 2020)

This all smacks of a convenient scapegoat. They all agreed with the policy. They are all responsible.


----------



## campanula (Mar 22, 2020)

O right, the 'king's bad advisers 'strategy. Didn't save Charles 1 head in the end though...so we can only hope for a reckoning when we come through this.


----------



## agricola (Mar 22, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> The Sunday times today? Anyone got it and can confirm?
> 
> View attachment 202733



Just read most of that piece and it is one of the biggest whitewashes you could ever imagine.  Johnson never liked the herd immunity idea, apparently. The man who changed the policy from herd immunity to lockdown was Cummings himself.  They accepted that the herd immunity policy would cost 100000 lives but balked at its actual cost of 510000, (edit) because they care about people.

The best bit though is this:



> Colleagues say Sunak's confidence came because he is deeply engaged "in the weeds" of the policy.  "Some ministers set the broad parameters for 15 minutes and the officials go away and do the work", said one source.  "He's more hands on.  He prefers a 30 to 40-minute meeting where he can properly kick the tyres and help solve the problems.  He's across the detail."


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

Part 1 of the full text of the article Ruti referred to: 



> *Ten days that shook Britain - and changed the nation for ever: The inside story of how Boris Johnson changed his priorities: save lives first, and then salvage the economy*
> Shipman, Tim; Wheeler, Caroline.*Sunday Times**; London (UK)*
> 
> There was a moment, when the decisions were made, when they wondered what on earth they had done, how far they had been forced to go. A moment when they sat "shellshocked", reflecting on choices that will change the UK for the rest of our lives. "It took us the weekend to get ourselves into the emotional position where we were comfortable taking the decisions we took," a minister said. "They were massive."
> ...


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

Part 2: 



> At the Sage meeting on March 12, a moment now dubbed the "Domoscene conversion", Cummings changed his mind. In this "penny-drop moment", he realised he had helped set a course for catastrophe. Until this point, the rise in British infections had been below the European average. Now they were above it and on course to emulate Italy, where the picture was bleak. A minister said: "Seeing what was happening in Italy was the galvanising force across government."
> 
> By Friday the 13th, Cummings had become the most outspoken advocate of a tough crackdown. "Dominic himself had a conversion," a senior Tory said. "He's gone from 'herd immunity and let the old people die', to 'let's shut down the country and the economy.'" Cummings had a "meeting of minds" with Matt Hancock, the health secretary, who wanted stronger action to prevent NHS hospitals being swamped. Department of Health officials had impressed on Hancock that the death rate in Wuhan province was 3.4% when the hospitals were overrun and 0.7% elsewhere in China.
> 
> ...


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

Part 3: 



> It was another decision Johnson had resisted the week before, but cabinet ministers are clear that behind the scenes he has been far more decisive at crunch moments than his predecessor. "He's been absolutely brilliant," said one. "He makes decisions fast." Another said: "If Theresa May was still be in charge we would, by now, have just about signed off a request that people wash their hands." Another cabinet source added: "And if Philip Hammond was still chancellor he would have refused even to pay for that."
> 
> Nonetheless, even admirers admit that Johnson is not finding it easy to project the same decisiveness in his somewhat hesitant public appearances. "He's a naturally cheerful person," one colleague said. "He finds it difficult to deliver bad news." Business leaders were surprised during a conference call on Monday, when he was trying to persuade them to build ventilators, to hear him describe the effort as "Operation Last Gasp".
> 
> ...


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

He gone. Tories can't fire BoJo right now.


----------



## brogdale (Mar 22, 2020)

There must be some *Hang Cummings *graffiti gone up somewhere.
Virtual pint for first post!


----------



## agricola (Mar 22, 2020)

little_legs said:


> Part 3:



"national socialism" lol

missed that bit


----------



## ska invita (Mar 22, 2020)

little_legs said:


> He gone. Tories can't fire BoJo right now.


Is it?
Lol
A man ahead of his time.... That time being the apocalypse


----------



## teqniq (Mar 22, 2020)

The general tone of the article is pretty fawning, unsurprisingly.


----------



## agricola (Mar 22, 2020)

teqniq said:


> The general tone of the article is pretty fawning, unsurprisingly.



massively so, but with just a few glimmers of things that could be read as criticisms later on


----------



## bimble (Mar 22, 2020)

What does this bit actually mean do you reckon 

"Johnson, who is a civil libertarian at heart, spent the week resisting Cummings's demands for a full-blown lockdown of London — banning inhabitants from travelling outside the city.
Discussions about a shutdown were first aired at Cobra on Friday the 13th. By Tuesday the news was leaking after a Cabinet Office official emailed other departments to ask how a curfew might work. *A Whitehall insider said: "It was quickly established that the Paris model — with people being issued paperwork and allowed out of the family home one at a time would not work."*
A senior Tory said: "Boris really doesn't want to shut stuff down. He is more worried than most about the economic impact but also the social impact of locking people up in their homes for months. Fundamentally there is a Boris-Dom cleavage. First Boris bottled herd immunity. Now he's bottling lockdown."

What makes us different from France in this?


----------



## teqniq (Mar 22, 2020)

I too, wondered that.


----------



## killer b (Mar 22, 2020)

basically, they think we're cunts.


----------



## teqniq (Mar 22, 2020)

That is a possibility. Expendable ones at that.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Mar 22, 2020)

_"Johnson had also been *queasy* about the previous original approach."_

When you're not quite happy at the idea of hundreds of thousands of people dying, but you go along with it anyway cos Dom persuaded you.


----------



## ska invita (Mar 22, 2020)

British exceptionalism.

I do think it's avoidable but it needs a massive step up in message from government. So unavoidable then


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Mar 22, 2020)

bimble said:


> What makes us different from France in this?


There is a bit of a cultural difference, in that the French are already used to the idea that they have to carry id with them and that they can be stopped and compelled to show it.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Mar 22, 2020)

Brixton Hatter said:


> _"Johnson had also been *queasy* about the previous original approach."_
> 
> When you're not quite happy at the idea of hundreds of thousands of people dying, but you go along with it anyway cos Dom persuaded you.


I would take this whole story as a work of fiction, tbh. Cummings must know that part of his job is to take the fall when his master needs saving.


----------



## agricola (Mar 22, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> I would take this whole story as a work of fiction, tbh. Cummings must know that part of his job is to take the fall when his master needs saving.



True, though he knows he is the last man to get thrown under the bus - there is an entire government, civil service and the indestructible Corbyn to go before him.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Mar 22, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> I would take this whole story as a work of fiction, tbh. Cummings must know that part of his job is to take the fall when his master needs saving.


yeah possibly, but I think the whole situation reflects worse on TCJ than Cummings.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Mar 22, 2020)

agricola said:


> True, though he knows he is the last man to get thrown under the bus - there is an entire government, civil service and the indestructible Corbyn to go before him.


Sometimes only the sacrifice of the favourite son will appease the gods.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Mar 22, 2020)

Brixton Hatter said:


> yeah possibly, but I think the whole situation reflects worse on TCJ than Cummings.


Whatever Cummings has advised, it is Johnson's decision to make, and yes, this attempted distancing of himself from his decisions makes him look terrible. But it is still better for him to have Cummings saying the unthinkable about deaths rather than Johnson himself. That's Cummings' function. A very public sacking after saying the unthinkable and it being the wrong thing will also serve a function.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Mar 22, 2020)

All that said, the reported story does sound all too believable. Cummings clearly does think he's a genius, and he prides himself on being 'up' on science, so the idea that he would consider his own opinion on the science to be superior to that of the scientists telling him about it is very plausible.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> *I* make informed consumer choices after considering all of the available evidence.
> *You* are subliminally influenced by advertising because you do not have the the insight to recognise it, or the strength to reject it.
> *He/she* is a sheep.



Only sheeple believe that, motherfucker!


----------



## Raheem (Mar 22, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Sometimes only the sacrifice of the favourite son will appease the gods.


That must be why he can't say how many children he has. He's keeping one secret from Odin.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

Sasaferrato said:


> Alistair Campbell MKII then?



But without Campbell's vague grasp of public relations.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

nogojones said:


> I think the dog needs putting down as well in this case though. One of those breeds



Once they've tasted human blood...


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

Brixton Hatter said:


> _"Johnson had also been *queasy* about the previous original approach."_
> 
> When you're not quite happy at the idea of hundreds of thousands of people dying, but you go along with it anyway cos Dom persuaded you.



Johnson is a bully. Like most bullies, he's afraid of other bullies, even skinny little ringpieces that look like Gollum.


----------



## nogojones (Mar 22, 2020)

agricola said:


> True, though he knows he is the last man to get thrown under the bus - there is an entire government, civil service and the indestructible Corbyn to go before him.


I think they'll throw the chief medical and scientific officers under there first. "We were just listening to the experts"

Like all good government specialist advisors in the UK, they provide the expert backing for whatever batshit crazy policy their masters think up. Just look at the state of the ACMD


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

Someone is shitting themselves


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Mar 22, 2020)

Thing is, Cummings has done his job now really. He got Johnson elected, and with a big majority. Whatever happens to him now, he's been a success.


----------



## agricola (Mar 22, 2020)

nogojones said:


> *I think they'll throw the chief medical and scientific officers under there first.* "We were just listening to the experts"
> 
> Like all good government specialist advisors in the UK, they provide the expert backing for whatever batshit crazy policy their masters think up. Just look at the state of the ACMD



they are doing that now, tbh - "the science was wrong" etc


----------



## nogojones (Mar 22, 2020)

agricola said:


> they are doing that now, tbh - "the science was wrong" etc


To be honest I hope the bus fucking reverses back over them just to make sure


----------



## Idris2002 (Mar 22, 2020)

teqniq said:


> That is a possibility. Expendable ones at that.


That's been clear since August 1914


----------



## eatmorecheese (Mar 22, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Thing is, Cummings has done his job now really. He got Johnson elected, and with a big majority. Whatever happens to him now, he's been a success.



Only on his own terms. Hard to think of such a morally futile career (on my terms)...


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

nogojones said:


> I think they'll throw the chief medical and scientific officers under there first. "We were just listening to the experts"
> 
> Like all good government specialist advisors in the UK, they provide the expert backing for whatever batshit crazy policy their masters think up. Just look at the state of the ACMD



Whitty and Vallance have played a VERY poor game. Where they could have provided - and publicised, from their own positions - evidence and arguments for assessment, instead they fed the govt's requirements for positions that supported govt plans. They DESERVE to go under the bus.


----------



## Sasaferrato (Mar 22, 2020)

little_legs said:


> Someone is shitting themselves



Sue then. If you don't you're a fucking liar Cummings.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

little_legs said:


> Someone is shitting themselves




Yep. If it's a fabrication, then Cumface has recourse to the courts, as does Johnson. This is bluster. They're probably hoping Murdoch will put the screws on the journo to retract and/or give up their source.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Thing is, Cummings has done his job now really. He got Johnson elected, and with a big majority. Whatever happens to him now, he's been a success.



I don't fully agree. To be a success, even in his own cod-psychological terms, he'd have had to made sure that the tactics he uses didn't become common knowledge. Now journos and opposition MPs etc know what to look out for, if they have any testicular or fallopian fortitude.


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

Sasaferrato said:


> Sue then. If you don't you're a fucking liar Cummings.


he won’t because he knows if it goes to court then it’s a matter of public record that he wanted all pensioners to die.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

nogojones said:


> To be honest I hope the bus fucking reverses back over them just to make sure



A JCB or a main battle tank would be better. You could squish around on the spot until they were just anonymous pinky/reddy/grey pulp.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

Idris2002 said:


> That's been clear since August 1914



Now THERE was an anniversary the govt kept quiet!


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> Only on his own terms. Hard to think of such a morally futile career (on my terms)...



It's plainly obvious that he sees himself as an _eminence gris_, and that morality isn't a value that forms part of his universe - didn't when he advised Pob-faced Cunt at Education, and hasn't since. I doubt he sees it as futile, though. He's enabled something he desired immensely - the exit of the UK from the EU, most likely on HIS preferred terms, rather than the terms most suitable for the country-at-large.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

little_legs said:


> he won’t because he knows if it goes to court then it’s a matter of public record that he wanted all pensioners to die.



Or that he was at least comfortable with a certain percentage of elderly people kicking the bucket.

The great thing is, even saying "some" is as bad as saying "all", because none of the be-wrinkled elders will know whether he meant them or not!


----------



## little_legs (Mar 22, 2020)

Like the lady at the end of this vid, you mean?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 22, 2020)

little_legs said:


> Like the lady at the end of this vid, you mean?




Fuck me. Major league stupid!!!


----------



## stavros (Mar 22, 2020)

ViolentPanda said:


> A JCB or a main battle tank would be better. You could squish around on the spot until they were just anonymous pinky/reddy/grey pulp.



A JCB would be ironic.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 23, 2020)

stavros said:


> A JCB would be ironic.



Hence my inclusion of the option of a main battle tank, in case Bamford took offence at his product being used to liquidate Tories.


----------



## brogdale (Mar 30, 2020)

Good to see Ian is still keeping himself busy.


----------



## gosub (Mar 30, 2020)

Was good of him to self isolate as quickly as he did, not stroll home wittering about things like "herd immunity".  

would be one way of spinning things


----------



## Part-timah (Apr 7, 2020)

So, he’s still got symptoms after 7 days?

Looks like Mr Cummings may be hoisted by his own petard.


----------



## Serge Forward (Apr 7, 2020)

"And if Dominic Cummings dies, too bad."


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 7, 2020)

Bet now he wished for vaccine and not herd


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 7, 2020)

Once more with enthusiasm


----------



## ska invita (Apr 7, 2020)

Have we had this




__





						The Coronavirus Crisis: Herd Immunity has Infected UK Policy – But Who Was Patient Zero for this Toxic Transatlantic Idea? – Byline Times
					

Peter Jukes finds more evidence that the origin of the disastrous concept can be traced back to the Prime Minister's chief advisor Dominic Cummings and his US links.




					bylinetimes.com
				



.
article charts Cummings written interest in pandemics and how to combat them....including the concept of herd immunity....he fancied himself on the subject basically.
The Times quote attributed to Cummings at COBRA of “protect the economy and if some pensioners die, too bad” does fit the bigger picture


----------



## ska invita (Apr 7, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Have we had this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


that piece is actually a part 2 to this part 1, but I think part 2 has the decisive evidence of Cummings fingerprints




__





						The Herd Instinct and 'Herd Immunity': The Etiology of a Bad Idea – Byline Times
					

The science didn't change – the politics did. Peter Jukes follows an inflammatory and disastrous theory as it spread rapidly through the British body politic.




					bylinetimes.com


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Have we had this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry but that is total fucking gash, a load of dubious barely evidenced claims. If the Murdoch press had published the equivalent you'd have rejected it outright so why accept it here. Even if Cummings did have the position you ascribe to him there is no reason to believe 


> Given his seven year interest in this, it is hard to avoid the evidence that Cummings is the source of the herd immunity error.


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Sorry but that is total fucking gash, a load of dubious barely evidenced claims. If the Murdoch press had published the equivalent you'd have rejected it outright so why accept it here. Even if Cummings did have the position you ascribe to him there is no reason to believe


Not sure what more evidence is needed when Vallance explicitly stated that it was Govt. policy and Johnson alluded to it live on TV.
Without a release of Govt. papers or a proper inquiry, ascribing blame for the disastrous mistake will inevitably be speculative to some degree. But it’s not very far fetched to examine the repugnant personal beliefs of Johnson’s Chief Advisor for clues.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Not sure what more evidence is needed when Vallance explicitly stated that it was Govt. policy and Johnson alluded to it live on TV.


That's not the claim being made though it is. Jukes (the author of the piece linked above) is specifically claiming that source of this policy was Cummings. On no fucking evidence whatsoever. 
ska invita himself on another thread linked to a much better sourced piece looking at the interplay between the science and politics that rationalises how the government decisions were made with not reference to Cummings.


----------



## weltweit (Apr 8, 2020)

The last I saw of him was literally doing a runner from No 10. Why was he running, I just don't understand that, perhaps he was about to miss his bus?


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> That's not the claim being made though it is. Jukes (the author of the piece linked above) is specifically claiming that source of this policy was Cummings. On no fucking evidence whatsoever.
> ska invita himself on another thread linked to a much better sourced piece looking at the interplay between the science and politics that rationalises how the government decisions were made with not reference to Cummings.


Yes, that was a good article which largely focussed on the various sources of scientific advice offered to the government. But the Jukes (no fan) approach does complement the Reuters piece as it considers the political/ideological filter(s) through which that advice was passed and, most crucially, the parameters within which the scientific advice was conceived. To ignore this side of the equation risks validating the Tories 'get out of gaol' excuse that they were only following the science.



To say that Johnson's steer to the scientists and interpretation of their modelled findings would not have been affected by Cummings' very particular views seems somewhat naive.

I think Jukes is spot on in anticipating that the Tories have long been busily constructing the 'post-virus' excuse and blame strategy and I see his piece as a counter to that emerging narrative.


----------



## ska invita (Apr 8, 2020)

I think Johnson was more than "alluding" to it - you don't go on Good Morning Britain to talk in abstract about herd immunity and taking it on the chin. Its very much an address the nation TV spot, especially so under the circumstances, whatever Trumpian "some say" qualifiers fell out of his mouth.

The "we had milder interventions in place" was also downplayed as in practice nothing happened other than Boris Johnson bragging about shaking hands potentially with C19 patients and suggesting its up to the public to "make up their own minds", and getting prepared to "take it on the chin".

The Reuters piece points out that at that point they had a report by the government’s own pandemic modelling committee (two weeks before the Imperial College report) which spelled out the potential catastrophe, but their own thinking clearly overrode it at that point, and those key decisions and reasonings were had with Cummings and cabinet present.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

brogdale said:


> To say that Johnson's steer to the scientists and interpretation of their modelled findings would not have been affected by Cummings' very particular views seems somewhat naive.


It's not Johnson steer though is it. Neo-liberal governments do not needed to be steered to the focus on protecting capital.

This Johnson/Cummings planning to kill off people is the fantasy of mad liberals broken by the EU referendum - Jukes being a perfect example of this. Johnson is at once a libertarian and a nationalist populist, it's twaddle. Look at the articles on that site, it's Skwawkbox for liberals.


----------



## bimble (Apr 8, 2020)

Another pretty good piece tracing where Herd Immunity idea came from - and not mentioning Cummings the evil genius. 
Also suggests it may not have gone away. 


			https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2020/04/04/1586015208000/Imperial-s-Neil-Ferguson---We-don-t-have-a-clear-exit-strategy-/#


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

ska invita said:


> I think Johnson was more than "alluding" to it - you don't go on Good Morning Britain to talk in abstract about herd immunity and taking it on the chin. Its very much an address the nation TV spot, especially so under the circumstances, whatever Trumpian "some say" qualifiers fell out of his mouth.
> 
> The "we had milder interventions in place" was also downplayed as in practice nothing happened other than Boris Johnson bragging about shaking hands potentially with C19 patients and suggesting its up to the public to "make up their own minds", and getting prepared to "take it on the chin".
> 
> The Reuters piece points out that at that point they had a report by the government’s own pandemic modelling committee (two weeks before the Imperial College report) which spelled out the potential catastrophe, but their own thinking clearly overrode it at that point, and those key decisions and reasonings were had with Cummings and cabinet present.


Well, yes...the obvious and on-going work to present the debacle as a 'de-politicised' consequence of assiduous adherence to the scientific advice is clearly the Tories underpinning key to evade responsibility for the un-necessary death-toll. That, and getting Starmer to dip his hands in the blood, are the only political game in town.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

ska invita said:


> The Reuters piece points out that at that point they had a report by the government’s own pandemic modelling committee (two weeks before the Imperial College report) which spelled out the potential catastrophe, but their own thinking clearly overrode it at that point, and those key decisions and reasonings were had with Cummings and cabinet present.


No it points out that there was a intersection between the scientists and politicians


> But the interviews and documents also reveal that for more than two months, the scientists whose advice guided Downing Street did not clearly signal their worsening fears to the public or the government. Until March 12, the risk level, set by the government’s top medical advisers on the recommendation of the scientists, remained at “moderate,” suggesting only the possibility of a wider outbreak.


This is not the scientists having their advice ignored by Cummings/Johnson this is a ideological framework of neoliberalism resulting in a set of assumptions that guided the political actions taken


> Interviews and records published so far suggest that the scientific committees that advised Johnson didn’t study, until mid-March, the option of the kind of stringent lockdown adopted early on in China, where the disease arose in December, and then followed by much of Europe and finally by Britain itself. The scientists’ reasoning: Britons, many of them assumed, simply wouldn’t accept such restrictions.
> 
> The UK scientists were also mostly convinced - and many still are - that, once the new virus escaped China, quarantine measures would likely not succeed. Minutes of technical committees reviewed by Reuters indicate that almost no attention was paid to preparing a programme of mass testing.


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> It's not Johnson steer though is it. Neo-liberal governments do not needed to be steered to the focus on protecting capital.
> 
> This Johnson/Cummings planning to kill off people is the fantasy of mad liberals broken by the EU referendum - Jukes being a perfect example of this. Johnson is at once a libertarian and a nationalist populist, it's twaddle. Look at the articles on that site, it's Skwawkbox for liberals.


It is bonkers to suggest that the Johnson regime set out to kill people, but it does seem entirely reasonable to point out that its use of scientific advice to privilege capital over the populace did, inevitably, constitute a political call to see the resulting increased death-toll as collateral or a 'price worth paying'. Whether that's articulated by a liberal or a socialist matters little; the important point is that to argue otherwise gives credence to the vermin's excuses and blame sharing. Surprised you can't see that.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It is bonkers to suggest that the Johnson regime set out to kill people, but it does seem entirely reasonable to point out that its use of scientific advice to privilege capital over the populace did, inevitably, constitute a political call to see the resulting increased death-toll as collateral or a 'price worth paying'.


Of course that's true, but it has been true of capitalism forever, look at Davies _Late Victorian Holocausts_. It's the implicit logic of letting X number of people die of flu each year because extra funding to the NHS is not worth it. This is not Cummings/Johnson this is the logic of capital, every UK government of the last 40 years would have taken a similar view I'm surprised you cannot see that. 


brogdale said:


> Whether that's articulated by a liberal or a socialist matters little; the important point is that to argue otherwise gives credence to the vermin's excuses and blame sharing. Surprised you can't see that.


Of course it matters Jukes "analysis" is a dead end, daft anti-Johnsonism (not even anti-Toryism).


----------



## mauvais (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Of course that's true, but it has been true of capitalism forever, look at Davies _Late Victorian Holocausts_. It's the implicit logic of letting X number of people die of flu each year because extra funding to the NHS is not worth it. This is not Cummings/Johnson this is the logic of capital, every UK government of the last 40 years would have taken a similar view I'm surprised you cannot see that.


Within a set of parameters, sure. But if you think talking about laissez-faire herd immunity as viable _after _much of the world has already gone into lockdown is this sort of immutable on-rails plan of any government, I'm not sure what to say.


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Of course that's true, but it has been true of capitalism forever, look at Davies _Late Victorian Holocausts_. It's the implicit logic of letting X number of people die of flu each year because extra funding to the NHS is not worth it. This is not Cummings/Johnson this is the logic of capital, every UK government of the last 40 years would have taken a similar view I'm surprised you cannot see that.


You won't find me arguing otherwise, but in the specific context of this exceptional pandemic and political response it is important not to let the Tories hide behind their 'only following [scientific] orders' excuse. In the really existing political context of Parliamentary rep. democracy to present the Johnson/Cummings behaviour as consistent with any other Government may be constitute good theory but sounds too close to excusing their fatal decision making. All opponents of the right party of capital should be exercised to ensure that they do not find it easy to escape their culpability.


----------



## killer b (Apr 8, 2020)

Probably best not to let the government hide behind Cummings too, fwiw.


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Of course that's true, but it has been true of capitalism forever, look at Davies _Late Victorian Holocausts_. It's the implicit logic of letting X number of people die of flu each year because extra funding to the NHS is not worth it. This is not Cummings/Johnson this is the logic of capital, every UK government of the last 40 years would have taken a similar view I'm surprised you cannot see that.
> Of course it matters Jukes "analysis" is a dead end, daft anti-Johnsonism (not even anti-Toryism).


& btw you're right to point to Davies' work, but we hardly need go further than Capital 1, Chap 15, Section 9:



> At the same time, this portion of the Act strikingly shows that the capitalist mode of production, owing to its very nature, excludes all rational improvement beyond a certain point. It has been stated over and over again that the English doctors are unanimous in declaring that where the work is continuous, 500 cubic feet is the very least space that should be allowed for each person. Now, if the Factory Acts, owing to their compulsory provisions, indirectly hasten on the conversion of small workshops into factories, thus indirectly attacking the proprietary rights of the smaller capitalists, and assuring a monopoly to the great ones, so, if it were made obligatory to provide the proper space for each workman in every workshop, thousands of small employers would, at one full swoop, be expropriated directly! The very root of the capitalist mode of production, i.e., the self-expansion of all capital, large or small, by means of the “free” purchase and consumption of labour-power, would be attacked. Factory legislation is therefore brought to a deadlock before these 500 cubic feet of breathing space. The sanitary officers, the industrial inquiry commissioners, the factory inspectors, all harp, over and over again, upon the necessity for those 500 cubic feet, and upon the impossibility of wringing them out of capital. *They thus, in fact, declare that consumption and other lung diseases among the workpeople are necessary conditions to the existence of capital*.


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> Probably best not to let the government hide behind Cummings too, fwiw.


Indeed.
But also important not to let the influence of his repugnant views on Johnson be lost.


----------



## mauvais (Apr 8, 2020)

brogdale said:


> In the really existing political context of Parliamentary rep. democracy to present the Johnson/Cummings behaviour as consistent with any other Government may be constitute good theory


Does it though?

March 12: Johnson: many more people will lose loved ones to coronavirus


> He announced new advice for people aged over 70 – that they should not go on cruises



Italy's national lockdown began on March 9, to say nothing of China. It was all eminently predictable with weeks of other countries' evidence laid out, and they did nothing.

Even within the context you both set out - and not that I'm here to defend it, but allowing people to die in pursuit of some other goal is hardly confined to capitalism - there is a broad spectrum of feasible responses, and the British one has been a notable failure, for which we will likely suffer serious consequences.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

brogdale said:


> You won't find me arguing otherwise, but in the specific context of this exceptional pandemic and political response it is important not to let the Tories hide behind their 'only following [scientific] orders' excuse. In the really existing political context of Parliamentary rep. democracy to present the Johnson/Cummings behaviour as consistent with any other Government may be constitute good theory but sounds too close to excusing their fatal decision making. All opponents of the right party of capital should be exercised to ensure that they do not find it easy to escape their culpability.


As killer b said limiting this to Cummings/Johnson, as people like Jukes and his mates do, are leaves the real problems unchallenged. A class based attack on the ideology that has led to this situation needs to go much further than Cummings, Johnson or even the Tories. After all the SNP and Labour in Wales/Scotland have not significantly deviated from the overall UK line, Labour have backed the government are those parties/governments to be let off? Jukes would locate this issue on Johnson/Cummings, or at most the Tories, that's not a position that should be accepted


brogdale said:


> & btw you're right to point to Davies' work, but we hardly need go further than Capital 1, Chap 15, Section 9:


Exactly capitalism, this is far wider thean Johnson/Cummings.


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> As killer b said limiting this to Cummings/Johnson, as people like Jukes and his mates do, are leaves the real problems unchallenged. A class based attack on the ideology that has led to this situation needs to go much further than Cummings, Johnson or even the Tories. After all the SNP and Labour in Wales/Scotland have not significantly deviated from the overall UK line, Labour have backed the government are those parties/governments to be let off? Jukes would locate this issue on Johnson/Cummings, or at most the Tories, that's not a position that should be accepted
> Exactly capitalism, this is far wider thean Johnson/Cummings.


Well, I'm sure he can speak for himself, but I think killer b was warning against an over-emphasis on Cummings as an unelected advisor and the risk of that being some sort of 'fire-wall' for Johnson & co.

And, yes...capital is obviously wider than the leadership of the governing party, but it is surely important that those of us who oppose the parties of capital do our best to ensure that their culpability carries a political cost for them.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2020)

Sure but _*parties*_ not one bogeyman/men or even one party.


----------



## killer b (Apr 8, 2020)

I'm coming to the view that while some aspects of the mishandling of the response is down to the specific faults of various members of the government,  it's mostly a systemic failure. So a little from column A, a little from column B


----------



## brogdale (Apr 8, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Sure but _*parties*_ not one bogeyman/men or even one party.


Indeed, but it's still the case that the UK (& English) policy & response is, as we discuss this, still the responsibility of just one party, led by one leader with a very high-profile advisor.


----------



## Ahlan (Apr 8, 2020)

perusing a possible smoking gun that goes to the heart of capitalism surely cant be a bad thing?


----------



## Red Cat (Apr 9, 2020)

Failures are usually systemic aren't they? Even if one person has exceptional influence in a group, small or large, you'd need to look at the organisational dynamics of that, as well the wider material context, it doesn't just _happen_.


----------



## The39thStep (Apr 10, 2020)

Red Cat said:


> Failures are usually systemic aren't they? Even if one person has exceptional influence in a group, small or large, you'd need to look at the organisational dynamics of that, as well the wider material context, it doesn't just _happen_.


Thats why I thought the Reuters article was a breath of fresh air tbh


----------



## Part-timah (Apr 10, 2020)

So, it’s been a while now. Is the weasel in hospital yet?


----------



## phillm (Apr 14, 2020)

.


----------



## Sue (Apr 14, 2020)

phillm said:


> Some scurrilous types are alleging Dom has eyes for another than Mary Wakefield - the toffs' daughter. But I'm sure fucking up Britain is a full-time job.
> 
> View attachment 206696


Why are you posting up tittle tattle? Seriously. who cares?


----------



## platinumsage (Apr 14, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> So, it’s been a while now. Is the weasel in hospital yet?



He returned to work at No 10 this morning, carrying what a much-loved UK tabloid newspaper described as "a very healthy-looking lunch in a clear plastic bag, containing what appeared to be an unpeeled carrot, a clementine and a processed soft cheese, plus a soup carton."


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 14, 2020)

Sue said:


> Why are you posting up tittle tattle? Seriously. who cares?


This times 1000.


----------



## NoXion (Apr 14, 2020)

And here's me thinking that the eugenicist cunt had caught the 'rona. Disappointing to see him still breathing unassisted.


----------



## William of Walworth (Apr 14, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> He returned to work at No 10 this morning, carrying what a much-loved UK tabloid newspaper described as "a very healthy-looking lunch in a clear plastic bag, containing what appeared to be an unpeeled carrot, a clementine and a processed soft cheese, plus a soup carton."



That's tittle-tattle as well, to be honest!


----------



## UrbaneFox (Apr 15, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> So, it’s been a while now. Is the weasel in hospital yet?


No, he's toughing it out in private.


----------



## Part-timah (Apr 24, 2020)

Take this report with a pinch of salt: Dominic Cummings 'struggled for breath and was bedridden for 10 days by coronavirus'


----------



## MrSki (Apr 24, 2020)




----------



## UrbaneFox (Apr 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Take this report with a pinch of salt: Dominic Cummings 'struggled for breath and was bedridden for 10 days by coronavirus'



Mary Wakefield is his sham wife, i.e. DC is a closeted homosexual.

Don't ask me for dates, times and locations. They are all BJ / Spectator / Tory loyalists waiting / hoping for the payback.

Copy of 292 above
Dominic Cummings: The Machiavel in Downing Street

"In 2011 Cummings married Mary Wakefield, a commissioning editor at the Spectator. They have a young child and live in an Islington townhouse. Wakefield, says a friend, is “lovely… the kind of person you want to have to dinner”. Her father, Humphry, is a baronet and lives in Chillingham Castle, Northumberland. Wakefield worked for Boris Johnson in the early 2000s, when he edited the Spectator. Cummings understands well the man whose government he is running. He knows that Johnson will accept almost any plan, and delegate any power, so long as the outcome works for him."


----------



## brogdale (Apr 25, 2020)

Don't think Deadwood got the memo about the 'scientists as fall guys' [blame] exit strategy?


----------



## bmd (Apr 25, 2020)

Intelligent adviser? What's he on about? All the professors in the room not enough for him?


----------



## goldenecitrone (May 22, 2020)

OK for Cunt Cummings to go travelling round the country with coronavirus?

Time for the rest of us to do what the fuck we like as well then. Beauty spots here we come.


----------



## phillm (May 22, 2020)

JUST FUCKING RESIGN AND TAKE THE WHOLE SHOWER OF RANCID SHIT WITH YOU.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 22, 2020)

He wont go.


----------



## agricola (May 22, 2020)




----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 22, 2020)

I'm disturbed to learn that not only has someone married Dominic Scummings, but also chose to reproduce with him


----------



## DexterTCN (May 22, 2020)

He doesn't seem to be trending on twitter just now.  It's the strangest thing.


----------



## Humberto (May 22, 2020)

Between reporting what's in the papers and what anonymous government sources are saying the BBC are partial to the government and their backers, rich media barons. Same old, but they used to be better than this kind of rubbish.


----------



## kalidarkone (May 22, 2020)

It's no surprise that the cunt put his parents at risk whilst riddled. Wasnt it him that said something along the lines of 'So what if a proportion of elders die due to covid' ?
I hope he he is pushed.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 22, 2020)

kalidarkone said:


> I hope he he is pushed.



In which direction? We'll likely need a new health secretary in the Cummings weeks.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 22, 2020)

Trends are being filtered to 'classic dom'.   I don't think it will turn out well for him.  All the major voices have been roused to support him already.


----------



## little_legs (May 22, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> He doesn't seem to be trending on twitter just now.  It's the strangest thing.



Whereas Catherine Calderwood and Prof Ferguson are. 

It's a reflection of the level of coverage from other media sources, unless they are retweeting and making it a major headline en masse it won't trend on Twitter.


----------



## Santino (May 22, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> He doesn't seem to be trending on twitter just now.  It's the strangest thing.


It's because Twitter won't let words like 'cumming' trend. Or 'titwank'.


----------



## Santino (May 22, 2020)

Or 'throbbing'.


----------



## Santino (May 22, 2020)

Or 'fluffy'.


----------



## Raheem (May 22, 2020)

Santino said:


> It's because Twitter won't let words like 'cumming' trend. Or 'titwank'.


Dom cumming even less so.


----------



## agricola (May 22, 2020)

kalidarkone said:


> It's no surprise that the cunt put his parents at risk whilst riddled. Wasnt it him that said something along the lines of 'So what if a proportion of elders die due to covid' ?
> I hope he he is pushed.



Would be willing to bet a small number of shelled peas that he never had the virus, neither did his partner and he just ran off for a bit to hide.


----------



## killer b (May 22, 2020)

Lewis Goodall's analysis of this on Newsnight tonight is very good - laid out like this it looks difficult for Cummings. More difficult than I'd initially thought - I still wouldn't be surprised if they brazen it out though.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 22, 2020)

agricola said:


> Would be willing to bet a small number of shelled peas that he never had the virus, neither did his partner and he just ran off for a bit to hide.



At a time when the boss was out and he was presumably freely giving out the orders to cabinet ministers? Nah. He must've felt seriously fucked up.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 22, 2020)

He isn't going anywhere. Even if his story is a crock of shit. He and his wife were sick with Covid so drove from London to Durham so his elderly parents could help look after the kids given kids are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers and risked infecting his elderly parents? This is a distraction from the fact that Johnson was found to have influenced decisions to give his mistress public money. They both operate with impunity so neither gives a shit.


----------



## little_legs (May 22, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> He isn't going anywhere. Even if his story is a crock of shit. He and his wife were sick with Covid so drove from London to Durham so his elderly parents could help look after the kids given kids are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers and risked infecting his elderly parents? This is a distraction from the fact that Johnson was found to have influenced decisions to give his mistress public money. They both operate with impunity so neither gives a shit.


This.

Given that allegedly both he and his wife had corona virus and a small kid, him travelling or someone coming to visit him would be considered essential travel.

Also, if he would have killed his parents, I'd rather that than him putting NHS staff at risk.


----------



## killer b (May 22, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> This is a distraction from the fact that Johnson was found to have influenced decisions to give his mistress public money.


You think the guardian and mirror are participating in some weird coverup for Johnson here?


----------



## agricola (May 22, 2020)

Nine Bob Note said:


> At a time when the boss was out and he was presumably freely giving out the orders to cabinet ministers? Nah. He must've felt seriously fucked up.



Yet he drove for several hours, with his other half and kid?


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 22, 2020)

killer b said:


> You think the guardian and mirror are participating in some weird coverup for Johnson here?



I see and think that this story is eclipsing the biggest story of the day. Given it is unlikely that anything will come out of it I would prefer focus on the Johnson/Arcuri corrupt/abuse of office story.


----------



## killer b (May 22, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> I see and think that this story is eclipsing the biggest story of the day. Given it is unlikely that anything will come out of it I would prefer focus on the Johnson/Arcuri corrupt/abuse of office story.


Nothing is going to come of that one either tbf


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> Nothing is going to come of that one either tbf



I am sure of that too however, it is a more damaging story and I will take anything I can get/see in terms of undermining the fridge filler at every possible opportunity.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> I see and think that this story is eclipsing the biggest story of the day. Given it is unlikely that anything will come out of it I would prefer focus on the Johnson/Arcuri corrupt/abuse of office story.



Ha ha, good luck. I heard Kier Starmer was seen wearing odd-socks yesterday, possibly in a pizza parlour, whilst NOT WEARING A POPPPY - *THE FIEND!!*

I know the Wail/Moron have turned on him recently - who is it they want to replace him?


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> I am sure of that too however, it is a more damaging story and I will take anything I can get/see in terms of undermining the fridge filler at every possible opportunity.


I think there's a reasonable chance Cummings might go over this. There is zero chance Johnson will go over Arcuri.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

yes, it will get peoples' backs up more that he can do it while nobody else can, plus there were the couple of resignations for the same thing and as kali said - putting his parents at risk is highly fucking irresponsible, just what we'd expect of him. Also bugger all chance he'll actually go though


----------



## UrbaneFox (May 23, 2020)

Nine Bob Note said:


> I'm disturbed to learn that not only has someone married Dominic Scummings, but also chose to reproduce with him


It's a sham marriage. He's gay.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> I think there's a reasonable chance Cummings might go over this. There is zero chance Johnson will go over Arcuri.



I doubt either will go, that said I am open to both obviously.

It's just  more of the same shit different day at this point.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 23, 2020)

UrbaneFox said:


> It's a sham marriage. He's gay.



I'm disturbed to learn that not only has someone married Dominic Scummings, but also chose to reproduce with him


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

alien more like


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)

i reckon he will go. the fact that ferguson and the scottish science advisor were both swiftly booted for lesser offences is pretty glaring. driving several hundred miles to visit your elderly parents when you are infected with bat flu is blatantly against the orders to self isolate if you have symptoms. orders drawn up by the government cummings works for and that he was involved in drafting. 
Also - we only have his side of the story - other damming details may emerge - like the went to the local shop - or visited a service station en-route. 
and - although hes very much part of the johnson gang - he is widely hated by large sections of the tory party (and the feeling is mutual)


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

liked in hope


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)

two sheds said:


> alien more like
> 
> View attachment 214067



i think of him as more...


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

Another hope...all those people who've been fined or arrested/harrassed for being of breach of lockdown rules can claim money back or make complaints.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

we might hope for a moon made of cheese too.


----------



## little_legs (May 23, 2020)




----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

i think hes going to be forced to go, purely because so much emphasis is continuously put on us all to follow these rules. no excuse cuts it


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

In the end that's what will do for him, if he's to be done for though - it's the damage him remaining in position does to the integrity of the lockdown. The way Goodall lays it out, his position is untenable. This doesn't mean he'll go... but I think there's a very good chance of it.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> we might hope for a moon made of cheese too.


Yes we might. 

Does you neck hurt?


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

If he does go he'll be out for a few months until the fuss dies down and I doubt it would make much difference because he's standing behind Johnson in the shadows as it is.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 23, 2020)

I hope the psycho goes. A nasty little peptic ulcer on the body of society.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Its annoying that its shit like this that can get politicians booted out whilst moments of naked corruption such as Johnson giving public money to his mistress in full view get whitewashed so effectively, but you take what pleasures you can i guess.


----------



## little_legs (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Humberto (May 23, 2020)

Over to Starmer I guess. Ought to make something of it.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Its annoying that its shit like this that can get politicians booted out whilst moments of naked corruption such as Johnson giving public money to his mistress get whitewashed so effectively, but you take what pleasures you can i guess.




Equally knowing Cummings is a fucking eugenicist should have been enough...but here we are..


----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> i think hes going to be forced to go, purely because so much emphasis is continuously put on us all to follow these rules. no excuse cuts it


There's the precedent of Jenrick going to see his parents and it apparently not mattering. Although it's probably true that most of Fleet Street got distracted by Googling to find out who he was.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Over to Starmer I guess. Ought to make something of it.



Fucking sick of him getting all the props for 'forensically' stating the obvious tbh


----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> you take what pleasures you can i guess.


Translated into Latin, that could well be Johnson's motto.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Fucking sick of him getting all the props for 'forensically' stating the obvious tbh



He does state the obvious forensically though (not that I've seen him)


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Equally knowing Cummings is fucking eugenicist should have been enough...but here we are..


yeah exactly....all the filth was there to see in the run up to election and people vote for their like regardless. getting caught on something like this is just a bit of a "narrative trap", nowhere near as bad as half the things they do and think, but such is the game of national conversation parliamentary politics i guess.

Cummings is a cocky little shit, and i guess it can get your far up a greasy pole, but i think his arrogance has fucked him here.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Dan Hodges' take on it:


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

He's done for then.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> Dan Hodges' take on it:



itll be interesting to see the many contortionist defences coming out... its not just some dick losing his job, id expect it will be understood as a massive blow to..._Johnsonism _ to the entire _Johnson Project_ 

hmm! my mood has lifted! might go to bed


----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He does state the obvious forensically though (not that I've seen him)


He does it like a lawyer, but not in an exciting way like in a TV drama. More like an actual lawyer reading out bits of tax legislation and not explaining the relevance. He does probably win the argument, but it takes concentration to tell.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

Yes I doubt he'll have much joy when being heckled by the massed ranks of tories back from holiday and cheering johnson on.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> itll be interesting to see the many contortionist defences coming out... its not just some dick losing his job, id expect it will be understood as a massive blow to..._Johnsonism _ to the entire _Johnson Project_
> 
> hmm! my mood has lifted! might go to bed



Sweet dreams  They've got the long weekend to bury this so count sheep and not chickens yeah?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 23, 2020)

If he goes , it will not only be the wheels of boris' ( 350 mil , brexit ?) bus ,he will take the spare with him.

Which is nice.

( except I'm not sure it will happen , but it has been a fucking weird year so far, so anything is possible , except 5g corona bats )


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

BBC saying that he has to go and this matter is a test of Johnson’s leadership.

And as agricola rightly says, if that freak did have the virus he wouldn’t have been physically able to drive to Durham.


----------



## chilango (May 23, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> i think of him as more...
> 
> View attachment 214068



More like


----------



## MrCurry (May 23, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> He wont go.



Of course not. He doesn’t regard himself as a public figure, however much song and dance the media want to create around him. I’m sure he will not see any reason to hold himself to any kind of ethical standards such as might apply to an elected official.


----------



## sleaterkinney (May 23, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> BBC saying that he has to go and this matter is a test of Johnson’s leadership.
> 
> And as agricola rightly says, if that freak did have the virus he wouldn’t have been physically able to drive to Durham.


Why, different people have it at different severity?


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

sleaterkinney said:


> Why, different people have it at different severity?



including him who was (according to his wife) confined to his bed for ten days


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

chilango said:


> More like
> 
> View attachment 214075


I had to look that up its borderline crap genius. 





__





						Gallery - Tim Oliver Ricky Gervais Lookalike
					

View Tim in action and see what he can bring to your party or event. Contact Tim for availability and what he can offer your event.




					rickygervaislookalike.com


----------



## sleaterkinney (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> including him who was (according to his wife) confined to his bed for ten days


And they emerged from quarantine into the London lockdown apparently.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

Santino said:


> It's because Twitter won't let words like 'cumming' trend. Or 'titwank'.


Nope,  It should have been trending for the last 12 hours because tweets make trends.






						#dominiccummings - Twitter Search
					

9h ago @omid9 tweeted: "Literally everything around the story is.." - read what others are saying and join the conversation.




					twitter.com
				




But...he's not.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

sleaterkinney said:


> And they emerged from quarantine into the London lockdown apparently.



... and by "lockdown" they no doubt meant "Gateway services"


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

Missed all this last night; how did 'we' find out about this...did one of his parents inconveniently die?


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Missed all this last night; how did 'we' find out about this...did one of his parents inconveniently die?



A public spirited neighbour alerted the authorities, then somehow it got to the journalists (though they've apparently been asking where he spent the lockdown for a while).


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> A public spirited neighbour alerted the authorities, then somehow it got to the journalists (though they've apparently been asking where he spent the lockdown for a while).


Post-coffee now read the Guardian piece...liked this wording:



> A member of the public is understood to have seen him and made a complaint to the police.



Maybe we should have been doing that all along!


----------



## tommers (May 23, 2020)

I've seen that fucker again. You need to do something.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Nope,  It should have been trending for the last 12 hours because tweets make trends.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You think the simple and obvious explanation to this - that 'cumming' is a word Twitter have in their trending words blacklist because it crops up a lot in porn and such like - should be discounted out of hand for an outlandish theory that the government is paying Twitter to suppress a story which is being blanket covered in the media and widely shared on all platforms? It seems a pretty puny attempt at suppression tbh. Not really worth the bother. It's only weirdos like you who pay attention to what's trending on twitter anyway.


----------



## mauvais (May 23, 2020)

#dominicgoings is trending so who cares anyway.

I think he'll have to technically go but he'll be back in some form, unchallenged, in next to no time.

I hope there are some consequences for once in regard to the terrible state of journalism around it. I feel like this episode has brought it to more people's attention than just hyper-political Twitter.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> You think the simple and obvious explanation to this - that 'cumming' is a word Twitter have in their trending words blacklist because it crops up a lot in porn and such like - should be discounted out of hand for an outlandish theory that the government is paying Twitter to suppress a story which is being blanket covered in the media and widely shared on all platforms? It seems a pretty puny attempt at suppression tbh. Not really worth the bother. It's only weirdos like you who pay attention to what's trending on twitter anyway.



I agree it would be a puny attempt at supression, though I am not sure why it is outlandish to think he'd try to do it


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> I agree it would be a puny attempt at supression, though I am not sure why it is outlandish to think he'd try to do it


Because it would be a lot of effort for almost zero effect.


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

It is totally out to lunch to take the virus from London & spread it. Could he have some responsabilty for this?


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


> It is totally out to lunch to take the virus from London & spread it. Could he have some responsabilty for this?


Dont be ridiculous


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> Because it would be a lot of effort for almost zero effect.



classic dom


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> Dont be ridiculous



that is how the virus got up there though - if not solely by him or his family, then by other people who had it going there and infecting others


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> that is how the virus got up there though - if not solely by him or his family, then by other people who had it going there and infecting others


but as you can see from the graph, it was already there and exponentially growing by the time Cummings arrived.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> but as you can see from the graph, it was already there and exponentially growing by the time Cummings arrived.



it was, how does that preclude the possibility he / his family infected people whilst up there?


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> that is how the virus got up there though - if not solely by him or his family, then by other people who had it going there and infecting others


Or local residents travelling away from their locale, becoming infected and returning (asymptomatically) to spread the virus etc. Given that  French researchers believe that there's been community transmission from early/mid November 2019, it's not unrealistic to believe that the same may be the case here. In which case, much as Cummings is a loathsome influence on our body politic, it's a bit of a stretch to blame a regional epidemic on his single transgression.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> it was, how does that preclude the possibility he / his family infected people whilst up there?


It doesnt, but it does preclude his responsibility for an epidemic peak a week after his arrival.


----------



## Chilli.s (May 23, 2020)

There haven't been any high profile lockdown breaking prosecutions have there.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

It's enough, surely, that he breached the government's own rules?
Those who presume to shape the law/guidance for the rest of us can expect to be held to the standards they demand of others.
IMO, it's that simple.


----------



## frogwoman (May 23, 2020)

'Protect the economy and if some pensioners die, too bad' even if they're his parents!


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It's enough, surely, that he breached the government's own rules?
> Those who presume to shape the law/guidance for the rest of us can expect to be held to the standards they demand of others.
> IMO, it's that simple.


This is absolutely the case, and inserting wild conspiracies into the story just obscures it.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It's enough, surely, that he breached the government's own rules?
> Those who presume to shape the law/guidance for the rest of us can expect to be held to the standards they demand of others.
> IMO, it's that simple.


Well, even that usually isn't enough to do for one of them, but when you've got cabinet literally telling the country to do this every day of the week as a life and death issue I think the stakes get sufficiently high


----------



## Struwwelpeter (May 23, 2020)

He won't go, until Johnson goes, because he's got The File, but he probably has a file on a number of Johnson's potential successors too, so he might outlast a few PMs...  (Sorry, I couldn't resist a bit of conspiracy speculation, in spite of KB's post above)


----------



## rubbershoes (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Or local residents travelling away from their locale, becoming infected and returning (asymptomatically) to spread the virus etc. Given that  French researchers believe that there's been community transmission from early/mid November 2019, it's not unrealistic to believe that the same may be the case here. In which case, much as Cummings is a loathsome influence on our body politic, it's a bit of a stretch to blame a regional epidemic on his single transgression.



Of course he's probably not responsible for the figures in Durham. But everyone thinks that they're not the ones who are the problem, it's all the others doing exactly the same as them


----------



## The Octagon (May 23, 2020)

He'll go the same way Patel went. 

Which is, temporarily. 

Or he'll continue as an unofficial advisor to Boris, much like his spiritual predecessor...


----------



## Sue (May 23, 2020)

So on R4 earlier, they were going with 'sources close to Cummings say it was his sister not his parents who was looking after his son'. Sure there's some dubiousness going on (and obvs the 'driving 250 miles while infected with Covid-19' thing is ridiculous) but looks like he's realised how bad the elderly parents angle looks.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Sue said:


> So on R4 earlier, they were going with 'sources close to Cummings say it was his sister not his parents who was looking after his son'. Sure there's some dubiousness going on (and obvs the 'driving 250 miles while infected with Covid-19' thing is ridiculous) but looks like he's realised how bad the elderly parents angle looks.



good news for him that Laura hasn't realised it yet:



ETA: that last bit about "At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported" is not what she was told yesterday night by the police*.  

* unless there is a gap between "the owners" and "his family"


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Sue said:


> So on R4 earlier, they were going with 'sources close to Cummings say it was his sister not his parents who was looking after his son'. Sure there's some dubiousness going on (and obvs the 'driving 250 miles while infected with Covid-19' thing is ridiculous) but looks like he's realised how bad the elderly parents angle looks.


I dont think they can worm out of this one....They cant make an official announcement "Having looked into the matter closely, it turns out his sister drove, and the kids were in bed  the whole time, and he was actually staying in the annex, excuses excuses, so its okay", because the whole nature of Self isolate instructions if you're contagious are Dont Fucking Move


----------



## Sue (May 23, 2020)

So who was looking after his son then? The sister, the parents, him? The 'His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside' implies his son was in this spare house too.

(We really need a  reaction thing for posts.)

ETA And the whole thing was that he apparently went there so someone could look after his son as he and his wife were both ill. If it was purely about getting someone to deliver groceries, surely he could've done that in London. (Unless he has no friends..)


----------



## Sprocket. (May 23, 2020)

The tory mantra, ‘Do as we say, not as we do’. Like all of them he’s made from Teflon, nothing will stick, unless you burn the arse out of them.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> good news for him that Laura hasn't realised it yet:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




And thus does the BBC act as No. 10's bluetooth speakers yet again... 

He won't go.  If the old norms still applied his position would have been untenable years ago.  He knows where too many of the bodies are buried, and in any case, they seem to think he's some sort of genius.


----------



## rubbershoes (May 23, 2020)

This isn't the time to be criticising the Lord of Darkness when there's so much important work for him to do


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

Does he really know where the bodies are buried? I mean they love him because of Brexit and the election and believe he is at least part responsible for their success. But he's not even part of the Tory party proper let alone a Bullingdon one. I don't know why he would have had confidential or sensitive information shared with him. And what bodies? This lot protect their private lives with injunctions rather than secrecy anyway.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 23, 2020)

maomao said:


> Does he really know where the bodies are buried? I mean they love him because of Brexit and the election and believe he is at least part responsible for their success. But he's not even part of the Tory party proper let alone a Bullingdon one. I don't know why he would have had confidential or sensitive information shared with him. And what bodies? This lot protect their private lives with injunctions rather than secrecy anyway.



Yeah tbh the impression I get is that he's there because Johnson likes the idea you can do stuff through supposedly clever tricks rather than doing any work.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> You think the simple and obvious explanation to this - that 'cumming' is a word Twitter have in their trending words blacklist because it crops up a lot in porn and such like - should be discounted out of hand for an outlandish theory that the government is paying Twitter to suppress a story which is being blanket covered in the media and widely shared on all platforms? It seems a pretty puny attempt at suppression tbh. Not really worth the bother. It's only weirdos like you who pay attention to what's trending on twitter anyway.


Don't talk about things you don't understand son.  

#dominiccummings should have been trending al night and all morning and if you search for it it is there, it's just not trending.  Cumming isn't a blacklisted word any more than fuck, cunt or prick on twitter.  Everyone, apart from you, knows that.

If you think I'm a weirdo, fair enough.  I think you're a middle-class, know-nothing cunt who sits and talks garbage with his mates learning nothing and understanding less.  Using insult and offence as a replacement for intelligent discussion and discourse.

No-one said this bit, you made it up.   But you get to make things up, eh.  Fud.



> outlandish theory that the government is paying Twitter to suppress a story


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

rubbershoes said:


> Of course he's probably not responsible for the figures in Durham. But everyone thinks that they're not the ones who are the problem, it's all the others doing exactly the same as them


Yes, it's entirely reasonable to suggest that anyone infected has the potential to spread and that's why the administration he advises ruled against socialising in the way that he did. But that potential is not what's at issue here; it's the substance of his conduct.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Cumming isn't a blacklisted word any more than fuck, cunt or prick on twitter.


fuck, cunt or prick don't seem to show up in trending topics ever though. I wonder why.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)




----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> Yeah tbh the impression I get is that he's there because Johnson likes the idea you can do stuff through supposedly clever tricks rather than doing any work.



Which might have provided the reasons why he is being defended so absurdly - as in him falling would be to expose them to ruin, in much the same way that Trump has got loads of the US right to dance to his tune because they know what is going to happen if it gets out what he has done for them (and what they've turned a blind eye to).


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> fuck, cunt or prick don't seem to show up in trending topics ever though. I wonder why.


Every one of those (and other) words can be found with a one word search, as everyone knows.  You're talking shite again.  #dominiccummings should be trending and isn't.

We'll see today how it's going to go through the day.  Cummings has to be sacked, but boris can't sack him. There's a slight chance it could be kuennsberg thrown to the mob.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Every one of those (and other) words can be found with a one word search, as everyone knows.


of course - as can the word cumming. yet they never appear in the trending section at the side - how does that happen?


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)

resignations come with scandals that resonate with the public and provoke anger due to a simple, easily understood story - and this definitely does (which is why  scandals involving complicated financial shenanigans are less toxic) He blatantly disregarded the governments strict instructions to the rest of the public - whilst (and this is the killer detail)  he knew he was infected. Their contorted wriggling how it was ok cos cos cos wont wash. 
Downing street is digging in - but i cant see this going away. every single minister who appears on tv will get roasted over this . I definitely  think he is toast.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> There's a slight chance it could be kuennsberg thrown to the mob.


Que?


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 23, 2020)

The mental gymnastics and backpedaling being displayed by Tory drones and their moronic cheerleaders on twitter in their attempts to defend him, really are quite something to behold.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Que?


_Narrator: There was, in fact, no chance of Kuennsberg being thrown to the mob_


----------



## ginger_syn (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> of course - as can the word cumming. yet they never appear in the trending section at the side - how does that happen?


They curate the trends, dominicgoings is trending at the moment


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

I bet the poor chap doesn't know if hes cumming or going.

I'll show myself out.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

So was he staying in an empty house near his sister, or dancing in the garden of his parent's house or both


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

ginger_syn said:


> They curate the trends, dominicgoings is trending at the moment


so last night, the guys at twitter were curating the trends so 'ferguson' trended, but excluded 'cummings'

why? do they just love being accused of having their thumb on the scales by wild eyed conspiracists or something?


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> 'Protect the economy and if some pensioners die, too bad' even if they're his parents!


Like John Gummer with the burger, but sneakily.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

Does Scunthorpe ever trend on Twitter? Or perhaps it has a special dispensation.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Does Scunthorpe ever trend on Twitter? Or perhaps it has a special dispensation.


well, today will be the day if it is going to trend - a lot of replies to people on twitter right now are people talking about 'the scunthorpe problem'


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> So was he staying in an empty house near his sister, or dancing in the garden of his parent's house or both


The family gyrations to Abba could be up there with the 9-11 dancing jooos!


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Does Scunthorpe ever trend on Twitter? Or perhaps it has a special dispensation.


We'll never know. Nothing has ever happened in Scunthorpe.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> So was he staying in an empty house near his sister, or dancing in the garden of his parent's house or both


Ive now got a mental image of Cummings doing contemporary dance in a leotard in the garden of his country pile, whilst earnestly reciting his favourite passages from Neuromancer and occasionally pausing to cough up a lung


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

Interesting and potentially tricky issue being raised on SM about those fined for travel during lockdown challenging the decision(s) on the basis of statements made by No.10 this morning.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Don't talk about things you don't understand son.
> 
> #dominiccummings should have been trending al night and all morning and if you search for it it is there, it's just not trending.  Cumming isn't a blacklisted word any more than fuck, cunt or prick on twitter.  Everyone, apart from you, knows that.
> 
> ...


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Interesting and potentially tricky issue being raised on SM about those fined for travel during lockdown challenging the decision(s) on the basis of statements made by No.10 this morning.



It will be a dilemma - on the one hand they could get him to resign, on the other they would expose themselves to ridicule, have to invalidate every conviction and fine imposed and see the lockdown collapse as parents rush to dump their kids on grandparents so they can go back to work, leading to an increase in infections, deaths and hundreds / thousands of people thinking for the rest of their lives that they were the ones who infected nan or granddad with the virus that killed them.

Actually when I said "dilemma" there, I probably mistakenly have given the impression that they'd ever not choose the second option.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

.


----------



## pesh (May 23, 2020)

wtf does ABBA have to do with any of this?


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

pesh said:


> wtf does ABBA have to do with any of this?



a neighbour said they saw him on April 5th at the Durham house, in the grounds dancing to ABBA


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

(sorry if repost)


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)




----------



## pesh (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> a neighbour said they saw him on April 5th at the Durham house, in the grounds dancing to ABBA


read that and thought, fine, i'll google it myself... oh god...


----------



## kalidarkone (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Ive now got a mental image of Cummings doing contemporary dance in a leotard in the garden of his country pile, whilst earnestly reciting his favourite passages from Neuromancer and occasionally pausing to cough up a lung


I have too but in a cartoon Jeff Mahannah style..


----------



## ginger_syn (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> so last night, the guys at twitter were curating the trends so 'ferguson' trended, but excluded 'cummings'
> 
> why? do they just love being accused of having their thumb on the scales by wild eyed conspiracists or something?


Apparently its to stop trends getting cluttered up with spam and such like, can't link to the tweet i read it in I'm on a phone and also clueless about linking.


----------



## girasol (May 23, 2020)

I'm in two minds about this. If an ordinary person had done this I wouldn't judge them too harshly. But, because it's Cummings I can't help but demand he gets prosecuted for breaking the law, which is what he did.


----------



## gentlegreen (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> a neighbour said they saw him on April 5th at the Durham house, in the grounds dancing to ABBA


Fecking hell - ought to have a dance-off with no.10's previous occupant - so long as I don't have to watch ...


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

maomao said:


> Does he really know where the bodies are buried? I mean they love him because of Brexit and the election and believe he is at least part responsible for their success. But he's not even part of the Tory party proper let alone a Bullingdon one. I don't know why he would have had confidential or sensitive information shared with him. And what bodies? This lot protect their private lives with injunctions rather than secrecy anyway.



It's not about private lives.  Given that he's been very close to most of the murkier political shit that's played out over the last few years, not least all the Cambridge Analytica/data harvesting business and the machinations around prorogation of parliament last year, I find it very difficult to believe he doesn't have a pretty clear idea about what's been done and by whom.  The fact he's not Bullingdon doesn't matter: not everyone who gets close to power is part of that set, and anyway, his parents live in a castle so it's not as if he's some working-class interloper, is it?!  The fact he's not a Tory member is more interesting, but these people are cynical enough to overlook that if they think he'll be useful to them - and for the very reasons you give, they do.  That's the other reason I don't think he's going anywhere.

What I'm not clear on in my own mind is how important he actually is and what his exact role has been.  Some seem to think he's some sort of strategic mastermind playing games of six-dimensional chess and staying several moves ahead of everyone else.  I don't doubt that he's pretty sharp, but his blogposts read like the ramblings of a second-year undergrad who isn't nearly as clever as he thinks he is.  I'm sure he's been instrumental in some of what has gone on, but equally, he does seem to be very good at writing his own myth.


----------



## 2hats (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> a neighbour said they saw him on April 5th at the Durham house, in the grounds dancing to ABBA


Must admit, I did a little dance on the day Bozo the killer clown was taken to ICU.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

S☼I said:


> We'll never know. Nothing has ever happened in Scunthorpe.



Apart from the steelworks being perpetually on the verge of closure.


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> View attachment 214142


Hana Kimura's dead?!?!


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

gentlegreen said:


> Fecking hell - ought to have a dance-off with no.10's previous occupant - so long as I don't have to watch ...


also


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

ginger_syn said:


> Apparently its to stop trends getting cluttered up with spam and such like, can't link to the tweet i read it in I'm on a phone and also clueless about linking.


OK, but I don't get why they would choose to curate the work 'cummings' out, when a large proportion of the other trending terms are transparently about the same story, including plenty that have his first name in there. It doesn't make sense unless - to save the curators having to constantly exclude swear words and other offensive words from the trending bar - there's already an autofilter on some words. Such as 'cumming'.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Apart from the steelworks being perpetually on the verge of closure.


Arguably less current affairs than a state of affairs


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


>




kuensberg  is basically executing Max Clifford style PR duties for the Tory party

put a swimming hat on her and she could be Cummings, has anyone seen them together


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> he's been very close to most of the murkier political shit that's played out over the last few years, not least all the Cambridge Analytica/data harvesting business and the machinations around prorogation of parliament last year, I find it very difficult to believe he doesn't have a pretty clear idea about what's been done and by whom.


I think most of that's pretty widely known about too.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

maomao said:


> I think most of that's pretty widely known about too.



In outline, but the detail is still pretty murky.  I bet he knows a lot more than most of us...


----------



## xenon (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> that is how the virus got up there though - if not solely by him or his family, then by other people who had it going there and infecting others



A couple of the earliest cases (remember those heddy days when individual cases made news,) were reported in Newcastle. I mean yeah, he's wreckless and an arsehole for going up there, probably won't resign etc, etc but let's not be silly about this.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

Stephen Kinnock now trending on Twitter as the Tories seek an eye for an eye


----------



## marshall (May 23, 2020)

Slight digression, does anyone know what the surgical procedure is that he's postponed twice in the last six months due to work commitments? 

Serious enough to need a general anaesthetic? It keeps popping up in my searches.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Stephen Kinnock now trending on Twitter as the Tories seek an eye for an eye


Closely followed by #whataboutery no doubt?


----------



## ginger_syn (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> OK, but I don't get why they would choose to curate the work 'cummings' out, when a large proportion of the other trending terms are transparently about the same story, including plenty that have his first name in there. It doesn't make sense unless - to save the curators having to constantly exclude swear words and other offensive words from the trending bar - there's already an autofilter on some words. Such as 'cumming'.


Neither do I, its not as if people didn't notice and comment, but at least dominicgoings started trending properly while I was reading the article about curating.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

marshall said:


> Slight digression, does anyone know what the surgical procedure is that he's postponed twice in the last six months due to work commitments?
> 
> Serious enough to need a general anaesthetic? It keeps popping up in my searches.



No idea.  When he hung around after the election I assumed there never was to be a surgical procedure, and it was just bullshit put about to reassure those concerned by his machiavellian reputation that he'd be gone soon.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Closely followed by #whataboutery no doubt?


If theres any way Stephen Kinnock can lose his post Im all for it


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Stephen Kinnock now trending on Twitter as the Tories seek an eye for an eye



ah yes - that Kinnock who didnt stay with his parents, nor did he have Coronavirus when he went to see them


----------



## DotCommunist (May 23, 2020)

Visit to to the seaside for kinnock was it?


----------



## nogojones (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Stephen Kinnock now trending on Twitter as the Tories seek an eye for an eye


I hope they hang him as well


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> ah yes - that Kinnock who didnt stay with his parents, nor did he have Coronavirus when he went to see them


Nor in the pay of the governing administration.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214152



Oh I don't know.  Laura Kuenssberg seems to be lifting every finger she can to help him.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

The way they’re defending him looks like a massive mistake in loads of ways, he broke the only single properly clear rule - don’t fucking go out if you’ve got the virus- and they’re all lining up to excuse it.
Think they’ve misjudged this one badly and should have at least given him a performative bollocking to save their own credibility & whats left of the lockdown.


----------



## kalidarkone (May 23, 2020)

and this is why we are the country with the second highest covid related deaths on the planet. 

I feel that we are doomed. The way the government administration has been behaving and lack of clarity regarding any policies or protocols is being reflected in the community at large and worse in the hospital trusts.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

" Did PM sanction Cummings' trip? " <Potentially interesting angle . Hard one to get out of. 

Fun this so far


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

Here's the cunt today.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

kalidarkone said:


> and this is why we are the country with the second highest covid related deaths on the planet.
> 
> I feel that we are doomed. The way the government administration has been behaving and lack of clarity regarding any policies or protocols is being reflected in the community at large and worse in the hospital trusts.



They've completely and utterly arsed it up, and the result is that the UK has roughly 1/100 of the world's population and 1/8 of its covid-19 deaths to date.  The problem is, a fair proportion of the population either believe the PM or at least will give him the benefit of the doubt when he stands on the steps of No. 10 and bullshits about 'our success.'  Dominic Cummings is only one reason why we've ended up in this situation but he's played a bigger part than most, which is why the revelation about his little jaunt to Durham matters.  Fair play to the Guardian and the Mirror for breaking the story IMO.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

I don't like social media much, but Twitter can be fun on days like this...


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

Piers has a good point


----------



## Wilf (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> (sorry if repost)



I'd like to think that was a dig at johnson. Though I suppose it would be wives... and children x 5, 6...


----------



## Wilf (May 23, 2020)

I hope he gets sacked and I wish just any and every conceivable misfortune strikes these cunts. But the sad thought is none of it is going to stop the shit that's happening now and the shit that's coming down the line. Sorry, vibe killer, but I'm just so sick of where we've got to in politics and in life.


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I don't like social media much, but Twitter can be fun on days like this...



It's dishonest but not hypocritical to argue that one was essential family travel and one was a bloke breaking the rules to have a shag.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

The measure of the offence...


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

Wilf said:


> I hope he gets sacked and I wish just any and every conceivable misfortune strikes these cunts. But the sad thought is none of it is going to stop the shit that's happening now and the shit that's coming down the line. Sorry, vibe killer, but I'm just so sick of where we've got to in politics and in life.



There's no way hes getting sacked after the downing st statement. They can't afford three u-turns in the space of a week. I think the entire nation, even Tories, would love to see this cuntbubble get his just deserts but it ain't gonna happen.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 23, 2020)

Thing is, I have a good mate who was in a similar position if you can believe any of this (both of them really ill with likely covid, two young kids) and her sister moved in with them rather than them travel, and she's still there and will stay for the foreseeable because we're in a fucking lockdown and she's not an irresponsible wanker. No seeing grandparents, no driving around the country symptomatic, and no fucking Abba.

I can't quite believe they'll manage to front this out. It's nice to know there still are depths we can plumb


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

Tweets with the tag #dominccummings now being posted around every 2 seconds, still not trending.  

Also...this trip up north happened when his wife and number 10 were telling the UK that he was sick in bed.

He has to go, boris can't let him go.  Boris also may have to sober up for a while today.


----------



## Chilli.s (May 23, 2020)

"If Boris doesn’t fire Cummings today, then I will deem the Lockdown over & drive down to see my parents (from a 2m distance) for the first time in 12 weeks. I’m not having one rule for these clowns & another for the rest of us. "

This is pretty much how I feel.  Although I won't, as I try not to be a cunt.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

Can't see how he'll survive. Am waiting for the next stuff to come out that will allow the ministers who have publicly backed him to do an about-turn. Perhaps a tabloid will find out how they went to the toilet on their 270 mile trip up the A1 - could be a COVID cluster linked to Wetherby services, resulting in numerous deaths.


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

Somewhat hilariously this has just been posted on Boris' twitter feed


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

Seems to summarise the situation as of now quite neatly...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Chilli.s said:


> "If Boris doesn’t fire Cummings today, then I will deem the Lockdown over & drive down to see my parents (from a 2m distance) for the first time in 12 weeks. I’m not having one rule for these clowns & another for the rest of us. "


One of Piers Morgans good ideas?


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

14:50 today.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)

Petcha said:


> There's no way hes getting sacked after the downing st statement. They can't afford three u-turns in the space of a week. I think the entire nation, even Tories, would love to see this cuntbubble get his just deserts but it ain't gonna happen.



its not going away. its such a blatant flouting of the rules, reeks of "one rules for us.." and a far more serious breach than that which ferguson and other got booted out for. 
Its something that pretty much everyone in the country can relate to and be pissed off by. its shreds the governments already damaged credibility. mutterings in amongst tory mps will get louder as they get more shit from their constituents and it will dominate the weeks interviews. 
it will come up everytime they talk about rules of lockdown. 
im amazed they are trying to brazen it out - but then they have a tin ear for this shit - the foreign nhs staff surcharge is a case in point. 
I reckon he will be gone within 48 hours.


----------



## Sue (May 23, 2020)

I think it could be denying the police came round for a word while the police say that they did that could swing it (if anything does). That or stopping on the way there and putting people at risk.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> its not going away. its such a blatant flouting of the rules, reeks of "one rules for us.." and a far more serious breach than that which ferguson and other got booted out for.



He was found in contempt of Parliament more than a year ago and that didn't do him any harm.  The old norms of political behaviour would have had him resign for that alone, but what we've seen in the last few years is that they just don't apply, and the British constitution has no effective sanction against people breaking them.  It's all based on the assumption people will behave like _jolly good chaps_, and if they don't there's nothing that can be done about it.   BoJo (thinks he) needs Cummings, perhaps because he thinks he's brilliant or perhaps just because it's safer to have him inside the tent pissing out than _vice versa_. Breaking lockdown like this probably is going to cause more upset than sticking two fingers up at a select committee and from an image-management point of view it's more serious, but even so I can't see them doing anything other than brazening it out, although I'd love to be proved wrong. Perhaps then we'd find out just how important the 'career psychopath' actually is.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> View attachment 214166
> 
> 14:50 today.



You're searching for usernames matching a hashtag...


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

I must admit, I laughed at this analogy...


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> View attachment 214166
> 
> 14:50 today.


Looks like you broke your Twitter.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> Looks like you broke your Twitter.
> View attachment 214168View attachment 214168


Yes I'm perfectly aware that if you search for tweets including the tag you get a more accurate picture.

Did you try this


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Yes I'm perfectly aware that if you search for tweets including the tag you get a more accurate picture.
> 
> Did you try this
> View attachment 214169


Should really say 'protecting you from a potentially nasty twat'.


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Yes I'm perfectly aware that if you search for tweets including the tag you get a more accurate picture.
> 
> Did you try this
> View attachment 214169


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> View attachment 214170


which part of the trending menu is that?  got a link?

you're not just posting a normal search for a name, are you?  Coz you'd have to be really fucking thick to be doing that in this context.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Yes I'm perfectly aware that if you search for tweets including the tag you get a more accurate picture.
> 
> Did you try this
> View attachment 214169



Have you ticked the box to only search people you follow or something?

Why would you even think twitter are censoring searches for his name


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

Carole Cadwalladr on the money here, I think...



Thread worth looking at, though she's too kind to Kuenssberg by half.


----------



## rutabowa (May 23, 2020)

they haven't made "#dominiccummings" the trending tag for this story because he is often in the news and that hashtag could apply to any number of stories; whereas the tags they picked are specific to this story.

It is just how twitter works, it is not a conspiracy (obviously)


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Carole Cadwalladr on the money here, I think...
> 
> 
> 
> Thread worth looking at, though she's too kind to Kuenssberg by half.




She's borderline loonspud.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> She's borderline loonspud.



Doubtless she makes her mistakes, but she's a good investigative journalist who seems to rattle most of the right cages.


----------



## Chilli.s (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> One of Piers Morgans good ideas?


Piers doesn't seem to mind being a cunt though.


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> which part of the trending menu is that?  got a link?
> 
> you're not just posting a normal search for a name, are you?  Coz you'd have to be really fucking thick to be doing that in this context.


I'm doing the same searches you were. It's already been explained to you by others why you're not seeing whatever it is you insist you should be seeing.

If you still don't get it there's not much more to say really


----------



## Wilf (May 23, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> its not going away. its such a blatant flouting of the rules, reeks of "one rules for us.." and a far more serious breach than that which ferguson and other got booted out for.
> Its something that pretty much everyone in the country can relate to and be pissed off by. its shreds the governments already damaged credibility. mutterings in amongst tory mps will get louder as they get more shit from their constituents and it will dominate the weeks interviews.
> it will come up everytime they talk about rules of lockdown.
> im amazed they are trying to brazen it out - but then they have a tin ear for this shit - the foreign nhs staff surcharge is a case in point.
> I reckon he will be gone within 48 hours.


May well go, but as others have said it will probably take another revelation about him lying to tip the balance. I think you are right there will be revulsion about this, not least that he was happy to infect his parents (or whoever the fuck he really visited). I just don't get a sense of how that revulsion is manifest and mobilised at the moment. I don't do much social media, but all those channels are still in place. Just doesn't feel like we are in a place where that usual combination of bad press, popular anger and opposition politicians add up to a campaign.  But what a fucking dishonest hypocrite he is. As is Johnson.

Edit: Roadkill says it better on this page.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

Save the bluster...


----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

Johnson / Cummings et al are probably hoping the story will blow itself out over the long weekend. 
Somehow I doubt it will.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Chilli.s said:


> Piers doesn't seem to mind being a cunt though.



I thought you'd have given him credit for the post though.


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

Awaiting the press questions on it for Shapps....


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Johnson / Cummings et al are probably hoping the story will blow itself out over the long weekend.
> Somehow I doubt it will.


 Of course it will. I think theres only the mirror pushing it.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

Shapps looks like the product of a union between Robert Webb and Jack Dee


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

"the important thing is that he stayed in the same place"


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

"FFS, someone ask me a question about bikes or something like that _please_."


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

I reckon they might have to get rid of him. Even DM is shouting hypocrisy and they are supposed to love him for brexit. 
Wasn’t he burbling on about making himself obsolete anyway sometime last year around that job advert bit ? He’s got health issues hasn’t he I seem to recall.


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

Do you reckon they drew straws for who did the briefing today? Or just picked the one nobody likes?

_"I fucking announced £50 bike repair vouchers ffs! Someone ask me about them! I love bikes! Go on please."_


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

I've put the daily kick in the bollocks on, and I take it back... I don't think the meedya are going to let it go.


----------



## frogwoman (May 23, 2020)

Shap is just one letter away from Sham. DotCommunist


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

I think he'll go. The press are kicking Shapps about it every question. Harries needs to have some integrity though, fucking lapdog.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

Harries is dreadful. Just talking bollocks about caveats around safeguarding having always been there when they haven't been.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

((((A66))))


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> He’s got health issues hasn’t he I seem to recall.



Health issues that always seem to need an operation that's going to take him out of circulation but then conveniently never happens...


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

"BIKE VOUCHERS. FUCKING BIKE VOUCHERS. LEFTIES LOVE BIKES. ASK ME ABOUT THEM."


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

This press conference is comedy gold


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

Well he's made a point of establishing himself as a nasty cunt who doesn't have any time for anyone so not surprising the knives are coming out. But he's apparently central to the Boris/Brexit project. It's a bit of a test of their power whether they can hang on to him or not.


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

If I was him I'd milk this question abut transport for the next 10 minutes then wrap the whole thing up and go home to get pissed.


----------



## ginger_syn (May 23, 2020)

The relief on his face,finally a transport question🤣


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

ginger_syn said:


> The relief on his face,finally a transport question🤣



which he messes up, finishing by suggesting transport workers have died because they are obese


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

I almost feel sorry for Shapps. Almost. 

Why the fuck isn't the PM ever leading these conferences?


----------



## chilango (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

I would fucking love it if Piers Morgan photobombed one of these journos who he presumably knows and got a couple of questions in


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> which he messes up, finishing by suggesting transport workers have died because they are obese



Yeah, I thought he kind of said that too?!


----------



## frogwoman (May 23, 2020)

From what I've seen of Harries she's even more embarrassing than most of the politicians they stick up there.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Why the fuck isn't the PM ever leading these conferences?


because he's a moron.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> I'm doing the same searches you were. It's already been explained to you by others why you're not seeing whatever it is you insist you should be seeing.
> 
> If you still don't get it there's not much more to say really


Look son, apart from their supernatural inability to use twitter, no-one here has 'explained' anything to me.  

He's being tagged twice a second just now and isn't trending...so you can gtf.  But you're right...nothing more to say about it here.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> because he's a moron.



also its the weekend


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Why the fuck isn't the PM ever leading these conferences?


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)




----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> also its the weekend


 

I didn't know moron was just a 9-5 thing


----------



## frogwoman (May 23, 2020)

Farcical.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Lol


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Are people seriously sucking Piers Morons cock? I wouldnt dream of repeating anything that cunt has ever said.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

Well you wouldn't do it for fun.


----------



## xenon (May 23, 2020)

So travelling 200 odd miles to visit elderly relatives, when you've got Covid19 symptoms, is the new staying put and isolating.


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Look son, apart from their supernatural inability to use twitter, no-one here has 'explained' anything to me.
> 
> He's being tagged twice a second just now and isn't trending...so you can gtf.  But you're right...nothing more to say about it here.


I expect you're right and everyone else is wrong again. Or maybe Cummings knows you're onto him!


----------



## xenon (May 23, 2020)

He actually had the brass neck to say that. Comings was staying put. (after you know, traveling to the other end of the country.) 

What a wanker.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 23, 2020)

It does sort of negate the idea that their son was desperately at risk that a/ Cummings was well enough to drive 250 odd miles and b/ they had friends and family a couple of streets away in London and c/ they are claiming that they only dropped food off anyway. It's such obvious bullshit. The only thing that rings true is the idea that the Cabinet are such a bunch of cunts none of them would pop round with some shopping.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)

Petcha said:


>




its gobsmacking. this aspect its the worst part of the scandal. im sure plenty of senior tories and backbenches are looking on in horror. and its mental - cos i cant see how he can stay. the media are crucifying them.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> Are people seriously sucking Piers Morons cock? I wouldnt dream of repeating anything that cunt has ever said.


I find it a good thing when those I hate and wouldn’t piss on if they were on fire, start stabbing each other at any time.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Look son, apart from their supernatural inability to use twitter, no-one here has 'explained' anything to me.
> 
> He's being tagged twice a second just now and isn't trending...so you can gtf.  But you're right...nothing more to say about it here.


Let me explain, son. 

You can refine your search on twitter so it only searches certain things - you've selected to search 'people', so your search isn't for posts tagged #dominiccummings - it's for someone with the username @#dominiccummings, and there isn't anyone on twitter with that username so you're getting zero results. If you click on 'latest', it'll show you all the posts tagged #dominiccummings

Hope that helps. x


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

Petcha said:


> I almost feel sorry for Shapps. Almost.
> 
> Why the fuck isn't the PM ever leading these conferences?


Thing is; Shapps might be a duplicitous, venal spiv, but he's a political survivor and knows exactly how to wriggle. Listening to his answers was a case study in keeping his options open; very nearly all "Well, Mr Cummings has said..." such that when the lies/cover-up are revealed Shapps will have left little trace of any expressed support.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 23, 2020)

and hot on the heels of johnsons  "stay alert" shit show address - it piles on the narrative that they are bunch of self serving incompetent who are utterly incompetent and can not be trusted. It has a multiplier  effect. Much as Alastair Campbell was the spawn of satan - he'd was very good at managing this shit and would have booted cummings immediately.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Thing is; Shapps might be a duplicitous, venal spiv, but he's a political survivor and knows exactly how to wriggle. Listening to his answers was a case study in keeping his options open; very nearly all "Well, Mr Cummings has said..." such that when the lies/cover-up are revealed Shapps will have left little trace of any expressed support.



I was a bit surprised that supposed future star Sunak seems to have been insufficiently equivocal on twitter. Not going down well:


----------



## xenon (May 23, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> its gobsmacking. this aspect its the worst part of the scandal. im sure plenty of senior tories and backbenches are looking on in horror. and its mental - cos i cant see how he can stay. the media are crucifying them.



It was pretty funny, though predictable, that question after question was to do with this on the PC and Shap's obvious squirming. 

Still don't think he'll go but this will go on for a few days yet.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

Another good-un


----------



## kenny g (May 23, 2020)

The thing is every one has experience of having to adjust their lives to the guidance and regulations, and very few have driven 260 miles across the country whilst fully infected in order to settle next to the family pile. My late seventies dad was being stopped by the police after driving two miles to a country park for the chance to have a walk. The reason lock down is easing is precisely because people in Cummings situation didn't decide to super spread.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

good to see Dan Hodges getting in on the act of making a fool of oneself of a Saturday afternoon there


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> good to see Dan Hodges getting in on the act of making a fool of oneself of a Saturday afternoon there


He's 24/7, not just a Saturday pm


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

It might be the Cummings-derided Westminster media bubble that is making a big thing of it right now, but unlike say, an unreasonably lengthy prorogation, this is going to go down like cold sick in his beloved northern focus groups.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> Thing is, I have a good mate who was in a similar position if you can believe any of this (both of them really ill with likely covid, two young kids) and her sister moved in with them rather than them travel, and she's still there and will stay for the foreseeable because we're in a fucking lockdown and she's not an irresponsible wanker. No seeing grandparents, no driving around the country symptomatic, and no fucking Abba.
> 
> I can't quite believe they'll manage to front this out. It's nice to know there still are depths we can plumb



Yes there must be hundreds of parents with children who were in the same situation. And without an aunt and aide around the corner


----------



## JimW (May 23, 2020)

Why has Cummings been allowed to spawn? Poor child.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> Let me explain, son.
> 
> You can refine your search on twitter so it only searches certain things - you've selected to search 'people', so your search isn't for posts tagged #dominiccummings - it's for someone with the username @#dominiccummings, and there isn't anyone on twitter with that username so you're getting zero results. If you click on 'latest', it'll show you all the posts tagged #dominiccummings
> 
> Hope that helps. x


Too much of the old booger sugar son?  The point was that he was not showing as trending, when he obviously was trending..

Anyway they've had to stop it since the live briefing, he's trending now.  Still questions though.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Too much of the old booger sugar son?  The point was that he was not showing as trending, when he obviously was trending..


your recent point - the one you've been defending for the last two pages - is that it wasn't showing up in a search. 


> Anyway they've had to stop it since the live briefing, he's trending now.  Still questions though.



That's #dominiccummi*m*gs


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

is this some kind of performance art?


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Anyway they've had to stop it since the live briefing, he's trending now.


Whose the They in this story dexter just out of mild interest?


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was a bit surprised that supposed future star Sunak seems to have been insufficiently equivocal on twitter. Not going down well:


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Thing is; Shapps might be a duplicitous, venal spiv, but he's a political survivor and knows exactly how to wriggle. Listening to his answers was a case study in keeping his options open; very nearly all "Well, Mr Cummings has said..." such that when the lies/cover-up are revealed Shapps will have left little trace of any expressed support.


I don't think Cummings himself is particularly politically skilled, quite the opposite - people hate everything he says, but he is good at getting the support of certain people within the Tory party certainly, and some of them are skilled. I would say that a lot of Tories don't like him at all though, so it really depends on which factions think he's worth defending and how much. It seems to be a lot of them so far, sure, but it's not him that's doing it.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Yes there must be hundreds of parents with children who were in the same situation. And without an aunt and aide around the corner


I think this is one of the reasons why it might not fly in the end - for a huge number of families - possibly a majority - one of the key issues with the lockdown has been not being able to drop the kids off at their grandparents for a bit. They've had to find ways of coping without the substantial crutch grandparents often provide, and it has been, for many of them, incredibly hard work. My brother, into week 8 with just him, his pregnant wife and his two year old, was weeping on the phone to me the other night he's struggling so bad. 

Very few of those families, or anyone adjacent to their struggles are going to be convinced by this excuse.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I don't think Cummings himself is particularly politically skilled, quite the opposite - people hate everything he says, but he is good at getting the support of certain people within the Tory party certainly, and some of them are skilled. I would say that a lot of Tories don't like him at all though, so it really depends on which factions think he's worth defending and how much. It seems to be a lot of them so far, sure, but it's not him that's doing it.


There's a large number of Tory MPs keeping very quiet.


----------



## Idris2002 (May 23, 2020)

Back during the election, Cummings the Freak was meant to have stepped aside from his adviser role. . . which, of course, turned out to be nonsense.

So take any talk of the Freak being sacked with a hefty grain of salt.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> There's a large number of Tory MPs keeping very quiet.



There's also this, and Tom Newton Dunn is quite well connected.



Just a glimmer of hope I might have been wrong.  A faint one though IMO.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

How many times can you rewrite the lines to take on Cuntings - answer as many times as they are tory MPs. 






						#sackcummimgs - Twitter Search
					

5h ago @faizashaheen tweeted: "So many holes in Downing Street’s story..." - read what others are saying and join the conversation.




					twitter.com


----------



## philosophical (May 23, 2020)

I would've asked her this question.

'If a family of three drives four hours non stop between London and Durham, would your advice be to have a slash into recyclable containers, or are plastic bottles allowable in those circumstances?'


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)




----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

brogdale said:


> There's a large number of Tory MPs keeping very quiet.


They're still Tories so don't care about the ethics of the situation and also want to preserve the party. But there will be (more) internal division. Which is good.


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> and hot on the heels of johnsons  "stay alert" shit show address - it piles on the narrative that they are bunch of self serving incompetent who are utterly incompetent and can not be trusted. It has a multiplier  effect. Much as Alastair Campbell was the spawn of satan - he'd was very good at managing this shit and would have booted cummings immediately.


Except in that situation Campbell _was_ Cummings and he wouldn't have sacked himself. May well have not done anything so stupid in the first place mind you. 

It's a testament to Cumming's actual power that the government is prepared to turn everything upside down again to suit him. Presumably he was and is against the lockdown and will love this as long as he gets through it.


----------



## marshall (May 23, 2020)

Well, if whole country now ignores lockdown, he's got precisely what he originally pushed for; let it burn itself out in the community.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 23, 2020)

Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson fall off Beachy Head at the same time.
Who hits the bottom first?
Who cares!


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> good to see Dan Hodges getting in on the act of making a fool of oneself of a Saturday afternoon there





brogdale said:


> He's 24/7, not just a Saturday pm



#fuckwit4life, brah


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

Not a big fan of hers but she put this really well, the offensiveness of it besides everything else.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)




----------



## equationgirl (May 23, 2020)

This is all such bullshit from Cummings. How he has the front to say he acted reasonably and legally is beyond me.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

Looks about right to me.


----------



## Petcha (May 23, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was a bit surprised that supposed future star Sunak seems to have been insufficiently equivocal on twitter. Not going down well:




Yes, I was very surprised by that too. Raab and Gove giving their support yes. But I had Sunak down as a far more canny operator. Should have just kept schtum. After that press conference I now agree that Cummings is a dead man walking. They tried to throw Shapps under the bus and Shapps managed to actually, very subtly, throw both Cummings and Johnson under the bus. Was brilliant TV for fans of that kind of thing.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 23, 2020)

I think the chance of him hanging on to his job, once the Sunday papers pile in, is around zero.

Although I suspect he'll be back again in a few months.


----------



## MickiQ (May 23, 2020)

I think he's doomed, he isn't going to do the decent thing and Boris will probably try and save him but the rest of the Cabinet, the Tory Party, the Civil Service and indeed the bulk of Homo Sapiens seem to dislike him. 
Boris is too canny an operator himself to make so much effort to save him that it risks his own position.
The trouble is; People like Cummings are like that bad smell in a pub loo, It keeps coming back no matter how hard they try and get rid of it. He will disappear out of the limelight but he will be back in 6 months.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

It’s amazing , so many of them incl mogg etc were jumping on Twitter a few hours ago to loudly defend him . I don’t get why they did it just looks so stupid. Has the Johnson himself spoken up on this?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Yes, I was very surprised by that too. Raab and Gove giving their support yes. But I had Sunak down as a far more canny operator. Should have just kept schtum.



If the whips are asking regular MPs to tweet this tosh then senior cabinet bods need to lead from the front.


----------



## Sue (May 23, 2020)

So anyone want to guess what the further revelations in tomorrow's papers will be? Surely bound to be some..?


----------



## Plumdaff (May 23, 2020)

Sue said:


> So anyone want to guess what the further revelations in tomorrow's papers will be? Surely bound to be some..?



Pure guesswork - but there's talk on Twitter that Cummings was also in Durham for another visit on 10th May, the night of Johnson's disastrous address. If that is proven true, or there's any confirmation from the Police that they did indeed speak to the family, that'll be a whole new layer of shitshow.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

Sue said:


> So anyone want to guess what the further revelations in tomorrow's papers will be? Surely bound to be some..?


They’ll be banging on the parents’ pissed off neighbours doors and will at least return with stories of barbecues and probably disturbing curtain twitcher pics of him drinking Prosecco in a paddling pool or something.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> your recent point - the one you've been defending for the last two pages - is that it wasn't showing up in a search.
> 
> That's #dominiccummi*m*gs


yes...and then the bit you missed out when quoting me (because that's what you have to resort to)...that it had started up during the briefing  

Anyway...I'm not here to give a heads-up to clueless twats like you and your mates, trying to communicate with you is fucking pointless.  Find your own shit out.


----------



## Sue (May 23, 2020)

I reckon stopping at motorway services/his parents catching it/ the stuff about other family living nearby in London.


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> It’s amazing , so many of them incl mogg etc were jumping on Twitter a few hours ago to loudly defend him . I don’t get why they did it just looks so stupid. Has the Johnson himself spoken up on this?


Mogg probably wanted us all to get corona virus before anyone mentioned herd immunity. It's not particularly out of character for the 'get the lazy fuckers back to work' wing of the party. Some of them will have jumped on just for a chance to attack the lockdown.


----------



## Orang Utan (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> yes...and then the bit you missed out when quoting me (because that's what you have to resort to)...that it had started up during the briefing
> 
> Anyway...I'm not here to give a heads-up to clueless twats like you and your mates, trying to communicate with you is fucking pointless.  Find your own shit out.


DO YOU'RE OWN RESURCH


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> yes...and then the bit you missed out when quoting me (because that's what you have to resort to)...that it had started up during the briefing
> 
> Anyway...I'm not here to give a heads-up to clueless twats like you and your mates, trying to communicate with you is fucking pointless.  Find your own shit out.


Please do stop giving us heads up. That would suit everyone.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

Re the police thing; Number Ten’s denial is they didn’t speak with him, not that they didn’t speak with his parents and the Old Bill only said they spoke to the owners of the property, so his mum and dad.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Re the police thing; Number Ten’s denial is they didn’t speak with him, not that they didn’t speak with his parents and the Old Bill only said they spoke to the owners of the property, so his mum and dad.



nope - they've said the police didnt speak to him or anyone in his family:



obvs this will mean "his family" doesnt mean his mum, dad, sister or nieces


----------



## stavros (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> Looks about right to me.
> 
> View attachment 214231



Taking back control.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> I think he's doomed, he isn't going to do the decent thing and Boris will probably try and save him but the rest of the Cabinet, the Tory Party, the Civil Service and indeed the bulk of Homo Sapiens seem to dislike him.
> Boris is too canny an operator himself to make so much effort to save him that it risks his own position.
> The trouble is; People like Cummings are like that bad smell in a pub loo, It keeps coming back no matter how hard they try and get rid of it. He will disappear out of the limelight but he will be back in 6 months.



I have to say, I don't 'Boris' is much of a canny operator.  He's not completely stupid and he's shown himself to be good at spotting and exploiting opportunities to promote himself over the years, but his judgement is deeply suspect and he has no grasp of detail, a pathetic attention span, little ability to think on his feet and he's no political strategist.  I think he is or believes himself to be too dependent on Cummings to let him go, and today's shit-show demonstrates how much political capital they're prepared to burn through to hang on to him.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

Perhaps the police spoke to their maid.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> nope - they've said the police didnt speak to him or anyone in his family:
> 
> 
> 
> obvs this will mean "his family" doesnt mean his mum, dad, sister or nieces




Yeah, it was his family he was protecting, him, his wife and son. Not his _extended family..._


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 23, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Re the police thing; Number Ten’s denial is they didn’t speak with him, not that they didn’t speak with his parents and the Old Bill only said they spoke to the owners of the property, so his mum and dad.



That's not what the Number 10 said.



> At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported.











						Police maintain Dominic Cummings was spoken to despite Downing Street denial
					

In a statement this afternoon, Number 10 said that police did not speak to Cummings or any member of his family after he travelled from London to Durham during lockdown. Durham Police, however, have double-downed on their statement that officers did




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> That's not what the Number 10 said.
> 
> 
> 
> ...







			
				Your link said:
			
		

> Durham Constabulary said in a statement yesterday that officers contacted the owners of a property on March 31, more than a week after the lockdown had been imposed by the PM, when they were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London.



But the police have been known to tell the odd lie from time to time, so it’s just a cunt collective tbf.


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 23, 2020)

Watch and learn, this will come down to what the dirty digger Murdoch decides the C2s should think tomorow


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

bellaozzydog said:


> Watch and learn, this will come down to what the dirty digger Murdoch decides the C2s should think tomorow


Nope don’t think so, think this is beyond that.  People are properly angry because of what they’ve had to sacrifice. Think it’s too late to spin this, it’s felt too strongly on a personal level by everyone who has not seen their kids / parents for two months etc.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

Canny old Shapps;


----------



## Part 2 (May 23, 2020)

Guardian reporting he was seen 30 miles away from his parents house









						New witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claims
					

Exclusive: eyewitness says top No 10 aide left isolation to go 30 miles to popular tourist town




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

Sue said:


> I reckon stopping at motorway services/his parents catching it/ the stuff about other family living nearby in London.



Apparently it's his wife's sister living close by...I pondered that for a second and concluded he's the kind of BIL I would absolutely hate. Maybe their relationship isn't a good one.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> But the police have been known to tell the odd lie from time to time, so it’s just a cunt collective tbf.



Probably spoke to owners of the wrong property. I’ve been rudely awakened before by coppers who got the number backwards.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Apparently it's his wife's sister living close by...I pondered that for a second and concluded he's the kind of BIL I would absolutely hate. Maybe their relationship isn't a good one.



Yes "could you come and look after our child as a favour?" "go fuck yourself"


----------



## Sue (May 23, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> Guardian reporting he was seen 30 miles away from his parents
> 
> 
> 
> ...






Plumdaff said:


> Pure guesswork - but there's talk on Twitter that Cummings was also in Durham for another visit on 10th May, the night of Johnson's disastrous address. If that is proven true, or there's any confirmation from the Police that they did indeed speak to the family, that'll be a whole new layer of shitshow.



Good work, Plumdaff!


----------



## LDC (May 23, 2020)

Sacking on Monday. Guillotine on Tuesday.


----------



## gentlegreen (May 23, 2020)




----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

I don’t even understand his line of defence. Says his sister shopped for them and left the food on the doorstep of the spare house his parents have there. So he says they had to travel 300 miles to get food delivered and that’s it? He’s not claiming their child lived separately with the rest of the extended family whilst he was sick or anything? It’s just not making much sense.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

This is great, it's utterly disintegrating.


----------



## butchersapron (May 23, 2020)

A welcome return of Dexter's Top Tech Tips on this thread,. After the reaction to last week's _Youtube is  a search engine _i feared he had ended the series but now we have a nice twitter teach-in..


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> Guardian reporting he was seen 30 miles away from his parents house
> 
> 
> 
> ...



And with that the Mekon is toast.


----------



## Orang Utan (May 23, 2020)

butchersapron said:


> A welcome return of Dexter's Top Tech Tips on this thread,. After the reaction to last week's _Youtube is  a search engine _i feared he had ended the series but now we have a nice twitter teach-in..


Can't wait for his top tips on Myspace


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 23, 2020)

From the memes thread -



Badgers said:


> Dominic Cummings ignored lockdown rules for second time to visit parents
> 
> 
> EXCLUSIVE Calls are growing for Boris Johnson's top aide to be sacked after breaching lockdown rules intended to keep the country safe - but so far the Government has tried to defend him
> ...





cupid_stunt said:


> > Mr Johnson was under growing pressure from Opposition leaders to sack his top aide - *while Tory MPs were grumbling about the double standards.*
> 
> 
> 
> He's fucked.


----------



## kenny g (May 23, 2020)

He is nothing but a covid spiv.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

My sister lives in Barnard Castle , it will be even money that she knows someone who saw him when i text her tomorrow.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

Whatever happens to him now lockdowns basically over I imagine, without officially announcing a new slogan of fuck it just do whatever you like, they’ve trashed it by defending him.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Idris2002 (May 23, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> And with that the Mekon is toast.


In the Before Times he would have been toast. In the nightmarish future Britain of the Johnson Jackboot?


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Sprocket. (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> My sister lives in Barnard Castle , it will be even money that she knows someone who saw him when i text her tomorrow.


Nice one.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> View attachment 214254



Meh, was just deciding that a bank job would set my family up nicely...


----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

Does anyone know how this story initially emerged?


----------



## Plumdaff (May 23, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> Pure guesswork - but there's talk on Twitter that Cummings was also in Durham for another visit on 10th May, the night of Johnson's disastrous address. If that is proven true, or there's any confirmation from the Police that they did indeed speak to the family, that'll be a whole new layer of shitshow.



Bingo (eta. this isn't the second visit I've seen on Twitter, leaving open the possibility there's more to come.....)








						Dominic Cummings ignored lockdown rules for second time to visit parents
					

EXCLUSIVE Calls are growing for Boris Johnson's top aide to be sacked after breaching lockdown rules intended to keep the country safe - but so far the Government has tried to defend him




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 23, 2020)

Wefail rarely fails.


----------



## tommers (May 23, 2020)

I'm so angry about this. People haven't been able to visit dying loved ones in hospital or go to their fucking funerals and then Shapps comes out with "in times of crisis you want family near". I mean Jesus Christ. Words cannot express how pissed off that has made me. Utter fuckers.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Does anyone know how this story initially emerged?


Headsup sent to selected people 3 weeks ago according to this (owen Jones says he got the same message). Why the two of them did nothing with the lead or why it’s only now a story idk.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

Thing is, even if he doesn't get sacked, which is still quite likely, his name is poison. That's arguably better than him being sacked because it lasts longer.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

I hope they don't sack him in fact.


----------



## tommers (May 23, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Thing is, even if he doesn't get sacked, which is still quite likely, his name is poison. That's arguably better than him being sacked because it lasts longer.



Its not even just him, it's all those spineless pricks lining up to defend him.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

I think it sends a message to the London bubble that on spotting Cummings in Barnard Castle Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher wrote down Cummings number plate and later searched for it on the internet to confirm it was him...


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> Headsup sent to selected people 3 weeks ago according to this (owen Jones says he got the same message). Why the two of them did nothing with the lead or why it’s only now a story idk.
> View attachment 214257


That's over 7 weeks ago.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 23, 2020)

The best bit is that The Guardian and The Mirror sat on this all day letting the Cabinet completely stitch themselves up. It's weirdly joyous, if fucking abject callous hypocrisy endangering lockdown and therefore many lives in a pandemic can be joyous.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> That's over 7 weeks ago.


Fuck oh yeah. I have genuinely lost all sense of what day or month it is   .


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

tommers said:


> Its not even just him, it's all those spineless pricks lining up to defend him.


It's great, they don't realise how bad they will look from it afterwards.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)




----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I think it sends a message to the London bubble that on spotting Cummings in Barnard Castle Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher wrote down Cummings number plate and later searched for it on the internet to confirm it was him...


Can you do that?


----------



## Sprocket. (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I think it sends a message to the London bubble that on spotting Cummings in Barnard Castle Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher wrote down Cummings number plate and later searched for it on the internet to confirm it was him...


That’s Robin Lees pension going astray then!


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Whats the latest? Is he trending yet?


----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

.





FridgeMagnet said:


> It's great, they don't realise how bad they will look from it afterwards.


Think it's more likely that they haven't been given a choice.


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> Headsup sent to selected people 3 weeks ago according to this (owen Jones says he got the same message). Why the two of them did nothing with the lead or why it’s only now a story idk.



The Guardian did. They contacted Johnson on April 5th and got no comment. They kept getting no comment for 6 weeks.








						Lockdown row: key points Cummings and Johnson must address
					

As demands grow that the PM sack his chief aide, both men have questions to answer




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> The Guardian did. They contacted Johnson on April 5th and got no comment. They kept getting no comment for 6 weeks.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And that’s it ? they were just waiting for a comment from his mate the PM and didn’t investigate further for 7 weeks because that was not forthcoming? Bit shit as journalism isn’t it. On the other hand maybe good it was kept quiet in a way else lockdown might have crumbled weeks earlier. Possibly they considered this some of the people who had the info and didn’t do anything with it.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Can you do that?



not directly, but you can fill out a form and have it done - Request by an individual for information about a vehicle (form V888)


----------



## Ranbay (May 23, 2020)

Dominic Goings


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

Raheem said:


> .
> Think it's more likely that they haven't been given a choice.


At this stage, acquiescing puts them in a worse position than not. But the fact that they don't realise this is one of the many things that makes me clap my hands and squeal about all this.


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Can you do that?


I doubt Joe Public can find someone's name from a VRN, but it was briefly visible in one of the video clips of him getting doorstepped today (KW69 GBY) and may well have been in past clips.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

Guess who is speaking for the government on telly tomorrow morning. And unusually the are giving him the questions about Cummings in advance, so he can’t plead ignorance:


----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> I doubt Joe Public can find someone's name from a VRN, but it was briefly visible in one of the video clips of him getting doorstepped today (KW69 GBY) and may well have been in past clips.


I've just done some searching using my own number plate, I can find a lot of detail about the car, MOT details, type of car etc but so far it hasn't told me the name of the vehicles keeper (me).


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

This feels like a victory for the right wing of the Tory party. They rid themselves of their leader's hated advisor and destroy lockdown. They're not humiliated because they're Tories. They're morally bankrupt to start with

And however we get out of lockdown being unable to enforce it because of the complete disintegration of the government's moral authority, while satisfying on some level, doesn't feel the wisest way out.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

More reports of him flouting lock down(no photographic evidence). What a dick head to think he'd get away with it.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Can you do that?


According to the Guardian yes he did


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Whats the latest? Is he trending yet?


No he's finished now


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I've just done some searching using my own number plate, I can find a lot of detail about the car, MOT details, type of car etc but so far it hasn't told me the name of the vehicles keeper (me).


What I'm saying is the man who saw Cummings and noted his VRN could then have confirmed it was the same vehicle by matching it on a media clip.


----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> What I'm saying is the man who saw Cummings and noted his VRN could then have confirmed it was the same vehicle by matching it on a media clip.


Oh, I see, ok.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

maomao said:


> This feels like a victory for the right wing of the Tory party. They rid themselves of their leader's hated advisor and destroy lockdown. They're not humiliated because they're Tories. They're morally bankrupt to start with
> 
> And however we get out of lockdown being unable to enforce it because of the complete disintegration of the government's moral authority, while satisfying on some level, doesn't feel the wisest way out.



Oh I see, its a black flag operation. A way to get around the lock down i.e get the plebs so mad about lock down we have no choice but to lift it and it's(ultimately) what they asked for.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 23, 2020)

It’s time we chased him and his mates up to the burning windmill whilst carrying pitchforks.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 23, 2020)

maomao said:


> This feels like a victory for the right wing of the Tory party. They rid themselves of their leader's hated advisor and destroy lockdown. They're not humiliated because they're Tories. They're morally bankrupt to start with
> 
> And however we get out of lockdown being unable to enforce it because of the complete disintegration of the government's moral authority, while satisfying on some level, doesn't feel the wisest way out.


We have nothing else but "destabilises the Tories for a bit" right now. I'll go with it.

ETA: like it matters what I'll go with. I'll take some vague pleasure in seeing it happen.


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> And that’s it ? they were just waiting for a comment from his mate the PM and didn’t investigate further for 7 weeks because that was not forthcoming? Bit shit as journalism isn’t it. On the other hand maybe good it was kept quiet in a way else lockdown might have crumbled weeks earlier. Possibly they considered this some of the people who had the info and didn’t do anything with it.



I don't think you understand how this works. Do you know the phrase 'keeping your powder dry'? Do you think this guy has only just come forward today with the number plate story?


----------



## fishfinger (May 23, 2020)

I feel sorry for his parents:


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

Add your own story.









						KW69 GBY - Rate driver! - rate-driver.co.uk
					





					rate-driver.co.uk


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I've just done some searching using my own number plate, I can find a lot of detail about the car, MOT details, type of car etc but so far it hasn't told me the name of the vehicles keeper (me).



You're not doing it right. I can see my name associated with my car.


----------



## rubbershoes (May 23, 2020)

maomao said:


> This feels like a victory for the right wing of the Tory party. They rid themselves of their leader's hated advisor and destroy lockdown. They're not humiliated because they're Tories. They're morally bankrupt to start with
> 
> And however we get out of lockdown being unable to enforce it because of the complete disintegration of the government's moral authority, while satisfying on some level, doesn't feel the wisest way out.




These days the Tory party only has a right wing.  Others were purged at the last election


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> I don't think you understand how this works. Do you know the phrase 'keeping your powder dry'? Do you think this guy has only just come forward today with the number plate story?


I’m not following you, why do you think they waited till now? To protect the lockdown or for a different reason?


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Cummings has been saved and won't now be resigning after all


----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> You're not doing it right.


Clearly  


planetgeli said:


> I can see my name associated with my car.


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> I’m not following you, why do you think they waited till now? To protect the lockdown or for a different reason?




FFS. They're after Cummings. Nothing to do with protecting the lockdown.


----------



## editor (May 23, 2020)




----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> You're not doing it right. I can see my name associated with my car.


How?


----------



## maomao (May 23, 2020)

rubbershoes said:


> These days the Tory party only has a right wing.  Others were purged at the last election


Ye but even its right wing has a right wing.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> FFS. They're after Cummings. Nothing to do with protecting the lockdown.


But then why wait 7 weeks? Not that important but if you’re telling me I don’t get it why not take a moment to explain. Couldn’t he have been destroyed weeks ago just the same?


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> But then why wait 7 weeks?


My guesses would be

See if he does it again
See if he says anything that would make it look even worse


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> But then why wait 7 weeks? Not that important but if you’re telling me I don’t get it why not take a moment to explain,



They waited for the Tories to start digging their own grave with lies. You can't get lies with 'no comment'.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> My guesses would be
> 
> See if he does it again
> See if he says anything that would make it look even worse



And presumably to make sure the story is legally watertight.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

The thing I would like more than anything else right now is access to Tory MPs' WhatsApp groups...


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> And presumably to make sure the story is legally watertight.



Indeed, and perhaps to get evidence proving beyond question that he (or at least his car) was going up there.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> They waited for the Tories to start digging their own grave with lies. You can't get lies with 'no comment'.


I can see that. It’s lovely how today’s played out with them all leaping to defend him a few hours before the worse bits came out.


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> How?



Haha, honestly can't remember and I can't do it now after trying. But I do know I was surprised to see my name on the screen when I was doing something about it a few weeks ago after just putting my reg in. I haven't made that up. However, I do see from trying now that data protection blah blah so I've no idea what I did a few weeks ago. Maybe I'm wrong and it just comes up when applying for insurance or something. I was surprised it was there then though. Apologies if I'm wrong.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> The best bit is that The Guardian and The Mirror sat on this all day letting the Cabinet completely stitch themselves up. It's weirdly joyous, if fucking abject callous hypocrisy endangering lockdown and therefore many lives in a pandemic can be joyous.


Yep. The first breach he could arguably have got away with, a second...I can't see how he survives this


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> The thing I would like more than anything else right now is access to Tory MPs' WhatsApp groups...



A lot of these...


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

keybored said:


> A lot of these...
> 
> View attachment 214266



I was thinking more...


----------



## Flavour (May 23, 2020)

as FridgeMagnet says, it's glorious whether he goes or not. in terms of revelling in the tories being made to look like twats. but. this is also bad, because it will embolden people to break lockdown and therefore spread contagion and lead to more deaths.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> I can see that. It’s lovely how today’s played out with them all leaping to defend him a few hours before the worse bits came out.



we might not be at the end of that game either; they could be waiting for the usual suspects to go after Mr. Lees before the next reveal


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

Flavour said:


> as FridgeMagnet says, it's glorious whether he goes or not. in terms of revelling in the tories being made to look like twats. but. this is also bad, because it will embolden people to break lockdown and therefore spread contagion and lead to more deaths.



maybe not in the short term - the country will probably be glued to its screens waiting to see what escapades they get up to next


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> I can see that. It’s lovely how today’s played out with them all leaping to defend him a few hours before the worse bits came out.



It's been beautifully done.  Credit where it's due: the Mirror and Guardian have played a blinder, and there might be more to come yet.  It's nicely ironic how they've skewered so-called ruthless master strategist Cummings - feels satisfyingly brutal.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 23, 2020)

Flavour said:


> this is also bad, because it will embolden people to break lockdown and therefore spread contagion and lead to more deaths.


Aye, also a concern of mine.

Plus, by all accounts Cummings isn't a fan of the lockdown so him undermining it actually plays in his favour, and as others have said this likely wouldn't be the end of him even he was removed from his current post. They'd just bring him back somewhere else later.


----------



## keybored (May 23, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Aye, also a concern of mine.
> 
> Plus, by all accounts Cummings isn't a fan of the lockdown so him undermining it actually plays in his favour, and as others have said this likely wouldn't be the end of him even he was removed from his current post. They'd just bring him back somewhere else later.


That's why he needs to be made an example of. Giving him 6 months inside should make people think twice.

Oh, and crushing that Chelsea Tractor of his too.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

Lol at people like this twat with ‘end of story’ just when it really wasn’t.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

It was fairly obvious there was likely to be at least one more level of this, it's a little surprising they all so blithely strolled into it. Other than Shapps (!)


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

editor said:


> View attachment 214264


I didn't have you down as a Piers Moron fan?

I've said it already in this thread and I'll say it again; I wouldn't repeat anything that cunt has to say.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> Lol at people like this twat with ‘end of story’ just when it really wasn’t.
> 
> View attachment 214272


JK Rowling replied to that saying something like "I know ends of stories, and this isn't one"


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I didn't have you down as a Piers Moron fan?
> 
> I've said it already in this thread and I'll say it again; I wouldn't repeat anything that cunt has to say.


Morgan, cunt or no, has been taking these pricks to task more than anyone else in the public eye lately, far more than her Madge's opposition


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

S☼I said:


> JK Rowling replied to that saying something like "I know ends of stories, and this isn't one"


That's possibly the smuggest thing I've ever read. Jesus.


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

Stan Collymore seems to have got it it right.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> That's possibly the smuggest thing I've ever read. Jesus.


Don't care


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

Shapps must be feeling suitably shafted. He was very careful to say things like "Cummings statement says" when answering specific questions about the police, but he'd also obviously been given a story to follow re Cummings not moving around. This sounded faintly ridiculous for a man who'd driven 260 miles but it would just about hold if Cummings had stayed indoors in Durham, as Shapps had obviously been told. The revelations from The Guardian after he spoke shit all over this of course. I don't imagine Shapps is much enjoying his dinner tonight.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Shapps must be feeling suitably shafted. He was very careful to say things like "Cummings statement says" when answering specific questions about the police, but he'd also obviously been given a story to follow re Cummings not moving around. This sounded faintly ridiculous for a man who'd driven 260 miles but it would just about hold if Cummings had stayed indoors in Durham, as Shapps had obviously been told. The revelations from The Guardian after he spoke shit all over this of course. I don't imagine Shapps is much enjoying his dinner tonight.


Hope he chokes on it.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Morgan, cunt or no, has been taking these pricks to task more than anyone else in the public eye lately, far more than her Madge's opposition


he's being doing so in a fashion that when he does the same to anybody else he is called a boorish cunt and/or bully!!! I would never repeat anything that man says!!


----------



## TheHoodedClaw (May 23, 2020)

Downing St lying about the polis too


----------



## weltweit (May 23, 2020)

However Piers Morgan has shot himself in the foot somewhat because he has been doing such a job on GMB that now no one from government will go on his show at all.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Morgan, cunt or no, has been taking these pricks to task more than anyone else in the public eye lately, far more than her Madge's opposition



and, they can't take them to task because they are only talking to friendlies. Nobody wants to go on GMB. Not because Piers is a consumatte professional who puts them to task, but because Piers is a massive fucking cunt.


----------



## Hollis (May 23, 2020)

This is becoming quite enjoyable now...


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

He is making up for some of his cuntish past by actually telling it like it is. He is using recordings of other channels to pull the bullshit apart. He seems to be the only TV journalist willing to call out the bare faced lies & slowly he is coming up in my estimation. (Currently about -39%)


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

TheHoodedClaw said:


> Downing St lying about the polis too



The way I read that is that Cummings's father made the Police aware that he was at the property?


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

Where’s the prime minister is he on paternity leave?


----------



## elbows (May 23, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> Where’s the prime minister is he on paternity leave?



Hiding in a fridge.


----------



## MickiQ (May 23, 2020)

I've searched on mine and discovered, it's date of registration, make, model and colour and also other details such as when the MOT is due and how many miles it had done at the last one. It also told me the date that the current keeper (me) bought it (I'd forgotten the actual date myself). No mention of me or my address though.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)




----------



## elbows (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> The way I read that is that Cummings's father made the Police aware that he was at the property?


Could be, or could be that there was an initial phone conversation where the dad said 'Can you ring back in the morning.'


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> View attachment 214273


Maybe the Guardian isn't "going down the pan" after all...best story of the lockdown so far.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)

I'm not going on about this, it's not a thing, developments are much more interesting just now...

but this is twitter trends at 9:28 pm, more than 24 hours after this started being talked about...over 5 hours after the briefing.



1400 tweets it is said.  Indefensible.  It's not a thing, not trying to rile anyone so don't get riled coz I don't care if you do.

Wonder what it says outside the UK.


----------



## Orang Utan (May 23, 2020)

1402 divs


----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> I'm not going on about this, it's not a thing, developments are much more interesting just now...
> 
> but this is twitter trends at 9:28 pm, more than 24 hours after this started being talked about...over 5 hours after the briefing.
> 
> ...


That's quite a lot of tweets for a typo, though.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> That's possibly the smuggest thing I've ever read. Jesus.


Also somewhat ironic, given she's now infamous for retroactively adding bits to the Potter stories in relatively gratuitous fashion.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> I'm not going on about this, it's not a thing, developments are much more interesting just now...
> 
> but this is twitter trends at 9:28 pm, more than 24 hours after this started being talked about...over 5 hours after the briefing.
> 
> ...



You fucking moron.


----------



## Orang Utan (May 23, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> 1402 divs


1403 to be more accurate


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 23, 2020)

weltweit said:


> However Piers Morgan has shot himself in the foot somewhat because he has been doing such a job on GMB that now no one from government will go on his show at all.


But that's always the problem, isn't it? If you want them to show up you have to play nice, if you try to do your job they won't let you.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> View attachment 214273





Even by the standards of the 2019 Tory intake Dehenna Davison is a particularly nasty one. If she ends up with egg all over her face too then so much the better.


----------



## bimble (May 23, 2020)

This is the long self indulgent thing written by his wife a while back about the period during which they had the bug. It just forgets to mention the whole driving to Durham part no mention at all of them moving beyond their home. Surprising levels of stupidity.








						Getting coronavirus does not bring clarity - The Spectator World
					

I had thought that actually getting the coronavirus would bring clarity — that there would be some satisfaction in meeting the enemy. No such luck




					spectator.us


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


> He is making up for some of his cuntish past by actually telling it like it is. He is using recordings of other channels to pull the bullshit apart. He seems to be the only TV journalist willing to call out the bare faced lies & slowly he is coming up in my estimation. (Currently about -39%)


(-37%)


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> I'm not going on about this, it's not a thing, developments are much more interesting just now...
> 
> but this is twitter trends at 9:28 pm, more than 24 hours after this started being talked about...over 5 hours after the briefing.
> 
> ...


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 23, 2020)

His mum's birthday is also in April, not sure which date but twitter is adding this nugget to his 'reason' for going either 1st or 2nd time.

I think this might be his mum. Resigned from her post last year in August.





__





						Morag Mcdonald CUMMINGS personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK
					

Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity




					beta.companieshouse.gov.uk
				




Mentioned in this from 2014 as well.









						World War Two veteran from Durham honoured after surviving one of the bloodiest battles
					

After serving in World War Two 70 years ago veteran Laurie Cummings is honoured for his heroic sacrifice




					www.chroniclelive.co.uk


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)




----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 23, 2020)

Downing St saying that Guardian and Mirror have got it wrong and he absolutely was not in Durham in 19th April.


----------



## platinumsage (May 23, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Downing St saying that Guardian and Mirror have got it wrong and he absolutely was not in Durham in 19th April.




in a Trumpian manner...


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> in a Trumpian manner...




they've not actually denied anything then


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Could be, or could be that there was an initial phone conversation where the dad said 'Can you ring back in the morning.'


Possible. Begs the question as to how Durham Police were made aware that Cummings was at the property .


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

Was perhaps 13th April then.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Was perhaps 13th April then.



the 15th is more likely; its traditionally associated with disasters (Hillsborough, the sinking of the Titanic, the assassination (edit: death) of Lincoln) so adding one more to the list is probable


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> His mum's birthday is also in April, not sure which date but twitter is adding this nugget to his 'reason' for going either 1st or 2nd time.
> 
> I think this might be his mum. Resigned from her post last year in August.
> 
> ...


Well spotted there's the EU subsidy farm and the green roof is his alleged isolation flatlet. Looks more like a barn to me. 









						DH1 3SU · Durham
					

Postcode




					www.google.com


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> Well spotted there's the EU subsidy farm and the green roof is his alleged isolation flatlet. Looks more like a barn to me.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I drive past that to get to the supermarket. It was a sea of blue bollocks nailed to trees before the election. A few farm buildings down there.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> I drive past that to get to the supermarket. It was a sea of blue bollocks nailed to trees before the election. A few farm buildings down there.



Apparently the shit had a giant Get Brexit Done poster up there. Have a shuftie around tmrw and get some video - could be worth a few bob on newsflare. 









						Upload Videos & Get Paid or Buy Video Content with Newsflare
					

Newsflare is an online video news community and marketplace, where sellers can upload video content & get paid and buyers can choose the videos they need.




					www.newsflare.com
				












						Brexit enforcer Cummings’ farm took €235,000 in EU handouts
					

Boris Johnson aide, a strident critic of Brussels, is accused of hypocrisy over payments




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

He is literally having his head removed and almost the entire country shitting down his neck. Literally , like...


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

agricola said:


> they've not actually denied anything then



It'll be interesting to see what happens here in the morning:



Michael Green Grant Shapps perhaps being lined up as the first one under the bus.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

I might get told off for this but am I the only one that thinks that Cummings looks like the sort that is going to be outed as a casual coke user?


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It'll be interesting to see what happens here in the morning:
> 
> 
> 
> Michael Green Grant Shapps perhaps being lined up as the first one under the bus.



The weasel words dictionary will be running hot tonight.


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I might get told off for this but am I the only one that thinks that Cummings looks like the sort that is going to be outed as a casual coke user?


Who really gives one?


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I might get told off for this but am I the only one that thinks that Cummings looks like the sort that is going to be outed as a casual coke user?


apparently that's verboten tittle-tattle....


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Who really gives one?



lots of people it seems.


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> lots of people it seems.


If it is not obvious that a lot of the Government circle take cocaine then don't try and get a job as a PI.


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

Real tweet from a Tory MP for the area the cunt visited.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EYu4UhEXYAAumQP?format=jpg&name=large


what is it?


----------



## Orang Utan (May 23, 2020)

They've got a point. It would definitely be worse to visit your parents to fuck them


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what is it?


Sorry edited.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


>


Is that for real ?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


>



Typical bozo flippant remark.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> They've got a point. It would definitely be worse to visit your parents to fuck them


?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> Apparently the shit had a giant Get Brexit Done poster up there. Have a shuftie around tmrw and get some video - could be worth a few bob on newsflare.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There's a lay by just up the road and there was Brexit done shite up. 
Will pop over tomorrow and get Joan and Laurie to pop the kettle on. 
Also, how the fuck did they get that much subsidy! As far as I've seen it's not a working farm?


----------



## little_legs (May 23, 2020)




----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> Is that for real ?


As far as I know yes.


----------



## Part 2 (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> Is that for real ?



Quite possible....this from the website..


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> Quite possible....this from the website..
> 
> View attachment 214279


that' from the mail website? If so that's the end of cummings.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

yep, that's the end of him. Fucking scum cunts though eh? Selling out their kith and kin in the name of  a few quid.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


> As far as I know yes.


Crikey we live in a mad , mad world...


----------



## xenon (May 23, 2020)

bimble said:


> I don’t even understand his line of defence. Says his sister shopped for them and left the food on the doorstep of the spare house his parents have there. So he says they had to travel 300 miles to get food delivered and that’s it? He’s not claiming their child lived separately with the rest of the extended family whilst he was sick or anything? It’s just not making much sense.



Well, it's cos it's hastily concocted defensive bullshit. I know, you know but yeah, it's kinda pathetic how week it is.


----------



## editor (May 23, 2020)

<repeat post>


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

editor said:


> The full horror
> 
> View attachment 214280



This article was posted ages ago.


----------



## equationgirl (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> This article was posted ages ago.


True, but it's so good I think it needs to be posted repeatedly.

This is the most fun lockdown has been at a weekend


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> True, but it's so good I think it needs to be posted repeatedly.
> 
> This is the most fun lockdown has been at a weekend



oh aye ye it's ace, don't get me wrong. 

But you would have thought that one of the big dicks would go to lengths not to be posting repeated content.


----------



## editor (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> oh aye ye it's ace, don't get me wrong.
> 
> But you would have thought that one of the big dicks would go to lengths not to be posting repeated content.


Nice that you think the mods are utterly infallible.


----------



## agricola (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> Is that for real ?



that is a question that is very hard to answer - yes, it probably physically exists but the byline is "by Harry Cole", so it probably isn't for real


----------



## editor (May 23, 2020)




----------



## philosophical (May 23, 2020)

I wonder if Cummings fancies trying this:

'If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight,'.


----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

Well if you put it like that ............


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

_it's not like he was visiting a lover_ is exactly the kind of thing someone with a guilty conscience because they'd been been breaking lockdown and visiting a lover themselves might say. Pound to a piece of shit Johnson has been doing exactly that.


----------



## MrSki (May 23, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

philosophical said:


> I wonder if Cummings fancies trying this:
> 
> 'If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight,'.


He might get God then when he goes to chokee then.


----------



## little_legs (May 23, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 23, 2020)

philosophical said:


> I wonder if Cummings fancies trying this:
> 
> 'If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight,'.


I try to wield the Sword of Truth while wearing the Trousers of Objectivity.


----------



## phillm (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


>


Am I on drugs tonight ? (sadly not).


----------



## Raheem (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


>


Think the shit cartoon at the bottom may be on the money.


----------



## Roadkill (May 23, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Think the shit cartoon at the bottom may be on the money.



Or, as someone put it on Twitter earlier, BoJo sacking Cummings would be like Emu trying to fire Rod Hull.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 23, 2020)




----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

phillm said:


> Am I on drugs tonight ? (sadly not).



the times? Cummings is gone.


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)




----------



## Epona (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> _it's not like he was visiting a lover_ is exactly the kind of thing someone with a guilty conscience because they'd been been breaking lockdown and visiting a lover themselves might say. Pound to a piece of shit Johnson has been doing exactly that.



It's actually referring to Neil Ferguson, who did have to resign not long ago after breaking lockdown to visit his married lover.

Deliberate attempt to say it's not comparable and therefore Cummings can stay in post


----------



## Struwwelpeter (May 23, 2020)

The Spectator has an article titled "Why Dominic Cummings must go"

It's just a question of timing now.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Epona said:


> It's actually referring to Neil Ferguson, who did have to resign not long ago after breaking lockdown to visit his married lover.



flippant comment from borus johnson.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

Epona said:


> It's actually referring to Neil Ferguson, who did have to resign not long ago after breaking lockdown to visit his married lover.


I am aware of Neil Ferguson's resignation and the reason for it. He didn't break lockdown to visit his lover though.


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

The Spectator. Part edited by Cummings wife.









						The Spectator
					

Weekly magazine featuring the best British journalists, authors, critics and cartoonists, since 1828.




					www.spectator.co.uk
				




You need a subscription to read the article. But I think the headline tells you enough.


----------



## Epona (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> I am aware of Neil Ferguson's resignation and the reason for it. He didn't break lockdown to visit his lover though.



Ah no she visited him, terrible and game-changing error on my part there...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> You need a subscription to read the article. But I think the headline tells you enough.



what's the gist of it?


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what's the gist of it?



I don't have a subscription to the Tory shite. But if you're asking what the headline is, it's "Why Cummings must go". And this is from the right wing of the party.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> I don't have a subscription to the Tory shite. But if you're asking what the headline is, it's "Why Cummings must go". And this is from the right wing of the party.



so we're all agreed. He's a goner.


----------



## little_legs (May 23, 2020)

Friends, don't fall for the Spectator shit. They also published an article titled Why should Cummings be sacked for protecting his family? right under why he should go piece.


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

Epona said:


> Ah no she visited him, terrible and game-changing error on my part there...


Whatever. Johnson's quip was presumably refrencing that, but also a tell that he's been shagging, IMO.


----------



## Part-timah (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> so we're all agreed. He's a goner.



If it was anyone else it’d be a sure bet. However...


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 23, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> The Spectator. Part edited by Cummings wife.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting piece by Mary Wakefield about  how she longs to get out and about 
Are you a lockdown eel or a pygmy goat? | The Spectator


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Interesting piece by Mary Wakefield about  how she longs to get out and about
> Are you a lockdown eel or a pygmy goat? | The Spectator



I don't subscribe to the speculum. what's the gist of the articlkle


----------



## brogdale (May 23, 2020)

MrSki said:


>


Are we 'the dogs'?


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

The Spectator article starts,

"Most aspects of this present emergency are complex and resist easy solutions. Only a handful are elementary but one of these, and quite obviously so, is the Dominic Cummings affair. He *must go *and he *must go *now."

This is from the Scotland editor of the Spectator.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 23, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I don't subscribe to the speculum. what's the gist of the articlkle


Neither do I. You can look at 3 articles before being paywalled. Won't let me look at the Cummings going one though.


----------



## Epona (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> Whatever. Johnson's quip was presumably refrencing that, but also a tell that he's been shagging, IMO.



I'm only interested in whether people are shagging around if they are breaking lockdown rules or being hypocritical about it tbh.  It only becomes of interest (and only should become of interest) if they are telling everyone to do one thing and then it not applying to them.


----------



## editor (May 23, 2020)




----------



## 8115 (May 23, 2020)

I can't get very excited about Cummings or other people resigning. Loads of people are breaking lockdown restrictions, we're being fucked politically and then every now and then we get a scrap thrown to us and it keeps us quiet.


----------



## ska invita (May 23, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Neither do I. You can look at 3 articles before being paywalled. Won't let me look at the Cummings going one though.


ingenious money earning click bait


----------



## killer b (May 23, 2020)

Epona said:


> I'm only interested in whether people are shagging around if they are breaking lockdown rules or being hypocritical about it tbh.  It only becomes of interest (and only should become of interest) if they are telling everyone to do one thing and then it not applying to them.


right. which is what I was speculating Johnson is doing, in the original post of mine you replied to.


----------



## equationgirl (May 23, 2020)

Apparently he has the full support of the PM, so it can only be a matter of time before he goes.


----------



## two sheds (May 23, 2020)

editor said:


>




I like the Captain SKA video (LIAR LIAR) a bit of the way down.


----------



## equationgirl (May 23, 2020)

Rumours of a third trip to Durham on 10th May are surfacing ...


----------



## planetgeli (May 23, 2020)

8115 said:


> I can't get very excited about Cummings or other people resigning. Loads of people are breaking lockdown restrictions, we're being fucked politically and then every now and then we get a scrap thrown to us and it keeps us quiet.



You think thousands of people who have lost loved ones, borrowing IPads for their funerals, are keeping quiet about this? You think workers and owners of business who haven't been able to as much as sell a cup of coffee because of restrictions are keeping quiet about this? 

You can choose your boring cynicism but this is hitting home with a lot of people tonight. Not to mention the delight we should all be taking in Tory grandees sitting round dinner tables tonight ripping each other apart about why they've been duped and whose side to take now.


----------



## Epona (May 23, 2020)

killer b said:


> right. which is what I was speculating Johnson is doing, in the original post of mine you replied to.



Ah ok fair enough - it sounded like just an interest in his sex life which unless we are wanting a return to puritan times is not something I am in favour of - I accept that you meant it in a "might be breaking lockdown to shag around" sense though


----------



## Wilf (May 23, 2020)

8115 said:


> I can't get very excited about Cummings or other people resigning. Loads of people are breaking lockdown restrictions, we're being fucked politically and then every now and then we get a scrap thrown to us and it keeps us quiet.


cummings may be part of the reason we've had an extra 10k deaths in this country. So, personally, I hope he gets everything that's coming his way (which, admittedly, won't be much).


----------



## cyril_smear (May 23, 2020)

.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 23, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Rumours of a third trip to Durham on 10th May are surfacing ...
> Posted earlier by @little_legs .





little_legs said:


>


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

"You guys are probably all about as right about that as you were about Brexit: do you remember how right you all were about that," he added. 

Wow, this cunt thinks he's untouchable. Time for the guillotine.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 24, 2020)

re the 2nd trip  (widely known 7.30pm yesterday)


----------



## DexterTCN (May 24, 2020)

here's a thread...has tories in it


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

I love how they gave all the Tory twats a day to rally behind him thinking the full story was out. The Mirror probably has pics and they're leaving those until last. Please let there be pics.


----------



## ddraig (May 24, 2020)

Here's the Dominic Cummings cutout mask!

Just print it off cutout the eyes and wear it to go anywhere you want at any time during the lockdown.

Pinched from Kirk Whitehouse.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

And now we see it, Johnson has surrounded himself with divs who will do his bidding as they are too stupid to form their own thoughts, yet he himself has also been too stupid so has hired in a cunt to do that for him. And it’s all gone squiffy, cos the cunt he hired was a cunt.

The political class is utterly bankrupt.


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

Ironically I don't think neither group that owns the two newspapers care what this man did. Ultimately this story is an attack on the lockdown and I expect the narrative soon will turn to _look, he had it, and ignored lockdown, and he was fine, so shut up and get back to work_.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

And what is Labour’s response?


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

The funny thing is that Parliament is in recess next week, so it doesn't matter what Labour's response is, does it


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

little_legs said:


> Ironically I don't think neither group that owns the two newspapers care what this man did. Ultimately this story is an attack on the lockdown and I expect the narrative soon will turn to _look, he had it, and ignored lockdown, and he was fine, so shut up and get back to work_.



Lockdown is fucked.

BB2 is in year 2, that was left out of Johnson’s mad ramblings two weeks ago. Her school today confirmed that year 2 is finished (year 1 too). So our kids, 6 & 7 years old have not played with other kids since March, June is coming but still no word on when they can play. Yet reception and year 1 (not at BB2’s school, it’s too small) can play. So why not her? Reception will be five days a week in a bubble of 10 + teacher. So why can’t we have a bubble of 10 kids round our house??? What is the difference? Nothing.

Plus we have now had all the senior members of government stating that doing what you think is right is the way to go, in order to protect the freak, lockdown is finished.

Will advise my mum and M-I-L to keep out of the way as they have been, but kids and their parents it is now open season on party time.

For better or worse.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

little_legs said:


> The funny thing is that Parliament is in recess next week, so it doesn't matter what Labour's response is, does it



Labour can respond outside of fucking parliament. The sound of silence is their fucking tune. Fucking Phillip Schofield has challenged the government more vigorously that Starmer, Gordon the cunting Gofer!!!!!


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Fucking hell, am so fucking angry; so many parents at BB2’s school have kids in her year (2) with siblings in reception. None has yet had the conversation with their kids, just how do you have it?

You have not played with your mates the past three months, you little brother/sister will now be able to, but you must wait until at least September.

It is safe for your little brother / sister to play, but not for you. The government is saying so. The same government that says do what you feel is right.

CUNTS


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Any small people out there fancy a fight? Cos I could do with battering some cunt right now.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Just let me at him that's all just you do.


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Lockdown is fucked.
> 
> BB2 is in year 2, that was left out of Johnson’s mad ramblings two weeks ago. Her school today confirmed that year 2 is finished (year 1 too). So our kids, 6 & 7 years old have not played with other kids since March, June is coming but still no word on when they can play. Yet reception and year 1 (not at BB2’s school, it’s too small) can play. So why not her? Reception will be five days a week in a bubble of 10 + teacher. So why can’t we have a bubble of 10 kids round our house??? What is the difference? Nothing.
> 
> ...


😢 

Honestly all people who have kids are my heroes. I have no idea what I would do if I had kids right now. Please stay strong. I saw you posted pictures of little ones and your other half doing art projects, so your kids are with good egg parents and you should be proud.


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Any small people out there fancy a fight? Cos I could do with battering some cunt right now.


Must admit your responses reminded me of beesonthewhatnow who gets occasional flare ups 😁


----------



## frogwoman (May 24, 2020)

Cummings should be sent to jail. 'Oh well, too bad.'


----------



## Ceej (May 24, 2020)

According to Piers Morgan, Dom has a sister who lives 2 streets away from his London home...so all this 'childcare and safeguarding' bs may not be entirely true.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

little_legs said:


> I expect the narrative soon will turn to _look, he had it, and ignored lockdown, and he was fine, so shut up and get back to work_.



Except in this case the narrative can demonstrably be made to be _how many other people did this pox-carrier infect on his selfish travails?_


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Ceej said:


> all this 'childcare and safeguarding' bs may not be entirely true.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Labour can respond outside of fucking parliament. The sound of silence is their fucking tune. Fucking Phillip Schofield has challenged the government more vigorously that Starmer, Gordon the cunting Gofer!!!!!


TBF Schofield isn't even a primary gopher. He's a gopher's gopher


----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)




----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)




----------



## tim (May 24, 2020)

Ceej said:


> According to Piers Morgan, Dom has a sister who lives 2 streets away from his London home...so all this 'childcare and safeguarding' bs may not be entirely true.




Living two streets away doesn't necessarily mean the sister would want anything to do with him.

Presumably, even if Johnson's Genii does have to make the honourable gesture and leave Downing Street, Boris will just rub his little lantern  to summon him up on zoom whenever he's perplexed.


----------



## Ceej (May 24, 2020)

tim said:


> Living two streets away doesn't necessarily mean the sister would want anything to do with him.


----------



## josef1878 2.0 (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Stan Collymore seems to have got it it right.




He said dog 😀🐕


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Labour can respond outside of fucking parliament. The sound of silence is their fucking tune. Fucking Phillip Schofield has challenged the government more vigorously that Starmer, Gordon the cunting Gofer!!!!!


Eh?


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

What time is the press conference tonight? This is going to be unmissable.

If he doesn't jump in the next ten hours they'll try and Trump it out. That would be fucking hilarious. But it won't work this time. People have lost loved ones and families have been ripped apart. I've kept two under fives in a house for two and a half months and we don't know when we'll be able to see any of their grandparents again. Whatever they do it won't be enough. Public hanging.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Like other posters above I think if Cummings does go he will be sneaked back into some influential online posting.
They keep their familiars around them.
I suspect Thatch had a pentagram drawn on the cellar floor in no 10.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Like other posters above I think if Cummings does go he will be sneaked back into some influential online posting.
> They keep their familiars around them.
> I suspect Thatch had a pentagram drawn on the cellar floor in no 10.


Middle of her living room floor more likely.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Share and sign until your fingers bleed.









						Sign the Petition
					

Dominic Cummings must be sacked




					chng.it


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> What time is the press conference tonight? This is going to be unmissable.



Normally at 4 pm on weekends, 5 pm weekdays.

However, Grant Shapps is on the Sophy Ridge Show, Sky News from 8.30 am this morning, which should be a early morning treat.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)




----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

The way yesterday went has restored a bit of my faith in journalism in this country, they really played a blinder.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Jonathan Hallam former No 10 director of communications. Just been on BBC Breakfast and finished with ‘as Nixon found out it’s not the offence that sinks you it’s the cover up’.
He also questioned whether we were getting VFM from Cummings advisory capacity seeing as how we have had 36,000 deaths. ‘He’s an advisor and can be replaced’.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)




----------



## krtek a houby (May 24, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Like other posters above I think if Cummings does go he will be sneaked back into some influential online posting.
> They keep their familiars around them.
> I suspect Thatch had a pentagram drawn on the cellar floor in no 10.


I too, am concerned by all these Cummings and goings.


----------



## Poot (May 24, 2020)

I wish that I could share the sense of jubilance about this because I can see a certain joy in him being bang to rights but this actually made me weep last night when I thought of those whose lives were turned upside down by not being able to be near loved ones who were scared and lonely as they died of this horrible disease who then realised that it was all a sham. 

Where is the fucking leadership? Why is this whole fucking stitch up reliant once again on the people with a fucking conscience doing the right thing. I feel like I've been in this position all my life, making up for people with no moral code at all. Fucking Tories. FUCKING Tories. And there I go again.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Normally at 4 pm on weekends, 5 pm weekdays.
> 
> However, Grant Shapps is on the Sophy Ridge Show, Sky News from 8.30 am this morning, which should be a early morning treat.



And, the Andrew Marr Show from 9 am on BBC1.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

Cummings very likely justified his viral spreading jaunts up and down the country as helping  build herd immunity. And it would have chimed with his own self image as a maverick genius not bound by the petty rules of society that serve only to hold down such heroic titans as himself.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

It’s a shame they haven’t got a redundant bus handy to throw him under.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Getting them all to defend and lie for him when he knew that he’d been pissing about going to see the bluebells etc and that that would likely come out that really shows character.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

No idea who Steve Baker is, but a Tory MP opening calling for Cummings to go? Could just be an outlier, could be part of something else?


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> No idea who Steve Baker is, but a Tory MP opening calling for Cummings to go? Could just be an outlier, could be part of something else?




_Political capital_.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> No idea who Steve Baker is, but a Tory MP opening calling for Cummings to go? Could just be an outlier, could be part of something else?



Former chairman of the ERG. The balance of power lies with the swivel-eyed loons again.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> No idea who Steve Baker is, but a Tory MP opening calling for Cummings to go? Could just be an outlier, could be part of something else?




Apart from calling for Cummings to go, which I'll bet you a lot of money is caused by something personal, not ideological, that article is fucking dreadful.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Apart from calling for Cummings to go, which I'll bet you a lot of money is caused by something personal, not ideological, that article is fucking dreadful.


Oh, I didn't bother reading the article 

Majority of the replies are in support of Cummings, interestingly enough. Still a lotta folks thinking he did the right thing, it's a Lefty agenda, _because of Brexit _


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Can't wait for his top tips on Myspace





cyril_smear said:


> I might get told off for this but am I the only one that thinks that Cummings looks like the sort that is going to be outed as a casual coke user?



Would be surprised. I think he is just one of life's eccentrics. The kind of person who is probably good to bounce ideas around with but should be given no power and little influence.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Aaron banks totally losing his mind on the twitter last night going on about this being a culture war fight to the death with the left, reads like he started drinking early afternoon.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Apart from calling for Cummings to go, which I'll bet you a lot of money is caused by something personal, not ideological, that article is fucking dreadful.


A cunt calling for a cunt to go. Cumming's shat on so many on the way up that quite a few have guts ready and willing to shit on him now. With him out of the way, they are one seat closer to the crown. Baker is the Brexit boot boys unofficial chief whip so his bilge carries some weight. Cumming's definitely a goner now I would think.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Former chairman of the ERG. The balance of power lies with the swivel-eyed loons again.


Suspect there's a large dose of anti PRC/Huawei Atlanticism swirling within the ERG sect and they've viewed Cummings as a liability for some time.


----------



## DownwardDog (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> No idea who Steve Baker is, but a Tory MP opening calling for Cummings to go? Could just be an outlier, could be part of something else?



He had a reputation as the peerless expert on afterburning Adour engines when he was in the RAF. He is now some manner of Brexit twat.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Apart from calling for Cummings to go, which I'll bet you a lot of money is caused by something personal, not ideological, that article is fucking dreadful.



How the fuck can you say that when he points to possibly the only way out of our present difficulties?



> Third, everyone in senior political office must make the right decisions, for the right reasons, in the right way and carry them to completion with the right techniques.



The man's a genius, as is that whole article - worth reading. Although it does annoy me when the cunts keep calling it "our" NHS.



> How could a Government so focused on our NHS have allowed waiting lists to increase by millions?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Seems to be making a bit of a ripple on Twitter, is he the first Tory MP to outright call for it? Thought he might be when I posted it, but figured there was also a significant chance I missed/forgot someone else.


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Suspect there's a large dose of anti PRC/Huawei Atlanticism swirling within the ERG sect and they've viewed Cummings as a liability for some time.



So this is a PRC Huawei/US Apple proxy battle?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> Would be surprised. I think he is just one of life's eccentrics. The kind of person who is probably good to bounce ideas around with but should be given no power and little influence.



Bounce cricket balls off.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> So this is a PRC Huawei/US Apple proxy battle?


I suspect, in part, yes. The most important thing for the ERG atm is the US trade deal being struck by Truss.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> So this is a PRC Huawei/US Apple proxy battle?



No


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Seems to be making a bit of a ripple on Twitter, is he the first Tory MP to outright call for it? Thought he might be when I posted it, but figured there was also a significant chance I missed/forgot someone else.


Tory twitter is surprisingly quiet for a politics morning.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> Aaron banks totally losing his mind on the twitter last night going on about this being a culture war fight to the death with the left, reads like he started drinking early afternoon.


Given the size of his wedge, why is it he always comes across as someone who drinks meths and Flavor Aid?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Bounce cricket balls off.


Preferably launched from one of these


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Bounce cricket balls off.


Large slabs of concrete would be the most fun


----------



## gentlegreen (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> No idea who Steve Baker is, but a Tory MP opening calling for Cummings to go? Could just be an outlier, could be part of something else?


ERG hardman - probably vying to get more clout.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> Large slabs of concrete would be the most fun


Don't think they'll bounce. Never know unless you try though.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

I wonder what the theme will be on andrew marr this morning


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

gentlegreen said:


> ERG hardman



In the kingdom of the cunts, the swivellest-eyed loon is king


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Don't think they'll bounce. Never know unless you try though.


For the sake of good science, the experiment needs to be replicable, so we are going to have to ensure we have a ready pool of arseholes to attempt to bounce.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Don't think they'll bounce. Never know unless you try though.


You get a bit of bounce if dropped from great height. But yeah, might need a few attempts


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I wonder what the theme will be on andrew marr this morning


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

With deadline now...


----------



## DJWrongspeed (May 24, 2020)

If there's all this noise by tomorrow AM it'll be curtains for Cummings. Perhaps even by the end of today.
How about some other news ?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Steve Baker on Sky News now.

ETA oops, forgot I am watching  live -5 minutes.  

Grant Shapps should be on around now.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

What happens to lockdown now is what I most want to know. If there’s more of this sort of thing getting said in public are we going to have an open split between those still distancing and others just not even pretending anymore ?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 24, 2020)




----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

God I can't stand Marr.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> What happens to lockdown now is what I most want to know. If there’s more of this sort of thing getting said in public are we going to have an open split between those still distancing and others just not even pretending anymore ?
> 
> View attachment 214333


Been enjoying some of Aaron's cocktails herself it would seem


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 24, 2020)

I’d love to see the twitter analytics on this. You’ll be able to seee the orchestrated defence triggered, the ebb and flow as more info comes out and........
Hopefully the moment when all the douche bags realise that Cummings is a plutonium dirty bomb in all their laps and they go onto radio silence, followed by the weasely defence of opinions given to them by the Tory machine


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> What happens to lockdown now is what I most want to know. If there’s more of this sort of thing getting said in public are we going to have an open split between those still distancing and others just not even pretending anymore ?
> 
> View attachment 214333



Please don't post her shit here.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

bellaozzydog said:


> Cummings is a plutonium dirty bomb in all their laps



TBF plutonium is more stable and has greater reliability than Cummings


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

Shapps has just said Cummings is a stickler for social distancing rules on Sky

he has also failed to come up with the answers to the questions Sophy Ridge show published _last night_


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Please don't post her shit here.


Yeah fair enough . Won’t do that again. I know she’s just a professional troll but that message was properly dangerous.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No


I say this because the divisive 'mood music' has been evident amongst the Atlanticist loons since February when Trump sent Mulvaney into No 10 to 'deal' with Cummings over 5G and it didn't go swimmingly.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> God I can't stand Marr.



That's funny because last time I spoke to him he said he was quite fond of you.


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

The sky interview with GS is amazing.


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> The sky interview with GS is amazing.



He really seems to believe he can bullshit has way against a whole country's experience.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> I say this because the divisive 'mood music' has been evident amongst the Atlanticist loons since February when Trump sent Mulvaney into No 10 to 'deal' with Cummings over 5G and it didn't go swimmingly.



5G/Huawei, US/China sure, but Apple??


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> he has also failed to come up with the answers to the questions Sophy Ridge show published _last night_


TBF that's more the fault of his researchers Green and Fox.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> He really seems to believe he can bullshit has way against a whole country's experience.


That's Tory 101, isn't it?


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> That's funny because last time I spoke to him he said he was quite fond of you.


He's not. When I had a job I was regularly either late for him or refused his work. Cause he's a little lickspittle cunt.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

Poor shapps









						Watch Sky News Live
					

Watch Sky News Live




					news.sky.com


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

many times worse than even yesterdays humiliation, this


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Meanwhile Marr is laying into the shadow Home Secretary about kids going back to school


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Meanwhile Marr is laying into the shadow Home Secretary about kids going back to school



Yeah there's no way I'm watching that.


----------



## polly (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> God I can't stand Marr.



Yeah the first sentence out of his mouth was about Cummings 'moving' to Durham during lock down. Weasel.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Rewatching Schapps on Sky. He's referring to lockdown in the past tense.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

Barnard Castle enjoying its new found fame in  national publicity and Marrs renames it Castle Barnard


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Eh?





Ooh a letter, that’s Boris on the ropes then


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

two or three tory mps have now called for cummings to go. how much longer will johnson carry on digging this hole?


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> What happens to lockdown now is what I most want to know. If there’s more of this sort of thing getting said in public are we going to have an open split between those still distancing and others just not even pretending anymore ?
> 
> View attachment 214333


 

That is too much of a self-parody to be real

So may well be real


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

Looking at this in a totally cynical way, I'm sure Labour/Starmer must be secretly hoping Cummings doesn't get sacked or at least they let this drag on a bit longer. It's draining so much political capital. Watching the cabinet all adding their names to support him yesterday hours before the Guardian/Mirror dropped the second bombshell was delicious.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

the Shapps Show is now on BBC 1


----------



## Chilli.s (May 24, 2020)

So, tested and infected mother sat in the car for 250 miles with child? That was definitely not within the guidance.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Shapps has form for defending the indefensible of course. Here's why he was previously made to resign for those who missed it.

Shapps appointed a man called Mark Clarke to run a Tory youth wing campaign called 'Road Trip'. He admitted Clarke was 'a difficult man but who got results'.

One of these results was the suicide of another young Tory called Elliott Johnson. Johnson was bullied by Clarke, and subsequently left his head and his body separated on a railway line in Sandy, Bedfordshire.

Shapps was made aware of the bullying allegations well before Johnson's death and did nothing about them. For this he eventually resigned 2 months after Johnson's death. He got an £8,000 pay off all the same. He admitted no responsibility but reluctantly said "the buck has to stop somewhere".

He was back in high government less than 4 years later.

Death and misery are nothing to these cunts.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 24, 2020)




----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

my sides are aching because of this interview


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 24, 2020)

This is glorious.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Robert Peston is as much of a bluetooth speaker for the government as Laura Kuenssberg these days, but he is well connected so this might be significant:



Over to you, Durham Police...


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

I'm watching from between my fingers


----------



## co-op (May 24, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Please don't post her shit here.



She's horrible but I'm glad I saw that all the same. It's good to know what's out there.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Fourth Tory MP broken cover:


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

I'd piss myself if a speeding ticket came from the ''second'' journey.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

My immediate takeaway from those two interviews was that we are all very lucky they didnt get him to do them naked.  He would absolutely have done it.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

I heard on r4's bh that DC was being thrown to the dogs

Sadly only a figure of speech


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I heard on r4's bh that DC was being thrown to the dogs
> 
> Sadly only a figure of speech



No according to Boris it's the British Public who are the dogs he won't throw Cummings to.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Possible. Begs the question as to how Durham Police were made aware that Cummings was at the property .


Snapps says the father alerted Durham Police to his sons presence at the house for security issues.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

That was excruciating. Truly excruciating. How much longer can Cummings hang on? Today's press conference is going to be dominated by it, probably tomorrow's too. It's not going anywhere.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Fourth Tory MP broken cover:




Sir Peter give a dog a Bone now on LBC saying the same....


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

The day he was spotted on a day trip at Barnard Castle also happens to be his wife's birthday btw


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> My immediate takeaway from those two interviews was that we are all very lucky they didnt get him to do them naked.  He would absolutely have done it.


Marr's was finishing his sentences for him, prompting him to describe his parents' house as Cummings' 'primary residence'. Boot licking oxygen thief.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


> That was excruciating. Truly excruciating. How much longer can Cummings hang on? Today's press conference is going to be dominated by it, probably tomorrow's too. It's not going anywhere.



Is it being shown on any popular entertainment channels I could watch?


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Fourth Tory MP broken cover:


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> Sir Peter give a dog a Bone now on LBC saying the same....



Sir Peter?

Bottomley?


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I'd piss myself if a speeding ticket came from the ''second'' journey.



You try driving 250 miles without stopping for a piss while staying under the speed limit.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Sir Peter?
> 
> Bottomley?



 Bone  - though I may have knighted him by mistake...


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> View attachment 214344


Unfortunately for this unnamed minister, so few of them defied the instruction that it should be fairly easy for the leadership to identify who they are. Whoops.


----------



## butchersapron (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Marr's was finishing his sentences for him, prompting him to describe his parents' house as Cummings' 'primary residence'. Boot licking oxygen thief.


I remember him years ago quite aggressively prompting Francis Maude years ago to say he would try and introduce stricter rules (higher turnout thresholds etc) and other things for strike ballots. He is shameless.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> Bone  - though *I may have knighted him by mistake*...



Yep, you did, that's why you confused me.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 24, 2020)

killer b said:


> Unfortunately for this unnamed minister, so few of them defied the instruction that it should be fairly easy for the leadership to identify who they are. Whoops.



I suspect it's a bogus report. The prospect of a tory minister who is genuinely surprised and disappointed that her colleagues are a bunch of fucking snakes is absurd.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

Does anyone know who's fronting today's press conference. Please let it be Priti. She's a liability at the best of times, watching her  attempt to navigate this would be brilliant.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

Havant watched Marrs for months, very disappointed there wasn't time to ask Shapps about the funding for the A66


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> I suspect it's a bogus report. The prospect of a tory minister who is genuinely surprised and disappointed that* her *colleagues are a bunch of fucking snakes is absurd.


you think it's Truss then?


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Snapps says the father alerted Durham Police to his sons presence at the house for security issues.


He can't be a very likeable individual if his own Dad dobbed him in


----------



## miktheword (May 24, 2020)

Cummings and ERG (Baker) have history.
This quote was out widely around this time last year,

_In an article earlier this year, Cummings said the European Research Group, of which around 80 Tory MPs are members, “should be treated like a metastasising tumour and excised from the UK body politic”._


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I'd piss myself if a speeding ticket came from the ''second'' journey.



I hope to god, Buddha and allah that there is. Or someone at his mobile company leaks the records of where his phone was on 19th April...


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Does anyone know who's fronting today's press conference. Please let it be Priti. She's a liability at the best of times, watching her  attempt to navigate this would be brilliant.


The Labour MP on Sky was suggesting Johnson should do it tonight but that won't happen. It's a bank holiday weekend, he'll be pissed already.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Snapps says the father alerted Durham Police to his sons presence at the house for security issues.


Worried that the pox-ridden spiv was going to rifle through the Christmas club tin, probably


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> The Labour MP on Sky was suggesting Johnson should do it tonight but that won't happen. It's a bank holiday weekend, he'll be pissed already.


"Enjoying life as a new(ish) father"


----------



## marty21 (May 24, 2020)

This government is desperately scrambling around to defend Cummings as if it's a minority government ffs. They have a majority of fucking 80    The story isn't about what Cummings did any more, and TBF,many of us would have been tempted to do that. It's about the cover up and desperate spin , if they had come out with this when it happened,  he'd have got some stick , but it would no longer be a story, swallowed up in the tsunami of virus news. Isn't he supposed to be some kind of genius? Shouldn't he have seen this coming ?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

This is turning into a good day. 



> Damian Collins, the Conservative MP for Folkestone and Hythe, said the government would be 'better off without' Cummings.
> 
> He said in a tweet: “Dominic Cummings has a track record of believing that the rules don’t apply to him and treating the scrutiny that should come to anyone in a position of authority with contempt.
> 
> ...











						Tory MPs break cover and call for Dominic Cummings' resignation over lockdown trip
					

Boris Johnson is under renewed calls to fire Dominic Cummings - from his own MPs.




					www.heraldscotland.com


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> The Labour MP on Sky was suggesting Johnson should do it tonight but that won't happen. It's a bank holiday weekend, he'll be pissed already.



My money's on Gove. He's the best bullshitter they've got. There's absolutely no way Boris is going anywhere that podium anytime soon.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

marty21 said:


> This government is desperately scrambling around to defend Cummings as if it's a minority government ffs. They have a majority of fucking 80   The story isn't about what Cummings did any more, and TBF,many of us would have been tempted to do that. It's about the cover up and desperate spin , if they had come out with this when it happened, he'd have got some stick , but it would no longer be a story, swallowed up in the tsunami of virus news. Isn't he supposed to be some kind of genius? Shouldn't he have seen this coming ?


Yeah, you do think "he's a very naughty boy" would have bought them a bit more time than "he did nothing wrong".

Still, I guess this is why they're our leaders and we are but simple plebs.


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Can't be arsed to look into it, where did he stay in Durham? Has he got a second house up there, as most reports say he was staying next to his parents rather than staying with them? Doesn't matter particularly, just interested.


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

You can see MiShapps gulp hard so many times in that Sky interview.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

i dont think cummings' "fuck you" statement to the press yesterday was great media management. still - even a genius can have an off day.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

We're up to 7 now, according to The Sun.



> GO NOW - Seven Tory MPs demand Dominic Cummings resign over claims PM’s top aide broke lockdown three times


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

marty21 said:


> This government is desperately scrambling around to defend Cummings as if it's a minority government ffs. They have a majority of fucking 80   The story isn't about what Cummings did any more, and TBF,many of us would have been tempted to do that. It's about the cover up and desperate spin , if they had come out with this when it happened, he'd have got some stick , but it would no longer be a story, swallowed up in the tsunami of virus news. Isn't he supposed to be some kind of genius? Shouldn't he have seen this coming ?


Indeed.

He's not a man doing the best by his family, he's not a doting dad, he's not a misunderstood maverick sailing against the wind; he's a privately-educated, thinks-he's-better-than-everyone-else, fuck-the-proles, self-important, self-satisfied, selfish prick, who is so contemptuous for others, so inured to the personal pain or tragedy endured of others, that he only sees this in terms of what best suits him, values only his own opinion, and does only that which he chooses to do and discomforts himself the least.

A whiney, indulged, over-privileged man-baby.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Can't be arsed to look into it, where did he stay in Durham? Has he got a second house up there, as most reports say he was staying next to his parents rather than staying with them? Doesn't matter particularly, just interested.



He stayed on their 'estate'.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Can't be arsed to look into it, where did he stay in Durham? Has he got a second house up there, as most reports say he was staying next to his parents rather than staying with them? Doesn't matter particularly, just interested.


Shapps said a separate 'property' but I think he's just using property to mean building cause he's thick. It was reputedly an outbuilding.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

DH1 3SU · Durham
					

Postcode




					www.google.com


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Of course, _a cottage on the estate,_ stupid me, why didn't we all know that, that's where we'd all stay when we visited our parents, the self contained flat on the estate, obviously.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Shapps said a separate 'property' but I think he's just using property to mean building cause he's thick. It was reputedly an outbuilding.



More like a stable that he thinks he was born in.


----------



## Tankus (May 24, 2020)

Cummings soon to a place near you


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


>


That prick should know


----------



## co-op (May 24, 2020)

marty21 said:


> Isn't he supposed to be some kind of genius? Shouldn't he have seen this coming ?



He's a one-trick pony really, he obviously did some really good detailed analysis of the missing voters of 2001-2019, the ones who dropped out of voting for both major parties and was very good at using the latest methods of targeting them via SM etc. So he could look Olympian and insightful at a GE based on brexit etc  and he used his success on that to parlay himself into an incredibly powerful position in the govt.

But off that turf he's just another hack, in fact probably worse than average because he's so inflated with a sense of his own omnipotence and untouchability.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Worried that the pox-ridden spiv was going to rifle through the Christmas club tin, probably


“Dom, are you sure you don't know where the EU subsidy money has gone?”


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Does anyone know who's fronting today's press conference. Please let it be Priti. She's a liability at the best of times, watching her  attempt to navigate this would be brilliant.



If you think you do know there is money to be made:



			https://starsports.bet/event/522588/who-will-hold-todays-government-daily-briefing-


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

co-op said:


> He's a one-trick pony really, he obviously did some really good detailed analysis of the missing voters of 2001-2019, the ones who dropped out of voting for both major parties and was very good at using the latest methods of targeting them via SM etc. So he could look Olympian and insightful at a GE based on brexit etc  and he used his success on that to parlay himself into an incredibly powerful position in the govt.
> 
> But off that turf he's just another hack, in fact probably worse than average because he's so inflated with a sense of his own omnipotence and untouchability.


Don't know the extent of his input into the gov's actions in autumn last year but he was probably involved in that strategy, one that consistently outmanoeuvred the opposition parties and liberal pro-remain elite. Making the battle political rather than technical/legal - proroguing parliament, withdrawing the whip from waverers - was an excellent move and one that delivered the majority in December.


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> If you think you do know there is money to be made:
> 
> 
> 
> https://starsports.bet/event/522588/who-will-hold-todays-government-daily-briefing-



Raab favourite?

He can play a good dead bat but I think Gove at 10/1 is good value.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

> Before further accusations emerged, *Mr Johnson is said to have ‘thrown a protective ring’ around his most trusted adviser*, claiming he had a ‘compelling case’ for the trip to Durham as he needed childcare for his four-year-old.
> 
> Metro link.



I suspect that will turn out to be as successful as the 'protective ring' they threw around care homes.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 24, 2020)

Just emailed my loathsome MP , asking for assurance that he would be encouraging DC's resignation.


This is how bored I am


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> If you think you do know there is money to be made:
> 
> 
> 
> https://starsports.bet/event/522588/who-will-hold-todays-government-daily-briefing-


Given his shapeshifter-like ability to be simultaneously in both Durham and London without needing to actually travel like mere mortals, I imagine you would get only the shortest of odds on His Oddness himself.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Just emailed my loathsome MP , asking for assurance that he would be encouraging DC's resignation.
> 
> 
> This is how bored I am


You've spelt bj wrong


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 24, 2020)

People make good use of their time....


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Indeed.
> 
> He's not a man doing the best by his family, he's not a doting dad, he's not a misunderstood maverick sailing against the wind; he's a privately-educated, thinks-he's-better-than-everyone-else, fuck-the-proles, self-important, self-satisfied, selfish prick, who is so contemptuous for others, so inured to the personal pain or tragedy endured of others, that he only sees this in terms of what best suits him, values only his own opinion, and does only that which he chooses to do and discomforts himself the least.
> 
> A whiney, indulged, over-privileged man-baby.


But what do you really think?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> You've spelt bj wrong


To be fair , I didnt even greet it by name. Just a curt ' Hello '

Dont think I got your post at first , sigh


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Sue said:


> But what do you really think?


‘But on the other hand...’


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

co-op said:


> He's a one-trick pony really, he obviously did some really good detailed analysis of the missing voters of 2001-2019, the ones who dropped out of voting for both major parties and was very good at using the latest methods of targeting them via SM etc. So he could look Olympian and insightful at a GE based on brexit etc  and he used his success on that to parlay himself into an incredibly powerful position in the govt.
> 
> But off that turf he's just another hack, in fact probably worse than average because he's so inflated with a sense of his own omnipotence and untouchability.



To


planetgeli said:


> DH1 3SU · Durham
> 
> 
> Postcode
> ...



Amazingly dangerous looking turning into the property from the dual carriageway. Also the bridleway to open country is directly the other side of the dual carriageway. Here's to hoping he regularly takes full advantage of the opportunities for night walks after a few bottles of vino.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

I'm still a bit confused as to why, if the Cabinet view  is 'Cummings  was doing the right thing in protecting his wife and son 'by driving up to Durham,  that his Mrs penned an entirely different  account of a lockdown for The Spectator. Not only giving the impression they were in London but describes and promotes the role of their 4 year old son , Alexander Cedd known as Ceddy in caring for Cummings . 





> Ceddy, had 'administered' Ribena to Mr Cummings with the 'grim insistence of a Broadmoor nurse'.
> 
> 'This might be my only useful advice for other double-Covid parents or single mothers with pre-schoolers,'
> 
> 'Get out the doctor's kit and make it your child's job to take your temperature. Any game that involves lying down is a good game.'



Completely contradicts later statements that food was left outside of the door of the out building he was staying in at his parents gaff. Who is telling the truth here?


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Amazingly dangerous looking turning into the property from the dual carriageway. Also the bridleway to open country is directly the other side of the dual carriageway. Here's to hoping he regularly takes full advantage of the opportunities for night walks after a few bottles of vino.
[/QUOTE]
nearest pub is called The Honest Lawyer.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I'm still a bit confused as to why, if the Cabinet view  is 'Cummings  was doing the right thing in protecting his wife and son 'by driving up to Durham,  that his Mrs penned an entirely different  account of a lockdown for The Spectator. Not only giving the impression they were in London but describes and promotes the role of their 4 year old son , Alexander Cedd known as Ceddy in caring for Cummings .
> 
> Completely contradicts later statements that food was left outside of the door of the out building he was staying in at his parents gaff. Who is telling the truth here?


Just because they're providing completely different accounts that don't logically fit together doesn't mean that they are contradictory or that there isn't some kind of magical, holistic truth to it


----------



## FiFi (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I'm still a bit confused as to why, if the Cabinet view  is 'Cummings  was doing the right thing in protecting his wife and son 'by driving up to Durham,  that his Mrs penned an entirely different  account of a lockdown for The Spectator. Not only giving the impression they were in London but describes and promotes the role of their 4 year old son , Alexander Cedd known as Ceddy in caring for Cummings .
> 
> Completely contradicts later statements that food was left outside of the door of the out building he was staying in at his parents gaff. *Who is telling the truth *here?


Well, he's a SPAD and she's a journalist, so ...


----------



## marty21 (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


>



Tories love to plot.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I'm still a bit confused as to why, if the Cabinet view  is 'Cummings  was doing the right thing in protecting his wife and son 'by driving up to Durham,  that his Mrs penned an entirely different  account of a lockdown for The Spectator. Not only giving the impression they were in London but describes and promotes the role of their 4 year old son , Alexander Cedd known as Ceddy in caring for Cummings .
> 
> Completely contradicts later statements that food was left outside of the door of the out building he was staying in at his parents gaff. Who is telling the truth here?




Hmmm, I wonder.

'I couldn't take my eyes off Dom's heaving chest...*as he threw shapes in his parent's garden to the sounds of Abba*.'

The Booker Prize for best fiction of 2020 goes to...


----------



## keybored (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Snapps says the father alerted Durham Police to his sons presence at the house for security issues.


Caught the little bastard pilfering the silverware again.


----------



## teqniq (May 24, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> He wont go.


It's amazing isn't it? He's already in contempt of parliament, he's lied and it now turns out he went twice:


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)




----------



## teqniq (May 24, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> He doesn't seem to be trending on twitter just now.  It's the strangest thing.


According to some people it's to do with the hashtag algorithm not favouring words that may be offensive so as his surname starts with #cum .....


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

butchersapron said:


> I remember him years ago quite aggressively prompting Francis Maude years ago to say he would try and introduce stricter rules (higher turnout thresholds etc) and other things for strike ballots. He is shameless.



watching it again, Marr does introduce Shapps by telling us all a load of things "that we know" that we do not in fact know - including that he and his wife actually had it


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

Does anyone know where the Prime Minster is? He seems to appear once a week for PMQs and then vanish.


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

teqniq said:


> He's already in contempt of parliament,


I think for most people, this is in the 'positives' column.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Who at _The Spectator_ knew that Wakefield and Cummings weren't in London for the entirety of the period about which she wrote and subsequently filed copy on? Were awkward details edited out? Were there any phone calls to non-London area code land lines? 

Apart from lip service to IPSO does Fraser Nelson believe that his writers - who “have no party line; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of opinion” - owe it to readers of the magazine (motto: “firm, but unfair”) to be truthful and honest?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

The story also changed from when "He said he and his partner were concerned about who would look after their son if they both fell ill. " after they clearly realized this would let people know he wasn't bothered about putting his parents at risk.


----------



## tim (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> What time is the press conference tonight? This is going to be unmissable.
> 
> If he doesn't jump in the next ten hours they'll try and Trump it out. That would be fucking hilarious. But it won't work this time. People have lost loved ones and families have been ripped apart. I've kept two under fives in a house for two and a half months and we don't know when we'll be able to see any of their grandparents again. Whatever they do it won't be enough. Public hanging.



A public hanging would like having another Cheltenham festival and push R into double-digits. He should be beheaded on Zoom by an executioner recruited and trained by Serco.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Does anyone know where the Prime Minster is? He seems to appear once a week for PMQs and then vanish.



Hiding in a fridge somewhere.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Does anyone know where the Prime Minster is? He seems to appear once a week for PMQs and then vanish.


Been ill and has a new baby  - it has been widely reported !


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Hiding in a fridge somewhere.


Probably in the drinks cabinet. It's a bank holiday weekend. He won't show his face. Only get himself in more trouble if he did to be honest.


----------



## polly (May 24, 2020)

Cummings just been called into no 10 according to twitter


----------



## teqniq (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It's enough, surely, that he breached the government's own rules?
> Those who presume to shape the law/guidance for the rest of us can expect to be held to the standards they demand of others.
> IMO, it's that simple.


Under normal circumstances I would agree. The new normal however is that they openly treat us with complete contempt. I would of course hope that this changes sooner rather than later.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Love a good bit of scandal.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 24, 2020)

Might the second trip might be a red herring? Possibly by stooges that will eventually be proven false, thus discrediting the whole debate?


----------



## Shirl (May 24, 2020)

We have the most vile Tory MP you can imagine. He's just said on Twitter that DC's position is untenable. I never imagined that I would ever, ever 'like' a post of Craig Whittaker's.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

😂😂😂


----------



## Ceej (May 24, 2020)

There's interweb mutterings about a third jaunt on 10th May...


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)

So, Dom is currently in #10...

tic tock


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Interesting that backwoodsmen like Ellwood are already signalling how damaging for Johnson Cummings dismissal is.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

polly said:


> Cummings just been called into no 10 according to twitter



Confirmed by Sky News too.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

Ted Striker said:


> Might the second trip might be a red herring? Possibly by stooges that will eventually be proven false, thus discrediting the whole debate?


 Yeah, but that would credit this lot with more organisational ability and guile than they've demonstrated so far...


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Been wearing his ‘IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS WE MONITOR’ lanyard a lot recently.






Definitely not a hubristic, FUCK YOU mentality smug cunt.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Maybe called into No 10 for a Knighthood like Major Tom?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

tim said:


> He should be beheaded on Zoom by an executioner recruited and trained by Serco.



It would be entirely appropriate that the training manual would contain innumerable errors, contradictory guidance and outdated, misunderstood data that let to a botched first attempt


----------



## magneze (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Interesting that backwoodsmen like Ellwood are already signalling how damaging for Johnson Cummings dismissal is.
> 
> View attachment 214371


Yep a formal address from Johnson will clear it all up. The last one went well. 🤔😬


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Maybe called into No 10 for a Knighthood like Major Tom?



Selected for the next Space Mission like Major Tom?


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

magneze said:


> Yep a formal address from Johnson will clear it all up. The last one went well. 🤔😬


Love it that Ellwood was calling not just a formal address but a FORMAL ADDRESS!


----------



## dylanredefined (May 24, 2020)

If he goes. Does that mean Boris has too think for himself?
 Ignoring quarantine rules while infected?
In a movie he would get shot


----------



## Throbbing Angel (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Selected for the next Space Mission like Major Tom?



Hopefully fired into space by cannon


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

I was wondering earlier, if he would go today or tomorrow, but I think it'll be this afternoon now.

Pressure is mounting:









						Dominic Cummings arrives at Number 10 as pressure mounts on him to quit
					

Boris Johnson's chief advisor left his home this morning, heading to Downing Street as Tory MPs demanded his resignation over lockdown flouting




					www.mirror.co.uk
				












						If Dominic Cummings is not sacked, Boris Johnson’s government will lose all remaining credibility
					

A weary public will not forgive the egregious hypocrisy of the Prime Minister’s chief strategist.




					www.newstatesman.com


----------



## DotCommunist (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Interesting that backwoodsmen like Ellwood are already signalling how damaging for Johnson Cummings dismissal is.
> 
> View attachment 214371



anyone stretching nautical metaphors now sounds like a fotler


----------



## tim (May 24, 2020)

krtek a houby said:


> I too, am concerned by all these Cummings and goings.



Ah, one of the best jokes of 1888.

Another ring at the bell; it was Gowing, who said he “must apologise for coming so often, and that one of these days we must come round to _him_.”  I said: “A very extraordinary thing has struck me.”  “Something funny, as usual,” said Cummings.  “Yes,” I replied; “I think even you will say so this time.  It’s concerning you both; for doesn’t it seem odd that Gowing’s always coming and Cummings’ always going?”  Carrie, who had evidently quite forgotten about the bath, went into fits of laughter, and as for myself, I fairly doubled up in my chair, till it cracked beneath me.  I think this was one of the best jokes I have ever made.

Then imagine my astonishment on perceiving both Cummings and Gowing perfectly silent, and without a smile on their faces.  After rather an unpleasant pause, Cummings, who had opened a cigar-case, closed it up again and said: “Yes—I think, after that, I _shall_ be going, and I am sorry I fail to see the fun of your jokes.”  Gowing said he didn’t mind a joke when it wasn’t rude, but a pun on a name, to his thinking, was certainly a little wanting in good taste.  Cummings followed it up by saying, if it had been said by anyone else but myself, he shouldn’t have entered the house again.  This rather unpleasantly terminated what might have been a cheerful evening.  However, it was as well they went, for the charwoman had finished up the remains of the cold pork.

From the Diary of a Nobody, a good book with which to escape the miseries of lockdown.


The Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon Grossmith

Adapted for TV by Ken Russell


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

dylanredefined said:


> If he goes. Does that mean Boris has too think for himself?
> Ignoring quarantine rules while infected?
> In a movie he would get shot



if he goes, he will probably just be hidden in an office somewhere


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

Has there ever been a greater sense of national schadenfreude?

Boris and Dom have inadvertently united the country. I want this to drag on and on. I hope the gruniad has even more up its sleeve to drip feed


----------



## clicker (May 24, 2020)

This is like "Where's Wally" .


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

If Cummings has been summoned to no. 10 from his home, he must have left about 7 this morning, as we all know his primary residence is somewhere up north..Durham, is it?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

DotCommunist said:


> anyone stretching nautical metaphors now sounds like a fotler



Hoping Boris goes boat happy?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

> And there is a second ticking time bomb, say ministers. They fear a member of the public may file a complaint to Durham police alleging Cummings broke the Health Protection Regulations - which the police would be obliged to investigate.
> 
> This is not to presume Cummings's guilt. He is completely clear he did not break the law. But a criminal investigation would be another embarrassment.
> 
> ITV



Surely someone will now?


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> If Cummings has been summoned to no. 10 from his home, he must have left about 7 this morning, as we all know his primary residence is somewhere up north..Durham, is it?



Does being sacked even count as work that can’t be done from home?


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

Given how surreal their response to all this has been so far, not sure it can be ruled out that they will try to see if they can get away with pretending to tell him off.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

odds 4/9 to go before June 1st now


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

what advice do you think DC will giving Boris at the moment?


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> if he goes, he will probably just be hidden in an office somewhere



Don't really give a fuck.  He has become the story so he has to go.  I think we are really fucked .   We are having 3 thousand cases a day and we are relaxing the lockdown in an unworkable way having not put adequate precautions in place and a 'new normal'  that is utterly confused.  All this has done is make a 2nd spike inevitable.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> odds 4/9 to go before June 1st now


Johnson?


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Johnson?


Cummings , you can get 4/6 on Paddy Power


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Reckon this is the first battle of the war to ditch Johnson.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)




----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Reckon this is the first battle of the war to ditch Johnson.



Who we get in his place though? If it's someone half competent we're even more fucked than we are now.


----------



## GarveyLives (May 24, 2020)

*At least he didn't go out to visit a tailor.*​
Meanwhile:

Steve Baker, Conservative MP for Wycombe and a former chairman of the European Research Group:  "Boris: take back control"


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Who we get in his place though? If it's someone half competent we're even more fucked than we are now.


It'll be the candidate that's prepared to tough it out over No-Deal, bend over for Trump, ditch the Commie phone stuff and tear up that Labour budget.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Surely someone will now?



'Thank you for calling Durham Police non-emergency reporting number.  Your call is important to us and will be answered shortly.  You are no. 632,957 in the queue.'


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It'll be the candidate that's prepared to tough it out over No-Deal, bend over for Trump, ditch the Commie phone stuff and tear up that Labour budget.



Depends, during the 'Raab period' ended up with the impression only thing that actually got done was work on the lunacy of extending the Brexit transition.


----------



## Kevbad the Bad (May 24, 2020)

Mrs K always used to say I was the scruffiest person she’d ever seen, until Cummings appeared all over the media.


----------



## tim (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Hiding in a fridge somewhere.



A fridge in Bishop Auckland.

Still Boris knows what he has to do.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Another nuance - this lot want lockdown over. But sacking him will be seen as punishment for ignoring lockdown. Bit tricky.


----------



## Smangus (May 24, 2020)

If your only friends are Grant Shapps, Michael Gove and Katie Hopkins you really are  a sad individual.

Been a great weekend so far though


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Interesting that backwoodsmen like Ellwood are already signalling how damaging for Johnson Cummings dismissal is.
> 
> View attachment 214371


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It'll be the candidate that's prepared to tough it out over No-Deal, bend over for Trump, ditch the Commie phone stuff and tear up that Labour budget.



That's certainly what the ERG loons want, but I'm not convinced they think pushing Johnson out is the way to get it.  Not yet anyway.  This is about controlling the king, not deposing him...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

how long does it take to sack somebody? bloody hell.


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Another nuance - this lot want lockdown over. But sacking him will be seen as punishment for ignoring lockdown. Bit tricky.




WHO THE FUCK DOESN'T WANT AN END TO LOCKDOWN?  Just fucking up how we come out of lockdown theoretically means another lockdown.  (I say theoretically cos I don't think the country will be governable at that stage)


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> That's certainly what the ERG loons want, but I'm not convinced they think pushing Johnson out is the way to get it.  Not yet anyway.  This is about controlling the king, not deposing him...


Maybe, but it's obvious that many of them think Johnson's use is over.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Another nuance - this lot want lockdown over. But sacking him will be seen as punishment for ignoring lockdown. Bit tricky.


They've never been averse to political cognitive dissonance when the glittering prize is in view.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> if he goes, he will probably just be hidden in an office somewhere


Hopefully Edgar Allan Poe-style


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Maybe, but it's obvious that many of them think Johnson's use is over.



I'm not convinced it is tbh.  It looks to me more as if they still think Johnson can still be a useful figurehead, so long as they're the ones calling the shots.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

gosub said:


> WHO THE FUCK DOESN'T WANT AN END TO LOCKDOWN?  Just fucking up how we come out of lockdown theoretically means another lockdown.  (I say theoretically cos I don't think the country will be governable at that stage)


Woah there sparky. Obviously I meant they want an end to lockdown before it's safe


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Hopefully Edgar Allan Poe-style



or like Richmond


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Reckon this is the first battle of the war to ditch Johnson.



It’s a good play. If BJ sacks DC he’s weakened himself. If he doesn’t...he’s done the same. Win-win.


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Woah there sparky. Obviously I meant they want an end to lockdown before it's safe



Way things are, lockdown has to end before its 'safe', what we need is an end to lockdown where covid is manageable.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I'm not convinced it is tbh.  It looks to me more as if they still think Johnson can still be a useful figurehead, so long as they're the ones calling the shots.


OTWT obviously, but this looks like being a very rocky time for Johnson


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

The Telegraph has changed its tone since last night.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Gotta feel sorry for the employees of the state broadcaster responsible for 'news' output this lunchtime...they literally won't know who's lies they should be pumping out?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> how long does it take to sack somebody? bloody hell.


Can be hard to get a union rep and short notice.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Cummings is probably trying to sack Boris. I hope he comes out unsacked though. This is a lot more damaging than your average Twitter storm.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 24, 2020)

Cummings is Gove's mate 1st and foremost...was his advisor previously...They both want rid of Johnson I imagine.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

They’ll probably bring him back after sacking like Malcolm Tucker:


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> how long does it take to sack somebody? bloody hell.


Cummings probably wants to break the news to him gently.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Cummings is probably trying to sack Boris. I hope he comes out unsacked though. This is a lot more damaging than your average Twitter storm.



Yep Johnson will look really feeble if he doesn't sack him.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Yep Johnson will look really feeble if he doesn't sack him.



And if he does he and all of the cabinet look like idiots for coming out in his defence yesterday.  Rock and a hard place.

Then there are the questions of what Cummings' role actually is and what he knows.  

I did plan on doing some serious work over this weekend: instead I'm glued to Twitter and the politics news.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Blimey, Roger Gale, Tory MP, on Sky News has called on the PM to sack Cummings this afternoon, and to take the press briefing today.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> And if he does he and all of the cabinet look like idiots for coming out in his defence yesterday.


Did Johnson actually come out in his defence? Saw the tweets from Raab, Hancock, etc but don't think I ever saw anything from Johnson?


----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Did Johnson actually come out in his defence. Saw the tweets from Raab, Hancock, etc but don't think I ever saw anything from Johnson?



No, he didn't actually put his name to anything - which is probably telling - but there was a statement from No. 10.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

How will Johnson play it if he does sack him? Making people feel guilty for all the inhuman criticism of an industrious working man just trying to look after his child?


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> No, he didn't actually put his name to anything - which is probably telling - but there was a statement from No. 10.


There's that quote about it not being as bad as shagging.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


>



demonic cuntings


----------



## frogwoman (May 24, 2020)

Fucking livid lol, DotCommunist and others know how much usually hate this kind of talk but this gang of kleptocrats should be dragged before a revolutionary tribunal and I'll leave the rest to the imagination.


----------



## teqniq (May 24, 2020)

Heh.


----------



## Orang Utan (May 24, 2020)

Led By Donkeys are just Fathers 4 Justice with a degree


----------



## teqniq (May 24, 2020)

Are they? They do some funny stuff nevertheless.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> And if he does he and all of the cabinet look like idiots for coming out in his defence yesterday.



They'll use the 4 year old child defence. 



> Then there are the questions of what Cummings' role actually is and what he knows.



This is surely the 'detail' that is being 'ironed out'.

'How much do you want for those skeletons Dom?'


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

They put this poster up earlier too apparently.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

'


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> If you want to go and your in the area it's _x_.


I have no love for Cummings, but I don't think it's a good precedent to set to give out the addresses of you political enemies on the internet.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

killer b said:


> I have no love for Cummings, but I don't think it's a good precedent to set to give out the addresses of you political enemies on the internet.


Point taken but it only took me 5 minutes googling to find it. Have edited my post .


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

killer b said:


> I have no love for Cummings, but I don't think it's a good precedent to set to give out the addresses of you political enemies on the internet.



You say that...


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

1.24pm Sunday and the Guardian are reporting,

*The Labour Party has just gone on the offensive

"*Alright lads, I think we can politicize this now, send a tweet"


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> Point taken but it only took me 5 minutes googling to find it.


so what?


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> This is surely the 'detail' that is being 'ironed out'.
> 
> 'How much do you want for those skeletons Dom?'



Perhaps, but there are various reasons why the government might be reacting as it is.  I reckon Alex Massie in the Spectator is right about this one:







I'm not sure what BJ's talents are meant to be, mind, aside from a boundless appetite for self-promotion, a desperate need to be liked and a certain facility for bullshit, but there you are...


----------



## DotCommunist (May 24, 2020)

obviously sir quiff had to sharpen all his forensics gear first


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

killer b said:


> so what?


It's hardly a state secret. The PM lives in 10 Downing St FWIW.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

killer b said:


> I have no love for Cummings, but I don't think it's a good precedent to set to give out the addresses of you political enemies on the internet.


There's film of the road all over the internet and there's well over a hundred addresses on that road. I knew what part of town it was just from the look of it. And I don't think we're widely read enough for anyone to be particularly upset about it.


----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> It's hardly a state secret. The PM lives in 10 Downing St FWIW.



Except they sometimes end up living at No 11 for practical reasons, and its not clear how much time Johnson spends at either address.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> It's hardly a state secret. The PM lives in 10 Downing St FWIW.



tut tut tut you shouldn't be giving out personal details


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


> Except they sometimes end up living at No 11 for practical reasons, and its not clear how much time Johnson spends at either address.


So now I don't know where to send the turd to. Probably both.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


> Except they sometimes end up living at No 11 for practical reasons, and its not clear how much time Johnson spends at either address.


Cummings is probably sat in there on a laptop talking to Johnson over Zoom.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


> Except they sometimes end up living at No 11 for practical reasons, and its not clear how much time Johnson spends at either address.


I was going to say that but apparently by some twist of logic whichever appartment they're actually staying in is number 10 because that's where Prime Ministers live.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Piers Morgan bans cabinet ministers who back Dominic Cummings from GMB
					

Outspoken telly host Piers Morgan has issued a blanket ban to all cabinet ministers who support Dominic Cummings after he was caught flouting lockdown rules




					www.mirror.co.uk
				




I am sure the ministers concerned will be happy enough with that.


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> There's film of the road all over the internet and there's well over a hundred addresses on that road. I knew what part of town it was just from the look of it. And I don't think we're widely read enough for anyone to be particularly upset about it.


I know - it's nothing to do with Cummings, how easy his house is to find, anything like that - it's to do with the precedent it sets. When left wing activist's & political figures' addresses are shared among right wing activists - encouraging each other to visit them, even - it's seen as proper dodgy behaviour. Rightly too. So really, it's best to swerve away from that kind of activity ourselves.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> There's film of the road all over the internet and there's well over a hundred addresses on that road. I knew what part of town it was just from the look of it. And I don't think we're widely read enough for anyone to be particularly upset about it.


Back in the day when I was politically active I took part in mass trespasses of politicos houses - did the antiCJB at Michael Howard's gaffe out in the country. The bastard deserved it.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


> Except they sometimes end up living at No 11 for practical reasons, and its not clear how much time Johnson spends at either address.



Johnson flitting between bedrooms at various addresses is hardly new news...


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

I'm sure with _5 minutes googling_ I could find the addresses of any number of left wing figures, on fascist websites.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

is it fair to assume after two hours that he won't be getting sacked? I can just imagine Johnson asking his advice on potential outcomes of any decisions.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Looks like the Telegraph has dug in.


----------



## marshall (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> is it fair to assume after two hours that he won't be getting sacked? I can just imagine Johnson asking his advice on potential outcomes of any decisions.



Hope you're wrong, but think you may well be right.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> I was going to say that but apparently by some twist of logic whichever appartment they're actually staying in is number 10 because that's where Prime Ministers live.



Schrödinger's flat.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

marshall said:


> Hope you're wrong, but think you may well be right.



two hours? Come on. A sacking would have been a 15 minute job.


----------



## Zapp Brannigan (May 24, 2020)

"Alright Dom, two scenarios, sack you or not sack you...  Can you help us run the models, consult a focus group and see which one sits best for us?"


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> is it fair to assume after two hours that he won't be getting sacked? I can just imagine Johnson asking his advice on potential outcomes of any decisions.


Assuming Johnson wants him to go, they will be negotiating his resignation. They may also want time to inform others and get their ducks in a row before making an announcement.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Doing a line of coke together.


----------



## hash tag (May 24, 2020)

__





						The New European
					

All the latest news, commentary and analysis on Brexit from The New European




					www.theneweuropean.co.uk


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Assuming Johnson wants him to go, they will be negotiating his resignation. They may also want time to inform others and get their ducks in a row before making an announcement.



I get ya; so it's not just a case of off you fuck and deal with it yourself?


----------



## hash tag (May 24, 2020)

hash tag said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry. Seen it's already posted


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

They’ll be working on his resignation. A sacking is hard to come back from, honourably resigning over this error of judgment makes it much easier to be brought back to deal with Brexit once Covid has waned...


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

Arsenal fans piling on the pressure


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Assuming Johnson wants him to go, they will be negotiating his resignation. They may also want time to inform others and get their ducks in a row before making an announcement.


I mean, could well be right, but getting their ducks in a row doesn't seem to be something they've been overly concerned about in the past.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Doing a line of coke together.


"What's our line going to be?" 

"Thought you'd never ask..."


----------



## Orang Utan (May 24, 2020)

Well I hope he brought sandwiches 
I’d be well grumpy by now


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Defence of Dominic Cummings is shameful, says ex-Durham police chief
					

Mike Barton brands UK government ‘self-privileged hypocrites’ who have damaged public trust




					www.theguardian.com
				




He doesn't mince his words...



> The former chief constable of Durham police has launched a strident attack on Dominic Cummings and the government defending him, branding them self-privileged hypocrites who have damaged the fight against coronavirus at a time of national emergency.





> He told the Guardian: “It is clear he has broken the rules. It could not be clearer. I cannot think of a worse example of a breach of the lockdown rules. For it then to be defended by the government just beggars belief.”





> “What is particularly sad and undermines completely the government position is they seem to be operating in a bubble of self-privilege and denial when they all should be leading by example. ‘Hypocrite’ was invented for these circumstances … Of course it is double standards.”



Etc., etc.


----------



## xenon (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> 1.24pm Sunday and the Guardian are reporting,
> 
> *The Labour Party has just gone on the offensive
> 
> "*Alright lads, I think we can politicize this now, send a tweet"



Forensic...


----------



## xenon (May 24, 2020)

Worth a line of attack. I can't believe they've dragged a 4 year old child into this tordry nonsense. Relatives near by, more resources than your average family, London, connected, services near by. Of course it wasn't about the child. Shameful etc.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Well I hope he brought sandwiches
> I’d be well grumpy by now


He can go 260 miles without a sarnie or a piss, traits which he passed on to his kid


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Defence of Dominic Cummings is shameful, says ex-Durham police chief
> 
> 
> Mike Barton brands UK government ‘self-privileged hypocrites’ who have damaged public trust
> ...


I know it's not the point, but Neil Gaiman travelled from New Zealand to Scotland, via LA and London. That was pretty bad...


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows 









						Harlow MP Robert Halfon "regrets writing tweet" over PM adviser Dominic Cummings - Your Harlow
					

HARLOW MP Robert Halfon has "expressed his regrets" at tweeting in support of the prime minister's government adviser Dominic Cummings after it was revealed the the adviser travelled from London to Durham contrary to government guidance on lockdown.




					www.yourharlow.com


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> They’ll be working on his resignation. A sacking is hard to come back from, honourably resigning over this error of judgment makes it much easier to be brought back to deal with Brexit once Covid has waned...


You think they'll delay Brexit then?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> You think they'll delay Brexit then?



No, but Bozo will want freak by his side once their attention returns to that shit show.


----------



## frogwoman (May 24, 2020)

I don't think it will tbh.


----------



## xenon (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I know it's not the point, but Neil Gaiman travelled from New Zealand to Scotland, via LA and London. That was pretty bad...



Bad as that was, there weren't 3 of them in the car, with at least one suffering Covid19 simptoms, travelling from a virus hotspot to visit over 70's relatives.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> You think they'll delay Brexit then?


Having achieved an 80 seat majority on getting Brexit done probably not would be my guess


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> You think they'll delay Brexit then?



Delaying Breixit....do you think the UK (who won't get a vote on any of it) would end up a beneficiary or a contributor to whatever scheme the EU comes up with when it stops arguing with itself


----------



## AverageJoe (May 24, 2020)

I wish I could do animation. 

I'd redo Matt Lucas' "Baked Potato" song with new lyrics and DCs head as the potato driving a car.


----------



## frogwoman (May 24, 2020)

Seen on Twitter Roger Gale calling PM's position into question apparently.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

xenon said:


> Bad as that was, there weren't 3 of them in the car, with at least one suffering Covid19 simptoms, travelling from a virus hotspot to visit over 70's relatives.


Aye, fair point. Also, not really the thing where you need a hierarchy of crap.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I know it's not the point, but Neil Gaiman travelled from New Zealand to Scotland, via LA and London. That was pretty bad...



He is not setting government policy and also apologised sincerely.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

xenon said:


> Worth a line of attack. I can't believe they've dragged a 4 year old child into this tordry nonsense. Relatives near by, more resources than your average family, London, connected, services near by. Of course it wasn't about the child. Shameful etc.



He doesn't seem like the sort of chap to have many friends to help him, but apparently his PA lives streets away and could have brought him groceries. He also has relatives in his general vicinity. The mismanagement of this is totally bonkers. Shapps actually told Marr that he hadn't spoken to Cummings before going on the most high profile political show in the country to talk about about the most high profile political story in the country. It's comedy gold.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Seen on Twitter Roger Gale calling PM's position into question apparently.



Yeah, I saw him doing that on Sky News earlier.

* Little known fact, he was a Radio Caroline North DJ, the ship off the Isle of Mann, back in the 60's.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> He is not setting government policy and also apologised sincerely.



And Cummings' mum and dad weren't scientologists.


----------



## butchersapron (May 24, 2020)

hash tag said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Presumably this is what you wanted us to see?


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I mean, could well be right, but getting their ducks in a row doesn't seem to be something they've been overly concerned about in the past.



I think you do these people a disservice. One of them was so keen to get his ducks orderly he built a duck house and claimed £1,645 on expenses for it.









						Tory MP Peter Viggers quits over duck island expense claim
					

Shamed Tory grandee Sir Peter Viggers to stand down from his Gosport seat




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## xenon (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


> He doesn't seem like the sort of chap to have many friends to help him, but apparently his PA lives streets away and could have brought him groceries. He also has relatives in his general vicinity. The mismanagement of this is totally bonkers. Shapps actually told Marr that he hadn't spoken to Cummings before going on the most high profile political show in the country to talk about about the most high profile political story in the country. It's comedy gold.



Not seen Shaps thing this morning yet. His stuff yesterday was bad enough.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Haven't people ended up in (virtual) court for stuff not as bad as this? Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice I'd say for the lot of them who are trying to cover it up.


----------



## xenon (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Yeah, I saw him doing that on Sky News earlier.
> 
> * Little known fact, he was a Radio Caroline North DJ, the ship off the Isle of Mann, back in the 60's.



A gale at sea.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

xenon said:


> A gale at sea.


A piratin' jolly Roger.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Piers Morgan bans cabinet ministers who back Dominic Cummings from GMB
> 
> 
> Outspoken telly host Piers Morgan has issued a blanket ban to all cabinet ministers who support Dominic Cummings after he was caught flouting lockdown rules
> ...


It's a sign of how desperate things have become that I have a nano-second of pleasure every time I hear phrases like 'Piers Morgan takes minister to task/calls on on boris johnson to/eviscerates minister' etc. A very desperate place.   

But yeah, I agree, they'll be delighted to avoid that cunt on cunt action.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> It's a sign of how desperate things have become that I have a nano-second of pleasure every time I hear phrases like 'Piers Morgan takes minister to task/calls on on boris johnson to/eviscerates minister' etc. A very desperate place.
> 
> But yeah, I agree, they'll be delighted to avoid that cunt on cunt action.



They'll all be coming out in defence of him now


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

That petition is cumming along nicely. I wonder if itll break the 100k to get a debate.


----------



## tim (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> A piratin' jolly Roger.



He'll Be jolly-rogering Bo-Jo if Cummings doesn't walk the gangplank soon.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Doing a line of coke together.


Unusual experience as neither of them will have a sense of smell at the moment.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

It's Peston, so it might be kite-flying to test the reaction, but on the other hand...


----------



## philosophical (May 24, 2020)

I would love to see in old Western Cavalry film court martial style, the Javid advisor he had frogmarched out, strip him of his phone, and give him a sachet of Daz for his manky stinking orange shirt, and have him wheeled out of number 10 on that childs bicycle he loaded into the back of his motor yesterday.


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It's Peston, so it might be kite-flying to test the reaction, but on the other hand...



Cummings 'confident he did nothing wrong'. These fucking people.


----------



## butchersapron (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> That petition is cumming along nicely. I wonder if itll break the 100k to get a debate.


There doesn't appear to be one.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

butchersapron said:


> There doesn't appear to be one.



It's on change.org.  The clicktivists have got confused.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

butchersapron said:


> There doesn't appear to be one.



Got my petitions mixed up!


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Petitions don't have to be brought up in the commons once they get 100k sigs. Oft-repeated myth


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

Cummings looks to be close to the exit door, but if they can divert this to a cabinet sec for a fortnight the lockdown will have virtually crumbled anyway. Everybody will be driving everywhere, while the sick and elderly remain stuck in their houses. Anyway, I'd say his chances, as of this afternoon are about 40/60.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

By the by, why has he 'gone to number 10'? I know that's the usual thing, but I thought we still nominally at 'work from home if you can'?  I'd have thought talking to johnson and his other courtiers on some secure version of zoom or whatever would have been a piece of piss.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> By the by, why has he 'gone to number 10'? I know that's the usual thing, but I thought we still nominally at 'work from home if you can'?  I'd have thought talking to johnson and his other courtiers on some secure version of zoom or whatever would have been a piece of piss.


They've both had it, so they're feeling as immune to the virus as they do everything else.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Cummings looks to be close to the exit door...



Perhaps not:


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

This is excellent; whatever happens or not before 5pm, Johnson looks weak.
Damage on damage that's cut-through well beyond any bubble.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> This is excellent; whatever happens or not before 5pm, Johnson looks weak.
> Damage on damage that's cut-through well beyond any bubble.


The weird thing is, to a certain section of society (unclear how large), it appears they still see him as an embattled hero under fire from the enemy within, leftys and their agenda-pushing MSM


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> The weird thing is, to a certain section of society (unclear how large), it appears they still see him as an embattled hero under fire from the enemy within, leftys and their agenda-pushing MSM


Oh yeah, but I've been hearing very real anger about Cummings/Johnson from quarters that I don't normally. Important to remember that pretty much everyone has lived-experience 'skin-in-the-game' on this lockdown issue; the resentment seems pretty widespread tbh, although the die-hard, _Get Brexit done_ fans will probably demonstrate a Trump-like loyalty.


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> The weird thing is, to a certain section of society (unclear how large), it appears they still see him as an embattled hero under fire from the enemy within, leftys and their agenda-pushing MSM


It was 28% on YouGov yesterday


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Oh yeah, but I've been hearing very real anger about Cummings/Johnson from quarters that I don't normally. Important to remember that pretty much everyone has lived-experience 'skin-in-the-game' on this lockdown issue; the resentment seems pretty widespread tbh, although the die-hard, _Get Brexit done_ fans will probably demonstrate a Trump-like loyalty.



I'm sure you're right there, and that might serve to alienate them from a much larger number of people who are disgusted at what Cummings has done and disappointed in BJ for not giving him the boot.


----------



## tim (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Oh yeah, but I've been hearing very real anger about Cummings/Johnson from quarters that I don't normally. Important to remember that pretty much everyone has lived-experience 'skin-in-the-game' on this lockdown issue; the resentment seems pretty widespread tbh, although the die-hard, _Get Brexit done_ fans will probably demonstrate a Trump-like loyalty.




Trump is not a man noted for his loyalty to beleaguered colleagues and supporters


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

tim said:


> Trump is not a man noted for his loyalty to beleaguered colleagues and supporters


Yeah, could have worded that more clearly, meant that...well, you know what I meant.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

The gift that keeps on....


----------



## vanya (May 24, 2020)

Cummings and Goings
					

If you have Coronavirus symptoms, the government's rules are very clear. You should self-isolate for a fortnight. No ifs, no buts, unless ...




					averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com
				






> If you have Coronavirus symptoms, the government's rules are very clear. You should self-isolate for a fortnight. No ifs, no buts, unless there is an obvious risk to life. Why then did Dominic Cummings, the "mastermind" behind the government's complacent and disastrous response to the covid-19 emergency, drive from London to Durham to drop his kids off when, by his own admission, he was showing all the signs of the disease? We know why. He drove there for the same reasons why Catherine Calderwood, Scotland's chief medical officer visited her second home, and why Neal Ferguson, author of the lockdown strategy, broke the rules to get his leg over. They did it because they could. They did it because the quarantine measures they proffered for others do not apply to them.
> 
> News of course for the rest of us. Those parents who were ill with children at home, people banned from the bedside of family members, the bereaved having to grieve in absentia because distancing rules applied to funerals, these sacrifices - which Boris Johnson has the habit of patronisingly congratulating us for - are for the likes of us, not the likes of them. Even when it means pointing people in harm's way, which is exactly what Cummings did. Cummings and his partner were both obviously ill with the bug, but thought nothing of dumping the sprog on the _elderly parents_. At least his lack of regard for the safety of the old is consistent. Still, given the opportunity to pick a side between the many and the few, true to form senior Tories have marched out to defend Cummings. Michael Gove said "caring for your wife and child is not a crime." Rishi Sunak and Dominic Raab said it was a justifiable action, and condemned political point scoring. At the daily press conference, Grant Shapps went as far to suggest Durham Police were lying about speaking to Cummings's family about the matter. You can find other ministers, MPs, and their social media satraps doing the same. Though, strangely, not our frequently absent Prime Minister.
> 
> ...


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> The gift that keeps on....




Wasn't he seen in Durham yesterday?   

Apparently Boris will not be doing the daily briefing today because he refuses to be questioned by 'campaigning newspapers'... Let's face it he is also dodging q's about the Arcuri findings even if the police aren't going to take action there was evidence that his relationship with her influenced decisions to give her public money and he doesn't want to face that.


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> The gift that keeps on....



So is his wife & kid still in Durham?


----------



## philosophical (May 24, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Wasn't he seen in Durham yesterday?
> 
> Apparently Boris will not be doing the daily briefing today because he refuses to be questioned by 'campaigning newspapers'... Let's face it he is also dodging q's about the Arcuri findings even if the police aren't going to take action there was evidence that his relationship with her influenced decisions to give her public money and he doesn't want to face that.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> The gift that keeps on....



Yes, it is, though I'm confused as to what the visit was for. Weren't Durham police supposed to have spoken to him about this road trip? Is this something else?


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> It's a sign of how desperate things have become that I have a nano-second of pleasure every time I hear phrases like 'Piers Morgan takes minister to task/calls on on boris johnson to/eviscerates minister' etc. A very desperate place.
> 
> But yeah, I agree, they'll be delighted to avoid that cunt on cunt action.


Strange Days we live in Wilf, Strange Days indeed.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> It's a sign of how desperate things have become that I have a nano-second of pleasure every time I hear phrases like 'Piers Morgan takes minister to task/calls on on boris johnson to/eviscerates minister' etc. A very desperate place.
> 
> But yeah, I agree, they'll be delighted to avoid that cunt on cunt action.



They've not let a cabinet minister anywhere near Morgan for nearly a month now anyway so it's a moot point. It's a shame he's such a fucking bulldozer because he is actually a good interviewer when he sets his mind to it without interrupting all the time, a la his life stories series.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> The gift that keeps on....




Either to question him about the violations or because some threats have been made.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)




----------



## ska invita (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It's Peston, so it might be kite-flying to test the reaction, but on the other hand...



If that's the case its a big fuck up by Labour. Starmer has forgotten that he's not here to make money for lawyers


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


> They've not let a cabinet minister anywhere near Morgan for nearly a month now anyway so it's a moot point. It's a shame he's such a fucking bulldozer because he is actually a good interviewer when he sets his mind to it without interrupting all the time, a la his life stories series.


Yeah, it rarely works well, I prefer a bit of forensic outrage to interrupting. One of the few times it did work was O'brien on farage, but few and far between


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Blimey, Johnson is going to lead the press briefing at 5 pm. 

* Just reported on the BBC News Channel.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Is he? Source?

ETA never mind, it's all over now

Wow, can't wait for this


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Blimey, Johnson is going to lead the press briefing at 5 pm.
> 
> * Just reported on the BBC News Channel.


Yeah just heard that on BBC radio news. Is he going to try to defend him do you think?


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Is he? Source?
> 
> ETA never mind, it's all over now
> 
> Wow, can't wait for this



Torygraph too


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Yeah just heard that on BBC radio news. Is he going to try to defend him do you think?



Fuck knows, but he should be explaining why Cummings has gone, but somehow I doubt it.


----------



## Doctor Carrot (May 24, 2020)

I just keep seeing it when I see Cummings in those sunglasses.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

ska invita said:


> If that's the case its a big fuck up by Labour. Starmer has forgotten that he's not here to make money for lawyers



Perhaps.  Alternatively, Labour's thinking may be that the longer they drag this out the more damage it will do.  At the end of it the Cabinet Secretary either has to exonerate Cummings, which would look like a stitch-up, or Johnson will have to sack him anyway and he'll look like a clown* for having tried to hang on to him.  Could be quite a smart move.

*As if he doesn't already.


----------



## D'wards (May 24, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Yeah just heard that on BBC radio news. Is he going to try to defend him do you think?


I have a feeling he, and the rest of the government now, will ignore this story now and carry on regardless. He won't go.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

What Johnson will we see today? The serious statesman schtick? The classic mumbling buffoon distraction?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> What Johnson will we see today? The serious statesman schtick? The classic mumbling buffoon distraction?


I think there's a good chance he'll lose his temper.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Do we know what hacks are assigned for the questions at the end? If there will be any.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Place your bets does the invisible pm actually appearing on tv mean he’s sacked or does it mean the opposite? I’m thinking more likely he’ll stand there and try to charm and bluster it under the carpet because he needs him and thinks that might be enough to keep his fans onside. Very not sure though.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> What Johnson will we see today? The serious statesman schtick? The classic mumbling buffoon distraction?



If I had to take a bet, I'd go for it being the buffoon distraction announcing some way of trying to kick the issue into the long grass.  Cabinet Secretary investigation obviously one way of doing that.  But I wouldn't put more than a few quid on it.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Doctor Carrot said:


> I just keep seeing it when I see Cummings in those sunglasses.


----------



## spitfire (May 24, 2020)

I've just started following this account on twatter, may be bollocks but we shall soon find out.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Time to get the beers and settle in


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> Place your bets does the invisible pm actually appearing on tv mean he’s sacked or does it mean the opposite? I’m thinking more likely he’ll stand there and try to charm and bluster it under the carpet because he needs him and thinks that might be enough to keep his fans onside. Very not sure though.



not sacked, and his advisers have advised him to avoid looking like a yellow belly custard he needs to go and explain the reasoning himself.


----------



## editor (May 24, 2020)




----------



## D'wards (May 24, 2020)

Remember all the furore when Boris published the letterbox article?  There were loads of calls for him to go or be sacked by the same quarters who are calling for Cummings head. 
He just kept his head down and carried on regardless. 

Remember the Tories only need to please tory voters, not Guardian and Mirror journalists and readers


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

editor said:


>




you're a bit late.


----------



## editor (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

spitfire said:


> I've just started following this account on twatter, may be bollocks but we shall soon find out.



It's stating the obvious, innit.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


>



I don't want to make some pompous statement about the declining standards of public life in britain, but if cummings survives, we are edging into trump or berlusconi territory.  That's a reasonable instant response clip from Labour, particularly with the inclusion of the 'protect our NHS line'.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

He will have a one or two sentence coment on the subject. Something like 'he believed he acted i a justifiable manner and the cabinet office are investigating' and refuse to say any more than that on the subject. Which means he'll end up saying it forty or fifty times and look ridiculous. But I predict he will succesfully Trump it out. Anyone raising it in future will be accused of politicising things and not given the time of day.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

I really hope for the country's sake that Johnson has sacked him.  

If the PM stands up there, insists Cummings did nothing wrong and says that Cummings did not go back there subsequently, and is then challenged with absolute proof that he did by the Mirror and Guardian, then he is going to have to resign never mind Cummings.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Doctor Carrot said:


> I just keep seeing it when I see Cummings in those sunglasses.



Is that Johnny Depp playing Hunter S Thompson?

If so, I have a similar tale. That picture of Cummings in the car spent the whole day yesterday reminding me of Duke from Doonesbury when he was turned into a zombie. And Duke is based on HST.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


>



But still not actually calling for him to go.


----------



## editor (May 24, 2020)

Wham!


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

I wonder if the Mirror and Guardian are holding back on more information, for their Monday editions.

*fingers crossed *


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

He'll say it's been referred and it's not appropriate for him to go into detail.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

<edit: sorry, just caught up and seen we already know.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> I really hope for the country's sake that Johnson has sacked him.
> 
> If the PM stands up there, insists Cummings did nothing wrong and says that Cummings did not go back there subsequently, and is then challenged with absolute proof that he did by the Mirror and Guardian, then he is going to have to resign never mind Cummings.


Don't think we are in that kind of world any more.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> He'll say it's been referred and it's not appropriate for him to go into detail.


Sadly I think this is the most likely thing


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> if cummings survives, we are edging into trump or berlusconi territory


We're pretty much there all ready. A drunk man won the biggest majority in decades by saying get brexit done a lot and then spent six months doing fuck all through the biggest crisis in 75 years.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> He'll say it's been referred and it's not appropriate for him to go into detail.


Think so too but if he does so with that smile on as if everyone’s being silly and it’s all a bit of a laugh I don’t think it will work for him.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> We're pretty much there all ready. A drunk man won the biggest majority in decades by saying get brexit done a lot and then spent six months doing fuck all through the biggest crisis in 75 years.


He's certainly killed more brits than thatcher in the falklands or blair in the middle east.


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

Johnson doesn't care what the public thinks. He's got a large commons majority and no election for 4 years.

The only pressure that can get rid of Cummings is from, within the tory party, and there'll be a load of behind the scenes pressure on MPs from the whips. 

I think he'll stay


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

D'wards said:


> Remember all the furore when Boris published the letterbox article?  There were loads of calls for him to go or be sacked by the same quarters who are calling for Cummings head.
> He just kept his head down and carried on regardless.
> 
> Remember the Tories only need to please tory voters, not Guardian and Mirror journalists and readers


Problem = many, older Tory voters not at all impressed by this episode; hence so many backwoodsmen up in arms.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> He's certainly killed more brits than thatcher in the falklands or blair in the middle east.


Far more than Thatcher killed Brits and Argies put together but Blair wins with the million or so foreigners he bombed.


----------



## chilango (May 24, 2020)

I wouldn't put it past Johnson to rock up with a smirk and announce the lifting of lockdown.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Far more than Thatcher killed Brits and Argies put together but Blair wins with the million or so foreigners he bombed.


'Look, y'know, guys...'


----------



## editor (May 24, 2020)

You'll never guess what Spiked's take on it is...   









						Dominic Cummings broke the lockdown? Good
					

The hysteria over his trip to his parents' home is driven by nothing more than Remainer revenge.




					www.spiked-online.com


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

rubbershoes said:


> Johnson doesn't care what the public thinks. He's got a large commons majority and no election for 4 years.
> 
> The only pressure that can get rid of Cummings is from, within the tory party, and there'll be a load of behind the scenes pressure on MPs from the whips.
> 
> I think he'll stay



the problem with this is that its the Tories who have a large commons majority, not him - if he becomes a liability (which he is becoming) then he will be out on his ear to recover his health / enjoy fatherhood really quickly


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> He'll say it's been referred and it's not appropriate for him to go into detail.



The Cabinet Office could release their findings at the same time as the Russia report. So, never


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Where’s best to watch this briefing?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Where’s best to watch this briefing?



I would suggest Sky News, sometimes the BBC cuts away from it, before the end.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

"I'm going to do what the Labour Party have asked and instigate an inquiry and I'll be taking no further questions on Dominic because I can't pre-empt that inquiry."

Must be a decent bet.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

rubbershoes said:


> The Cabinet Office could release their findings at the same time as the Russia report. So, never



They could, but unlike most other political scandals where there is a degree of nuance and so on this is basically he either went there repeatedly or he didn't.  

If there is evidence he was there, they continue to insist that he wasn't and the paper have evidence he was, no amount of whitewash or delay is going to work.


----------



## co-op (May 24, 2020)

editor said:


> Wham!




He's obviously blotted the years 1992-1997 from his memory then.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> "I'm going to do what the Labour Party have asked and instigate an inquiry and I'll be taking no further questions on Dominic because I can't pre-empt that inquiry."
> 
> Must be a decent bet.



Which would make it even more infuriating they' ve only asked for an enquiry not his head on a stick.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

it's being suggesyed it was his mams birthday... did I miss that or has it just come about.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> it's being suggesyed it was his mams birthday... did I miss that or has it just come about.



was mentioned on here by a few posters - I think someone said one of the subsequent visits was on his wifes birthday too


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> was mentioned on here by a few posters - I think someone said one of the subsequent visits was on his wifes birthday too


Wotsit castle on his mrs' birthday and back to Durham (after having been back to London) for his mum's.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> was mentioned on here by a few posters - I think someone said one of the subsequent visits was on his wifes birthday too



what an absolute c word!!!


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

chilango said:


> I wouldn't put it past Johnson to rock up with a smirk and announce the lifting of lockdown.



Retrospective to 28 March. 

See, he was following the rules


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

I’m still going with resignation, announced by Johnson whilst freak slips out of Downing St unnoticed whilst Johnson speaks. Then bring him back as Special Advisor for Brexit in a couple of months.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 24, 2020)

Hes doing a great job. Contratulations sleeper comrade cummings.One step closer to the glorious day.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

"Case closed, I was right to back him... but oh, in the last few minutes he just felt he had to resign"?


----------



## Humberto (May 24, 2020)

Reckon it will be:

"Where there are exceptional circumstances, then of course, if that is the right thing to do, I support my colleagues who have been doing a tremendous job..."


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

He can’t really sack him anyway can he after all the troops marched out to voice their support yesterday as instructed. They’d all look stupid along with him and that would make it all go on and on anyhow.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Actually gonna watch; can't remember such an obvious lose:lose scenario for yonks


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Actually gonna watch; can't remember such an obvious lose:lose scenario for yonks



Ditto but I think it's going to be frustrating because when did Johnson actually say anything, ever.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

chilango said:


> I wouldn't put it past Johnson to rock up with a smirk and announce the lifting of lockdown.


genuine laugh out loud


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Actually gonna watch; can't remember such an obvious lose:lose scenario for yonks



You're in for a disappointment.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Actually gonna watch; can't remember such an obvious lose:lose scenario for yonks



he looks like a wimp if he doesnt sack him. whaqts the lose if he does? Looks a wally for cheer leading him?


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 24, 2020)

chilango said:


> I wouldn't put it past Johnson to rock up with a smirk and announce the lifting of lockdown.



Well they have been frustrated by all the push back from ppl not wanting to send kids back to school etc...This kind of does work for them.


----------



## DJWrongspeed (May 24, 2020)




----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Are the meedya sitting on something?


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

mwgdrwg said:


> You're in for a disappointment.


Does that assume that the most damaging outcome for the tories is a sacking?


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> he looks like a wimp if he doesnt sack him. whaqts the lose if he does? Looks a wally for cheer leading him?


He shows his entire cabinet up for the cunts that they were for backing the cunt; cunts.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> "Case closed, I was right to back him... but oh, in the last few minutes he just felt he had to resign"?




If he says that the Johnson is hopelessly exposed should a speeding ticket half way up the M1 on 19th April be exposed.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Why don't these things ever start on time?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Why don't these things ever start on time?



thatcher would have made the trains be on time


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Does that assume that the most damaging outcome for the tories is a sacking?



There won't be _any_ damaging outcome.


----------



## clicker (May 24, 2020)

Ffs.

Eta


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Fuck


----------



## Saffy (May 24, 2020)

Jesus christ


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

spineless cunt


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

The twat is supporting the other twat.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Expect no less folks. Scum


----------



## Mogden (May 24, 2020)

Fucking cockwombling cunty twats.


----------



## harpo (May 24, 2020)

FUDGE


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Such a fucking load of cunts.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Unusual experience as neither of them will have a sense of smell at the moment.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

Full backing from Boris.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

Cummings, such integrity


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Can people actually report what he's saying please? Some of us get our news from here


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

'I believe that he has acted responsibly, legally and with integrity.'

Fuck me backwards.  That is shameless even by BJ standards.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

"some of them palpably false"

hope Pippa Crerar is there, ideally with a question and the proof


----------



## D'wards (May 24, 2020)

That's it. Full stop. Dealt with. Wont be thought of by government again


----------



## gaijingirl (May 24, 2020)

Is that it?  Fucksake.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

That's it folks. Move on.


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

Despite nothing happening that I didn't expect to not happen, I am still fucking apoplectic with rage


----------



## spitfire (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Can people actually report what he's saying please? Some of us get our news from here



Nicked from Beth Rigby (Sky News)

Johnson ”We’ve been asking you to make sacrifices while some have been flouting those rules. In travelling to find the right childcare when he and his wife had CV I think he followed the instincts of every father and I do not mark him down for that”


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

'Integrity'.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Going for the buffoon schtick.

Loving the Sky run down of Johnson’s career like an obituary.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Well in no way does it alter my feelings towards the shitbags.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

OK Media. Earn your money.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

http://www.howitworksdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/iStock_000002662649Large.jpg


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 24, 2020)

Wow. They really are utterly fucking shameless. I mean, we knew that anyway, but always good to have it confirmed in such clear terms.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Johnson of course the expert on what good fathers do


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

mwgdrwg said:


> That's it folks. Move on.



I doubt that's it, the media are like a dog with a bone on this one.


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Shameless piece of shit. But what the fuck can we do?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Why’s he waffling on, he’s lost the whole sodding country?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Won't be taking questions?


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I doubt that's it, the media are like a dog with a bone on this one.



Sure.

"First, a question from Laura"


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Shameless piece of shit. But what the fuck can we do?


Burn things


----------



## Aladdin (May 24, 2020)

He said Cummings did what any father would do. 

He's fucked everyone over now..
Watch the virus figures climb back up now

Fucking wanker


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

It’s like watching blinky  Ben from The Thick of it.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Shameless piece of shit. But what the fuck can we do?



Someone at the Guardian tapping his finger on the copy of the NIP which proves Cummings was travelling around the place. Then Boris will have to go too..


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I doubt that's it, the media are like a dog with a bone on this one.


The BBC aren't. The Murdoch rags are half in half out. The Guardian and Mirror will be told off for political campaigning. I'm sure Twitter is compeletely melting down but that's just Twitter.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

The year the country died.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> he looks like a wimp if he doesnt sack him. whaqts the lose if he does? Looks a wally for cheer leading him?


The government implodes into a power vacuum.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> The BBC aren't. The Murdoch rags are half in half out. The Guardian and Mirror will be told off for political campaigning. I'm sure Twitter is compeletely melting down but that's just Twitter.



"Dominic Cummings" isn't even in the top 20 trends on Twitter. Friends in high places.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 24, 2020)

Potentially the most damaging thing he could do IMO. It's insulting people's intelligence and it's insulting everyone who has played by the rules and not been to visit families - which is most people. Maybe he can brazen it out again, maybe not. I don't think this one will be quite that easy though.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

unbelievable. thought he was going to announce and enquiry as a "long grass" tactic. but no - dom did nothing wrong - end of. half expecting the guy doing the signing to make "fuck you" gestures at us.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> NIP



whats that?


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 24, 2020)

Brilliant. He's absolutely fucked them


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> The BBC aren't. The Murdoch rags are half in half out. The Guardian and Mirror will be told off for political campaigning. I'm sure Twitter is compeletely melting down but that's just Twitter.



All it takes is one journalist with unequivocable evidence to show Cummings did what he is accused of and he (and now the PM) are going to be left looking like the whopper he is


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Prattling in about schools, neither of my kids can go. We can’t go on holidays. The quarantine is killing my business. I feel like doing what any father would do in such circumstances...


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

We have always been ruled by complete wankers, but this bunch can't finesse it. Jesus.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> whats that?



The speeding ticket


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

i wonder weather he just refuse to answer any questions about cummings


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Reckon they've been in Downing Street all afternoon asking what Cummings did and what can be proved. Reckon couple of the accusations of him going up and down a few times are maybe erroneous, and they think they can ride out the truthful ones, and/or there's no proof of any trips out.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> i wonder weather he just refuse to answer any questions about cummings



He's going to go full-Trump on this one.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> The speeding ticket



I think there's something. Would the meedya go with the second journey so aggresively if they didnt have proof.


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> i wonder weather he just refuse to answer any questions about cummings



Yeah, he'll just say I've made my position clear or something like that I reckon. Surely all he can do.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Will the North London Brick Hurlers be arranging an outing now?


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

mwgdrwg said:


> There won't be _any_ damaging outcome.


There really is.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> I think there's something. Would the meedya go with the second journey so aggresively if they didnt have proof.



There will be some thing, phone records etc. You can’t move around without leaving a trail that a determined investigation wouldn’t find these days.


----------



## editor (May 24, 2020)




----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 24, 2020)

Wow. Even all the brexit loons with union jacks for avatars in the various local FB groups I'm in are furious with him. They have quite spectacularly misjudged the mood on this one.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

He fucked that up really badly, I think. Spent 1 minute on it not even trying to address why millions of people feel how they do, repeating the offensive shit about any good father would drive to Durham. He’ll come to regret todays show I reckon.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

waffling for all his worth to take up time


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 24, 2020)

I really, really hope the press have something else on him that will fuck then both.


----------



## Part 2 (May 24, 2020)

An appeal for dash cam footage from the area or CCTV from businesses in Barnard Castle might be good at this point.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Wow. Even all the brexit loons with union jacks for avatars in the various local FB groups I'm in are furious with him. They have quite spectacularly misjudged the mood on this one.



It shows how precarious Boris perceives his position is without Cummings.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

Wow, totally being torn apart by the journalists now.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> An appeal for dash cam footage from the area or CCTV from businesses in Barnard Castle might be good at this point.



or certain FOI requests


----------



## chilango (May 24, 2020)

Lockdown's over then.

...and they didn't have to say a word.

££££


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> An appeal for dash cam footage from the area or CCTV from businesses in Barnard Castle might be good at this point.


Well lets hope people are so incensed by this that lots of evidence magically appears.

(WTF is it with these really shit questions???)


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 24, 2020)

Hmm, journalist muted. What a sad accident.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Dominic Cummings timeline: what we know about his movements
					

How No 10’s claims about the adviser’s breach of lockdown square with the public record




					www.theguardian.com
				




I think that's detail we can all do without


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

what a dick head; he's totally misjudged it.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> or certain FOI requests



To whom? the only one I can think of is Durham Police who issued advice rather than a fixed penalty.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 24, 2020)

I don't think I have ever felt so angry about anything than I do about this.
Of all the shitty decisions they've made, the shitty stuff they've done but this, this is a step too far. It's insulting.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Will the North London Brick Hurlers be arranging an outing now?



bricks in wheelbarrows lads(joking just in case).


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

Crap question from Peston


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

I’ve not seen Johnson this flustered before. He looks like he’s just been having his end away.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> bricks in wheelbarrows lads(joking just in case).


And wash your hands!!


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Crap question from Peston



Surprise surprise.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 24, 2020)

christ - peston is shit


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

lol did anyone else just see Peston then?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Crap question from Peston



what was his exaspitrated look


agricola said:


> lol did anyone else just see Peston then?



yes. what was that about.


----------



## Mogden (May 24, 2020)




----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> lol did anyone else just see Peston then?



Yes


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> lol did anyone else just see Peston then?


Rolling eyes and slumped into his chair.


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> christ - peston is shit


You'd think he could at least come out with it without stumbling and erming all over the place. This is meant to be his job.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

"did he go to Barnard Castle"

_waffle_


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Sue said:


> You'd think he could at least come out with it without stumbling and erming all over the place. This is meant to be his job.



Last time I looked he was earning around £1m a year.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 24, 2020)

He losing it..
Fucking hell, so were confused now.
Jesus bastard wept


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Prattling in about schools, neither of my kids can go. We can’t go on holidays. The quarantine is killing my business. I feel like doing what any father would do in such circumstances...


How good a shot are you with a sniper rifle?


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Now the country is “confused”


----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Rolling eyes and slumped into his chair.



There was a sound too.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 24, 2020)

Just read this news , utter cunts , not surprised though.

let’s see how much anger is out there now...


----------



## Mogden (May 24, 2020)

The body language gives that are sparking off of Boris are unreal. Talking about looking into all the Cummings journeys he says he's looked into them all and at that moment his head is shaking left to right.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 24, 2020)

Hahaha. Can we please go to politico.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


> There was a sound too.


Missed that.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Very poor standard of reporting on this thread suddenly  . When saying 'he' earns £1 million and 'he' slumps into his chair can we clarify as to whether that's Peston or Johnson please?


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Why does he keep saying that Cummings went to Durham and looked at bluebells etc all  in a noble effort to stop the spread of the virus ? I mean it’s unnecessary to say such stupid things surely.


----------



## wayward bob (May 24, 2020)

i really needed this tbf 🤣


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> Why does he keep saying that Cummings went to Durham and looked at bluebells etc all  in a noble effort to stop the spread of the virus ? I mean it’s unnecessary to say such stupid things surely.


He keeps saying that he was in lockdown in Durham for 14 days as well. I thought he was only here for 5 days? I am confused now.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

I'm going to have to watch the edited highlights.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Ffs, ask about the sister in law in London, ask about why on earth such a connected couple could only get the potential childcare by going to fucking Durham, you hopeless cunts.

Ask about the utter bollocks his wife wrote in the Spectator!


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

This is an absolute fucking disgrace.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> How good a shot are you with a sniper rifle?



can hit five out of six tin plates at the fair with an air rifle that has doctored sights...


----------



## Doctor Carrot (May 24, 2020)

It's funny as fuck watching him try to just brass it out


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

The scientists missed a trick (and a chance to gain hero status and some integrity), they should have made a statement on it and walked out saying they won't be a part of this farce any more.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Only 2 modes now; looking like he doesn't believe a word of what he says (making tricky dickie look like a good bet for a 2nd hand car purchase) & barely controlled temper tantrum.

Wonderful.

The damage will continue.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

that reporter from the Oxford Mail has asked the best question of the day, which he has completely failed to answer


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Didn't answer the question about when he knew Cummings had gone to Durham


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

If this were a football match you'd have 60,000 people chanting "THE REFEREE'S A WANKER!"


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

They'll sit it out today and hope it blows over this coming week. If something big hits the news that'll make it easier. Suspect he won't go now unless something new and very damning comes out.


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Didn't answer the question about when he knew Cummings had gone to Durham


Yeah, surely someone else will pick that up?


----------



## Mogden (May 24, 2020)

That's surely the quickest he's ever done that session


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

If you nail your colours to the mast and the ship goes down, you go down with it.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

The dead doctor from Oxford & Mr cummings are "in the same position"...saving the best till last.

Masterclass.


----------



## wayward bob (May 24, 2020)

never imagined i'd see him grasping onto a ppe question as a lifeline...


----------



## Plumdaff (May 24, 2020)

Fucking hell. That was no better than Trump, just because it's posh and verbose doesn't make it any less useless and corrupt.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

I so fucking hope the Guardian & Mirror are going to serve up more tonight.


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)

Is it possible to drive a Range Rover from London to Durham without stopping for petrol or toilet breaks?


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

Can't work out my emotions at that performance. Anger, mixed with amusement at the balls of the man, mixed with despair. I'm giggling inappropriately right now


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


> Is it possible to drive a Range Rover from London to Durham without stopping for petrol or toilet breaks?



It's a 4 - 5 hour drive, so in theory yes, but unlikely.


----------



## hegley (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


> Is it possible to drive a Range Rover from London to Durham without stopping for petrol or toilet breaks?


I doubt it with a 4 year old child on board.


----------



## steveo87 (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


> Is it possible to drive a Range Rover from London to Durham without stopping for petrol or toilet breaks?


He's stuck so far up his own arsehole I'm surprised he could see the road, to be honest.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

How bad was that?


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> It's a 4 - 5 hour drive, so in theory yes, but unlikely.



With a 4 year old too. I suspect we might have heard if he'd been seen at a service station though.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

hegley said:


> I doubt it with a 4 year old child on board.



"You should have gone before we left "


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Not very Churchillian, was it


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

Re: The Thick Of It. Reality has made it redundant as satire


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Range Rover for sale. Seats smell of shit, piss and disease.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Not very Churchillian, was it



6th former winging it.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> Re: The Thick Of It. Reality has made it redundant as satire


Blinky was better


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> How bad was that?


In terms of what?
I don't think it was a bad performance from Johnson really, none of the questions really landed a blow on him. I can't see it really changing people's mind either way.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Blinky was better


 BJ does however look like a cow being punched


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> BJ does however look like a cow being punched



poor Starmer, perhaps he wasnt that forensic after all


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> In terms of what?
> I don't think it was a bad performance from Johnson really, none of the questions really landed a blow on him. I can't see it really changing people's mind either way.


He didn't answer any questions he didn't like


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> In terms of what?
> I don't think it was a bad performance from Johnson really, none of the questions really landed a blow on him. I can't see it really changing people's mind either way.


Mate that was a grade A shitshow; not sure why you can't see that.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> OK Media. Earn your money.



ska invita - you laughed at this.
ska invita - you were right


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

> A YouGov poll taken over the weekend revealed that 68% of the public said Cummings’ actions broke lockdown rules, while 18% said they did not. Of those asked, 52% said he should resign, while 28% said he should not.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Talk about misjudging public opinion.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> How bad was that?



It was shit fuck arse bad. 

SNAFU


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

It’s like an idiot or a double agent wrote his notes for him, the things he repeated the most often were the worst. Cummings drove there in order to stop the spread of the virus is just baffling. He repeated about 50 times that the man had isolated ‘for 14 days or more’ which can so easily be proved wrong. Very peculiar. Just stupid is my overriding impression tbh not  dastardly at all.


----------



## frogwoman (May 24, 2020)

This thread has severely misjudged the public mood tbh. Watch your tone.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Oh, I hope you have something good to drop tomorrow Pippa, please say you have


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

seen elsewhere:


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> It’s like an idiot or a double agent wrote his notes for him, the things he repeated the most often were the worst. Cummings drove there in order to stop the spread of the virus is just baffling.



"I drove there to stop the spread of the virus, Boris". "Ah that's good I'll tell them that."


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 24, 2020)

Most disappointing thing was the missed open goal. 'Prime Minister, you said you believe Mr Cummings driving 250 miles with his wife, who had confirmed symptoms, and his child in the confined space of a car was a reasonable course of action. Can you see any correlation between this and your belief that visiting various hospitals and shaking hands with Corona patients, which likely led to your infection and near-death experience, was a reasonable way to behave?'


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

S☼I said:


> He didn't answer any questions he didn't like


Yeah, he deflected and neutralised -  like I said not a bad performance.


brogdale said:


> Mate that was a grade A shitshow; not sure why you can't see that.


How so? Which of the question asked really discomforted him?
The government presented a loophole that they might be able to manage to throw Cummings a line on. Will it satisfy most people? Probably not but it's thrown up smoke to partially neutralise the story, now they are banking on people seeing it as a political fight, for the media to move on.


----------



## Poot (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> It’s like an idiot or a double agent wrote his notes for him, the things he repeated the most often were the worst. Cummings drove there in order to stop the spread of the virus is just baffling.


Hard to concentrate with Cummings' hand up your arse working your mouth.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

I am sitting wondering whether this is going to be like the War of Jennifer's Ear though - which briefly looked like it would really damage  the tories but which some years later people say 'What?".


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Yeah, he deflected and neutralised -  like I said not a bad performance.
> How so? Which of the question asked really discomforted him?



The questions, the prevaricating, the filibustering on the public's questions, the technical problems with the BBC bloke were all part of the grade A shitshow. That's what I mean.


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

the original tweet was deleted, here is a screen grab


----------



## steveo87 (May 24, 2020)

Beaten to it, well done little_legs!


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

best screenshot it here


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Yeah, he deflected and neutralised -  like I said not a bad performance.
> How so? Which of the question asked really discomforted him?
> The government presented a loophole that they might be able to manage to throw Cummings a line on. Will it satisfy most people? Probably not but it's thrown up smoke to partially neutralise the story, now they are banking on people seeing it as a political fight, for the media to move on.


But he could’ve done those things without repeatedly saying idiotic stuff like that C’d isolated for 14 days and that any good parent would do the same etc. Not really sure how it could have been done worse tbh apart from if he’d started obviously losing his temper?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

steveo87 said:


> Beaten to it, well done little_legs!


Wow

Someone's on their last day at work, one way or another


----------



## little_legs (May 24, 2020)

chilango said:


> Lockdown's over then.
> 
> ...and they didn't have to say a word.
> 
> ££££



all aboard the Boris Bus, no retreat, no surrender, toot toot.


----------



## Dogsauce (May 24, 2020)

Maybe he can’t sack Cummings so has to duke it out, I can imagine Cummings in a meeting this afternoon just laughing it off and saying ‘what are you going to do, sack me? Have you told your missus about who else you’ve shagged this year?’. Reckon he could drop the government in shit if he felt like it, and has enough contempt for a lot of them to do it.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> best screenshot it here


Assuming it was this?


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Part 2 (May 24, 2020)

What was it?....says it can't retrieve the tweet.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 24, 2020)

lolololol


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

little_legs said:


>






 
 
              UK Civil Service       

*✔*            @UKCivilService



https://twitter.com/UKCivilService/status/1264600481688702977



Arrogant and offensive.

Can you imagine having to work with these truth twisters?


Still misspelt cunts though.


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 24, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> View attachment 214437


Is that genuine?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

This one?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Harry Smiles said:


> Is that genuine?


Saw it quoted on Twitter (as per above screenshot), but has since been deleted.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 24, 2020)

Harry Smiles said:


> Is that genuine?



Yep. Gone now, but genuine.


----------



## Doctor Carrot (May 24, 2020)

Harry Smiles said:


> Is that genuine?



Yeah it is. Here's the link to it that has now been taken down of course.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Harry Smiles said:


> Is that genuine?


Yeah, I saw it on Twitter. Pulled quick obvs


----------



## Doctor Carrot (May 24, 2020)

On BBC news now! 🤣


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

the tweet is now on BBC news

chapeau


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)




----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> The questions, the prevaricating, the filibustering on the public's questions, the technical problems with the BBC bloke were all part of the grade A shitshow. That's what I mean.


That reflects equally badly on the media as on the government. I'm not saying that buy the governments argument, but I don't think the media really landed many punches. To mix metaphors I'd say overall that the press conference was a no score draw.


bimble said:


> But he could’ve done those things without repeatedly saying idiotic stuff like that C’d isolated for 14 days and that any good parent would do the same etc. Not really sure how it could have been done worse tbh apart from if he’d started obviously losing his temper?


How so? The gov. line (which may come undone) was that it was permissible for Cummings to go to Durham to self-isolate in the light of his childcare responsibilities. That's shit and to most people clearly bollocks but there might be just enough there technically. As I said gov strategy seems to be to draw this out, moving the story on from a clear 'breaking the lockdown' angle to lots of long arguments over technical details _might_ work. In light of that strategy I don't think todays press conference was a disaster for the government.

EDIT: I should be clear that I'm only talking about the press conference above. Todays overall news coverage is very bad for the government but I don't think the press conference will particularly hurt them.


----------



## ska invita (May 24, 2020)




----------



## not-bono-ever (May 24, 2020)

fucking hell. what a country.


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> fucking hell. what a country.



never a dull moment!


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Pub Landlords, do you have kids? Has having no income since mid-March affected their lives? Will having no income for fuck knows when affect them? Follow your instincts as a parent and open up!


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> How so? The gov. line (which may come undone) was that it was permissible for Cummings to go to Durham to self-isolate in the light of his childcare responsibilities. That's shit and to most people clearly bollocks but there might be just enough there technically. As I said gov strategy seems to be to draw this out, moving the story on from a clear 'breaking the lockdown' angle to lots of long arguments over technical details _might_ work. In light of that strategy I don't think todays press conference was a disaster for the government.


At the very least he could have avoided repeating easily disproved lies and total nonsense claims. I can’t imagine anybody who was riled by this before today’s show feeling anything but more so, and that’s got to count as a failure.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 24, 2020)

There was never going to be a knockout in the press questions anyway. It's not an effective arena for it even if the questioners _are_ any good.


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> I can’t imagine anybody who was riled by this before today’s show feeling anything but more so, and that’s got to count as a failure.


Does it? Not having a shitload of people that don't like you anyway dislike you a little bit more is neither here nor there. The question is how this plays with those that were wavering.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> fucking hell. what a country.


c4u


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I so fucking hope the Guardian & Mirror are going to serve up more tonight.





S☼I said:


> View attachment 214434
> 
> Oh, I hope you have something good to drop tomorrow Pippa, please say you have



I saw this on the Guardian feed earlier (reposted on the live update feed a few hours after the original footage was taken and posted) -

'Here is a video showing Dominic Cummings leaving his north London home earlier this morning and denying that he had travelled to Durham a second time when he was asked by reporters.'

...(accompanied by the vid, obvs) which immediately looked a bit ' _JUST SAYIN_  '...


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> There was never going to be a knockout in the press questions anyway. It's not an effective arena for it even if the questioners _are_ any good.


Neither is Twitter and we can't exactly take to the streets at the moment. I'm not sure what that leaves. I've signed a petition and made death threats on Facebook. Other than that it's up to the media whether they are able to pursue it.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Does it? Not having a shitload of people that don't like you anyway dislike you a little bit more is neither here nor there. The question is how this plays with those that were wavering.


Let’s see what the next few days brings. The daily mail readers seem apoplectic with rage after that so that’s good.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> Let’s see what the next few days brings. The daily mail readers are apoplectic with rage so that’s good.


daily mail readers are always apoplectic with rage.


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)

I’d imagine every service station between London and Durham has seen a surge in visits from journalists.


----------



## weltweit (May 24, 2020)

Most cars can do 400 miles on a tank. So if the Discovery was full at the start they could have driven to Durham without needing to stop for fuel on the way. They would have had to buy fuel before coming back. 

If it was full on setting off, you have to wonder at what point it was filled up, and if Cummings had symptoms when he filled it up. 

It is usual to make a stop on a long journey (especially with children) and this trip of 260 miles would have taken potentially 5 hours or more, so it does seem more likely than not that they stopped en-route.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> daily mail readers are always apoplectic with rage.


That is true. Not usually with this government though.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> we can't exactly take to the streets at the moment.


I dunno, I'm getting mixed messages at the moment...


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Most cars can do 400 miles on a tank. So if the Discovery was full at the start they could have driven to Durham without needing to stop for fuel on the way. They would have had to buy fuel before coming back.
> 
> If it was full on setting off, you have to wonder at what point it was filled up, and if Cummings had symptoms when he filled it up.
> 
> It is usual to make a stop on a long journey (especially with children) and this trip of 260 miles would have taken potentially 5 hours or more, so it does seem more likely than not that they stopped en-route.



They'll have taken a packed lunch


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Neither is Twitter and we can't exactly take to the streets at the moment. I'm not sure what that leaves. I've signed a petition and made death threats on Facebook. Other than that it's up to the media whether they are able to pursue it.


Oh I imagine they will pursue it, just not there.

Realistically though there is a time limit that they would ever pursue it. I think the media's role is now a bit limited, unless there's more to reveal. It's up to others to make this a running sore, and to the Tories to rip each other apart about it.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

Tbf, the way I see it is Johnson's just following his instincts and doing what anyone who's not competent at their job and needs someone to do it for them would do.


----------



## weltweit (May 24, 2020)

sheothebudworths said:


> ..
> 'Here is a video showing Dominic Cummings leaving his north London home earlier this morning and denying that he had travelled to Durham a second time when he was asked by reporters.'
> 
> ...(accompanied by the vid, obvs) which immediately looked a bit ' _JUST SAYIN_  '...


I wonder who his phone provider is?


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> They'll have taken a packed lunch


And all pissed in the same 2L Coke bottle.


----------



## clicker (May 24, 2020)

We need CCTV footage of him taking an alfresco  dump; into a Starbucks carton.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> And all pissed in the same 2L Coke bottle.



would enough for each of the cabinet to take a shot before they tweeted out their defences?


----------



## ska invita (May 24, 2020)

This shows how important Cummings is for Johnson. 
This isn't just your regular cuntish double down


----------



## redsquirrel (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> Let’s see what the next few days brings. The daily mail readers seem apoplectic with rage after that so that’s good.


Sure, and the papers could be holding something back for Monday and Cummings may well have to go. I'm just saying that under the circumstances I think the press conference was handled reasonably well (from the govs position).


----------



## Ted Striker (May 24, 2020)

This is fairly succint. Quite how he thinks he will get by not answering some of these is baffling


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

ska invita said:


> This shows how important Cummings is for Johnson.
> This isn't just your regular cuntish double down



Yep it's into the realm of hero worship.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

I’m following my instincts from now on.
Fuck em.
Stay safe folks and fuck em up.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

clicker said:


> We need CCTV footage of him taking an alfresco  dump; into a Starbucks carton.


Define "need".


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

WATCH: Civil service Twitter account slams Boris Johnson’s defence of D...
					

Shortly after Boris Johnson's press conference at Downing Street, where he defended his chief adviser Dominic Cummings, the official UK...




					www.theneweuropean.co.uk
				






> The official civil service Twitter account wrote after: “Arrogant and offensive.
> 
> “Can you imagine having to work with these truth twisters?”
> 
> ...



It's funny as fuck, isn't it.


----------



## JimW (May 24, 2020)

If you want a vision of the future, imagine a man shitting into a Starbucks carton - forever.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Not read the article but agree with headline









						Dominic Cummings' lockdown breaking 'spits in face' of NHS staff, ICU doctor says
					

‘Haven’t seen my parents since January,’ Dr Dominic Pimenta says




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Sure, and the papers could be holding something back for Monday and Cummings may well have to go. I'm just saying that under the circumstances I think the press conference was handled reasonably well (from the govs position).



I am not sure that is true, even if you only compare it to the three Shapps disasters over the past 24 hours.


----------



## Buckaroo (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> we can't exactly take to the streets at the moment.


If your instinct is to riot, stay alert, stay safe and stay angry.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Not read the article but agree with headline
> 
> 
> 
> ...





> “Frankly, Cummings spits in the face of all our efforts, the whole #NHS,” he said. ”If he doesn’t resign, I will.”


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> He repeated about 50 times that the man had isolated ‘for 14 days or more’ which can so easily be proved wrong.



In this sort of situation, you make damn sure you know the exact answer, and it is not anything ‘or more’ and it is not anything ‘or less’; it is “thirteen days”, it is “fourteen days”, it is “fifteen days”, it is whatever the fuck it is.

The only time it is ‘more’ or ‘less’ is WHEN YOU DON'T FUCKING KNOW THE ANSWER AND ARE TRYING TO WING IT LIKE A PRIVILEGED POSH CUNT WHO DIDN'T DO ANY HOMEWORK OR REVISION BUT STILL THINKS HE DESERVES TO ACE IT.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Yes the other outright denial was the date (14th?) which does make you think it was 13th or 15th.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> In this sort of situation, you make damn sure you know the exact answer, and it is not anything ‘or more’ and it is not anything ‘or less’; it is “thirteen days”, it is “fourteen days”, it is “fifteen days”, it is whatever the fuck it is.
> 
> The only time is is ‘more’ or ‘less’ is WHEN YOU DON'T FUCKING KNOW THE ANSWER AND ARE TRYING TO WING IT LIKE A PRIVILEGED POSH CUNT WHO DIDN'T DO ANY HOMEWORK OR REVISION BUT STILL THINKS HE DESERVES TO ACE IT.


In this sort of situation I think you (someone with a basic grasp of the shit situation you’re in) you just don’t say it at all because you suspect that tomorrow there might be proof that he went strolling about picking daisies or whatever instead of sitting in that barn for 14 days ‘or more’.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I wonder who his phone provider is?


Maybe he got 5Ged


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

In an alternative world Johnson would be VAR reviewer


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

I've done that journey lots of times, with either one or two children too. Don't think i have ever done it without stopping. Fill up before you go, but you still need a toilet break or give the kids a chance to stretch their legs.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.


Not one that impacts on him dressing up as a doctor administering Ribena to his sick father though?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.



Still, though. Did he take the son there for his parents to look after? He's saying no now, but then why drive all that distance just for his sister to deliver food? I get Tesco to deliver here and I'm in the middle of fucking nowhere.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)




----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.



it should make no bearing on the situation, given that they've already said none of the rest of the family helped with childcare


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Perhaps all that EU farm subsidy gold paid for a direct pipeline from Lourdes?


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Not one that impacts on him dressing up as a doctor administering Rubens to his sick father though?



No not that kind of medical condition.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> it should make no bearing on the situation, given that they've already said none of the rest of the family helped with childcare



But it seems it was the best place for the child, should family help have been necessary.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.


go for it


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> But it seems it was the best place for the child, should family help have been necessary.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.


by the pricking of my thumbs 
something tory apologist this way comes


----------



## Supine (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.



I’d be surprised if there was a medical condition that can be treated in Durham but not London.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> But it seems it was the best place for the child, should family help have been necessary.



so why take his other half along?  take the kid, drop him off at his aunts, come back


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


> I’d be surprised if there was a medical condition that can be treated in Durham but not London.


yeh. very suspicious.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.



You're hearing this, yet no mention in the media?


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

I am certain if you are deemed important enough at number 10, you would get all and any help you required with child care. But no, let’s just do what we want and demolish all the good will built up over the last few months.
Typical tory smugness.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> go for it



Well here it is:

“Sometimes, autistic people may need to go to quieter places, away from other people, even if these places are further away from their home. They may also need to be accompanied by a carer or support worker who is not someone they live with.

People got in touch to tell us that they were worried about this. Some said they had been stopped by the police for going out with carers, or judged by members of the public for going out too often. We shared these experiences with the Government, along with other charities and campaigners. Lawyers acting for two families with autistic children also challenged the Government on this.

The Government has now published new guidance making clear that, if you’re autistic or have a learning disability, you can leave your home more than once a day and travel beyond your local area if this is important to your health. If you need carers with you, they don’t have to stay the two metres apart from you that is usually required by social distancing. However, it is still important to be careful and only go out when you really need to, to reduce the chance of getting ill or infecting other people.”





__





						404
					






					www.autism.org.uk


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


> I’d be surprised if there was a medical condition that can be treated in Durham but not London.



No, but it would take the wind out of the sails of the whole thing if his kid was special needs for example. The media would drop it.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> so why take his other half along?  take the kid, drop him off at his aunts, come back


and why couldn't his SIL nearby in London help? Rather than his aged, vulnerable parents. Or carers for that matter.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.


Car sickness?


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> No, but it would take the wind out of the sails of the whole thing if his kid was special needs for example. The media would drop it.


i think that this would already be widely known in journalistic circles.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.



How convenient.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

...


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

He's three, isn't he? Think you can develop suspected autism quite suddenly out of nowhere at that age.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> i think that this would already be widely known in journalistic circles.



If it was anyone else, probably, but this is Cummings, he doesn’t deal with journalists in the usual way.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Well here it is:
> 
> “Sometimes, autistic people may need to go to quieter places, away from other people, even if these places are further away from their home. They may also need to be accompanied by a carer or support worker who is not someone they live with.
> 
> ...


who is the autistic person in this case? dc? or dc's child?

anyway it can be done without busting the regulations he helped introduce









						Anger as 'disgraceful' Dominic Cummings accused of breaking lockdown rules
					

'It’s been f***ing hard but everyone else stuck it out and now we’re told we didn’t need to?'




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

Supine said:


> I’d be surprised if there was a medical condition that can be treated in Durham but not London.


Aren't major organ transplants mainly done up that end of the world? I knew a bloke who was waiting for a heart transplant and said he'd be whisked off to Newcastle or somewhere when one became available.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> who is the autistic person in this case? dc? or dc's child?
> 
> anyway it can be done without busting the regulations he helped introduce
> View attachment 214459
> ...



What he said.


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> who is the autistic person in this case? dc? or dc's child?
> 
> anyway it can be done without busting the regulations he helped introduce
> View attachment 214459
> ...



Exactly, having someone in the family with a medical condition isn't a fucking unique situation, and everyone else coped without bending the fucking rules.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Well here it is:
> 
> “Sometimes, autistic people may need to go to quieter places, away from other people, even if these places are further away from their home. They may also need to be accompanied by a carer or support worker who is not someone they live with.
> 
> ...


That is about being able to go out more than once a day for recreation. No mention of taking your whole family  to your second home / spare house for weeks. Not really seeing the relevance tbh as that (travelling to another house) was very clearly stated in the rules as being verboten.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Well here it is:
> 
> “Sometimes, autistic people may need to go to quieter places, away from other people, even if these places are further away from their home. They may also need to be accompanied by a carer or support worker who is not someone they live with.
> 
> ...


Where are you hearing this applies to cummings kid?


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Well here it is:
> 
> “Sometimes, autistic people may need to go to quieter places, away from other people, even if these places are further away from their home. They may also need to be accompanied by a carer or support worker who is not someone they live with.
> 
> ...



not the advice at the time though, was it?


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> That is about being able to go out more than once a day for recreation. No mention of taking your whole family  to your second home / spare house for weeks. Not really seeing the relevance tbh as that (travelling to another house) was very clearly stated in the rules as being verboten.


in the rules dc helped bring into being, being as he is on the sage committee


----------



## JimW (May 24, 2020)

Cunt Dad Syndrome is very real and I'm surprised you're all making so light of it.


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> i think that this would already be widely known in journalistic circles.



Yeah, you'd have thought (although think he is very private and hates journalists too) but maybe it's mild autism that nobody has thought relevant, but now is being wheeled out as a bit of an excuse? Fuck knows though, not seen that anywhere but here!


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> not the advice at the time though, was it?


Nor, as far as I know, was it something mentioned in cummings defence by johnson today (only heard a bit of it).


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Why is anyone even debating this? The guy's a lying cunt and he's got Johnson to lie on his behalf too because he's a lying cunt.

This is nothing to do with autism ffs and it's a shameful thing to even bring into the question.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Yeah, you'd have thought (although think he is very private and hates journalists too) but maybe it's mild autism that nobody has thought relevant, but now is being wheeled out as a bit of an excuse? Fuck knows though, not seen that anywhere but here!


if anyone knew it the daily mail would have. and they would have mentioned it no doubt in their five pages of coverage.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Nor, as far as I know, was it something mentioned in cummings defence by johnson today (only heard a bit of it).



he did say something like "the right sort of care" or something like that


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Why is anyone even debating this? The guy's a lying cunt and he's got Johnson to lie on his behalf too because he's a lying cunt.
> 
> This is nothing to do with autism ffs and it's a shameful thing to even bring into the question.



Agreed, it spits in the face of everyone on urban who lives with autism to some degree in themselves or a loved one, as well as everyone else in the country who has been trying to get through in difficult circumstances.  I'm fuming.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

JimW said:


> Cunt Dad Syndrome is very real and I'm surprised you're all making so light of it.







__





						cunt dad syndrome - Google Search
					





					www.google.com
				




Fat cunt suyndrome, dysfunctional cunt syndrome. I couldnt find cunt dad syndrome though.


----------



## LDC (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Why is anyone even debating this? The guy's a lying cunt and he's got Johnson to lie on his behalf too because he's a lying cunt.
> 
> This is nothing to do with autism ffs and it's a shameful thing to even bring into the question.



Yeah, he's obviously a total lying fucker either way. It is relevant thought (if true) to how the thing might proceed, how it might be treated by the press, and also be perceived by the public. I think it's probably bullshit or it would have been public now tbh.


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Nor, as far as I know, was it something mentioned in cummings defence by johnson today (only heard a bit of it).



He did mention "medical reasons" but as a reason why childcare wasn't needed in the end.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



He defines the genre.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage perhaps you could share with us the source of this intelligence.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Where are you hearing this applies to cummings kid?



I am smelling bullshit, I've been smelling that a lot recently, what with so many newbies signing-up since Covid became a big news story.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> Aren't major organ transplants mainly done up that end of the world? I knew a bloke who was waiting for a heart transplant and said he'd be whisked off to Newcastle or somewhere when one became available.


Mike Ashley?


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

That behavioural scientist bloke points out a really basic but important thing- that this argument being put by the pm Is basically, when stuff gets hard look after your own and stop acting for the collective good. The whole basis of lockdown was the opposite of that, was about sacrificing to some extent for other people not just looking out for you and your immediate family.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I am smelling bullshit, I've been smelling that a lot recently, what with so many newbies signing-up since Covid became a big news story.


i expect a lot of people have joined for reasons which led many of us here. but there's seemed to me something off about this poster for a while.


----------



## NoXion (May 24, 2020)

Spotted this poll on Twitter. Those are some interesting figures.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

I'm sure that the tens of thousands of parents of young people living with developmental disorders of this kind are so glad that the government published such clear advice on what they could and indeed should do, “as good fathers/mothers”, at the beginning of lockdown.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

I’ve heard that Johnson was quite satisfied that at the time of the Barnard Castle  trip Cummings and his wife were self isolating and the kid acting on instincts that every kid would  have took the car himself for a walk around the river .


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> he did say something like "the right sort of care" or something like that


If there is even one iota of a child care/medical condition/autism angle to this story, I'd guess it's really about their regular nanny not being able to come into the house. I don't know whether they have a nanny, but this Spectator piece _pretends _not to know whether they have:








						What else could Dominic Cummings have done? | The Spectator
					

The question is, does Dominic Cumming’s four-year-old son possess preternatural resilience – a bit like the infant John the Baptist who went off into the desert as a boy. Or does he, like my own children at that age, need a bit of feeding, occasional supervision to stop him playing with matches...




					www.spectator.co.uk


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

If she's saying this then i imagine "waverers" are much the same.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

It will makes me feel queasy if these cunts continue to use an infant, whether with specific needs or not, for this shit-show. Sinister.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Why is anyone even debating this? The guy's a lying cunt and he's got Johnson to lie on his behalf too because he's a lying cunt.
> 
> This is nothing to do with autism ffs and it's a shameful thing to even bring into the question.



Whataboutery.  

The other line that's all over Idiot Twitter is comparing Cummings to Caroline Flack.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

JimW said:


> Cunt Dad Syndrome is very real and I'm surprised you're all making so light of it.


My mate Dave had one.


----------



## JimW (May 24, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> My mate Dave had one.


Bit of a Durham or the full Barnard Castle three times?


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Whataboutery.
> 
> The other line that's all over Idiot Twitter is comparing Cummings to Caroline Flack.


it would be nice if we could swap dominic cummings for caroline flack, for her to return to the living and for cummings to take her place.


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

I think they have completely underestimated how frustrated and annoyed everybody is after being locked in for two months, continually told what to do and now, once it's been demonstrated that the people doing that telling haven't followed their own advice, being told that actually they got it wrong all the time. 

They think this is some normal political scandal. I don't think they're correct. This is the last few months boiling over. Whether that means anything changes i don't know.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

This could be fun. 









						Police urged to investigate 'several' fresh Dominic Cummings sightings in Durham
					

Liberal Democrat councillor Amanda Hopgood has asked the chief constable in Durham to investigate a number of reported sightings of the Prime Minister's senior adviser in April and May




					www.chroniclelive.co.uk


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

It’s a shame Barnard Castle WMC was closed due to restrictions. I remember it’s a cracking club. Cummings no doubt is a fully affiliated institute member!


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

tommers said:


> I think they have completely underestimated how frustrated and annoyed everybody is after being locked in for two months, continually told what to do and now, once it's been demonstrated that the people doing that telling haven't followed their own advice, being told that actually they got it wrong all the time.
> 
> They think this is some normal political scandal. I don't think they're correct. This is the last few months boiling over. Whether that means anything changes i don't know.


I don't think they've underestimated the mood. They've found themselves caught between two disasters and have chosen the one they think they can recover from more easily.


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

tommers said:


> If she's saying this then i imagine "waverers" are much the same.




Just to be clear, I'm liking what you said, not what Hartley-Brewer said


----------



## Idris2002 (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> "You should have gone before we left "


I could definitely see the freak refusing to stop in a case like that, regardless of the humiliation it might cause the child.


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

It'll be interesting to see what the conservative opinion writers like Hartley-Brewer etc make of it over the next week.  I can't imagine they'll regard it as case closed


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

rubbershoes said:


> Just to be clear, I'm liking what you said, not what Hartley-Brewer said



It felt a bit dirty but unprecedented times apparently. Sorry for any offence caused.


----------



## equationgirl (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I am now hearing his child has a medical condition which has some bearing on the situation. Not sure whether to post about it really though.


And how many other families across the country relied on help from others but had to muddle through because they were following the rules? There's no excuse for what he did.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> It will makes me feel queasy if these cunts continue to use an infant, whether with specific needs or not, for this shit-show. Sinister.


It's like that bit in a movie when a smarmy bad guy finally reveals his true colours in a moment of jeopardy by hiding behind a child when faced with a threat to their person


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> This could be fun.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



lol. This United Kingdom. Is this as good as it gets? Is this where we are?

Any cunt that sneers about "African corruption" from here on in can piss off.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> This could be fun.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


But the PM just told us repeatedly that he was isolating the whole time just sat there eating the food dropped off by his sister on the doorstep so how can this be? ?
Maybe Johnson is just a lot stupider than I thought.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage I'm just wondering where you heard cummings son is autistic?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> It's like that bit in a movie when a smarmy bad guy finally reveals his true colours in a moment of jeopardy by hiding behind a child when faced with a threat to their person




Worked though  I'll remember that if I'm ever threatened with being shot on a podium.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> platinumsage I'm just wondering where you heard cummings son is autistic?


‘From a work colleague called Matthew Parker’


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

redsquirrel said:


> Yeah, he deflected and neutralised -  like I said not a bad performance.
> How so? Which of the question asked really discomforted him?
> The government presented a loophole that they might be able to manage to throw Cummings a line on. Will it satisfy most people? Probably not but it's thrown up smoke to partially neutralise the story, now they are banking on people seeing it as a political fight, for the media to move on.


Each & every question from the press discomforted him because he didn't want to answer them, didn't and the responses that he did give were transparent lies that even he didn't look as though he believed.
It was a political multi-vehicle pile-up and "decent grandparents" (tory voters) up and down the land will be on a spectrum from not impressed to absolutely fucking furious.
lasting damage on view.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> UK Civil Service
> *✔*            @UKCivilService
> 
> 
> ...



Article up now









						'Truth twisters': rogue civil service tweet causes storm
					

Post on official civil service account apparently critical of Johnson’s press conference spreads like wildfire before being deleted




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## The Octagon (May 24, 2020)

Wouldn't be surprised if Boris broke lockdown for an illicit liaison and Cummings is holding the info over his head


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> platinumsage I'm just wondering where you heard cummings son is autistic?



I was reluctant to post about it in the first place, and I wish I hadn’t now. It’s not something that is going to be verified here, and if it’s true I wouldn’t be surprised if Cummings has a plan to weaponise it against the media.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Scientists seeing the opportunity to lay some enquiry foundations...going well.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

Is what he did actually illegal? I'm a bit fuzzy on whether these are 'guidelines' or law. Are the people who've been fined for having bbq's etc actually breaking the law? Was anything passed in parliament?


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> ‘From a work colleague called Matthew Parker’


* heads off to check*

Not sure, I'd think such and eminent theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury might stay above the fray.

* wonders: have I got the right one?   *


----------



## Pickman's model (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was reluctant to post about it in the first place, and I wish I hadn’t now. It’s not something that is going to be verified here, and if it’s true I wouldn’t be surprised if Cummings has a plan to weaponise it against the media.


which doesn't answer the question about where you heard it in the first place.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It was a political multi-vehicle pile-up and "decent grandparents" (tory voters) up and down the land will be on a spectrum from not impressed to absolutely fucking furious.
> lasting damage on view.



It's testament to his next gen, multi-dimensional, blue skies stratcom political imagineering genius that Cummings not only came up with a game plan that figuratively aimed to wipe out vast swathes of his party's natural support base, but that he attempted to personally apply it to his own family members.

I mean that shit is boss level out there.

“You have to have men who are moral and at the same time who are able to utilise their primordial instincts to drive to Durham without feeling, without passion, without judgement. Without judgement! Because it's judgement that defeats us.”


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Is what he did actually illegal? I'm a bit fuzzy on whether these are 'guidelines' or law. Are the people who've been fined for having bbq's etc actually breaking the law? Was anything passed in parliament?



The law allows for a “reasonable excuse” for leaving home, which would be up to the courts to determine.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

The Octagon said:


> Wouldn't be surprised if Boris broke lockdown for an illicit liaison and Cummings is holding the info over his head


I hope there’s at least a credible reason like that to explain it cos it just looks sort of mad to go to these lengths for that man to stay in his job. I mean he could sack him in public and still get told what to do by him in private couldn’t he.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> The law allows for a “reasonable excuse” for leaving home, which would be up to the courts to determine.



So would the people who have been fined now have reason to claim their money back?


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was reluctant to post about it in the first place, and I wish I hadn’t now. It’s not something that is going to be verified here, and if it’s true I wouldn’t be surprised if Cummings has a plan to weaponise it against the media.


I'm even more confused now, but I'll leave it.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was reluctant to post about it in the first place, and I wish I hadn’t now. It’s not something that is going to be verified here, and if it’s true I wouldn’t be surprised if Cummings has a plan to weaponise it against the media.



You are posting bollocks.


----------



## Mogden (May 24, 2020)

If Cummings' son is indeed autistic it would actually make more sense to keep him in his usual home. Familiar surroundings, constant routine and lots of familiar objects would provide a more soothing environment so it's a non-starter as an excuse for his journey were it to be correct.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> I'm even more confused now, but I'll leave it.


Well, actually, no I won't. You said you'd heard the kid had a medical condition that that somehow changed the story and then posted something about autism. Now you are suggesting you don't want to assist cummings using this as a get out of jail card or somesuch. Why don't you just say what you had on your mind a page or two back?


----------



## Lurdan (May 24, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> which doesn't answer the question about where you heard it in the first place.


Coincidentally I just read this in a Guardian story here



> Inside Downing Street, they believed they could see off damage from the story by focusing on Cummings’s wish to protect his son in case both parents were struck down by the disease. A source said: “They were saying ‘the kid is the trump card’.”



Nothing about autism however. Perhaps some dot joining is taking place.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

3 now...


----------



## Orang Utan (May 24, 2020)

Let Cummings and Johnson be Pulled Apart By Nurses


----------



## philosophical (May 24, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Most cars can do 400 miles on a tank. So if the Discovery was full at the start they could have driven to Durham without needing to stop for fuel on the way. They would have had to buy fuel before coming back.
> 
> If it was full on setting off, you have to wonder at what point it was filled up, and if Cummings had symptoms when he filled it up.
> 
> It is usual to make a stop on a long journey (especially with children) and this trip of 260 miles would have taken potentially 5 hours or more, so it does seem more likely than not that they stopped en-route.


----------



## equationgirl (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> The law allows for a “reasonable excuse” for leaving home, which would be up to the courts to determine.


Up to now I think the reasonable excuses were going to collect medicines, seeking urgent medical attention or buying food. Not driving 260 miles with someone who has coronavirus.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Utter fucking chaos...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I’m following my instincts from now on.
> Fuck em.
> Stay safe folks and fuck em up.



We are. Frau Bahn’s mum’s birthday is 4th June. BB2 can’t go to school, we’re meeting up after 4th June with a number of parents and kids, the parents will sit around a table getting pissed, the kids will play as 7 year olds do, all over each other. If years R and 1 are safe to do this then 2 must be too. And fuck it.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Well, actually, no I won't. You said you'd heard the kid had a medical condition that that somehow changed the story and then posted something about autism. Now you are suggesting you don't want to assist cummings using this as a get out of jail card or somesuch. Why don't you just say what you had on your mind a page or two back?



I was told his kid had autism. I thought that information had some bearing on the situation so I posted it against my better judgement. I am not trying to defend Cummings. I’m sure people here are capable of coming to their own judgements on how this might affect things if it were true. In fact they clearly already have done so.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

There are a load of Boris bots on twitter now saying that Cummings’ kid is autistic - but no source...


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 24, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Up to now I think the reasonable excuses were going to collect medicines, seeking urgent medical attention or buying food. Not driving 260 miles with someone who has coronavirus.


And if you're showing symptoms, you stay put. Full stop.

There is no possible excuse for this. It's not even in the 'slightly naughty' category of sneaking out for sex. It's a full-on knowingly virus-spreading pisstake. It's hilarious to hear the politicians trying to defend it.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Up to now I think the reasonable excuses were going to collect medicines, seeking urgent medical attention or buying food. Not driving 260 miles with someone who has coronavirus.



No, they were examples. Any reasonable excuse is sufficient. I started a thread about the technicalities of the law in the COVID forum way back but no one seemed interested.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Utter fucking chaos...
> 
> View attachment 214488



Link to article...









						Tory whips apologise for urging MPs to support Dominic Cummings
					

Ministers face anger from constituents after defending aide’s 264-mile lockdown trip to Durham




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

It's a fucking shit diversionary tactic - plenty of people have kids with autsim and don't fucking drive the length of the country when one of them has coronavirus symptoms, they follow the fucking instructions!

EDIT: Even if it _were_ true


----------



## equationgirl (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, they were examples. Any reasonable excuse is sufficient. I started a thread about the technicalities of the law in the COVID forum way back but no one seemed interested.


Driving 260 miles during lockdown is not reasonable.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, they were examples. *Any reasonable excuse is sufficient.* I started a thread about the technicalities of the law in the COVID forum way back but no one seemed interested.


Not if you're showing symptoms.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was told his kid had autism.



By whom?

Voices in your head?


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 24, 2020)

Absolute fucking pandemonium. Whips doing their own ting without reference to No. 10. Fucking LOL


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

D'wards said:


> Remember all the furore when Boris published the letterbox article?  There were loads of calls for him to go or be sacked by the same quarters who are calling for Cummings head.
> He just kept his head down and carried on regardless.
> 
> Remember the Tories only need to please tory voters, not Guardian and Mirror journalists and readers


No remember the country has been in lockdown for ten weeks and we still have 3000 new cases a day, and the Prime Minister has just called driving someone with Covid 260 miles to visit someone over 70, responsible.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> And if you're showing symptoms, you stay put. Full stop.
> 
> There is no possible excuse for this. It's not even in the 'slightly naughty' category of sneaking out for sex. It's a full-on knowingly virus-spreading pisstake. It's hilarious to hear the politicians trying to defend it.



would anyone be surprised if, by Wednesday, it was confirmed Cummings was over the side with someone not his wife who lived in Barnards Castle?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

agricola said:


> would anyone be surprised if, by Wednesday, it was confirmed Cummings was over the side with someone not his wife who lived in Barnards Castle?



Indeed, surely she'd have included it in her article if she'd have gone with him 



> was  over the side


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Not if you're showing symptoms.



Nope, thats not relevant. Its self-isolation not mandatory quarantine.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Blimey


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I was told his kid had autism. I thought that information had some bearing on the situation so I posted it against my better judgement. I am not trying to defend Cummings. I’m sure people here are capable of coming to their own judgements on how this might affect things if it were true. In fact they clearly already have done so.



So what if he is? How can his elderly parents assist here? What could his sister do that her sister couldn’t? What possible need can a man at the very heart of the British government have that can be better met in Durham than London?

Oh sorry, for a moment there I forgot this was just a steaming pile of bollocks to cover the cunt.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Driving 260 miles during lockdown is not reasonable.



There haven’t been any relevant court cases yet so we don’t know.


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Nope, thats not relevant. Its self-isolation not mandatory quarantine.



Even if it were just advice and not illegal, breaking it and putting others at risk while telling other people to stay indoors if they or a family member shows symptoms still makes him a fucking cunt


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

I’m not covering for Cummings I think he’s a cunt.

ffs I thought considering his possible excuses might be worthwhile, but apparently I’m using diversionary tactics.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Nope, thats not relevant. Its self-isolation not mandatory quarantine.


It is entirely relevant. The govt instruction if you have symptoms was not to go out at all. No mention of 'reasonable' reasons to leave the house. Nobody would stand a hope of challenging a fine for driving the length of the country with a coughing and spluttering covid-19 sufferer in the car.


----------



## ska invita (May 24, 2020)

[/QUOTE]





bimble said:


> I mean he could sack him in public and still get told what to do by him in private couldn’t he.


You need to be"in the room" to really do the job properly. It's not punditry


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

Epona said:


> Even if it were just advice and not illegal, breaking it and putting others at risk while telling other people to stay indoors if they or a family member shows symptoms still makes him a fucking cunt



the most it will be would be a £60 fine, which is perhaps the first time for nearly a thousand years that a British government is struggling over a sum of that size


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> It is entirely relevant. The govt instruction if you have symptoms was not to go out at all. No mention of 'reasonable' reasons to leave the house. Nobody would stand a hope of challenging a fine for driving the length of the country with a coughing and spluttering covid-19 sufferer in the car.



If you follow the discussion back through the quotes you will see we were talking about “reasonable” in the context of the law, not the guidance.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> If you follow the discussion back through the quotes you will see we were talking about “reasonable” in the context of the law, not the guidance.


The two are not unconnected. 'reasonable' as defined by a court is going to take into account the fact of you having, or thinking you have, covid-19. That is a rather important factor in deciding what might be 'reasonable'.

And remember that Matt Hancock gleefully offered his full cooperation with the police over the discovery of Ferguson making a booty call.

ETA: Anyway, the law is utterly irrelevant here. The govt decided to go for a softly softly approach in which people would do the right thing out of public spiritedness. And the guidance for those with symptoms is unambiguous by this govt's standards.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> I’m not covering for Cummings I think he’s a cunt.
> 
> ffs I thought considering his possible excuses might be worthwhile, but apparently I’m using diversionary tactics.


The information that he has an autistic son, you say you were 'told' this. Email? Social media? Website you can link to?


----------



## not a trot (May 24, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Let Cummings and Johnson be Pulled Apart By Nurses



My dog would do the job for a couple of Bonios.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Lurdan (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Blimey
> 
> View attachment 214491


Reicher's colleague John Drury, who is also on the advisory group, and who some here may remember, is retweeting him


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> The information that he has an autistic son, you say you were 'told' this. Email? Social media? Website you can link to?







__





						Dead cat strategy - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



*United Kingdom*

A 2013 proposal to cap bankers' bonuses was compared to a dead cat by* Boris Johnson:[5]*



> There is one thing that is absolutely certain about throwing a dead cat on the dining room table – and I don’t mean that people will be outraged, alarmed, disgusted. That is true, but irrelevant. The key point is that everyone will shout, ‘Jeez, mate, there’s a dead cat on the table!’ In other words, they will be talking about the dead cat – the thing you want them to talk about – and they will not be talking about the issue that has been causing you so much grief.[4]


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

Second known complaint to Durham police.









						Dominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mounts
					

Exclusive: retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees makes complaint to police about alleged trip to Barnard Castle




					www.theguardian.com
				






> Dominic Cummings is facing a possible police investigation under health laws over a claim that he breached self-isolation rules in north-east England, after a weekend of mounting pressure on the prime minister to sack his chief adviser.
> 
> Retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees made a complaint to the police after reporting that he saw Cummings and his family on 12 April walking in the town of Barnard Castle before getting into a car, a joint investigation by the Guardian and Mirror can reveal.



Guardian drip feeding things, fingers crossed they have a smoking gun.


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

Also whether what he did was legal or illegal in terms of the letter of the law has absolutely no bearing on whether he should remain in post.   He has stuck 2 fingers up at everyone who has done the right thing and struggled through this.

You know what, whoever it was who posted on the official civil service twitter their disgust about this didn't break any laws but someone is probably writing up his Gross Misconduct letter and sorting out his p45 as we speak, yet that cunt Cummings still has a fucking job, it's outrageous.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

Yes platinumsage who told you?


----------



## maomao (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, they were examples. Any reasonable excuse is sufficient. I started a thread about the technicalities of the law in the COVID forum way back but no one seemed interested.


This has fuck all to do with legal technicalities. He can afford the seventy quid. He's put his reputation on the line for the sake of one unelected advisor, sending parts of his own party and the establishment into open revolt. They'll probably both still be there in three months but they've damaged themselves immeasurably. It's astounding and there's an outside chance the government could fall over it.


----------



## Cerv (May 24, 2020)

Epona said:


> Also whether what he did was legal or illegal in terms of the letter of the law has absolutely no bearing on whether he should remain in post.   He has stuck 2 fingers up at everyone who has done the right thing and struggled through this.
> 
> You know what, whoever it was who posted on the official civil service twitter their disgust about this didn't break any laws but someone is probably writing up his Gross Misconduct letter and sorting out his p45 as we speak, yet that cunt Cummings still has a fucking job, it's outrageous.



exactly. if you only defence to fall back on in "my actions were technically not illegal" you've already lost the argument. you're not defending th substance of what you've done.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



so he wants the meedya to focus on his autistic son instead?


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 24, 2020)

maomao said:


> This has fuck all to do with legal technicalities. He can afford the seventy quid. He's put his reputation on the line for the sake of one unelected advisor, sending parts of his own party and the establishment into open revolt. They'll probably both still be there in three months but they've damaged themselves immeasurably. It's astounding and there's an outside chance the government could fall over it.


Exactly. It's good to remember this and be sure to enjoy the spectacle.

Starmer has done well to keep quiet about it, I think. It would be rude to interrupt.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Second known complaint to Durham police.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



surely they would have fired the gun 1 second after the conference earlier this evening.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Lurdan said:


> Reicher's colleague John Drury, who is also on the advisory group, and who some here may remember, is retweeting him


Someone who is not unknown to many of this parish


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

What this debate needs is a nice big slice of autism culture war dropped in the middle of it. Can't wait for that to start up.


----------



## Wilf (May 24, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Yes platinumsage who told you?


Yes platinumsage , you were reportedly here viewing content 'a moment ago'.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Second known complaint to Durham police.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is more enjoyable just putting him in a room with a load of rakes on the floor and watching the inevitable unfold


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

I'm starting to think that it might have been better if Darius Guppy was in Johnson's seat.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> It is more enjoyable just putting him in a room with a load of rakes on the floor and watching the inevitable unfold



"noone who speaks of eugenics can be an evil man"


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> so he wants the meedya to focus on his autistic son instead?


It's not Cummings it's the people making excuses for him, whether his son is autistic is completely irrevelant to the issue of what Cummings did. It's a distraction to get the focus of conversation off Cummings himself, it doesn't matter where it goes so long as it goes somewhere different from where it should be.


----------



## Part-timah (May 24, 2020)




----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

not a trot said:


> My dog would do the job for a couple of Bonios.





> [Sebastion the Afghan] sat down in the middle of the room and started methodically licking his bum.
> ... I said, ‘Cor, I wish I could do that.’
> ... But you always know when you’ve said the wrong thing.
> Thankfully, it was Davina’s mum who let me off the hook. ... ‘If you give him a biscuit, he’ll let you.’



Jasper Carrot


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> It's not Cummings it's the people making excuses for him, whether his son is autistic is completely irrevelant to the issue of what Cummings did. It's a distraction to get the focus of conversation off Cummings himself, it doesn't matter where it goes so long as it goes somewhere different from where it should be.



indeed, its a defence of exactly the same sort as "his grandad was black" was a defence in the Suarez - Evra racism.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

Cerv said:


> exactly. if you only defence to fall back on in "my actions were technically not illegal" you've already lost the argument. you're not defending th substance of what you've done.


"Not technically illegal" is misleading anyway. If you think the trip to Durham and the excursion to Barnard Castle were reasonable, then that means there's an argument that the criminal law wasn't breached. But the guidance sent to everyone in the post also had the force of law, just not criminal law. 

For most people most of the time, breaking the law but not the criminal law is effectively the same as not breaking the law. But not in this case.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


>



More of this sort of stuff needed.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> It's not Cummings it's the people making excuses for him, whether his son is autistic is completely irrevelant to the issue of what Cummings did. It's a distraction to get the focus of conversation off Cummings himself, it doesn't matter where it goes so long as it goes somewhere different from where it should be.


I know what it is. I'm just trying to weigh up if they would be so scummy as to use it as a get out.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> It's not Cummings it's the people making excuses for him, whether his son is autistic is completely irrevelant to the issue of what Cummings did. It's a distraction to get the focus of conversation off Cummings himself, it doesn't matter where it goes so long as it goes somewhere different from where it should be.



_“We need some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole, weirdos from William Gibson novels like that girl hired by Bigend as a brand ‘diviner’ who feels sick at the sight of Tommy Hilfiger or that Chinese-Cuban free runner from a crime family hired by the KGB.“If you want to figure out what characters around Putin might do, or how international criminal gangs might exploit holes in our border security, you don’t want more Oxbridge English graduates who chat about [French psychoanalyst Jacques] Lacan at dinner parties with TV producers and *spread fake news about fake news*” _


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> More of this sort of stuff needed.


I know where I might be clapping next Thursday....


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

I'd normally be up for some placard waving protest of some sort, but I am not going to make a hypocrite of myself by breaking social distancing guidelines - can we not have a doorstep protest tomorrow night, like an angry version of the clap for carers shite?

EDIT: I just feel incensed and upset and want to make some fucking physical manifestation of that other than going really sweary on Urban


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Epona said:


> I'd normally be up for some placard waving protest of some sort, but I am not going to make a hypocrite of myself by breaking social distancing guidelines - can we not have a doorstep protest tomorrow night, like an angry version of the clap for carers shite?
> 
> EDIT: I just feel incensed and upset and want to make some fucking physical manifestation of that other than going really sweary on Urban



A slow sarcastic clap


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

I could make a poster to put in my window of a unicorn being fucked by Boris or any other motif people think sums up the situation


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Yes platinumsage , you were reportedly here viewing content 'a moment ago'.


I’m very interested to know where this info came from given the suspicious looking twitter accounts now peddling this rumour


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Epona said:


> I could make a poster to put in my window of a unicorn being fucked by Boris or any other motif people think sums up the situation


how about a unicorn fucking Johnson? Blood and all


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Wonder what he thinks of Johnson now...


----------



## killer b (May 24, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> I’m very interested to know where this info came from given the suspicious looking twitter accounts now peddling this rumour


they got it from some suspicious looking twitter accounts I'd imagine. that's where everything comes from.


----------



## co-op (May 24, 2020)

You need to be"in the room" to really do the job properly. It's not punditry
[/QUOTE]

Yeah I think this is how people like Cummings work, they dominate people in meetings and create an aura of power etc, the actual advice or opinion is secondary to the presence


----------



## Badgers (May 24, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> It’s a shame Barnard Castle WMC was closed due to restrictions. I remember it’s a cracking club. Cummings no doubt is a fully affiliated institute member!


Much to my disappointment my sister didn't say that she know anyone who she knew who had seen Cummings in Barnard Castle. However she did confirm he was there via sightings of him by people who she doesnt know but other people she knows who do know.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Wondering what the actual reason is why they seem to have messed this up so badly. I mean it looks like basically a big mistake in that they have just not done the loud support yesterday, then sacked or publically berated Cummings today and it’d be so much less bad for them & the pm.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 214495


Looks like he has done his 5 minutes of googling.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 214495


wanky little shit


----------



## editor (May 24, 2020)

Getting spicy!









						Cummings reported to police as ex-chief constable accuses him of risking lives
					

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Barton accused Mr Cummings of "selfishly" ignoring vital safety advice in driving almost 260 miles North when his wife was showing signs of infection




					www.mirror.co.uk
				












						Dominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mounts
					

Exclusive: retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees makes complaint to police about alleged trip to Barnard Castle




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 24, 2020)

killer b said:


> they got it from some suspicious looking twitter accounts I'd imagine. that's where everything comes from.


There are an awful lot of them spamming twitter right now with the autistic thing. Where that comes from, though, is a job for some of the forensic botnet investigators out there.


----------



## Petcha (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> More of this sort of stuff needed.



What an absolute fucking cunt. The only bigger cunt is his fucking cunt of a boss who I noticed was breathing quite heavily and looked even more unhealthy than usual. Whether that's if he'd just dismounted from an intern or is hopefully dying from the disease he's foisted upon thousands with his total incompetence I don't know.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

co-op said:


> You need to be"in the room" to really do the job properly. It's not punditry



Yeah I think this is how people like Cummings work, they dominate people in meetings and create an aura of power etc, the actual advice or opinion is secondary to the presence
[/QUOTE]
Which is the way many many meetings work tbh.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

editor said:


> Getting spicy!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



ooh tasty. If they can make up some crime that he may have committed(I'm not being sarcastic) then they could potentially start looking at ANPR for the dates involved.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)




----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Much to my disappointment my sister didn't say that she know anyone who she knew who had seen Cummings in Barnard Castle. However she did confirm he was there via sightings of him by people who she doesnt know but other people she knows who do know.


thats good to know


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Much to my disappointment my sister didn't say that she know anyone who she knew who had seen Cummings in Barnard Castle. However she did confirm he was there via sightings of him by people who she doesnt know but other people she knows who do know.



ken dodds dads dog is dead.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

gosub said:


> thats good to know


News as it happens


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Excessive loyalty beyond any reasonableness. If we're allowed to debate the absolute non-question of Cumming's non-autistic son then I think I'm allowed to suggest, with no evidence other than the hunch anyone might reasonably have in a situation like this, that Cummings knows where the bodies are buried. 

Might not be true of course, but I can't conceive any other idea at the moment that explains why they would go to these lengths to obviously lie this blatantly to cover Cummings arse.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 24, 2020)

> Look on the bright side: at least we’ve had it confirmed who is actually running the country these days. And it isn’t the prime minister. Boris Johnson is no more than Dominic Cummings’s sock-puppet. A fairly shabby one at that. The reality is that without Classic Dom, there could be no Boris. All that Boris really amounts to is a parasitical ball of compromised ambition fuelled by a viral overload of neediness and cowardice. There is no substance or dignity left within the prime minister. His only instinct is his own survival.













						No dignity, no future: Boris forsakes leadership to protect Cummings | John Crace
					

PM didn’t throw a protective ring around care homes, but he sure as hell threw one around Classic Dom




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)




----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

Exclusive: Dominic Cummings’ parents defend their son as he faces demands to resign
					

Boris Johnson has backed his chief adviser. Dominic Cummings will remain in post, despite being spotted at his parents’ residence in Durham on Sunday 5 April, in contravention of the government’s guidance during lockdown. Cummings has conceded that he was in Durham that weekend. But he has cited...




					www.newstatesman.com


----------



## elbows (May 24, 2020)

Haha what a disaster.









						PM's attempt to close down Cummings story failed
					

Boris Johnson did not address the specifics of his adviser's lockdown trip, he provided one broad answer instead.




					www.bbc.co.uk


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 214495


Niccolò Macchiavelli never had to deal with this kind of shit


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Excessive loyalty beyond any reasonableness. If we're allowed to debate the absolute non-question of Cumming's non-autistic son then I think I'm allowed to suggest, with no evidence other than the hunch anyone might reasonably have in a situation like this, that Cummings knows where the bodies are buried.
> 
> Might not be true of course, but I can't conceive any other idea at the moment that explains why they would go to these lengths to obviously lie this blatantly to cover Cummings arse.


I think so, and I think most people will think so.

But I also don't think it has to be true in order to make sense of what has happened. Johnson allowed Cummings to basically design the Government around himself, and the consequence is that he has become a linchpin of decision making with no peers or rivals. Because Johnson has clear limitations as a leader, the result is that it is very hard to take Cummings out of the equation without risking the government becoming unable to function.

All the same, I think Cummings probably has insured himself against dismissal in the way you suggest.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Deleted as incorrect.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


>



And scrolling down from that, I discover from Jeremy Corbyn that Michael Rosen is out of intensive care. That's cheered me up.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> And scrolling down from that, I discover from Jeremy Corbyn that Michael Rosen is out of intensive care. That's cheered me up.


Good news indeed, but 47 days in ICU sounds pretty harrowing; that'll take some considerable recovery time.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

Possibly another bit is they just were not able to grasp how emotive and deeply offensive this would be for so many people, they behaved like it’s just another political mini-scandal and that’s where they went wrong. Maybe in their personal lives they don’t know anybody who has really struggled with the lockdown or they just lack basic imagination & empathy.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

elbows said:


> Haha what a disaster.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



michael stipe let his sen go a bit.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> He actually said this...
> 
> View attachment 214506



No I don't understand that


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> No I don't understand that


That's verbatim; the psychopath actually equated Cummings and a dead NHS employee...just new levels of cuntery.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Netflix has been on hold tonight and for that small mercy, I am grateful. Despite which against this Cinerama, technicolour 3D shitshow mining the dregs with some lame Korean soap opera really doesn't cut the mustard.


----------



## equationgirl (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> There haven’t been any relevant court cases yet so we don’t know.


Are you fucking serious? You actually think what he did was reasonable given the whole fucking country was on lockdown?

For fucks sake..


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> Possibly another bit is they just were not able to grasp how emotive and deeply offensive this would be for so many people, they behaved like it’s just another political mini-scandal and that’s where they went wrong. Maybe in their personal lives they don’t know anybody who has really struggled with the lockdown or they just lack basic imagination & empathy.



They've seriously misjudged it - I mean I am used to taking high dudgeon for wrongs in general, but it's no secret that I have found this thing a struggle financially and psychologically and that we had a death in the family NOT from Covid but none of us (and none of us have had Covid either) went to say goodbye because it would be breaking lockdown, none of us went to the funeral in person because it would be breaking lockdown, and I am actually personally fucking upset that someone who actually HAD Coronavirus travelling in their fucking car the length of the country while telling everyone else not to is getting no comeuppance yet, it is combined with a lot of personal stress of course but I am actually in tears over this blatent fucking disregard for everyone else who has struggled and struggled but still done the right bloody thing.


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Exclusive: Dominic Cummings’ parents defend their son as he faces demands to resign
> 
> 
> Boris Johnson has backed his chief adviser. Dominic Cummings will remain in post, despite being spotted at his parents’ residence in Durham on Sunday 5 April, in contravention of the government’s guidance during lockdown. Cummings has conceded that he was in Durham that weekend. But he has cited...
> ...


That’s just not going to help them at all though is it. Childcare is the line they’ve chosen not grieving family. And there are plenty of people who missed funerals couldn’t comfort relatives because lockdown. Really just going to make it worse I think.


----------



## AverageJoe (May 24, 2020)

Part-timah said:


>




This is getting to Sidney Lumet levels of anger. This was from a 1976 program called Network (later sample by a band called Maybeshewill, which is where I first heard it) but is incredibly similar to how people are feeling now.


----------



## platinumsage (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> That's verbatim; the psychopath actually equated Cummings and a dead NHS employee...just new levels of cuntery.



No, the Oxford Mail journo's second question was about a doctor self-isolating who she contrasted with Cummings. Johnson was refering to the doctor when talking about Cummings, not the porter in her first question who died.

Why don't you watch it for yourself?


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)

Not so popular with the neighbours.


----------



## teqniq (May 24, 2020)

Tweet has since been deleted.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Oh look, another dead cat.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

Different angle only...but well worth watching twice anyway


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> He actually said this...
> 
> View attachment 214506



They've mixed the doctors up. He was talking about a doctor who had stayed at home with his son whilst ill at that point. Not the guy who died after complaining of no PPE.


----------



## Epona (May 24, 2020)

teqniq said:


> View attachment 214509
> Tweet has since been deleted.



Aye (just to reiterate a point I made earlier) the person who posted that deserves a medal but is probably getting a gross misconduct letter and a P45, yet Cummings remains in fucking post.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> That’s just not going to help them at all though is it. Childcare is the line they’ve chosen not grieving family. And there are plenty of people who missed funerals couldn’t comfort relatives because of lockdown. Really just going to make it worse I think.



60,000 odd people have lost loved ones and not been able to grieve together as families. They didn't break lockdown.  That article also quotes a cousin who lives in London saying they are a small tight-knit family. Not so fucking tight-knit that she could go round and help out then? It's more BS isn't it? More asking us to make an exception of the sadly unexceptional.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Not so popular with the neighbours.




wanky little shit


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, the Oxford Mail journo's second question was about a doctor self-isolating who she contrasted with Cummings. Johnson was refering to the doctor when talking about Cummings, not the porter in her first question who died.
> 
> Why don't you watch it for yourself?


Yes, that's correct.
Apologies for the error.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> But I also don't think it has to be true in order to make sense of what has happened. Johnson allowed Cummings to basically design the Government around himself, and the consequence is that he has become a linchpin of decision making with no peers or rivals.* Because Johnson has clear limitations as a leader, the result is that it is very hard to take Cummings out of the equation without risking the government becoming unable to function*.



While it's undoubtedly true that Cummings has designed the Cabinet and the path I don't buy the bit in bold. John Major had clear limitations as a leader but with the machine that is in place around all Tory party leaders, and with help from the civil service, he somehow managed to survive and even win an election.

The government still has that machine, an 80 majority, and, crucially at this point, a massive lead in the polls. Thatcher was undone because she was seen to be losing the party and the electorate. She was 14% behind Labour when ousted. Johnson has none of that problem. He can be world King (his favoured term) with or without Cummings. I'm sure he'd prefer it to be with, things would be easier. But it would not be impossible in the current situation to be without Cummings. This is not a government anywhere near falling at this point.

Therefore I'm struggling to move beyond the buried bodies theory at this point.


----------



## Smangus (May 24, 2020)

Nice to see the revival of  that fine ancient tradition, the London Mob.


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

Cerv said:


> exactly. if you only defence to fall back on in "my actions were technically not illegal" you've already lost the argument. you're not defending th substance of what you've done.


Bit like Bill Clinton claiming a blow job isn't sex.


----------



## equationgirl (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> That’s just not going to help them at all though is it. Childcare is the line they’ve chosen not grieving family. And there are plenty of people who missed funerals couldn’t comfort relatives because lockdown. Really just going to make it worse I think.


I think you're right, considering that there are thousands of grieving families who couldn't grieve with loved ones precisely because of the government's actions.

And is he really saying he couldn't find the right kind of childcare in the biggest city in the UK? Get to fuck.


----------



## kenny g (May 24, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Are you fucking serious? You actually think what he did was reasonable given the whole fucking country was on lockdown?
> 
> For fucks sake..



I think he is mentioning we don't know if the legislation is enforceable due to the amount of caveats it includes. It is particularly badly drafted and to add to the confusion people seem to be quoting an earlier version at times.


----------



## equationgirl (May 24, 2020)

kenny g said:


> I think he is mentioning we don't know if the legislation is enforceable due to the amount of caveats it includes. It is particularly badly drafted and to add to the confusion people seem to be quoting an earlier version at times.


There's been enough people fined under it, one person got a £10k fine for repeatedly breaching, so certainly the police are enforcing it badly written or not.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

bimble said:


> That’s just not going to help them at all though is it. Childcare is the line they’ve chosen not grieving family. And there are plenty of people who missed funerals couldn’t comfort relatives because lockdown. Really just going to make it worse I think.


It definitely makes it worse - that’s why I posted it!


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 24, 2020)

Young dom used to like standing on the door of the worst nightclub in the world with the bouncers - Klute in Durham - luckily his dad and uncle owned it

You never know all you Durham types, he may have rabbit punched you as the big boys bundled you out of the fire escape









						I Went To The Worst Night Club In Europe
					

It was No. 2 - but then No. 1 burnt down.




					www.vice.com


----------



## Plumdaff (May 24, 2020)

The uncle who died, died in............(wait for it).................................London. 

But of course, he loves his family more, grieves more, than the little people do.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 24, 2020)

Hahahahah


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Different angle only...but well worth watching twice anyway


----------



## D'wards (May 24, 2020)

I'm still a little confused about all this.

So Cummings thought he had the Corona, so went to isolate at his parents house in Durham so they could look after his kid?

Whilst there they all had a lovely day trip to a castle?

Or did he drop the kid off then pick them up later?

Either way isn't visiting your (presumably) elderly parents when you have Corona a shockingly dangerous thing to do to kitchen parents, regardless of the law?


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

I'm assuming that if Cummings/Johnson continue to call out the OB as liars a simple phone location check could resolve the dispute? Isn't that what the OB do?


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> surely they would have fired the gun 1 second after the conference earlier this evening.


When my daughter and her boyfriend went to New York a couple of years ago, they encountered a guy in their hotel who insisted she was an actress from an American TV show, I have to admit there is some resemblance but it wouldn't fool anyone who might actually know either of them (like me) for a second. But apparently the guy just wouldn't believe my daughter that she wasn't who he thought she was.
Unless Mr Lees actually knows Cummings and knows him well (and perhaps he does maybe he used to be Dom's teacher and always thought he was a little shit) then his eyewitness sighting isn't worth anything. Cummings car on the other hand is a different matter altogether, Cars are uniquely identifiable if you can read the number plate. If the Plod can find CCTV or dashcam footage with Cummings car on it then the cunt is as they say "Bang to rights"


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> I'm assuming that if Cummings/Johnson continue to call out the OB as liars a simple phone location check could resolve the dispute? Isn't that what the OB do?


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Different angle only...but well worth watching twice anyway




Fair comment there: 



> Cummings will be enjoying this, given his contempt for the general public. Sociopaths thrive on attention and they don’t care how they get it


----------



## bimble (May 24, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Hahahahah


That’s amazing.


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Hahahahah


Johnson has so fucked up he's lost the Mail


----------



## brogdale (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Fair comment there:


Really not too convinced that anyone would enjoy that sort of attention along their own street and into their front door.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Yeh you may be right. I'm not convinced he's actually human though.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> While it's undoubtedly true that Cummings has designed the Cabinet and the path I don't buy the bit in bold. John Major had clear limitations as a leader but with the machine that is in place around all Tory party leaders, and with help from the civil service, he somehow managed to survive and even win an election.
> 
> The government still has that machine, an 80 majority, and, crucially at this point, a massive lead in the polls. Thatcher was undone because she was seen to be losing the party and the electorate. She was 14% behind Labour when ousted. Johnson has none of that problem. He can be world King (his favoured term) with or without Cummings. I'm sure he'd prefer it to be with, things would be easier. But it would not be impossible in the current situation to be without Cummings. This is not a government anywhere near falling at this point.
> 
> Therefore I'm struggling to move beyond the buried bodies theory at this point.


What makes Cummings irreplaceable is that he has seen to it that there is no-one else. In the past, there has always been a team of senior advisors in Downing Street. You could easily lose one, have the others cover the work and bring someone else in. But no-one else now has Cummings' seniority. There's no-one to stand in and no team for a replacement to fit into. If he goes, there's an almighty vacuum and ensuing chaos.

It might not be so bad if there was a Prime Minister capable of making decisions, but Johnson is never going to do the reading and listening that would require. Losing Cummings would be like losing a Prime Minister, and yet still having one.


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


>


No way am I going to like a post consisting only of a Mail front page. But be reassured I wanted to.


----------



## The39thStep (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> I think so, and I think most people will think so.
> 
> But I also don't think it has to be true in order to make sense of what has happened. Johnson allowed Cummings to basically design the Government around himself, and the consequence is that he has become a linchpin of decision making with no peers or rivals. Because Johnson has clear limitations as a leader, the result is that it is very hard to take Cummings out of the equation without risking the government becoming unable to function.
> 
> All the same, I think Cummings probably has insured himself against dismissal in the way you suggest.


I agree with some of this however Its more about designing the Government ie the Cabinet  and redesigning the civil service to implement the manifesto  and since February the covid response, With a whopping majority they aren't bothered about short term popularity either inside or outside the Conservative Party nor are they concerned about orthodoxy . Cummings is essential to that plan either in post or out of post  over the next couple of years. Cummings isn't a leader he is an influencer , prob short term who is there to upset the applecart and make the blue sky thinking tangible. Johnson has got limitations as a leader but he's got no credible challenger All he needs is a good script and he'll deliver it.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 24, 2020)

blimey , lbc is still at it , wonderfully this is not going away.


Oh Alexander, be careful what you wish for


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> No way am I going to like a post consisting only of a Mail front page. But be reassured I wanted to.


Too bloody right but if Johnson has lost the Mail then he has lost.


----------



## Tankus (May 24, 2020)

Who else  used to give their subservient  full backing  before firing  them a week later ?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> No way am I going to like a post consisting only of a Mail front page. But be reassured I wanted to.


I'l like your post and by proxy like that one


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 24, 2020)

Tankus said:


> Who else  used to give their subservient  full backing  before firing  them a week later ?


Every football chairman ever


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


>



For the second time today ... fuck me backwards.


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Really not too convinced that anyone would enjoy that sort of attention along their own street and into their front door.



Sort of thing that make you instinctively  drive to the other end of the country to get away from, especially if you had a kid.


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> For the second time today ... fuck me backwards.


Through a hedge?


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Through a hedge?



Steady on!


----------



## keybored (May 24, 2020)

Smangus said:


> Nice to see the revival of  that fine ancient tradition, the London Mob.


Would have been better were it not for the price of tomatoes in Islington.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Really not too convinced that anyone would enjoy that sort of attention along their own street and into their front door.


Yeah karma's shit for shits so I've heard.


----------



## ska invita (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Too bloody right but if Johnson has lost the Mail then he has lost.


lost....in 4 years time?


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Too bloody right but if Johnson has lost the Mail then he has lost.


Gove will no doubt be on manoeuvres sharpening his loyalty daggers with Sarah Vine ready with a sorrowful 800 word obit.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Obviously not going to give any credit or praise to the Mail, but cunts turning on cunts can often be good sport, at least.


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)

ska invita said:


> lost....in 4 years time?


Sooner than that. If the hate mail is on his tail then he is fucked.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> Gove will no doubt be on manoeuvres sharpening his loyalty daggers with Sarah Vine ready with a sorrowful 800 word obit.


Plus ça change


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Fuck me I thought I would have a look around to see if there was any other story and I dropped by the vegan thread. Blood on the walls there which is ironic given the topic.


----------



## tommers (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> When my daughter and her boyfriend went to New York a couple of years ago, they encountered a guy in their hotel who insisted she was an actress from an American TV show, I have to admit there is some resemblance but it wouldn't fool anyone who might actually know either of them (like me) for a second. But apparently the guy just wouldn't believe my daughter that she wasn't who he thought she was.
> Unless Mr Lees actually knows Cummings and knows him well (and perhaps he does maybe he used to be Dom's teacher and always thought he was a little shit) then his eyewitness sighting isn't worth anything. Cummings car on the other hand is a different matter altogether, Cars are uniquely identifiable if you can read the number plate. If the Plod can find CCTV or dashcam footage with Cummings car on it then the cunt is as they say "Bang to rights"



He noted down the licence plate, confirmed it online (not quite sure how).


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Still got The Sun


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Still got The Sun
> 
> View attachment 214521



Victoria Newton is going to get splinters in her arse, methinks.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

ska invita said:


> lost....in 4 years time?


It's a bit early to call an election, true, but I do think what we are seeing is long-term damage. A lot worse than Brown's hot mic thing, for instance.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> It's a bit early to call an election, true, but I do think what we are seeing is long-term damage. A lot worse that Brown's hot mic thing, for instance.


vs. Kinnock falling over at the seaside?


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

tommers said:


> He noted down the licence plate, confirmed it online (not quite sure how).


Sound like he could be an annoying neighbour on another context - leaving notes on how you park your car or some such.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> vs. Kinnock falling over at the seaside?


Might even top Milliband's sarnie.


----------



## chilango (May 24, 2020)

ska invita said:


> lost....in 4 years time?



Yeah 

Was just about to post a "so what?" wet blanket.

Let's say Cummings goes. 

...and Johnson goes.

Well?

Gove or someone PM for the next 4 1/2 years isn't much of a result is it?

Nah. Fuck this Westminster stuff. The only win we'll get out of this is if it's spills out of politics and onto the streets.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> It's a bit early to call an election, true, but I do think what we are seeing is long-term damage. A lot worse than Brown's hot mic thing, for instance.


problem is they get rid of the Johnson cabal they get to do a reset being their own perpetual government and virtual opposition.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> problem is they get rid of the Johnson cabal they get to do a reset being their own perpetual government and virtual opposition.


Yes, but I don't see it happening so far, and it's not just Johnson. They've all dipped their hands in the shit over this.


----------



## Tankus (May 24, 2020)

Phil Collins is innocent


----------



## magneze (May 24, 2020)

magneze said:


> Yep a formal address from Johnson will clear it all up. The last one went well. 🤔😬


🙂


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> What makes Cummings irreplaceable is that he has seen to it that there is no-one else. In the past, there has always been a team of senior advisors in Downing Street. You could easily lose one, have the others cover the work and bring someone else in. But no-one else now has Cummings' seniority. There's no-one to stand in and no team for a replacement to fit into. If he goes, there's an almighty vacuum and ensuing chaos.
> 
> It might not be so bad if there was a Prime Minister capable of making decisions, but Johnson is never going to do the reading and listening that would require. Losing Cummings would be like losing a Prime Minister, and yet still having one.



Nobody is irreplaceable and many are saying outright now that Cummings is not indispensable. The Tories care about one thing only and that is winning elections. Chaos is not a Spad having to step down however big the ego. No ego is bigger than the party. This is why you are now getting Daily Mail front pages like the one posted above.

You are overplaying the 'almighty vacuum'. Chaos is when the Tories are constantly 15% behind in the polls (September 1981 from which we got a Cabinet reshuffle, redirection, and ultimately the Falklands War, and November 1990 when we got Thatcher being kicked out). Chaos is not being ahead by 15% in the polls like today. However, chaos may well be made by 'loyalty' being shown above and beyond what the party perceives the public can take in all reasonableness.

Hence that front page.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)




----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

chilango said:


> Yeah
> 
> Was just about to post a "so what?" wet blanket.
> 
> ...



The streets are politics. I assume you meant to say Westminster.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Still got The Sun
> 
> View attachment 214521


Showing the same innate feel for the pulse of the nation as they did on 4th May 1982 and on 19th April 1989.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Nobody is irreplaceable and many are saying outright now that Cummings is not indispensable. The Tories care about one thing only and that is winning elections. Chaos is not a Spad having to step down however big the ego. No ego is bigger than the party. This is why you are now getting Daily Mail front pages like the one posted above.
> 
> You are overplaying the 'almighty vacuum'. Chaos is when the Tories are constantly 15% behind in the polls (September 1981 from which we got a Cabinet reshuffle, redirection, and ultimately the Falklands War, and November 1990 when we got Thatcher being kicked out). Chaos is not being ahead by 15% in the polls like today. However, chaos may well be made by 'loyalty' being shown above and beyond what the party perceives the public can take in all reasonableness.
> 
> Hence that front page.


I'm not talking about chaos in terms of polling or intra/inter-party politics, though. Without Cummings, the machinery of government can't function. Not because he's a genius, but just because he is playing an essential role and there's no-one else who can easily be fitted into his position. There would be no-one to advise the Prime Minister, and he's not someone who can adapt to that, so he'd be toast.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Still got The Sun
> 
> View attachment 214521


Not The Scottish Sun, mind.


----------



## planetgeli (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> I'm not talking about chaos in terms of polling or intra/inter-party politics, though. Without Cummings, the machinery of government can't function. Not because he's a genius, but just because he is playing an essential role and there's no-one else who can easily be fitted into his position. There would be no-one to advise the Prime Minister.



It is nothing like the crisis you are making it out to be. There are plenty of people and a party machinery prepared to offer other options.


----------



## gosub (May 24, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Not The Scottish Sun, mind.
> 
> View attachment 214527


Well they couldn't use school coz they ain't opening in Scotland til August


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> It is nothing like the crisis you are making it out to be. There are plenty of people and a party machinery prepared to offer other options.


Very sure about that. An array of competing options, just not options that will support continuity.


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

The whole world and his dog warned about Johnson - the uber bumbling narcissist lazy idiot and it would unravel PDQ at the first whiff of cordite. At least he has united the nation briefly in derision and utter contempt and disgust. In his favour, he hasn't started a war yet.


----------



## MrSki (May 24, 2020)




----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> The whole world and his dog warned about Johnson - the uber bumbling narcissist idiot and it would unravel PDQ at the first whiff of cordite. At least he has united the nation briefly in derision and utter contempt and disgust.


In fairness, he is keeping his promises. A new hospital in every major city and a country finally finding common ground.


----------



## chilango (May 24, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> The streets are politics. I assume you meant to say Westminster.



Yeah


----------



## 2hats (May 24, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> Cummings car on the other hand is a different matter altogether, Cars are uniquely identifiable if you can read the number plate.


Sky News’ North of England Correspondent:


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

Alexander Boris Pffel Johnson,  struggling for breath as he walks to open his second bottle of Claret for the night and tries to drown out his current baby's cries and Carries insistent, persistent nag he briefly and dimly remembers another life seemingly a million years ago when the worse that could happen was to hide in a fridge. How he yearns for those days.  never to return, hoisted, kippered and ultimately destroyed on his own petard. Be careful what you wish for…


----------



## mauvais (May 24, 2020)

I know Twitter is a little echo chamber of whatever you subscribe to and thus of no real import but tonight it is 100% about this, 100% livid. I've never seen it so aligned about anything. It's beautiful.

The fucking Bishop of Manchester is after them.


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

phillm said:


> Alexander Boris Pffel Johnson,  struggling for breath as he walks to open his second bottle of Claret for the night and tries to drown out his current baby's cries and Carries insistent, persistent nag he briefly and dimly remembers another life seemingly a million years ago when the worse that could happen was to hide in a fridge. How he yearns for those days.  never to return, hoisted, kippered and ultimately destroyed on his own petard. Be careful what you wish for…




I can't tell the difference between real and pixelled parody any more


----------



## rubbershoes (May 24, 2020)

Lurdan said:


> Coincidentally I just read this in a Guardian story here
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing about autism however. Perhaps some dot joining is taking place.



still no reason why SIL couldn't help


----------



## Sprocket. (May 24, 2020)

Again as Jonathan Hallam former No.10 director of communication said earlier.
As Richard Nixon found out, it’s not the offence that brings you down, it’s the attempted cover-up.


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I can't tell the difference between real and pixelled parody any more


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

No I'm old remember  not sure what I'm seeing there.


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

mauvais said:


> I know Twitter is a little echo chamber of whatever you subscribe to and thus of no real import but tonight it is 100% about this, 100% livid. I've never seen it so aligned about anything. It's beautiful.
> 
> The fucking Bishop of Manchester is after them.


I've heard of the baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells, but...


----------



## phillm (May 24, 2020)

two sheds said:


> No I'm old remember  not sure what I'm seeing there.


That was the old world before the virus hit...


----------



## two sheds (May 24, 2020)

Ahhhhh 


well I know it's kicked off elsewhere but i must say today's the most I've laughed since the start of lockdown. So thank you Boris, thank you Dominic but most of all .... thank you urban


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 24, 2020)

mauvais said:


> I know Twitter is a little echo chamber of whatever you subscribe to and thus of no real import but tonight it is 100% about this, 100% livid. I've never seen it so aligned about anything. It's beautiful.
> 
> The fucking Bishop of Manchester is after them.



The 'his kid has autism' line seems to be gaining ground among the boris bootlickers though. Whether it's true, or relevant, is a different matter.


----------



## MickiQ (May 24, 2020)

2hats said:


> Sky News’ North of England Correspondent:



Well done Mr Lee


----------



## Raheem (May 24, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> The 'his kid has autism' line seems to be gaining ground among the boris bootlickers though. Whether it's true, or relevant, is a different matter.


If his kid has autism, there's no way on earth that card wouldn't have been played already.


----------



## agricola (May 24, 2020)

mauvais said:


> I know Twitter is a little echo chamber of whatever you subscribe to and thus of no real import but tonight it is 100% about this, 100% livid. I've never seen it so aligned about anything. It's beautiful.
> 
> The fucking Bishop of Manchester is after them.



this is that Blackadder episode, isn't it?


----------



## Sue (May 24, 2020)

Raheem said:


> If his kid has autism, there's no way on earth that card wouldn't have been played already.


But it goes out on Twitter, if anyone asks if it's true, they can do the 'can't confirm or deny, inappopriate to discuss medical conditions a child may or may not have' so even if it's bollocks, they've an out. Win win.


----------



## Roadkill (May 24, 2020)

Lots of bishops are bashing the Johnson in public.

Great end to the day.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> The 'his kid has autism' line seems to be gaining ground among the boris bootlickers though. Whether it's true, or relevant, is a different matter.



It's like the uncle dying, it's another "we're exceptional in unexceptional circumstances" all over again. There are millions of people with autism in the UK, many of whom I'm sure have really struggled in this. If anything it makes it even more inexplicable to me that you'd upend routine.


----------



## Lorca (May 25, 2020)

Can't help wondering if any other prominent politicians have ever breached the lockdown rules, wouldn't be surprised. Is it so wrong to enjoy my schadenfreude this much.


----------



## Ms Ordinary (May 25, 2020)

Is this the right thread to post a Change.org petition for a public vote of No Confidence in Boris Johnson ?

It seems to have been around for a couple of months, but it's getting a signature about every 3 seconds tonight


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

“And in political terms, the prime minister has not only failed to shut down the sorry saga but has also managed to infuriate his own MPs and the public.

One minister told me what they had witnessed at that press conference on Sunday was *"the PM's authority with the British people draining away in front of my very eyes"* “









						Coronavirus: Boris Johnson is already paying the price for supporting Dominic Cummings
					

Whether the PM wins or loses for supporting his top aide after he broke lockdown rules, he is paying the price, Beth Rigby writes.




					news.sky.com


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

Maybe Johnson’s had enough of dealing with a real crisis and just wants out? This is one way of doing it...


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

As an ex-Islington resident I’m curious what road he’s on, looks familiar but can’t place it, reckon it’s up the canonbury end possibly, although looks a bit like places down my end of things (Angel). Googling just brings up stories about protesters outside his house, not the road name.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 25, 2020)

its not just any old scandal and it has caused huge and ongoing damage to johnson - and it amplifies the whole narrative of them being incompetent, callous and chaotic throughout the pandemic. A tory prime minister who has managed to get the likes of hartley brewer and the daily mail enraged alongside jsut about the entire nation is not going to stay prime minister very long.
By his utterly gobsmacking defence of cummings, johnsons has enraged and baffled the entire nation in equal measure. "what planet are they on?" indeed. Cummings is now a universal hate figure and johnson now looks incredibly weak. Cumming getting the boot is inevitable - johnsons will be forced into it by the cabinet, tory mps and the ever growing chorus of outrage from far and wide. the public anger of their own medical advisors is particularly dangerous for them politically.  I wouldn't be surprised by cabinet resignations the way this is going. Their greatest asset - "get brexit done" is a button that cant be pushed with any real affect now and for the forseeable - not while we are heading for 50,000 dead, mass unemployment and the economy in the toilet.
Cummings gone in days. Johnson retried on "health grounds" once lockdown is properly over and so he  carry the can for the while covid shit-show.
And try as i might - i am too angry to enjoy this. Johnson and cummings have basically told the public  "go fuck yourselves - we can do what we want".


----------



## Louis MacNeice (May 25, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> try as i might - i am too angry to enjoy this. Johnson and cummings have basically told the public  "go fuck yourselves - we can do what we want".



Just this.

Louis MacNeice


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> As an ex-Islington resident I’m curious what road he’s on, looks familiar but can’t place it, reckon it’s up the canonbury end possibly, although looks a bit like places down my end of things (Angel). Googling just brings up stories about protesters outside his house, not the road name.



Okendon Road.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> And try as i might - i am too angry to enjoy this. Johnson and cummings have basically told the public  "go fuck yourselves - we can do what we want".



Totally with you except for this - we knew that already, I'd resigned myself to it.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> And try as i might - i am too angry to enjoy this. Johnson and cummings have basically told the public  "go fuck yourselves - we can do what we want".



Yes, any other time I might be extracting some joy from watching this unfold, but I am just angry and upset - for myself, for my family, and for every other person who has been doing the right thing all along, despite death and grieving, despite family worries and woes,  without taking any liberties or making any excuses.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> And try as i might - i am too angry to enjoy this.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

Local commentary.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

Some pretty wild speculation here:









						Why Barnard Castle - Craig Murray
					

UPDATED Dominic Cummings specifically stated now in the press briefing that he had been eager to “get back to work to get vaccine deals through, move regulations aside” and that is why he drove to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight. Now it may be entirely a coincidence that the place to which...




					www.craigmurray.org.uk


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> Well done Mr Lee


There'll be journos and staffers rooting through his bins, affiliations and voting record, as we speak.


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Some pretty wild speculation here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Something about vaccines and big pharma?


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

Wild speculation is Murray's default setting. He has also claimed that it was the jews who poisoned the skripals. He is loonosphere scum.


----------



## Humberto (May 25, 2020)

rekil said:


> Wild speculation is Murray's default setting. He has also claimed that it was the jews who poisoned the skripals. He is loonosphere scum.



rekil here , close down


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

rekil said:


> He has also claimed that it was the jews who poisoned the skripals.



?


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> ?


He said russia had no motive so in justaskingquestions mode claimed that mossad did it to make them look bad.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

rekil said:


> He said russia had no motive so in justaskingquestions mode claimed that mossad did it to make them look bad.



Mossad != “the jews”


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

Oh god has it got to that time of the night?


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Mossad != “the jews”


This is an exceptionally naive view of conspiraloon pathology.


----------



## coldwaterswim (May 25, 2020)

I’m absolutely livid, and I feel totally powerless, is there anything we can do - I’ve signed the petition - feel like that won’t change anything, can’t go protest on the streets because corona...although who the fuck knows, we could just be ‘following our instincts’... - is there anything else we can do as a layperson to get rid of DC? Because right now I feel like I want to go burn things down and that’s not going to solve anything 😂


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

rekil said:


> This is an exceptionally naive view of conspiraloon pathology.


Anyway, let's not get sucked into the jazzz loophole. We've got more than enough to be getting on with here with this sleazy  spongecake o'spin  Cummings.


----------



## keybored (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Anyway, let's not get sucked into the jazzz loophole.



That's what happens when you post Craig Murray links.


----------



## gosub (May 25, 2020)

Among senior police figures there was ridicule of the claim that Cummings’s decision to act on “instinct” justified his actions. One source closely involved in lockdown policing said: “That is a new one on me.” One senior police figure said the rules about not travelling were crystal clear.  









						Dominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mounts
					

Exclusive: retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees makes complaint to police about alleged trip to Barnard Castle




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

Too unsurprised about the hypocrisy to be angry about it. Totally gobsmacking, though, that Cummings doesn't seem to have been willing to take even mild criticism in order to give his boss a fighting chance. What a cunt.

Still angry over the herd immunity thing and the complete top-to-bottom fuckup over the virus response, and a bit depressed that so many people have been either fine with that or in denial about it, yet a cunt being a cunt without necessarily killing anyone is sending them over the edge.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

When the wizarding world has turned against you...


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

Twitter is focusing in on autismgate. Wonderful


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

14 and 18. Blimey


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Some pretty wild speculation here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



He's a nasty conspiraloon, fuck anything he says.

E2A: thousands of you beat me too it!


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

So sorry we forced you to tweet your support and sorry you were so spineless and morally rudderless as to comply say whips.








						Tory whips apologise for urging MPs to support Dominic Cummings
					

Ministers face anger from constituents after defending aide’s 264-mile lockdown trip to Durham




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Mp for my old constituency. It’s not going to go away.  Johnson might stay in power for years but don’t think he’ll recover in terms of being liked, which was what he wanted so much to be.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Did he and his wife even have the virus - starting to doubt that part of the story now. They seemed pretty active what with long drives, beauty spots, Abba dancing and the like. He gets to visit his parent's on his mum's birthday and offer sympathy for his recent uncle's death (that bit's far fetched and requires him having empathy I know) and his wife gets to churn out copy and earn a crust whilst enjoying the beautiful rural location like most other celebs. All very convenient to say they were potential grievously ill and incapacitated. Just sayin...


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Maybe Johnson’s had enough of dealing with a real crisis and just wants out? This is one way of doing it...



He's already out as far as I can see.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

These are truly mad days, Corbyn now trending on twitter with the official voice of the opposition tweeting this ....


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Gavin Williamson on BBC News. 'the Prime Minister wanted total clarity and a clear understanding as to what has happened.'  

I have no fucking idea how he kept a straight face saying that.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> These are truly mad days, Corbyn now trending on twitter with the official voice of the opposition tweeting this ....



it's a parody account , it got me too on another thread


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> it's a parody account , it got me too on another thread


damn , caffeine hasn't kicked in yet.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> damn , caffeine hasn't kicked in yet.


That was my excuse too, posting before coffee...


----------



## MrCurry (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> It shows how precarious Boris perceives his position is without Cummings.



Exactly. While Boris has any influence in the matter, he’s not going to give Cummings the boot any more than he’s going to chop his own dick off. Boris sees Dom as his key to getting things done and to solving intractable problems. He’s more or less untouchable, so yes - one rule for Cummings and another for the plebs fits nicely.


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 25, 2020)

I dont get it. Does Cummings get away with it cos he's autisitc?


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

Boris Sprinkler said:


> I dont get it. Does Cummings get away with it cos he's autisitc?



Can we please try not to conflate 'autistic' with 'sociopath' please? We're not pitching another Sherlock Holmes reboot here.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

MrCurry said:


> Exactly. While Boris has any influence in the matter, he’s not going to give Cummings the boot any more than he’s going to chop his own dick off. Boris sees Dom as his key to getting things done and to solving intractable problems. He’s more or less untouchable, so yes - one rule for Cummings and another for the plebs fits nicely.


At the cost of publicly exposing splits within the party at an early stage in the electoral cycle.


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

If there’s proof that he was swanning about in the bluebell castle or whatever might Johnson then have to do a u turn because the whole defence would have clearly failed?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> If there’s proof that he was swanning about in the bluebell castle or whatever might Johnson then have to do a u turn because the whole defence would have clearly failed?


The best thing Boris can hope for now is "new" info coming to light - the Barnard Castle outing is proved for example - which will allow him to say - well the goalposts have been moved now - I was loyal on Sunday but have been let down. His pride needs that get out of jail card, and those around him will be sniffing out a way to get him to play it.


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

Read and Share Twitter Threads easily!
					

Thread Reader helps you read and share the best of Twitter Threads




					threadreaderapp.com


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

The bishop bashing continues...



> Church of England bishops have expressed unusually strong criticism of Boris Johnson over his defence of actions taken by his chief aide, Dominic Cummings.
> 
> At least 10 bishops questioned the integrity of the prime minister following his press conference on Sunday, in which he refused to acknowledge that Cummings had breached lockdown rules when he travelled with his infected wife and their child to Durham.











						Bishops turn on Boris Johnson for defending Dominic Cummings
					

C of E may refuse to work with government in pandemic after PM ‘breaks trust of nation’




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Crikey odious slime Gweedo leading with this cartoon today. Any number of worms turning. Never been anything like this popular front against one man in my life that i can ever remember, and I can remeber Nixon going....


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> The bishop bashing continues...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The easiest ask of easiest asks getting the bishops on board. I half expect to see Justin Welby in full regalia storming down Whitehall demanding to be let into Downing Street whilst crying *in the name of God - Just Go *- before this has run its course.


----------



## MickiQ (May 25, 2020)

I missed the briefing live so watched it on YouTube later, God he was waffling. The guys from Ch4 and Politico were asking some difficult questions, I thought someone was trying to cut the second one off.
This story is not going away no matter how much he wants it to.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> The best thing Boris can hope for now is "new" info coming to light - the Barnard Castle outing is proved for example - which will allow him to say - well the goalposts have been moved now - I was loyal on Sunday but have been let down. His pride needs that get out of jail card, and those around him will be sniffing out a way to get him to play it.


This ought to be bollocks though.  New info emerging isn't a thing in itself. Photo evidence or whatever should not change anything because it shouldn't be new, merely confirmation. In particular Johnson should have asked Cummings about the whole thing and got an account, so even what the public newly learns should not be new.

The situation as understood by Johnson would need to change and this means Cummings would have had to have believably lied to him. Therefore Cummings would need to be outed as a liar. This isn't going to happen.

This of course all assumes that people are held to account in a sensible way and that's probably not realistic.


----------



## Chilli.s (May 25, 2020)

What I like about this is the "I'm right at all costs and to admit mistakes is to fail" highbar that they've set themselves. And how fuckin stupidly it undermines most of the sacrifice and effort others have made. Thats real blue sky thinking, thoughts that should have been left just there, pie in the sky.


----------



## Petcha (May 25, 2020)

It's not difficult for the cops to trace his mobile phone and even the GPS in his car, surely?


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

Petcha said:


> It's not difficult for the cops to trace his mobile phone and even the GPS in his car, surely?


They need a warrant, and for what?


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Can we please try not to conflate 'autistic' with 'sociopath' please? We're not pitching another Sherlock Holmes reboot here.



I understood that post to be a jab at the idea that Cummings should be allowed to get away for breaking the rules, on the basis of his spawn having a condition that many other people's children have.

Or maybe that's just my autism.


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Cummings would need to be outed as a liar. This isn't going to happen.


Yes this but why will it not happen? I think it’s quite possible, might look like the least worst option remaining in a couple of days because of the sequence of stupid decisions they’ve made.


----------



## Petcha (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> They need a warrant, and for what?



Well, on suspicion of breaching the Coronavirus Act 2020 I would have thought


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> Yes this but why will it not happen? I think it’s quite possible, might look like the least worst option in a couple  of days.


Why would Cummings allow this to happen, especially if it wasn't true? This is much worse than merely having to resign for breaching lockdown, which he presumably also hasn't allowed.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Well, on suspicion of breaching the Coronavirus Act 2020 I would have thought


I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me that this would be disproportionate to the effort expended on other random people's breaches where they get a warning or a fine. Depending on what he's said and done, this episode could potentially turn into something more serious like perverting the course of justice, at which point sure, but we haven't seen any evidence of that yet.


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Can we please try not to conflate 'autistic' with 'sociopath' please? We're not pitching another Sherlock Holmes reboot here.


sociopathic is not trending on twitter though. I don't get the link.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Why would Cummings allow this to happen, especially if it wasn't true? This is much worse than merely having to resign for breaching lockdown, which he presumably also hasn't allowed.



Regardless of the truth of the matter, I think Johnson's refusal to sack him has reinforced (and in many cases, created) the perception that it's Cummings who holds the reins of power. Johnson has made himself look weak.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Hmm...


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 25, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Yes platinumsage who told you?


platinumsage did you hear it on lbc too?


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

Funny how having an autistic child is good enough to excuse the transgressions of a eugenicist advisor to the PM, but not good enough for the government to actually provide meaningful resources in terms of health and social care to parents in general.

Utterly revolting, autism is not a fucking shield for shitty behaviour. For anyone.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Coronavirus: NHS doctor threatens to resign if Dominic Cummings does not
					

Dr Dominic Pimenta said Mr Cummings staying "spits in the face" of all NHS workers' efforts to help treat COVID-19 patients.




					news.sky.com


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Petcha said:


> It's not difficult for the cops to trace his mobile phone and even the GPS in his car, surely?


Would this be a proprtionate use of resources and investigation  for what would probably  end up as a fixed penalty or small fine?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Just about to take the dog for a walk around the Devils Punchbowl, will pass by Jeremy Hunt’s office on the way; am I allowed to lob a brick through the window now, cos, you know, fatherly instincts?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

So, we are up to 16 Tory MPs calling for him to go, not nearly enough, hopefully that figure will raise a lot higher today, when they check their e-mails.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

No PMQs this week, but Johnson is scheduled to appear in front of the Liaison Committee on Wednesday, who my friend says he's been dodging ever since being elected leader. Apparently some on the committee have already come out against Cummings, so could be interesting...


----------



## MickiQ (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Just about to take the dog for a walk around the Devils Punchbowl, will pass by Jeremy Hunt’s office on the way; am I allowed to lob a brick through the window now, cos, you know, fatherly instincts?


Write "Cummings Must Go" on it first


----------



## gentlegreen (May 25, 2020)

NoXion said:


> Funny how having an autistic child is good enough to excuse the transgressions of a eugenicist advisor to the PM, but not good enough for the government to actually provide meaningful resources in terms of health and social care to parents in general.
> 
> Utterly revolting, autism is not a fucking shield for shitty behaviour. For anyone.


I know there's no justification for conflating autism and sociopathy (I test as on the spectrum myself), but just wondering ...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me that this would be disproportionate to the effort expended on other random people's breaches where they get a warning or a fine. Depending on what he's said and done, this episode could potentially turn into something more serious like perverting the course of justice, at which point sure, but we haven't seen any evidence of that yet.



They done it to Doeeen Lawrence when no one had remotely suggested she had committed any offence...


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## A380 (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> They need a warrant, and for what?



Not to get his Phone location data they don’t. They need an authorising officer to give authority. And that’s a middle management  cop who’s been on a course.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Just about to take the dog for a walk around the Devils Punchbowl, will pass by Jeremy Hunt’s office on the way; am I allowed to lob a brick through the window now, cos, you know, fatherly instincts?


As I have pointed out to other budding brick layers, wash your hands afterwards.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


>




Driven out? In a prime ministerial Jag?


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

Driven out? Lol.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

A380 said:


> Not to get his Phone location data they don’t. They need an authorising officer to give authority. And that’s a middle management  cop who’s been On a course.


Really? On what grounds?


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?

Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?

#cummingsmuststay


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Just about to take the dog for a walk around the Devils Punchbowl, will pass by Jeremy Hunt’s office on the way; am I allowed to lob a brick through the window now, cos, you know, fatherly instincts?


Obliged to I would have thought. Our hopes and fears go with you.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay


Exactly; yesterday was always going to be a win:win outcome.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> As I have pointed out to other budding brick layers, wash your hands afterwards.



I think wearing single use disposable gloves would be the most effective measure to prevent the spread of the virus in this case. Just dispose of thoroughly.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay


Because 60k people have died, the country's response has been one of the worst and most incompetent amongst similar nations and we'd like the carnage to stop.


----------



## MrSki (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

it is fun to be watching Chris Benjamin (it whatever his name is, Sargon fella) shit his pants in every video he’s done over the past week or so


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


>



They loathe ordinary people so much perhaps they should stay in their country piles or gated communities.
They don’t believe in society.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

Gary Gibbon mande an important point on C4 News yesterday...in the present circs of there being only one on-going news story, it's going to be a lot harder for Johnson's regime to hose this story down than it would in a more conventional news mix.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> Because 60k people have died, the country's response has been one of the worst and most incompetent amongst similar nations and we'd like the carnage to stop.



"the country's response" has been fine. It's the Government that has been shit.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> I think wearing single use disposable gloves would be the most effective measure to prevent the spread of the virus in this case. Just dispose of thoroughly.


If you are wearing gloves you could roll said brick in dog shit first! 
I’m not speaking from experience Of course!


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

MrSki said:


>




Shame that's a parody account, but still funny.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> If you are wearing gloves you could roll said brick in dog shit first!
> I’m not speaking from experience Of course!



Interesting, has this homeopathic antiviral paste been thoroughly tested?


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

News article from April.









						GlaxoSmithKline, in Barnard Castle, enter vaccine collaboration to fight Covid-19
					

ONE of the region's biggest employers has joined forces with a fellow pharmaceutical company to develop a vaccine in the fight against coronavirus.




					www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
				




Glaxo in Barnard Castle signed a partnership with Sanofi. It has an debated investment percentage from Republican donor Ken Fisher and makes Plaquenil, the US brand name of hydroxychloroquine, that Trump is telling people to take.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay



Because we've got at least 50k dead from covid, people suffering mental health effects from isolation, rising unemployment etc. I just want it to stop.

I know what I'd like to happen but we all know it's not going to. So I'd settle for them being forced to resign and living out their days as pariahs shunned by everyone.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Because we've got at least 50k dead from covid, people suffering mental health effects from isolation, rising unemployment etc. I just want it to stop.


True, but even if Cummings were to 'go' in the next hour, the psychopaths will still privilege their resumed accumulation over our lives. The foundations for the second spike were set in the VEday75 week and the R will already have risen (probably now already above 1 = epidemic) and the deaths from early May will likely start to show in the next week or so.


----------



## Poot (May 25, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> it is fun to be watching Chris Benjamin (it whatever his name is, Sargon fella) shit his pants in every video he’s done over the past week or so


That sounds interesting. What has happened? (I don't want to have to actually watch the fucker so be glad if you can say).


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay


There's obviously some merit to this but I think it's quite a pessimistic view. You assume that with this one out of the way they will recover, rather than immediately stumbling into some even greater fuckup.

As my grandad once said, whilst it's fun to watch your victims run around screaming and on fire, sometimes you just want to get to the bit with the tigers.


----------



## Idris2002 (May 25, 2020)

Looks like there's a good chance that the autistic child claim is a load of bollocks:


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

Poot said:


> That sounds interesting. What has happened? (I don't want to have to actually watch the fucker so be glad if you can say).



trump is losing support. Tories are getting flack. He’s not happy.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Idris2002 said:


> Looks like there's a good chance that the autistic child claim is a load of bollocks:



I'd be amazed if it isn't.  If it was genuine they'd have put it front and centre when the story first broke to try and damp things down a bit.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Poot said:


> That sounds interesting. What has happened? (I don't want to have to actually watch the fucker so be glad if you can say).


He stopped uploading videos to YT when they demonetized him, principled patriot, that he is (just went to have a look!).


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> He stopped uploading videos to YT when they demonetized him, principled patriot, that he is (just went to have a look!).



sadly he still has his Akkad daily moan thing.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> As my grandad once said, whilst it's fun to watch your victims run around screaming and on fire, sometimes you just want to get to the bit with the tigers.


 Who the hell was your granddad?


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Idris2002 said:


> Looks like there's a good chance that the autistic child claim is a load of bollocks:




Quite possibly deliberate dead cat strategy from that twitter exchange.


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

Idris2002 said:


> Looks like there's a good chance that the autistic child claim is a load of bollocks:




and


----------



## Idris2002 (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Who the hell was your granddad?


A prince among men, whoever he was.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Amusing piece from The Spectator.


> It’s not often a politician calls a press conference to sneer openly at the voters but Boris Johnson has always done things his own way. The Prime Minister’s performance this afternoon was a careful, considered declaration of contempt at all those chumps stupid enough to obey the rules he laid down for them. They thought those regulations applied to everyone, regardless of position or connections? What rubes.





> This is how elites operate. Rules are for the ruled, not the rulers. The little people have to stay at home, keep their kids away from granny, and see their small businesses tank. Not the clique, though. They are clever enough to slip and slither between the terms and conditions that bind everyone else and valuable enough that, even if they do get caught, they will be shielded from the consequences.





Spoiler: Full article



It’s not often a politician calls a press conference to sneer openly at the voters but Boris Johnson has always done things his own way. The Prime Minister’s performance this afternoon was a careful, considered declaration of contempt at all those chumps stupid enough to obey the rules he laid down for them. They thought those regulations applied to everyone, regardless of position or connections? What rubes.

Addressing Dominic Cummings’ freewheeling interpretation of lockdown guidelines, the Prime Minister said: ’I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly, legally and with integrity, and with the overriding aim to stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives.’

I don’t think for a minute that Johnson believes his adviser was trying to halt the spread of Covid-19, but nor I do think he was lying. A lie is an attempt to deceive and the Prime Minister doesn’t care enough to make the effort. He has decided that he needs the man who devised his Brexit strategy and election campaign and who is now virtually co-Prime Minister. It doesn’t matter whether the punters reckon Dom did the right thing or the wrong thing (they very much think the latter) because what they reckon doesn’t come into it.

This is how elites operate. Rules are for the ruled, not the rulers. The little people have to stay at home, keep their kids away from granny, and see their small businesses tank. Not the clique, though. They are clever enough to slip and slither between the terms and conditions that bind everyone else and valuable enough that, even if they do get caught, they will be shielded from the consequences.

Think I’m being unfair? Confident Boris would view similar actions in a similar light if taken by an ordinary punter? Fair enough. I’m not one to counsel law-breaking but if the Prime Minister says it’s okay to disregard lockdown as long as you believe your reason is really good, then go ahead and disregard lockdown. You may not face the same scenario that Cummings faced but you judge what’s best for you and your family, just like he did. Go down the pub, take the kids to the seaside, or drive to your parents’ house. Don’t worry if you or someone else in your household is symptomatic. Follow your ‘instincts’, not the rules. And if the police hand you a fine, forward it to Downing Street. Boris will sort it for you.











						Boris Johnson's support for Cummings is really a defence of the elite | The Spectator
					

It’s not often a politician calls a press conference to sneer openly at the voters but Boris Johnson has always done things his own way. The Prime Minister’s performance this afternoon was a careful, considered declaration of contempt at all those chumps stupid enough to obey the rules he laid...




					www.spectator.co.uk


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I'd be amazed if it isn't.  If it was genuine they'd have put it front and centre when the story first broke to try and damp things down a bit.


I still don’t get this. They all drive to a holiday home whilst they were infected with the actual virus. Am just not understanding the relevance of whether their child has autism to the whole story?


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> True, but even if Cummings were to 'go' in the next hour, the psychopaths will still privilege their resumed accumulation over our lives. The foundations for the second spike were set in the VEday75 week and the R will already have risen (probably now already above 1 = epidemic) and the deaths from early May will likely start to show in the next week or so.



Yeah I'd actually like to safely see friends and family without worrying about giving them a deadly disease and/or feeling guilty about people who cant do the same though and worrying about what impact it will have on them.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> I still don’t get this. They all drive to a holiday home whilst they were infected with the actual virus. Am just not understanding the relevance of whether their child has autism to the whole story?



The autism thing is bullshit cooked up by Twitter bots, in an attempt to deflect and distract.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Because we've got at least 50k dead from covid, people suffering mental health effects from isolation, rising unemployment etc. I just want it to stop.
> 
> The lot of them should be dragged out and lined against a wall but we all know that's not going to happen. So I'll have to settle for them being sacked instead.



I want it to stop too.

But Cummings getting/sacked resigning isn't going to help.

Him staying, and being defended, weakens the Government.

But there's no election for 5 years.

They have a majority of 80 that isn't going anywhere.

So, the only thing that will force a significant change in direction is "fear of the mob" and/or a widespread refusal to be "nudged".

Cummings staying, and being defended, might (just might) fuel this.

It's bleak either way.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Can we just fuck off with the autism story. It has nothing to do with this, mainly because it isn't true.

mauvais - your grandad was alright.


----------



## Poot (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> I still don’t get this. They all drive to a holiday home whilst they were infected with the actual virus. Am just not understanding the relevance of whether their child has autism to the whole story?


I think the point is that autistic children may not settle with a childminder that they don't know. However, I suspect that thousands of other parents were in this position but due to having an actual conscience and an understanding of risks, didn't drive 260 miles.

However, as others have said, this is a distraction.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> I want it to stop too.
> 
> But Cummings getting/sacked resigning isn't going to help.
> 
> ...



Him staying will reinforce a message that its it's fine to do what you want (without any enforceable steps in place to monitor or control the outbreak), leading to even more thousands of deaths, people losing their jobs etc.

And at the end of it they will still find a way to stay in power anyway, this lot arent going to get forced out. Like Bolsonaro having some lackeys around that havent resigned isnt a good thing is it, he's not going anywhere is he. And people not resigning isnt gonna change anything, it's just making the situation worse.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Him staying will reinforce a message that its it's fine to do what you want (without any enforceable steps in place to monitor or control the outbreak), leading to even more thousands of deaths, people losing their jobs etc.
> 
> And at the end of it they will still find a way to stay in power anyway. Like Bolsonaro having some lackeys around that havent resigned isnt a good thing is it, he's not going anywhere is he.



Yeah 

I'm just concerned that people are walking into a trap that diverts attention and energy without any real result.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Yeah
> 
> I'm just concerned that people are walking into a trap that diverts attention and energy without any real result.





chilango said:


> Yeah
> 
> I'm just concerned that people are walking into a trap that diverts attention and energy without any real result.



Same here.


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Yeah
> 
> I'm just concerned that people are walking into a trap that diverts attention and energy without any real result.



STOOOOPPP. BREXIT!!!


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Yeah
> 
> I'm just concerned that people are walking into a trap that diverts attention and energy without any real result.



...and I'm aware that I'm slipping towards some defeatist "emmiseration" strategy here.


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

I'm just enjoying the show tbh.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay



Because the relative unity we have seen with this wave of the virus is going to collapse if (more likely _when_ given the way they are going) it comes back.  The Government - the PM - has shown with this that they aren't going to behave rationally, which means when the public get understandably angry at them for this new round of tens of thousands of grandparents / parents / nurses dying (especially if that isnt happening across the world) they are absolutely going to blame everyone else for it, using the megaphone that the media and social media gives them.  

If we are lucky, they will blame "the scientists" for giving them the wrong advice; if we are not lucky then it will be a specific group of the population, one that is already held in contempt by a lot of their supporters.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> Because the relative unity we have seen with this wave of the virus is going to collapse if (more likely _when_ given the way they are going) it comes back.  The Government - the PM - has shown with this that they aren't going to behave rationally, which means when the public get understandably angry at them for this new round of tens of thousands of grandparents / parents / nurses dying (especially if that isnt happening across the world) they are absolutely going to blame everyone else for it, using the megaphone that the media and social media gives them.
> 
> If we are lucky, they will blame "the scientists" for giving them the wrong advice; if we are not lucky then it will be a specific group of the population, one that is already held in contempt by a lot of their supporters.



Yeah.

But we need a change of government not the ousting of a scapegoat to change that.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Yeah
> 
> I'm just concerned that people are walking into a trap that diverts attention and energy without any real result.



Yeah I just want it to stop.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Yeah.
> 
> But we need a change of government not the ousting of a scapegoat to change that.



Not exactly a scapegoat though is he. Boris basically sacrificed his own credibility to protect him (along with thousands of peoples lives), shows how dependent on him he is. And he was one of the architects of the disastrous herd immunity strategy.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

They are pretty much openly laughing at us.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> They are pretty much openly laughing at us.



They always have.

It's just they're not worried enough to hide it anymore.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> STOOOOPPP. BREXIT!!!


We know where he lives, he has nothing to do...just saying...


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> I'm just enjoying the show tbh.


Thats how I feel too, might be a bit silly and unserious but it's true. I liked the thick of it but this is better.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Just let us have this brief shining moment of schadenfreude before we slide back into abject defeat

This might well have hastened the scales to fall from many eyes previously gazing on Johnson with amusement and sympathy


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> I still don’t get this. They all drive to a holiday home whilst they were infected with the actual virus. Am just not understanding the relevance of whether their child has autism to the whole story?



Seems a bit like one of those attempted gotchas that certain right wing types like. This is obviously down to the lefties, and lefties care about stuff like disabilities, and AHA the kid has autism what are you going to do now eh?


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 25, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> and



A rumour deliberately started by Cummings sock puppet accounts?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

_Leftwaffe_ lol. New to me


----------



## Tankus (May 25, 2020)

It's my understanding ,that it's my understanding......which is my understanding  of understanding  the situation of the situation of the matter in hand


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

Anonymous sources on twitter. Seems legit.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> _Leftwaffe_ lol. New to me



of course the irony is that the left have a claim on RAF as well


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Seen a tendency on Twitter and other social media platforms to  conflate where people stand on the Cummings/Goings issue with a simple Remain/Leave filter.  This is a short   interesting article on applying the 'there is one law for the rich' across the two main parties Leave and Remainers . 


The conclusion is





> In fact, we find the highest levels of agreement among 2017 Labour leave voters — 4 out of 5 of these voters agree that there is one law for the rich. That this group are perceived as key to the Conservative victory in 2019 might give pause for thought here.


----------



## xenon (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> 1.24pm Sunday and the Guardian are reporting,
> 
> *The Labour Party has just gone on the offensive
> 
> "*Alright lads, I think we can politicize this now, send a tweet"





coldwaterswim said:


> I’m absolutely livid, and I feel totally powerless, is there anything we can do - I’ve signed the petition - feel like that won’t change anything, can’t go protest on the streets because corona...although who the fuck knows, we could just be ‘following our instincts’... - is there anything else we can do as a layperson to get rid of DC? Because right now I feel like I want to go burn things down and that’s not going to solve anything 😂



You're allowed out to exercise (your rights) as much as you like. Just make a plackard 2m across and you're sorted.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> 1.24pm Sunday and the Guardian are reporting,
> 
> *The Labour Party has just gone on the offensive
> 
> "*Alright lads, I think we can politicize this now, send a tweet"



Two offences in one day, its like the Charge of The Light Brigade





__





						Subscribe to read | Financial Times
					

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication




					www.ft.com
				




Sorry forgot that this might be behind a paywall for some of you


----------



## xenon (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Gavin Williamson on BBC News. 'the Prime Minister wanted total clarity and a clear understanding as to what has happened.'
> 
> I have no fucking idea how he kept a straight face saying that.



He's a fucking weasel and a thick one at that.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Even the roaring voice of the shires, blue rinse and twinset is rising up and vomiting a melange of canape and sherry all over the lying weasel's head....









						The witch hunt is on for Cummings. Well, he lit the torch - The Conservative Woman
					

The witch hunt is on for Cummings. Well, he lit the torch




					conservativewoman.co.uk


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> So, we are up to 16 Tory MPs calling for him to go, not nearly enough, hopefully that figure will raise a lot higher today, when they check their e-mails.



18 now, small steps.



> *Tory MPs publicly criticising Dominic Cummings*
> 
> Steve Baker
> Simon Hoare
> ...


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Seen a tendency on Twitter and other social media platforms to  conflate where people stand on the Cummings/Goings issue with a simple Remain/Leave filter.  This is a short   interesting article on applying the 'there is one law for the rich' across the two main parties Leave and Remainers .
> 
> 
> The conclusion is



Yeah it's mostly been Tories doing that while screaming about politicisation .


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay


 
cos their callous and  criminal mismanagement of the response to covid-19 is killing people in their thousands.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Is Alice appointed to Idox a relative of DC? 






						IDOX appoints Alice Cummings to its Board as Non-Executive Director
					






					talent4boards.com
				













						Idox | Software Built on Insight
					

Software built on insight. Our specialist software solutions power the performance of government and industry, driving productivity and a better experience for everyone.




					www.idoxgroup.com


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> 18 now, small steps.


Fucking hell, must be serious if my MP Martin "toe the line forever" Vickers has risen up

ETA it's not really "hang him at dawn" however


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Fucking hell, must be serious if my MP Martin "toe the line forever" Vickers has risen up


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Yeah it's mostly been Tories doing that while screaming about politicisation .


And the Contrarian Left


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> And the Contrarian Left



THE LEFT did this and THE LEFT did that and I'm so fed up with THE LEFT that I'm going to join THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY.


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

I'm seeing a lot of whataboutery regarding other MPs who've supposedly broken lockdown. One of them was a Welsh MP who was... sat on a bench for a moment with his toddler on a walk near their house. I mean, what a total bastard!


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

It's the new national anthem


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> And the Contrarian Left


which contrarian left? It's the contrarian centre that tends to split things down leave/remain lines - the contrarian left has too many lexit types to make this one of their regular attack lines...


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> which contrarian left? It's the contrarian centre that tends to split things down leave/remain lines - the contrarian left has too many lexit types to make this one of their regular attack lines...



Yeah the kinda political talking heads on social media who substitute sneering at anything that might be construed as the left or the hated 'fbpe' types with a personality have been incredibly quiet lately. Wonder why.


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

This is certainly building momentum across the political spectrum. If deaths start to rise in the next couple of weeks due to a 2nd wave that's when this moment will be put into stark relief for all to see. People will not have forgotten it.

It's hard to see where this is going to go but I think they reckon 4 years is a long time to recover from whatever shit they get into. 

Practically and within the law what  can people do about this , not a lot. Any change will have to come from within the vermin , the 1922 and all that. They have time to get rid of Boris and put a new leader in but that wiil not be easy.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> cos their callous and  criminal mismanagement of the response to covid-19 is killing people in their thousands.



Yes any scenario that could potentially lead to some grown ups taking over would be ideal at this point. I'm not at all convinced that such a scenario exists of course, but 'let Johnson and his clown army continue to ruin everything so as to do maximum damage to themselves in the process' is definitely not it.


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> some grown ups taking over


OK, I'm joining the tory party. Cummings till I die.


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

This storm in a teacup is probably encouraging people to do what they like. Its not going to bring down the government. The lock down was barely enforced, I was driving long distances to and from work, not stopped once and never saw police on my travels.  I had the feeling they were all in barracks for fear of actually having to put people in custody.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> I had the feeling they were all in barracks for fear of actually having to do ten minutes' work in an eight hour shift.




FFY


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

I'd go as far as saying DC knew that the OB were under instruction to be hands off and knew he could drive across the country without hitting a road block, which I assume most people at home thought there would be. I really don't think there was any lockdown other than voluntary.


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

Not a storm in a teacup









						Watchdog asks Durham police to investigate Dominic Cummings
					

Force to establish facts about PM’s chief aide’s trip to north-east England during lockdown




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> This storm in a teacup is probably encouraging people to do what they like. Its not going to bring down the government. The lock down was barely enforced, I was driving long distances to and from work, not stopped once and never saw police on my travels.  I had the feeling they were all in barracks for fear of actually having to put people in custody.


Of course it will encourage people to do whatever they like. Whole thing was based on consensus not enforcement anyway, now with the pm saying just follow your instincts & look after your own it’s basically over. People will just make their own choices though, like if the government tells me it’s suddenly fine next week for me to fly to hug my old parents I’m not just going to do it.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Not a storm in a teacup
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I was just about to post that, it's going to be hard for the police to ignore a request from their police and crime commissioner.



> The police and crime commissioner for Durham is to formally write to the chief constable of the force he oversees asking for an investigation into Dominic Cummings.
> 
> Steve White, the acting police, crime and victims’ commissioner for Durham, will on Monday ask the force to investigate all the claims about the prime minister’s principal adviser’s time in the Durham area during the coronavirus lockdown and establish the facts.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> Of course it will encourage people to do whatever they like. Whole thing was based on consensus not enforcement anyway, now with the pm saying just follow your instincts & look after your own it’s basically over. People will just make their own choices though, like if the government tells me it’s suddenly fine next week for me to fly to hug my old parents I’m not just going to do it.


Which, perversely, is exactly what Cummings and Johnson wanted all along.

I'm not saying they planned this shitshow, but in that respect at least it has worked for them. The cost for them, of course, is still to be determined.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> This storm in a teacup is probably encouraging people to do what they like. Its not going to bring down the government. The lock down was barely enforced, I was driving long distances to and from work, not stopped once and never saw police on my travels.  I had the feeling they were all in barracks for fear of actually having to put people in custody.


The lockdown was barely enforced but very widely obeyed. If anything that just makes this worse for Cummings. It's surely why the Mail has exploded in indignation on behalf of its readers - _we good advice-following citizens didn't need the law to make us do the right thing, while this fellow devised the strategy in just such a way that it would be easy for him to flout the rules_. And law or not law, these were lockdown rules. But, following Johnson last night, it was literally 'one rule for us, another for them'. 

But let this bubble away, I say. Everything just makes it worse. The whatabouttery about the minor infractions by other politicians only serves to highlight just how egregious Cummings' actions were, on a totally different level of out of order. Crucially there, I think many people will identify with the MPs guilty of minor infractions like sitting on benches when they shouldn't. Few of us can imagine jumping in the car with someone with the virus to take them right across the country to visit our elderly parents. It's not just hypocrisy or a bit naughty like, say, the actions of Niall Ferguson. It's off the scale cuntery, the kind of thing that would dumbfound you if a friend told you they had done it. And if Johnson et al think it's just a storm in a teacup, I think they have misjudged the situation.


----------



## Big Bertha (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> This storm in a teacup is probably encouraging people to do what they like. Its not going to bring down the government. The lock down was barely enforced, I was driving long distances to and from work, not stopped once and never saw police on my travels.  I had the feeling they were all in barracks for fear of actually having to put people in custody.


Yeah, I was travelling throughout and never saw police stopping anyone.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> I'd go as far as saying DC knew that the OB were under instruction to be hands off and knew he could drive across the country without hitting a road block, which I assume most people at home thought there would be. I really don't think there was any lockdown other than voluntary.



Yes it was voluntary and everyone who stayed home, stayed away from loved ones, who suffered and left others to suffer; they did so by choice. Because it was the right thing to do, not because they feared the anaemic to non-existent enforcement. I think the rage people feel at the likes of Cummings taking the absolute fucking piss comes from a place where everyone knows that lockdown was (they've got me talking in the past tense now, I notice) voluntary, where we all thought it was a social contract, a collective sacrifice. One that was all the more galling for being made largely as a result of Cummings and Johnson's ideology-driven refusal to protect the public in the first place.

This is probably not the thing that finishes Johnson off. But it's an important moment, if only as a particularly blatant example of the pattern that's defined the entire country's experience throughout this crisis: ordinary people suffering on account of people who wouldn't break their stride to help another living soul.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

The prone Johnson era.


----------



## Supine (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> This storm in a teacup is probably encouraging people to do what they like. Its not going to bring down the government. The lock down was barely enforced, I was driving long distances to and from work, not stopped once and never saw police on my travels.  I had the feeling they were all in barracks for fear of actually having to put people in custody.



you do realise you don’t live in a police state


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

Supine said:


> you do realise you don’t live in a police state


This also depends where you live. The non-enforcement wasn't universal. In Pembrokeshire, for instance, police were stopping cars on main roads into holiday areas, and turning around anyone who didn't live locally who was trying to escape to second homes, caravans, etc.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> This also depends where you live. The non-enforcement wasn't universal. In Pembrokeshire, for instance, police were stopping cars on main roads into holiday areas, and turning around anyone who didn't live locally who was trying to escape to second homes, caravans, etc.



Those people who were arrested/fined/imprisioned can now challenge those convictions then?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> which contrarian left? It's the contrarian centre that tends to split things down leave/remain lines - the contrarian left has too many lexit types to make this one of their regular attack lines...


Well it might be a quible about who or what composes the contratarian left ( and of course their self identication) I suppose  and its difficult because the politics of some of its inhabitants shift and fluctuate so quickly in the echo chamber of Twitter.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> This also depends where you live. The non-enforcement wasn't universal. In Pembrokeshire, for instance, police were stopping cars on main roads into holiday areas, and turning around anyone who didn't live locally who was trying to escape to second homes, caravans, etc.



Which sounds like lunatic paranoia until you realise they were coming down in droves and there are just a couple of critical care beds.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Well it might be a quible about who or what composes the contratarian left ( and of course their self identication) I suppose  and its difficult because the politics of some of its inhabitants shift and fluctuate so quickly in the echo chamber of Twitter.



Let's not mix up the contrarian left with the contrarian contrarian left.


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

Supine said:


> you do realise you don’t live in a police state


Unlike other European countries that fared better with police enforcement.


----------



## teqniq (May 25, 2020)

Big Bertha said:


> Yeah, I was travelling throughout and never saw police stopping anyone.


I was stopped once on my way back into Cardiff on the A470, along with everyone else. This was in the very early days of the lockdown. Just showed my ID card (keyworker) no issues. Drove to Aberystwyth about a month ago. Roads were very quiet, saw no police at all.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> Which sounds like lunatic paranoia until you realise they were coming down in droves and there are just a couple of critical care beds.


And the area was largely corona-free at the time. That's what does it for me wrt Cummings. Doing minor lockdown-breaking stuff locally is one thing, but the very spirit of the thing was to stop spread, ie the further from home you go, the more potentially destructive your action. If you were designing a single action that exemplified every aspect of what not to do, this has the lot - travelling long distance, travelling with someone with symptoms, visiting elderly people.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> Unlike other European countries that fared better with police enforcement.


And other countries that fared just as badly with police enforcement, eg Spain. I don't think this is the story here. Despite cunts like Cummings, the lockdown was observed by enough people to make it effective. That's one of the very few things I think this govt got about right. It started too late, that was the problem. We didn't quite know it yet (although we could guess), but we were already fucked by 23 March.


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

Two weeks earlier I doubt there would have been enough consensus without a real lockdown and utilising police littlebabyjesus


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> And the area was largely corona-free at the time. That's what does it for me wrt Cummings. Doing minor lockdown-breaking stuff locally is one thing, but the very spirit of the thing was to stop spread, ie the further from home you go, the more potentially destructive your action. If you were designing a single action that exemplified every aspect of what not to do, this has the lot - travelling long distance, travelling with someone with symptoms, visiting elderly people.



Yeah, I really can't be arsed about some boffin sneaking round the corner for a shag, but this was a different level.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> Two weeks earlier I doubt there would have been enough consensus without a real lockdown and utilising police littlebabyjesus


One week earlier would have made a huge difference if the models of infection spread are even half-right.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I was just about to post that, it's going to be hard for the police to ignore a request from their police and crime commissioner.


Its a tricky one isnt it? The Police have already said that following the initial phone call from the father that they rang the next day and offered advice and guidance on travel re corona virus haven't they.? Some on here might not think that is sufficient but I'm not sure that a review would lead to a conclusion that it was a disproportionate response. However the sighting of Cummings in Barnard Castle has now led to the number plate taking retired chemistry teacher to go one step further than reporting this to the Guardian to now reporting it to the Police. This well might under different circumstances not have been followed up with any urgency but a review may make that different.Of course the other sightings may or may not be substantiated , if they are then what would be the appropriate response? If they aren't then there is no further case for Cummings to answer.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> Let's not mix up the contrarian left with the contrarian contrarian left.


Yup I thought it was a useful phrase when I wrote it.


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> One week earlier would have made a huge difference if the models of infection spread are even half-right.


You mentioned 2 weeks before your edit. I think waiting for the nation to collectively decide staying at home is probably a good idea is an abusrd govt response I think a Labour govt would have gone in earlier, harder and saved lives.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> You mentioned 2 weeks before your edit. I think waiting for the nation to collectively decide staying at home is probably a good idea is an abusrd govt response I think a Labour govt would have gone in earlier, harder and saved lives.


No I didn't. The edit just added the final sentence.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Cummings to make a public statement later today, and will be answering questions. 

Let's hope it goes tits-up.

/ Official No.10 announcement, just report on Sky News.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Cummings to make a public statement later today, and will be answering questions.
> 
> Let's hope it goes tits-up.
> 
> / Official No.10 announcement, just report on Sky News.



they've stopped digging the hole and have switched to boring machines


----------



## steeplejack (May 25, 2020)

Expect a lot of use of the phrase _"I'm sorry if people feel that...."_

Looks like real desperation. When the messenger becomes the story the game's up.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

He's not famed for ingratiating himself with people. That doesn't make me think he's going to be very good at putting his case to the nation himself. I hope this goes as badly for him as it possibly can.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

NHS chiefs now putting the boot in, how glorious.









						Trust chiefs lead unprecedented criticism of ‘disgraceful’ Cummings
					

Three trust chief executives have openly attacked the prime minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings for allegedly flouting the lockdown rules.




					www.hsj.co.uk


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

Will he quit? hope so


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

steeplejack said:


> Expect a lot of use of the phrase _"I'm sorry if people feel that...."_
> 
> Looks like real desperation. When the messenger becomes the story the game's up.


If I was the Tory PR department I'd have him with his Mrs cradling his son surrounded by photos in memorium to his dead uncle and old Fathers Day cards saying 'To the best Dad in the World drawn in crayon.  Oh and a dog with big eyes .


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> Will he quit? hope so


He wouldn't resign to the nation. He'd just fuck off. I really hope he's going to tell us how clever he is, how important his work is and how we can't manage without him because that is going to go so well.


----------



## MickiQ (May 25, 2020)

It's not what he did, it's what happened afterwards. His attitude has come across as "Fuck You Plebs the rules don't apply to me" .
BoZo has tried to extinguish the fire with petrol and reinforced that view, clearly demonstrating that he is willing to bend the rules for his mates
The lockdown is already crumbling, the good weather won't help and this is another nail in the coffin.
Cummings should have resigned and issued an apology and things would have continued to stumble on with this matter forgotten.
But now it will rumble on and on with every day common unity crumbling more and more.
Mrs Q is the strongest supporter of the lockdown going but this morning she is complaining about the fact that she hasn't seen her elderly parents in Liverpool for months. My son's girlfriend lives with us and since she is a nurse and her Mum works in a care home she has not seen her parents or her siblings for even longer in case she unwittingly spreads the virus. She too is wondering why she is making sacrifices when someone who should set a good example is flaunting the rules and the fucking PM is brushing it under the carpet.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If I was the Tory PR department I'd have him with his Mrs cradling his son surrounded by photos in memorium to his dead uncle and old Fathers Day cards saying 'To the best Dad in the World drawn in crayon.  Oh and a dog with big eyes .



with this Tory PR department they'll probably have him with Boris' son surrounded by photos in memorium to his dead uncle and old Fathers Day cards saying 'To the best Dad in the World" drawn in crayon.  Dilyn the dog will also be in the scene.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

I wonder how this is going to play in their (likely) strategy of whipping up a culture war between lockdowners and lifters...


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

Little voice in his head telling him to go on about PJ Masks again.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

The London Mob's blood is up today.


----------



## Ax^ (May 25, 2020)

He is not going to quit just try to play on the looking after my kids and my uncle died angle to try to gains support


hopefully it goes down like a lead ballon in a shit storm..


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

IC3D said:


> Two weeks earlier I doubt there would have been enough consensus without a real lockdown and utilising police littlebabyjesus



There was enough consensus by the week of the 9th March. People may disagree about whether there was enough consensus at the start of that week, but by the end of that week there certainly was. A few weeks ago I went back and watched the press conferences of the 9th and 12th of March, and the government were well out of tune already by then, trying to resist the inevitable and people were not convinced. People remember the herd immunity storm at the end of that week, 'Boris the butcher' trending etc, but the signs were already there days before.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Cummings to make a public statement later today, and will be answering questions.
> 
> Let's hope it goes tits-up.
> 
> / Official No.10 announcement, just report on Sky News.



What a load of shit. He's an advisor. It's the judgement and accountability of the Cabinet, and the PM in particular, which is the issue. I couldn't give a fuck what Cummings has to say for himself. Get Johnson out to tell us what he knew and when and did he give agreement for it to happen.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Dominic Cummings statement:







(Fun coincidence: that character's name is Boris)


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

Do hope he unwisely goes for a line in the bog first. I imagine the urge will be strong.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Dominic is going to address the nation....like the PM or the queen would...









						Boris Johnson defends Dominc Cummings following aide's press conference
					

A growing number of Conservative MP's join calls for Cummings to go




					www.walesonline.co.uk


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> I wonder how this is going to play in their (likely) strategy of whipping up a culture war between lockdowners and lifters...


That war is won; with all trust and belief in the equity of commitment blown out of the water, the Bank Holiday crowds & traffic are Cummings' victory. Lockdown was easier to exit than they'd ever dreamed possible.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

Cummings is giving a statement? At least now we know who's in charge.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Although I will of course watch and hope it's a shitstorm.


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

So the real PM is deigning to speak to the plebs today, how nice of him.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> What a load of shit. He's an advisor. It's the judgement and accountability of the Cabinet, and the PM in particular, which is the issue. I couldn't give a fuck what Cummings has to say for himself. Get Johnson out to tell us what he knew and when and did he give agreement for it to happen.




^^^^This x 1000


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Dominic is going to address the nation....like the PM or the queen would...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



If he was true to form he would use the live broadcast (if that's what it is) to say fuck to Boris for pushing him into this, fuck you all and then fuck right off -classic dom and all that. And then fuck off to start to hedge fund in a tax haven whilst his Islington house burns.


----------



## hash tag (May 25, 2020)

Not gone yet then
 I see there is over 300000 signatures on 2 petitions.


----------



## hegley (May 25, 2020)

steeplejack said:


> Expect a lot of use of the phrase _"I'm sorry if people feel that...."_
> 
> Looks like real desperation. When the messenger becomes the story the game's up.


He strikes me as the type of man who would never willingly use the S word, even in the Patel sense.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

Hmmm.

I wonder what they're up to.

Cummings doesn't strike me as someone who'll fall on his sword.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> I wonder how this is going to play in their (likely) strategy of whipping up a culture war between lockdowners and lifters...


Is this the one Starmer started with his requests for a plan?


----------



## prunus (May 25, 2020)

I imagine he’s going to for for contrite apology “I thought i was doing the right thing but I see now that etc etc” and hope that it goes away. It better bloody not though. He deserves full on excoriation.


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 25, 2020)

Fucks sake if you are going to kill the king do it fucking properly.

This should be wrapped up and done, knives cleaned

Can Durham police not pull his phone mast pings and just show everyone what an arsehole he’s been

Country is fucked, and going right down the toilet after this


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

They spent a long time meeting yesterday, might even be a strategy in play, although you’d think not from Johnson’s performance last night.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Perhaps he will tell us that he can hold his piss for 250 miles and that he doesn't breathe at all when visiting castles?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

I'll take his crocodile tears and raise him hungry alligators teeth.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Perhaps he will tell us that he can hold his piss for 250 miles and that he doesn't breathe at all when visiting castles?



That kind of shit worked out well for Nonce Andrew, after all...


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

prunus said:


> I imagine he’s going to for for contrite apology “I thought i was doing the right thing but I see now that etc etc” and hope that it goes away. It better bloody not though. He deserves full on excoriation.


There aren't enough sick bags or pitchforks in the King-Dom.


----------



## steveo87 (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Serious, but cynical, question: Why do people (on here) want the Conservatives to clean up their mess here?
> 
> Surely, the longer they try and ride this out the better?
> 
> #cummingsmuststay




Because sixty thousand people have died (which is almost certainly going to grow by a huge amount). 
I really, genuinely, wanted to give the Tories the benefit of doubt, and hoped that they'd stop playing politics, and actually try to save people - and I'm fucking livid (with myself mostly) that the Tories have spent the entire epidemic being Tories.

But what's the alternative?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Perhaps he will tell us that he can hold his piss for 250 miles and that he doesn't breathe at all when visiting castles?


That's going to be the statement. He'll neck two litres of Tizer then stare down the camera for 5 hours.

Maybe finish it off with a "end of story".


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

He's going to notify us of a job ad on his blog for the post of Prime Minister.


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> The London Mob's blood is up today.
> 
> View attachment 214603


 



Not a good photo but it reads... 

# Tax the rich 
Bummings led to Cummings


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 214610
> 
> Not a good photo but it reads...
> 
> ...


It definitely rhymes, but does anyone know if it means something?


----------



## magneze (May 25, 2020)

"I couldn't have been at Barnard Castle on that date, I was in Pizza Express."


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

It will be fine, he will win over the public once he reveals that he cannot sweat and he had a tip-off that there was a branch of Pizza Express still operating in Barnard Castle.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 214610
> 
> Not a good photo but it reads...
> 
> ...


Class War will no doubt be considering a home visit.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

When is the conference?


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

magneze said:


> "I couldn't have been at Barnard Castle on that date, I was in Pizza Express."



Great minds etc.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Derry man jailed after driving 280 miles to Kerry to buy puppies
					

A man has been handed a four-week prison sentence after breaching Covid-19 travel restrictions by driving more than 450km (280 miles) from Londonderry to Co Kerry just to buy two puppies.




					www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Tells us a lot he's making a statement himself I think, oh I will fucking laugh if it's outside Number 10 like the PM does.

I don't think he'll be resigning or saying any meaningful 'sorry', my bet is on playing the family angle with some half arsed excuses and mealy mouthed 'sorry I upset people' kind of things. Here's hoping it's a repeat of Prince Andrew's crowd pleaser.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> When is the conference?


In an act of remarkable consistency, the details reported so far are the unhelpfully vague, "later this afternoon".


----------



## co-op (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Dominic is going to address the nation....like the PM or the queen would...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Exactly my thought when I heard this. Wtf, the guy's just a fucking advisor, he is elected by no one and represents no one. Amazing state of this.


----------



## rutabowa (May 25, 2020)

I reckon he will say he has been driven by the press to reveal his sons illness, and then half the country will be like "that is awful the press and the left are discusting" and the other half will be "but that isnt relevant he is still awful" and the argument will last a week on twitter while he skips away unscathed. At least that is the plan.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

He's going to lie.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

rutabowa said:


> I reckon he will say he has been driven by the press to reveal his sons illness, and then half the country will be like "that is awful the press and the left are discusting" and the other half will be "but that isnt relevant he is still awful" and the argument will last a week on twitter while he skips away unscathed. At least that is the plan.



^ That. Depressing state of things. FFS.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> Class War will no doubt be considering a home visit.


Might be a bit of shock for the right-on residents of trendy Islington to find out from their neighbours South of the river that the avenues in which they live are about to be devastated!


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Poot (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> He's going to lie.


Say it ain't so.


----------



## steeplejack (May 25, 2020)

I don't understand why they don't just fire him and then let him continue doing what he's been doing anyway with some vague title and working from home.

What benefit is there to the government to let this burn around them for 72 hours? On and on and on the culture war goes.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

rutabowa said:


> I reckon he will say he has been driven by the press to reveal his sons illness, and then half the country will be like "that is awful the press and the left are discusting" and the other half will be "but that isnt relevant he is still awful" and the argument will last a week on twitter while he skips away unscathed. At least that is the plan.


At the risk of assuming your meaning, feel it's important to point out autism isn't an illness.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

I just wish the media would ask simple questions he can't skip out of instead of waffling on.

Did you go to Barnard Castle?

Make them lie, don't give them wriggle room to talk about what they want to talk about.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

steeplejack said:


> I don't understand why they don't just fire him and then let him continue doing what he's been doing anyway with some vague title and working from home.
> 
> What benefit is there to the government to let this burn around them for 72 hours? On and on and on the culture war goes.


They don't want to show 'weakness'.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Armando Giovanni Iannucci has nothing on this domnishambles....


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

steveo87 said:


> Because sixty thousand people have died (which is almost certainly going to grow by a huge amount).
> I really, genuinely, wanted to give the Tories the benefit of doubt, and hoped that they'd stop playing politics, and actually try to save people - and I'm fucking livid (with myself mostly) that the Tories have spent the entire epidemic being Tories.
> 
> But what's the alternative?


With hindsight a better political analysis


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

No questions from anyone. First person on tell him he's a horrible prick. Then all walk out/switch off and leave him there.


----------



## rutabowa (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> At the risk of assuming your meaning, feel it's important to point out autism isn't an illness.


I dont know that the reveal will be autism, I suspect something else. But take your point, should have put "special circumstances".


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

I can't see how a statement from him can possibly help ,even if he trots out a "my son has x" line. The damage has been done way too badly now. It will only makes things worse as the least sympathetic person in gvt employ makes a plea for sympathy.


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> It definitely rhymes, but does anyone know if it means something?


It looks like a Banksy. 
Will call him and let you know ASAP.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

After yesterday's I strongly expect him to do a Bolsonaro tbh. 'So what?'


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

Wonder if anyone apart from him knows what he is going to say.


----------



## magneze (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> They don't want to show 'weakness'.


Great success with this so far. 👍


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

rutabowa said:


> I reckon he will say he has been driven by the press to reveal his sons illness, and then half the country will be like "that is awful the press and the left are discusting" and the other half will be "but that isnt relevant he is still awful" and the argument will last a week on twitter while he skips away unscathed. At least that is the plan.



I suspect this will be the tactic, but it doesn't fly because there's still no answer for why non-infected members of their family couldn't have come to them.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

I mean he's already at that point.


----------



## rutabowa (May 25, 2020)

Smangus said:


> I can't see how a statement from him can possibly help ,even if he trots out a "my son has x" line. The damage has been done way too badly now. It will only makes things worse as the least sympathetic person in gvt employ makes a plea for sympathy.


It will work for a lot of people. And it isnt meant to work for a lot of other people


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

I’m hoping for a scooby doo ending myself.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> I suspect this will be the tactic, but it doesn't fly because there's still no answer for why non-infected members of their family couldn't have come to them.



It won't matter though, some of the criticism will fade away and some of the ire will be redirected to the 'lefty press' for being nasty. It'll get confused and fade away.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Ladbrokes odds on Cummings speech. Just put a £10 on Stay at Home


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> I’m hoping for a scooby doo ending myself.


I'm still awaiting the glorious day when Trump tears off his mask to reveal he's Andy Kaufman


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

Wonder if there'll be questions from the public.


----------



## rutabowa (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> I suspect this will be the tactic, but it doesn't fly because there's still no answer for why non-infected members of their family couldn't have come to them.


What would "flying" or "not flying" look like exactly tho?


----------



## DotCommunist (May 25, 2020)

whats Bismark at fifty to one? this reference confuses me


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

50 new pages by  midnight


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> I'm still awaiting the glorious day when Trump tears off his mask to reveal he's Andy Kaufman


Or tries to and then realises he's not.


----------



## DownwardDog (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> No questions from anyone. First person on tell him he's a horrible prick. Then all walk out/switch off and leave him there.



They should throw shoes.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Surely he does't think hes gonna redeem himself any way.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> It won't matter though, some of the criticism will fade away and some of the ire will be redirected to the 'lefty press' for being nasty. It'll get confused and fade away.



Maybe. But I think this is cutting through. Mates on social media who aren't normally political are livid about this. Attempts to frame it as a grieving family man or a father dealing with a child with autism make them crosser, because they all know someone whose kid has autism or who lost someone who didn't break the rules. 

What the Remain side didn't get in the last few years, but people like Cummings did, was the visceral anger people felt at the unfairness of the idea that a referendum vote could be ignored or overturned. What I think he hasn't realised is he's unleashed a very similar anger in a lot of people. What will come of it politically I don't know, but I don't think it'll be that easily diffused.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## co-op (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Ladbrokes odds on Cummings speech. Just put a £10 on Stay at Home
> 
> View attachment 214617



Where's the appeal to allow "civility in politics" etc?


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

rutabowa said:


> What would "flying" or "not flying" look like exactly tho?



A significant enough proportion of the public and media find his reasoning acceptable that the issue starts fading away, and can be reframed as the usual lefties cruelly politicising the issue. Critically, no one blames the government/ his actions for the end of lockdown.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

co-op said:


> Where's the appeal to allow "civility in politics" etc?


I think Ladbrokes do a name your odds quote


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

rutabowa said:


> What would "flying" or "not flying" look like exactly tho?


----------



## pesh (May 25, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> I’m hoping for a scooby doo ending myself.


one that goes disastrously wrong, turns out he was Dom Cummings all along and they've just ripped his face off.


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Ha putting him on the tv , can’t think of a worse idea . Brilliant series of choices all round.


----------



## Santino (May 25, 2020)

DotCommunist said:


> whats Bismark at fifty to one? this reference confuses me


Dropping the Pilot - Wikipedia ??


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

It does demonstrate that he's much more than just an 'advisor' though. If he was just that he'd resign or just drop out of public view and advise Johnson by the back door. He's clearly involved with running things, sacking people he doesn't like, telling people in the civil service that they can find the door if they don't like what he's doing. Things that couldn't be hidden if he was to resign or be 'disappeared'.


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

rutabowa said:


> It will work for a lot of people. And it isnt meant to work for a lot of other people



Maybe , but I think most people have made thier minds up either way and this will not change much. I don't do this much but I looked at the Mail online comments out of curiosity and about 25% think its a remainer witch hunt and 75 % were after his blood. 

Totally unscientific of course but given the constituency of that website I found it very telling.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 25, 2020)

Spineless shape shifting opportunists


----------



## UrbaneFox (May 25, 2020)

Why hasn't he been outed as a Love Cheat / Rat?


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)

Fair play to him...This moment...Right now.._None_ of us know how it'll turn out. A lot to be said around the GOAT of press manipulation having to step up to the ochey.

Come out swinging and blame it on MSM and remainer sleeper agents with obstinate follow ups... Or plead contrition and appeal for sympathy. He's got such form for the former, though the latter is much more expedient for his long term dark goals.

(Give us a time tho you twat, I want to go for a ride later )


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> Ha putting him on the tv , can’t think of a worse idea . Brilliant series of choices all round.



There's literally no-one left to do this I think.

Cabinet ministers - failed
PM - failed

Ah go on Dom, say something outrageous. Remember, the bigger the lie...


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

Him on tv making a statement is a real sign of desperation.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

Ted Striker said:


> Fair play to him...This moment...Right now.._None_ of us know how it'll turn out. A lot to be said around the GOAT of press manipulation having to step up to the ochey.
> 
> Come out swinging and blame it on MSM and remainer sleeper agents with obstinate follow ups... Or plead contrition and appeal for sympathy. He's got such form for the former, though the latter is much more expedient for his long term dark goals.
> 
> (Give us a time tho you twat, I want to go for a ride later )



His contempt for the press is more than evident from the exchanges I’ve seen him give to the journos camped outside his house.  He mentioned something about the press lying to the public about Brexit or something along those lines as to why he should be bothered about their questions.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

None of us voted for the fucker. He certainly ain't royalty. On paper he's just another spad. They must be really out of ideas if they think this is their best move. Some people will buy whatever shit he says, but they're definitely a small minority as far as I know.

Utter shitshow.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> I still don’t get this. They all drive to a holiday home whilst they were infected with the actual virus. Am just not understanding the relevance of whether their child has autism to the whole story?


Sorry if the thread has moved on but because some of the "well he _was_ looking after his child" are now "well of course, his child is ill/disabled/needs extra help (or whatever description they decide) so he absolutely has to travel. Leave him alone" 

I've sadly seen it already being used as a conversion stopper on a couple of Facebook threads


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Code of conduct for special advisors,

Special advisers must not take public part in political controversy, through any form of statement whether in speeches or letters to the press, or in books, social media, articles or leaflets.

They must observe discretion and express comment with moderation, avoiding personal attacks, and would not normally speak in public for their Minister or the Department.

So that book looks like it's about to be ripped up.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

He is (un)officially above the Prime Minister in the pecking order, then, if it's cabinet first, then Johnson, then him? Whatever happens from now on, Johnson fucked himself last night.


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 25, 2020)

Dp


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Tells us a lot he's making a statement himself I think, oh I will fucking laugh if it's outside Number 10 like the PM does.
> 
> I don't think he'll be resigning or saying any meaningful 'sorry', my bet is on playing the family angle with some half arsed excuses and mealy mouthed 'sorry I upset people' kind of things. Here's hoping it's a repeat of Prince Andrew's crowd pleaser.


He believes he is smart enough to get out of this

He has been chinning off parliamentary summons to go before parliamentary committees/enquiries all year already

guy has contempt for the people he works with as much as the plebs who are just an encumbersnce for his mad futuristic plans

he’s mad as a cut snake, unfortunately he was the data manipulating king who promised them he’d take care of the election (he did)

3/4 of the Tory party don’t even understand what he’s planning/talking about half the time

He needs his Achilles chopped and placed in the longleat  lion enclosure, along with his pseudo-mates in the cabinet


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Sorry if the thread has moved on but because some of the "well he _was_ looking after his child" are now "well of course, his child is ill/disabled/needs extra help (or whatever description they decide) so he absolutely has to travel. Leave him alone"
> 
> I've sadly seen it already being used as a conversion stopper on a couple of Facebook threads



Except that people are criticising him, not his child, who doesn't deserve to be used as a shield for his father's actions.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Code of conduct for special advisors,
> 
> Special advisers must not take public part in political controversy, through any form of statement whether in speeches or letters to the press, or in books, social media, articles or leaflets.
> 
> ...


Interesting. Where's that from?


----------



## krtek a houby (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> His contempt for the press is more than evident from the exchanges I’ve seen him give to the journos camped outside his house.  He mentioned something about the press lying to the public about Brexit or something along those lines as to why he should be bothered about their questions.



Are the press lying to the public, Marty1  ?


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 25, 2020)

his whole schtick has always been breaching accepted covention to gain an advantage


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

NoXion said:


> Except that people are criticising him, not his child, who doesn't deserve to be used as a shield for his father's actions.



I absolutely agree with you, it's a cunts trick, but people are using it as a justification for his actions. 

Along with "his child is autistic, leave him alone"


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

My feeling is he's going to struggle to show any genuine empathy or contrition though. His whole attitude is very 'fuck you' through and through, I just hope that comes across in this. Let him chuck some petrol on the fire.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> It does demonstrate that he's much more than just an 'advisor' though. If he was just that he'd resign or just drop out of public view and advise Johnson by the back door. He's clearly involved with running things, sacking people he doesn't like, telling people in the civil service that they can find the door if they don't like what he's doing. Things that couldn't be hidden if he was to resign or be 'disappeared'.


Bit like Campbell in the Blair days


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

NoXion said:


> Except that people are criticising him, not his child, who doesn't deserve to be used as a shield for his father's actions.



This is par for the course.  Actually slightly too classy for Boris, more of a Disco Dave move.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

We have 80 seat majority
We have left the EU
I control Boris
Now let's have a dance, plebs and then you can all just fuck off.


----------



## marshall (May 25, 2020)

There are even 'Sack Cummings, save lives' posters in house windows in Norwich today. 

He's uniting the nation.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (May 25, 2020)




----------



## mwgdrwg (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

UrbaneFox said:


> Why hasn't he been outed as a Love Cheat / Rat?



he's too upstanding and honest to be a love rat.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Interesting. Where's that from?



Guardian live blog


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me that this would be disproportionate to the effort expended on other random people's breaches where they get a warning or a fine. Depending on what he's said and done, this episode could potentially turn into something more serious like perverting the course of justice, at which point sure, but we haven't seen any evidence of that yet.


PACE 1984 powers are available to the police on this one so  they could investigate using the usual range but would have to be proportionate and necessary. If it looks like something the CPS tests would be met for prosecution if proved then I reckon they would have a strong case to use vehicle checks etc. If not then not.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Bit like Campbell in the Blair days



Cummings is playing a bigger and more sinister game than Campbell, though.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

Wonder if he is going to wear shades for the event. Would be mildly amusing if he had been on the beak/ freebase since yesterday's session with bo jo. Sort of comes out as a jittery broken foul mouthed ...


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

I laughed.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Cummings is playing a bigger and more sinister game than Campbell, though.


Yep. Campbell was a bully, but proud of it and open about it - his power to sack people at No.10 was written into his job description. And he very clearly always served his master, Blair. Cummings thinks he is the master. Johnson clearly thinks Cummings is the master.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

I've generally avoided most of the press conferences and stuff, but I might watch at least a bit of this one out of morbid fascination.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Well, on suspicion of breaching the Coronavirus Act 2020 I would have thought



and somebody has already being jailed in Northeen Ireland for breaking the rules by travelling 280 miles to go and buy some puppy dogs. Shame the custody threshold starts at 265 miles.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

What time is it on?>


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> What time is it on?>



vague o'clcok


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> What time is it on?>



When he gets back from Durham


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

He should do the four o clock presser


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)

I have heard 4pm, with Boris at 6


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> When he gets back from Durham



i thought you got banned again?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Cummings is playing a bigger and more sinister game than Campbell, though.


Bigger and more sinister than  dressing up the threat assessment document that led to the war on Iraq?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> i thought you got banned again?


Mart is our man in the North West for Cummings spotting


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

I’m quite intrigued as to how this press conference will go - on one hand Boris has defended him to the hilt yet on the other hand there seems to be quite a lot of public outrage - I’m thinking DC will make an apology of some sorts but attempt to hold his ground - a quasi apology if you will.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Wonder if there'll be questions from the public.


----------



## xenon (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> I suspect this will be the tactic, but it doesn't fly because there's still no answer for why non-infected members of their family couldn't have come to them.



Also the thing about autism was talking about exceptions for going out more than once a day, possibly not adhearing to social distancing as much if it was causing stress. Nothing to do with Covid19 sufferers being able to drive 260 miles to visit 73 YO parents.

And then there's the castle business...


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Bigger and more sinister than  dressing up the threat assessment document that led to the war on Iraq?



Yes, for the reasons littlebabyjesus gives.


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 25, 2020)

Seeking to put companies together to push through the vaccine development


----------



## MrSki (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

10 pages of furious coverage , fucking hell, the Mail has seriously gone to town on it. 



> When the Guardian/Observer and Mirror published fresh claims on Saturday night about Dominic Cummings potentially breaching lockdown rules, Downing Street refused to respond in detail and instead dismissed the outlets as politically motivated “campaigning newspapers”.
> 
> It is less clear whether No 10 holds the same dismissive view about the Conservative-supporting *Daily Mail, which on Monday used a front-page editorial to demand Cummings is sacked and ran the story across 10 pages of furious coverage.*
> 
> Under the headline “What planet are they on?”, the newspaper’s editorial said Cummings “violated the spirit and letter of the lockdown ... giving every selfish person a licence to play fast and loose with public health”.











						Daily Mail demand for Cummings to go poses challenge for UK PM
					

The Tory-backing newspaper is the latest to attack Boris Johnson’s aide. Such criticism will be harder to dismiss




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Mart is our man in the North West for Cummings spotting



i thought it was from Merica.


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 25, 2020)

Seeking to put companies together to push through the vaccine development for the good of the nation


----------



## xenon (May 25, 2020)

He'll attempt some sort of contrition. Family man, desperarte perhaps not wise in hinesight. Will refuse point blank to talk about castle. A lot of allegations and false information. I'm not going to dignify. AT this important time whilst fighting this horrific disease that has claimed many lives including my relative, business of government, press should grow up, stop axe grinding, disservice to focus on this whilst people are struggling. Let's move on.

And some mugs will buy it and it will rumble on for a few days.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> 10 pages of furious coverage , fucking hell, the Mail has seriously gone to town on it.



Bet there are some frantic phone calls going on right this second.


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

One angle he could take - pick up on one of the rumoured sightings and prove (with evidence) that that particular one didn’t happen, that it’s a media lie (even if not particularly mentioned by the press, e.g. papers haven’t been going on about alleged sighting on 10th May, think that’s just Twitter and possibly someone getting confused by the day someone tweeted about it rather than it being the day he was there). Make himself an indignant victim of unjustified claims, move story from original visit which won’t even be talked about and turn focus on his accusers. Something like that.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

all the poor man wants to do is have a spliff and go for a walk on a bank holiday.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> View attachment 214619
> 
> 
> Spineless shape shifting opportunists


Written for the lobby fodder by Cummings himself, no doubt🤣


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

xenon said:


> He'll attempt some sort of contrition. Family man, desperarte perhaps not wise in hinesight. Will refuse point blank to talk about castle. A lot of allegations and false information. I'm not going to dignify. AT this important time whilst fighting this horrific disease that has claimed many lives including my relative, business of government, press should grow up, stop axe grinding, disservice to focus on this whilst people are struggling. Let's move on.
> 
> And some mugs will buy it and it will rumble on for a few days.



Is his castle visit confirmed/has he owned up to it etc?


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Tells us a lot he's making a statement himself I think, oh I will fucking laugh if it's outside Number 10 like the PM does.
> 
> I don't think he'll be resigning or saying any meaningful 'sorry', my bet is on playing the family angle with some half arsed excuses and mealy mouthed 'sorry I upset people' kind of things. Here's hoping it's a repeat of Prince Andrew's crowd pleaser.


Must admit, he doesn't strike me as someone who could elicit sympathy. Looking forward to this.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Are all these coke asides just idle speculation or do they have legs ?


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

“Why would I want to go and see a castle when my wife’s family have one of their own? What a ridiculous allegation.”


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

is it a statement or a Q&A?


----------



## xenon (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Is his castle visit confirmed/has he owned up to it etc?



Not yet. I'm going with balance of probability that he has been out and about.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Yes, for the reasons littlebabyjesus gives.


Which were?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> is it a statement or a Q&A?



Both, apparently.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Both, apparently.



probably a statement followed by him walking off - I know they've said he will take questions, but he isn't going to answer them properly


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

Fully expect him to do a Bolsonaro 'so what' type thing and front it out. I mean what's stopping him, we're stuck with this lot for at least 5 years.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> is it a statement or a Q&A?



Public statement according to the Grauniad.


----------



## quiet guy (May 25, 2020)

mwgdrwg said:


> View attachment 214621


Ray Winstone has let himself go during the lockdown


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Apparently it'll be done from the Rose Garden at no. 10.

Still no word as to _when, _though


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Public statement according to the Grauniad.





> No 10 confirmed that Cummings would give a statement *and take questions* on Monday but did not say when.











						Boris Johnson faces renewed Tory pressure to sack Dominic Cummings
					

PM’s chief aide to give statement and take questions after outpouring of anger




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Apparently it'll be done from the Rose Garden at no. 10.
> 
> Still no word as to _when, _though


4 pm


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

BBC News just confirmed it's at 4 pm.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> 10 pages of furious coverage , fucking hell, the Mail has seriously gone to town on it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gawd, starmer must be looking through his 'How Blair Got the Tory Press Onside' playbook. Don't think he'll manage it, but he'll be putting feelers out, empahsising how labour has changed, broad appeal, decency blah blah.


----------



## gentlegreen (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Apparently it'll be done from the Rose Garden at no. 10.


I never promised you ...


----------



## teqniq (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> 4 pm


Oh, yeah, I think I actually saw that


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Which were?



I'll expand.  Campbell was and is a bullying arsehole and he certainly had a fair bit of influence over Tony Blair, but ultimately he was there to serve Blair.  Cummings is in a far more influential position than that, to the point where he seems to exert a great deal of influence over government strategy.  His methods are also a lot dodgier than Campbell even at his worst.  Ultimately Campbell was a media enforcer; Cummings is more than that.


----------



## teqniq (May 25, 2020)

Hmmmm.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 25, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Hmmmm.
> 
> View attachment 214637



'I only went there to stitch up a lucrative government contract with a close family member.' 

As excuses go it doesn't seem the most watertight.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

Shit just got real









						Gogglebox's Jenny moves out of caravan after self-isolating with Lee for 9 weeks
					

Gogglebox favourites Jenny and Lee have been self-isolating together at a caravan in Hull but will now be living in separate homes following the end of the recent series




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Hmmmm.
> 
> View attachment 214637



Bollocks like that belongs on this thread _









						Coronavirus Conspiracy Corner
					

I wonder what a real pandemic would look like? I mean, if this one is a huge hoax, how would a real one differ from this one?   And how do they explain the bodies in the streets in Guayaquil? Did they get killed by the authorities to support the hoax? If so, why in such an out of the way spot...




					www.urban75.net


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Hmmmm.
> 
> View attachment 214637


I looked at that and I couldn't make any definitive findings. There is an Alice Cummings in the Durham area but it seems almost certain to be a different one to the one who is a director of innumerable private sector medical companies (different initials for example). I've not seen anything posted anywhere apart from THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME SURNAME!!! breathlessness to indicate the health service carpetbagger is the sister (or indeed a relative) of the man nappy-wearing wolfbagger.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

On the subject of enforcement three people have just been fined here in Scotland, for travelling 50 miles to go up a hill, and having to call mountain rescue because they got lost.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> On the subject of enforcement three people have just been fined here in Scotland, for travelling 50 miles to go up a hill, and having to call mountain rescue because they got lost.



How much were they fined out of interest?


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Mother and father of all dead cats about to land?


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> 'I only went there to stitch up a lucrative government contract with a close family member.'
> 
> As excuses go it doesn't seem the most watertight.


Also, the problem with this line is that it means this great humanitarian with 'fatherly instincts' dragged his sick wife and potentially infected child on a roadtrip in a confined space, on government business/making money for his sister. The great brain has just about filled all his exit routes with rubble.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> How much were they fined out of interest?


Article doesn't say, just that they were met by police as they were escorted off the hill by mountain rescue.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

I will not be watching it. I’ll never watch the shysters again.
Fook em.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I'll expand.  Campbell was and is a bullying arsehole and he certainly had a fair bit of influence over Tony Blair, but ultimately he was there to serve Blair.  Cummings is in a far more influential position than that, to the point where he seems to exert a great deal of influence over government strategy.  His methods are also a lot dodgier than Campbell even at his worst.  Ultimately Campbell was a media enforcer; Cummings is more than that.


Glad to see that Campbells minor but completely transparent misdemeanor of doctoring a dossier that led to the Iraq war being put in a correct post Cummings  historical perspective


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> 4 pm





cupid_stunt said:


> BBC News just confirmed it's at 4 pm.



Thanks.  Might listen in just in case of a zinger.
I want to see him try a 3-word slogan.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I will not be watching it. I’ll never watch the shysters again.
> Fook em.



Neither will I but I hope the quality of reporting on here is better than yesterday. Please make clear who's saying what, people, particularly during any questions. Some basic standards at least  .


----------



## Buddy Bradley (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> three people have just been fined here in Scotland, for travelling 50 miles to go up a hill, and having to call mountain rescue because they got lost.


It's spelled "found".


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Glad to see that Campbells minor but completely transparent misdemeanor of doctoring a dossier that led to the Iraq war being put in a correct post Cummings  historical perspective



No-one said it was either minor or transparent, did they?  

OTOH it remains a fact that Cummings seems to wield a hell of a lot more power than Campbell ever did.  And Campbell wielded his power at the behest of Blair; with Cummings and Johnson it looks at times to be the other way around.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Neither will I but I hope the quality of reporting on here is better than yesterday. Please make clear who's saying what, people, particularly during any questions. Some basic standards at least  .



I can't speak about very recent standards, but generally speaking I find this place beats the shit out of the Beeb and anyone else for coverage of this kind of thing.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Mother and father of all dead cats about to land?




as has been pointed out by a million people already, we've heard their side of the story because we all read that Spectator article


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> as has been pointed out by a million people already, we've heard their side of the story because we all read that Spectator article



Aye.  Which was all bollocks!


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> as has been pointed out by a million people already, we've heard their side of the story because we all read that Spectator article


I think he's building up a portfolio of work to show Buzzfeed in case _for reasons _he ends up needing to find new employment


----------



## gosub (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> No-one said it was either minor or transparent, did they?
> 
> OTOH it remains a fact that Cummings seems to wield a hell of a lot more power than Campbell ever did.  And Campbell wielded his power at the behest of Blair; with Cummings and Johnson it looks at times to be the other way around.



AC got the DG of the BBC fired whilst trying to stoke a false prospectus for a war.  When has Cummings done anything on that level?


----------



## MickiQ (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> BBC News just confirmed it's at 4 pm.


Mrs Q has just popped her head round the door to tell me and ask if I want to come and watch it. Seriously I can't believe that I am waiting for a press conference from the PM's 'advisor'


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Attorney General has said he broke no rules, prior to the police investigations reporting (edit: according to Sky).

This could easily bring the government down now.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> This could easily bring the government down now.



Hmm.  Wishful thinking?


----------



## tim (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Apparently it'll be done from the Rose Garden at no. 10.
> 
> Still no word as to _when, _though



How appropriate.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

gosub said:


> AC got the DG of the BBC fired whilst trying to stoke a false prospectus for a war.  When has Cummings done anything on that level?



But when did Campbell seem to be in charge of the government's entire political strategy, as Cummings evidently was last year?

Look, I'm not trying to minimise the damage Campbell did for one moment.  I just think that airily saying 'oh well, Campbell was just as bad' lets Cummings off the hook far too easily.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Cummings will be speaking from the garden in Downing Street, just like any PM should.

Unfortunately PIRA have disbanded and there will be no mortar display.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Will he appear in full PPE for a laugh?

(((The Loneliness of the Long Distance Scummer)))


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> Attorney General has said he broke no rules, prior to the police investigations reporting (edit: according to Sky).
> 
> This could easily bring the government down now.


eh? How/by what mechanism?


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> Attorney General has said he broke no rules, prior to the police investigations reporting (edit: according to Sky).



She tweeted that yesterday, to concern from Legal Twitter and apparently quite a few senior Tories...


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> Hmm.  Wishful thinking?



It might, but what is she going to do if the Police investigation finds out he did in fact go traipsing around Durham?   A normal person would remove themselves from the decision making process, but they'll probably order the process stopped.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> It might, but what is she going to do if the Police investigation finds out he did in fact go traipsing around Durham?   A normal person would remove themselves from the decision making process, but they'll probably order the process stopped.



Haven't thought about it tbf.
Let's see...


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Bet he's late.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Did anyone ever feel they'd heard the truth after hearing anything Alistair Campbell had to say?

No. And this is going to be immeasurably worse.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> It's not what he did, it's what happened afterwards.


It's also what he did, tbf.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> No-one said it was either minor or transparent, did they?
> 
> OTOH it remains a fact that Cummings seems to wield a hell of a lot more power than Campbell ever did.  And Campbell wielded his power at the behest of Blair; with Cummings and Johnson it looks at times to be the other way around.


No but you seem to be wilfully underplaying the impact of Campbells role in starting a war just to paint Cummings as some sort of unique super villain. Cummings is extremely important to the Johnson project and no doubt he is valued by Johnson but to put him in perspective he is a paid advisor not even in the top three paid advisors and employed by the Government. His ideas fit the govt agenda and his non Parliament background , like Campbells,  make him ideal to push the boundaries and get things done. Getting things done means often being devious, influencing and finding ways to take shortcuts.Its also an inherently risky role , you are only as good as you ideas and allies , once they start to run out both you tend to move on.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Neither will I but I hope the quality of reporting on here is better than yesterday. Please make clear who's saying what, people, particularly during any questions. Some basic standards at least  .


and no saying 'I have heard or I have been told without quoting a source'


----------



## tim (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> Hmm.  Wishful thinking?



Not really,  I never though highly of Johnson, but I can't believe how thoroughly he has fucked himself up so quickly. If by a new government we mean a different bunch of Tories , that's what we'll probably get. Given the ongoing crisis the co-opting of Starmer doesn't seem that unlikely either.


----------



## gosub (May 25, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

tim said:


> Not really,  I never though highly of Johnson, but I can't believe how thoroughly he has fucked himself up so quickly. If by a new government we mean a different bunch of Tories , that's what we'll probably get. Given the ongoing crisis the co-opting of Starmer doesn't seem that unlikely either.


I don't  think the latter idea is knocking on the door of the Cabinet tbh


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> No but you seem to be wilfully underplaying the impact of Campbells role in starting a war just to paint Cummings as some sort of unique super villain. Cummings is extremely important to the Johnson project and no doubt he is valued by Johnson but to put him in perspective he is a paid advisor not even in the top three paid advisors and employed by the Government. His ideas fit the govt agenda and his non Parliament background , like Campbells,  make him ideal to push the boundaries and get things done. Getting things done means often being devious, influencing and finding ways to take shortcuts.Its also an inherently risky role , you are only as good as you ideas and allies , once they start to run out both you tend to move on.



I'm not either trying to minimise what Campbell did or portray Cummings as any sort of 'unique super villain.'  But the two were and are different characters and operate in different ways, and equating one with the other just serves to confuse the issue.  Plus, like I said, I think youre letting Cummings off the hook too lightly.


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

Got a feeling that Cummings will make Pritti Vacent look as empathetic as a Samaritans counsellor.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Bet he's late.



Almost certainly.







1, 2, 3, 4, make 'em sweat outside the door
5, 6, 7, 8, always pays to make 'em wait


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

who is this Tory on Sky News getting battered by Ash Sarkar (!) and Adam Boulton?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I'm not either trying to minimise what Campbell did or portray Cummings as any sort of 'unique super villain.'  But the two were and are different characters and operate in different ways, and equating one with the other just serves to confuse the issue.  Plus, like I said, I think youre letting Cummings off the hook too lightly.


Taking his trip to Durham off the list, what do you think that Cummings has done that gets anywhere doctoring a dossier that is used by a Prime Minister to start a war? Right off to watch the interview.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

God they've got some dreadful people to be talking heads on the Beeb


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> who is this Tory on Sky News getting battered by Ash Sarkar (!) and Adam Boulton?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

I'm only watching for bingo words and possible meltdown


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

Dp.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

I can't listen to/watch any of them any more - will be waiting for the edited highlights.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Who is this twat on from Cambridge, defending Cummings?


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

In bed, eating cake watching the nation united in hating on Boris/Cummings. Fucking sweet.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Will he wear a suit though?


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> I'm only watching for bingo words and possible meltdown



I'm on my knees praying for him to say 'left wing witch hunt.'


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Send In The Clowns!


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Who is this twat on from Cambridge, defending Cummings?


He's a Guido Fawkes writer


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

Have they made him wear a tie for it or anything? That will show where the power is.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

He's late


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Will he wear a suit though?


My money is on an unironed t-shirt.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> He's a Guido Fawkes writer


He's a bellend.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Tom Harwood. Absolute total cunt.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Tom Hardwood goes on the list, that's for sure.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

well at least I'm getting some nice pictures of an empty garden via the Guardian feed of this event. Better than talking heads on the BBC.


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Will he wear a suit though?


Tracky bottoms ftw .


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> I looked at that and I couldn't make any definitive findings. There is an Alice Cummings in the Durham area but it seems almost certain to be a different one to the one who is a director of innumerable private sector medical companies (different initials for example). I've not seen anything posted anywhere apart from THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME SURNAME!!! breathlessness to indicate the health service carpetbagger is the sister (or indeed a relative) of the man nappy-wearing wolfbagger.


And anyway the internet , phones and stuff.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Taking his trip to Durham off the list, what do you think that Cummings has done that gets anywhere doctoring a dossier that is used by a Prime Minister to start a war? Right off to watch the interview.



I'd have said all the Cambridge Analytica/data misuse stuff was pretty serious, personally...


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

Trust chiefs vs government. This will rumble on. Trust chiefs lead unprecedented criticism of ‘disgraceful’ Cummings


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Tom Hardwood goes on the list, that's for sure.



He's a nasty little shit.  See also Darren Crimes Grimes.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

So, he's going to have reporters present, so more balls than ministers.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 25, 2020)

i refuse to put on the telly to watch this cavalcade of  shit. I will just draw my opinion from comments on here.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Clearly being on time is for the little people.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

Has it started? Can't be arsed to get out of the garden to check.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

He's late. Probably childcare issues.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He's late



Give him all the rope.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

He's still late


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

Of course he is late , wanker


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I'd have said all the Cambridge Analytica/data misuse stuff was pretty serious, personally...



Funny, I watched that documentary other day, and totally struck me that the Alexander Nix bloke and Cummings are from the same stable.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> i refuse to put on the telly to watch this cavalcade of  shit. I will just draw my opinion from comments on here.



Yeh I tried that yesterday


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Not late enough


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He's late


cunt


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He's late



this is the Trump thing again


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

now where's my popcorn.


----------



## quiet guy (May 25, 2020)

Continuing the contempt. Late for his own personal statement.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> this is the Trump thing again



The late Donald Trump also has a nice ring to it.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> this is the Trump thing again



Either that or he has nervous diarrhoea, and will be seen later running up Downing Street with his arse-cheeks clenched together, clutching a bog roll.


----------



## fucthest8 (May 25, 2020)

So, just how big a dead cat do we think will be chucked on the table?


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

He's pissed off to Durham again, hasn't he?


----------



## Dogsauce (May 25, 2020)

Maybe he’ll go up to Durham to apologise to people for putting them at risk, like that farce when ‘Boris’ was made to go and apologise to the people of Liverpool for having a dig at them about an executed hostage.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> i refuse to put on the telly to watch this cavalcade of  shit. I will just draw my opinion from comments on here.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> He's late. Probably childcare issues.



It's a bank holiday. The A1 is likely packed.


----------



## quiet guy (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill - No he's saving it to do a massive dump all over the press


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Tom Hardwood goes on the list, that's for sure.


Too many of these A level type Grammar School  YouTube youths being interviewed by the BBC


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

12 minutes late.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

fucthest8 said:


> So, just how big a dead cat do we think will be chucked on the table?


----------



## The Octagon (May 25, 2020)

Somebody's in there trying to stop him coming out and making it worse


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

Saying on Sky it could be like the Prince Andrew interview. The fact is the expectations are so low that nothing he says now will be believed.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Maybe he’ll go up to Durham to apologise to people for putting them at risk, like that farce when ‘Boris’ was made to go and apologise to the people of Liverpool for having a dig at them about an executed hostage.


Much like the people of Liverpool, have the people of Durham not suffered enough?


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Either that or he has nervous diarrhoea, and will be seen later running up Downing Street with his arse-cheeks clenched together, clutching a bog roll.



six weeks ago that would have been another example of one rule for us and one for them


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Too many of these A level type Grammar School  YouTube youths being interviewed by the BBC


That Guido writer is a privately educated Cambridge Politics twat


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

No, BBC, the finishing touches aren't being put on whatever he's going to say, he's demonstrating his contempt for us all. Including you.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Quarter of an hour late now


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Even the Queen has the decency not to keep her subjects waiting


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Durham cops wanting this to go away from the sound of that. The statement did though confirm he was in the same house as his parents - 'different part of the property' - which contradicts things said by tories in the last day or two.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

If I was late even one minute in my factory job I lost 15 mins pay. 16 mins I lost 30 mins.

I was never late

This twat is still taking the piss


----------



## flypanam (May 25, 2020)

He might have nerve shits


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Durham cops wanting this to go away from the sound of that. The statement did though confirm he was in the same house as his parents - 'different part of the property' - which contradicts things said by tories in the last day or two.


Nah, there's like 9 buildings, I've seen the map


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Durham cops wanting this to go away from the sound of that. The statement did though confirm he was in the same house as his parents - 'different part of the property' - which contradicts things said by tories in the last day or two.



“The property” can also include the grounds, I think they were holed up in that out-building.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

I'm fairly confident the bronze sculpture in the downing street garden that I've been staring at for quarter of an hour via the feed is actually the Masters tardis from an episode of Doctor Who I saw in 1978.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Durham Police now saying that although they spoke about security issues to the Cummings they didn't give any advice over coronavirus.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

I'm going to run out of popcorn before he comes on at this rate


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Durham cops wanting this to go away from the sound of that. The statement did though confirm he was in the same house as his parents - 'different part of the property' - which contradicts things said by tories in the last day or two.



Also that all three of them had symptoms of coronavirus on 1st April. Meaning he was contagious as hell on the drive up. When are we going to find out about where they stopped?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Not starting on time is pretty traditional for these things, isn't it? Like amateur theatre.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)




----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> If I was late even one minute in my factory job I lost 15 mins pay. 16 mins I lost 30 mins.
> 
> I was never late
> 
> This twat is still taking the piss


Yeah, the amount of times in my last job the admin would demand an explanation for me being a minute late or a minute early clocking out, when the damn clock was wrong.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

Being late is only going to piss people off more isn't it ? 

Good , wanker.


----------



## quiet guy (May 25, 2020)

All the news channels should just cut to an empty podium and then one at time ask a question like Have I got news for you? did with no show guests.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

If you think his timekeeping is taking the piss just wait until you hear what he says.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

Is he having just one more bump of chang in the bogs?


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

He's FRIT


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> “The property” can also include the grounds, I think they were holed up in that out-building.


Out building is a bit of a misnomer for a building that is better than some people's homes.


----------



## weltweit (May 25, 2020)

Anyone think he might be going to resign his post in such a way that he can come back sooner rather than later?


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Even Adam Boulton on Sky is more bearable than the fucking BBC.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

He's going full Cheeseman


----------



## fucthest8 (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He's FRIT



Nah, just building expectation so that when he finally has to "reveal personal information due to the hounding of the press and the left" everyone will feel sorry for him


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Quarter of an hour late now


That's the first fuck you plebs - more to come. Probably on rewrite 6 already.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Best response would be if the journos just upped and left.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> Is he having just one more bump of chang in the bogs?


More than a bump I suspect. Shaking over a spoon.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

This Beeb reporter doing a decent job of filling time


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

fucthest8 said:


> Nah, just building expectation so that when he finally has to "reveal personal information due to the hounding of the press and the left" everyone will feel sorry for him


Someone lost the chilli he's supposed to rub in his eyes?


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Ooh they're using the word 'contemptuous' on Sky now. Pissed off media.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Come on you cunt!


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

kenny g said:


> More than a bump I suspect. Shaking over a spoon.


Pfeffel is hosing it up his arse as we speak


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Come on you cunt!



No, this is good.  This can only get worse for him the longer it goes on.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Come on you cunt!


This x 1000


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

He's going to have to start with a brilliant joke.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)




----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

They've cut to another spad now


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Out building is a bit of a misnomer for a building that is better than some people's homes.



Yeah when someone first said 'out-building' I was like oh, what he stayed in a shed, wtf?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Fuck me, it's Baby Farage.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> No, this is good.  This can only get worse for him the longer it goes on.


ah but its just good to call him a cunt.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> No, this is good.  This can only get worse for him the longer it goes on.


He's getting absolutely slated on social media...worse every minute he's later.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Fingers crossed he cancels it.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> ah but its just good to call him a cunt.



No argument from me there.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

He's shitting himself.

Either that or he's got coked out of his face and gone a little bit far and he's pacing up and down drinking water and trying to get his shit together. 

Boris' supporters at Sky have now been slagging him off for a good half hour. There are benefits to punctuality.


----------



## fucthest8 (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> No, this is good.  This can only get worse for him the longer it goes on.



Nah. Like that Orange cunt over the pond nowt will stick. Leave of absence while the police investigation ... finds nothing actionable


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> No, this is good.  This can only get worse for him the longer it goes on.



Yeah but my dad’s plane is now over Ghana and I have to collect him from Heathrow when it lands...


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

This is like turning up to a disciplinary hearing late


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Fingers crossed he cancels it.



At about 11 am on Thursday.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Can’t believe I’m fucking waiting for this surplus cunt.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

The Durham plod statement was suspiciously well timed.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> Can’t believe I’m fucking waiting for this surplus cunt.


I brought the kids in from the garden for this bollocks.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Are we there yet daddy?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

fucthest8 said:


> Nah. Like that Orange cunt over the pond nowt will stick. Leave of absence while the police investigation ... finds nothing actionable



Johnson's the Teflon one, though.  Cummings has no tricks for directly charming people on this kind of scale.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

I wonder what hell be wearing ? SuperDry or something more formal?


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

Badgers said:


> This is like turning up to a disciplinary hearing late


Drunk.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

fucthest8 said:


> Nah, just building expectation so that when he finally has to "reveal personal information due to the hounding of the press and the left" everyone will feel sorry for him


This. Where "everyone" = 1-the entire population.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Yeah, number 10 said the fuzz didn't talk to Cummings or his family but Durham plod say otherwise


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

Following the palaver on this thread is far more entertaining than any news channel.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Drunk.



Flippin the middle finger


----------



## quiet guy (May 25, 2020)

After all this wait this is going to be shit isn't it?


----------



## Mr.Bishie (May 25, 2020)

27 minutes of fucking sunshine I’ve missed for this fucking snake!


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

When the sleazy shitdrop coming on?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> When the sleazy shitdrop coming on?



No Johnson was yesterday.


----------



## magneze (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> The Durham plod statement was suspiciously well timed.


Maybe he's been arrested?


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

There's going to be a lot of 'as the Durham police statements said...'.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Get your bingo cards ready...eyes down!


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> That Guido writer is a privately educated Cambridge Politics twat



someone else that might have breached lockdown too, according to this - Fawkes Teaboy In Draughty Glasshouse


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> When the sleazy shitdrop coming on?



4 pm.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

4pm today


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> 4 pm.


New York time?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

literally late to his own funeral.


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I wonder what hell be wearing ? SuperDry or something more formal?


Upthread, equationgirl's going with unironed t shirt, I'm with tracky bottoms so SuperDry could work.


----------



## IC3D (May 25, 2020)

I think he's reading this thread and having bumps


----------



## Mr.Bishie (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> 4 pm.



5pm at this rate.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Boulton speculating “Government in free fall”.


----------



## jakethesnake (May 25, 2020)

Sky News saying late press conferences a sign of government in free-fall


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 25, 2020)

Half an hour late. Doesn't suggest contrion and humility.
Cummings has never ever been anything other than combative and contemptuous towards the media and i can't see that changing. And would pour yet more petrol on the fire.


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

If Cummings was attending the Job Center he'd have been sanctioned already.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Sky describing 'a government in freefall, panic probably pouring over Cummings statement especially in light of the Durham Police statement'


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Blimey he's wearing a shirt, and shaved!


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

jakethesnake said:


> Sky News saying late press conferences a sign of government in free-fall


'Disarray and panic.'


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Speaking now.


----------



## gaijingirl (May 25, 2020)

Half an hour late to his own meeting.  _tuts_


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Can't even be bothered to stand up


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Anyone think he might be going to resign his post in such a way that he can come back sooner rather than later?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Wearing a shirt


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

Probably something of a side issue I know, but my stream froze and beamed a Skynewsman cumface at me for several excruciating minutes. 



Spoiler


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

“Sorry I'm late ” cunt


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Over 30 minutes late  Multiply that by the number of people waiting for the excuses to give Nation's wasted time.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)

Wtf is that noise?!


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Millions have suffered. He wants to clear up confusion. Not accustomed to speaking on tv.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

two sheds I can confirm 12 million people are shouting 'cunt' at the screen right now.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (May 25, 2020)

Boris doing some diy with his Dewalt saw in the background then


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Cottonmouth


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

He's bad, real bad


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Bit of horn blowing in the background


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Ted Striker said:


> Wtf is that noise?!


It says something that my immediate thought was "they've planned that so it's hard to snip for the news reports", or simply to distract people while he talks.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

You're welcome


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

He got a call from wife on 27th saying she was ill. No childcare options available ran to car, drove home.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

Fuck is that noise?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Mation said:


> Fuck is that noise?


Probably protestors


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

“Confusions”


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

I think we need a duck to casually walk past at this point.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Everyone around me had it, I thought I probably had it

So stay indoors you fucker.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Scratches his arm every time he lies.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Who’s fucking angle grinding?


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

who has the foghorn?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

"Taking back control" overarching theme. TL not listening.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Who’s fucking angle grinding?



If that's a euphemism, prolly the PM


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

ah love that horn


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

I told you the wait would be more fun.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

OMFG he's the victim line. Fantastic.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

Maybe it's the siren from The Purge.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> who has the foghorn?



STOOPPPPP BREXIT


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

_I thought I might be able to go back to work_ is, remarkably, another breach of the lockdown conditions if he'd done it


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

He is going on about strawmen. Completely unconvincing.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Are you fucking shitting me. This is a security issue? Fuck off, they have police and security in London.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Oh he's the victim. Boo fucking hoo.


----------



## Shechemite (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Bit of horn blowing in the background


 Vuvezala?


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Oooo has he started? Come on people coherent resumes.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Oh FFS he's going full 'I'm the victim really,' wittering on about threats and other self-pitying bollocks.

Nothing resembling a dead cat yet, though.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

He's just spewing crap excuses all over the place.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Who’s fucking angle grinding?


Sorry.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

This is supreme bullshit.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

This is sanctimonious wank


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Boring us to tears with details.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Poor Dom, the REAL victim in all this


----------



## xenon (May 25, 2020)

Shut up you cunt with the vuvuzaler.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

He had all these ‘thoughts’ and ‘feelings’ and ‘ideas’ and yet didn't appear to have discussed them or options to deal with childcare or other issues with anyone at work - pathetic


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Oh he's the victim. Boo fucking hoo.


exacty this...jaw-dropping


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

SHOW US HOW MANY PAGES YOU HAVE


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Even if your parents live at the North Pole, you still had to drive there with an infected wife you daft fucker.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

hooooonnnnkkkkkkkk lol fufcking genius


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Ooo sounds like he's toast if that's his line*. 

* word chosen advisedly


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

I think he's utterly contemptible, but I get the sense that this is mostly true.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

I dont really think he is helping himself here...


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

So he broke all the guidelines then. Confirmed by his own words.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

He's just said he didn't stop.  On a 264-mile drive with a four-year-old child in the car?  Yeah right.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

So basically he's been to work, been home to see his wife who was ill, been back to work, been back home and fuck knows where in between when he thought it likely that he had coronavirus.

He can't fucking stay put can he?


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Wearing a white shirt too the cunt


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Arguably this was a mistake. Yes, yes it was.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Ah, here's the dead cat...


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Didn't stop on the way to Durham. I call huge bullshit


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

Oh and he tried to get a taxi and infect a taxi driver too


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

this is incredible

two breaches of the lockdown conditions now

make that three


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> SHOW US HOW MANY PAGES YOU HAVE


Even better, show us all the previous drafts with all the not-quite-perfectly parsed crossed out words


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

5 miles, 2 miles, 3 miles, 4 miles. 😄


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Ah, here's the kid card


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Wearing a white shirt too the cunt


its better than the ragged t-shirt he had on yesterday


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Didn't stop on the way to Durham. I call huge bullshit


Don't make him get the Tizer out.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Houghall woods is over 2 miles from that gaff!


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Son threw up in the middle of the night, ambulance to the hospital...

he's out in the morning...because that happens.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

Fuck is he a hateful wretch.


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

So his wife was ill and there wasn't any childcare. Well, except him looking after his own son, of course, but that would be absurd.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

So far his big alibi is “My family has oodles of land, I was on private property, yah boo sucks!” That will definitely swing it


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

This is all just bullshit.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

WANKER!!!!!!!!!


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

They've spent a long time making this up. Fuckers.


----------



## fucthest8 (May 25, 2020)

Hahaha test drive


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Houghall woods is over 2 miles from that gaff!


Rather hope one of the journalists present is on Google Maps tracking all this out...


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> I dont really think he is helping himself here...



No, he's trying to be forensic and detailed, but I'm guessing the public are just thinking "TOO MUCH TALKING SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP".


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

He went to Barnard Castle to test if he could drive. 😄


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

LOL, eyesight affected, so drove to Barnard Castle. Great.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

I went to Barnards Castle, but I was ill so its ok


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

oh Frankie


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

So his eyesight was affected so he decided to test it by going for a short drive...


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)

Sat by the river


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

He expects us to believe that???


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

My eyesight was a bit shit so I got in the car and drove


----------



## hegley (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> I think he's utterly contemptible, but I get the sense that this is mostly true.


In which case he's really not as bright as he thinks he is. He's coming across as really fucking dense.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

"I couldn't see so I went for a drive"


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

I think Driving away from home by It’s Immaterial playing in the background would be appropriate.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

He went to wotsit Castle as a practise drive for going back to London. Ffs. What a load of bollocks.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Trip to the castle was true then, but going to get lost in the details as he said it was 15 days after first having symptoms.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

_"Your honour, I didn't murder him.  I wanted to sharpen my knife so I used his sternum, screaming at the knife to make it sharper.  Also I murdered him and six other random people"_


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

'he was in the back seat of the car'


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

THERE'S A PERFECTLY INNOCENT EXPLANATION FOR ALL THIS


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Son threw up in the middle of the night, ambulance to the hospital...
> 
> he's out in the morning...because that happens.



Surely that something there's records of, or not?  He can't be that stupid


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Son threw up in the middle of the night, ambulance to the hospital...
> 
> he's out in the morning...because that happens.


Hopefully we'll get some feedback from the emergency services.

"Walking in the  woods owned by my father." You cunt.


----------



## flypanam (May 25, 2020)

Must have roped Jeffrey Archer in to write this horse shit.


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

Fucking hell.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

You know when people lie and they give loads of unnecessary detail?


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

This second woods story is utter fucking bullshit.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> So his eyesight was affected so he decided to test it by going for a short drive...



That's why I think this is all true (or at least every point where anyone could have any external evidence is true).

You wouldn't make this up to exonerate yourself.


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 25, 2020)

His kid needed the loo on a short trip, but not on a 4 hour motorway drive?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

“...And I feel sure that that will have cleared up any misunderstandings...”


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

the first question:  "are you still delirious"


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Christ this is just one set of lies after another.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

There's that "here's a very specific date that's been suggested that I can prove to be false".


----------



## Buckaroo (May 25, 2020)

Yeah, sounds fair enough. Case closed.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Do you have a problem with your eyes? Best way to check them is to drive for 30 minutes, just to be sure.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)

He is above the law! Jesus


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

FFS, the rules allowed me to exercise my judgement.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Here we go...took him a while. Basically f the lot of you. I was in the right.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Harry Smiles said:


> His kid needed the loo on a short trip, but not on a 4 hour motorway drive?



This is a proper Prince Andrew moment.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Trust my judgement, my arse.


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

Er, if he's saying he drove while ill and unable to see, isn't that him confessing to a crime?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> You know when people lie and they give loads of unnecessary detail?



Good point, but a lot of people are watching and this will be gone over in huge detail.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Yup.  As he says, 'a tick-box exercise to accept and then explain (away) all adverse evidence .'


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Your wife and kid getting ill are not extreme circumstances. It's utter bullshit.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

flypanam said:


> Must have roped Jeffrey Archer in to write this horse shit.


Please don't let him read out the sex scenes


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

He's a lying sack of shit.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

i told the PM but neither of us remember it


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

"Neither of us remember the conversation in any detail."

CUNT.


----------



## N_igma (May 25, 2020)

This is excruciating to watch. What a cunt.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Yup.




by Lionel Hutz


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

shifty fucking cunt


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> This is a proper Prince Andrew moment.



I think so.  It will all the 'soft stuff' that determines the outcome, and it's all going v badly.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Yup.



Either that or everything that he has ever previously written was ghosted by a Monster-chugging Guido fanboi


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Conveniently neither he or Boris remember the conversation.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> You know when people lie and they give loads of unnecessary detail?



Yep. He’s bunged in a strawman or 2 to boot.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

so it IS all true.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

I told the prime minister what I'd done but neither of us can remember the conversation.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> Conveniently neither he or Boris remember the conversation.



Funny that.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

"I explained all of this to the PM"

He's gone too far there.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

I think he actually looks slightly rattled.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

Arrogant fucker


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> so it IS all true.



all of it, especially the bits that make him look more guilty than before


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Fuck it, I was going to wait until after all this, but I'm breaking out the chocolate digestives now


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

what a fucking moron!!! Like this is going to make it all OK.


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

can't believe he's brazening this out. utter _utter_ cunt.


----------



## jakethesnake (May 25, 2020)

no regerts


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> Conveniently neither he or Boris remember the conversation.



They can't remember the conversation, but it's in his statement.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Hasn't even got the stones to say sorry.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

His bezza mate Laura has gone in with all the power of a wet flannel in the Q&A.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

Christ, would it not just be easier to resign?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> by Lionel Hutz


Revealed in the next episode: his family GP is Leo Spaceman


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Yup.  As he says, 'a tick-box exercise to accept and then explain (away) all adverse evidence .'




It might have been lawyered by shit lawyers, though, like the ones in the cabinet.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Not a bit of humility. Nota bit.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

He's made it worse. He went back into fucking work with an ill wife. If I was a cleaner at Downing St I'd be fucking livid!


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Don't think this is going to help him.


----------



## Zapp Brannigan (May 25, 2020)

Sweating, stammering.  Fucking rattled.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

So he did break the rules. He said he did. He should go.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Sink you cunt.


----------



## fucthest8 (May 25, 2020)

"The media made people angry"


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

Where's that Ladbrokes odds thing? He's said so many of them that they must be bankrupt.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

He's already contradicted his wife a few times...


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Of course 1st hack - Laura K


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

He should be prosecuted.


----------



## Poot (May 25, 2020)

I think what you're all forgetting is that he is in the absolutely unique position of having a child.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Stumbling over being asked if he has any apology.


----------



## hegley (May 25, 2020)

Still hasn't used the S word.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> He's made it worse. He went back into fucking work with an ill wife. If I was a cleaner at Downing St I'd be fucking livid!


He probably had to sack some people.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> His bezza mate Laura has gone in with all the power of a wet flannel in the Q&A.



I was expecting a much wetter and softer flannel.  If that's your easy opener the rest is going to get really painful.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> I think he actually looks slightly rattled.



Tbf the spotlight isn't his preferred position.  He's more a 'power behind the throne' man.  But yes, he's rattled too.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

First iup Kuennsberg.  "Hi Dom, take some more time to explain...great party last week, call me"


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

remember when Prince Andrew was the person who made a fool of themselves with an ill-advised statement?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

He behaved reasonably. Wtf the total cunt .


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

Keeps repeating that he thinks he acted reasonably. Well, no one else does, so off you fuck.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Fuck off Peston cunt


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

Poot said:


> I think what you're all forgetting is that he is in the absolutely unique position of having a child.


Fair point, fair point


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Wow, people weren't kidding about Peston


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

“It’s the media”


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Somebody shoot him, please for the love of God.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

He’s done for, this is embarrassing.


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

sat in a leafy fucking garden, couldn't frame it more fucking aptly.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

I mean, he must have heard the criticism, surely he can amend his style so it makes more sense and has more impact??


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Peston as incisive as a blancmange.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Peston: My question is 5 mins long because I'm so important. Here, let me let you off the hook.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Wow - a one-two with Kuenssberg and Peston.  Bring on the Daily Mail hacks!


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

_Somebody get him another jug of water!!!_


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Kuenssberg and Peston with the first questions.  Hardly the bullying 'leftwaffe' MSM of right-wing paranoia, is it...


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

Robert Peston is so shit.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> He should be prosexeecuted.



Ffy


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

he has just said he was never tested


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

sheothebudworths said:


> _Somebody get him another jug of water!!!_


sadly i don't think his head fully fits the current one. we could modify it


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> he has just said he was never tested



I work for the NHS. I had colleagues who were ill and couldn't get tested. They stayed at home for 14 days.


----------



## flypanam (May 25, 2020)

Doesnt know where London begins and ends.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Sue said:


> Robert Peston is so shit basically Number's 10's PR man.



Fixed it for you.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Never ask a three part question, it allows the respondent to pick the questions they are strongest on and emphasise the answer.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Kuenssberg and Peston with the first questions.  Hardly the bullying 'leftwaffe' MSM of right-wing paranoia, is it...


Weirdly, a lot of people think it is.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Any minute now he's going to say his dog ate his homework.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

~£1m per year, this is why Peston is paid so much.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> He should be prosecuted.


You've spelt ‘nailgunned in the kneecaps’ wrong


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> he has just said he was never tested



Aye, like the majority of those who managed to stay at home if they or a family member got ill!


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> I work for the NHS. I had colleagues who were ill and couldn't get tested. They stayed at home for 14 days.


But they weren't doing anything important.

Oh.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> he has just said he was never tested



Suspect that's true, be so easy to prove if it wasn't and he'd be fucked.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Those people who were arrested/fined/imprisioned can now challenge those convictions then?



Many would have been thrown out anyway I suspect, if only because of the huge backlog the courts will have to wade through.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

flypanam said:


> Doesnt know where London begins and ends.


So clearly he's been outside London on other occasions.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

I shall never watch the news again. This thread is excellent and proves iI don’t need to.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Weirdly, a lot of people think it is.



Of course.  I was pointing out the gap between that and reality!


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

shouted conversations on his parents' farm. can't argue with the all-in-it-together rhetoric of that 🤷


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Peston is like that person in the branch committee meeting we all hope doesn't start talking.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> So clearly he's been outside London on other occasions.



Everywhere is London now.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> You've spelt ‘nailgunned in the kneecaps’ wrong


My bad, how careless of me.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> he has just said he was never tested


don't worry...every word is getting lawyered...for an experienced manipulator he's talking far too much


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Of course.  I was pointing out the gap between that and reality!


Ah, righto


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I shall never watch the news again. This thread is excellent and proves iI don’t need to.



Yes much better than yesterday so far


----------



## Combustible (May 25, 2020)

In what world is a hypothetical "what if I got ill" an exceptional circumstance.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Cummings saying people have leapt to judgement without knowing what actually happened.

We're still none the wiser.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

It's the press coverage at fault in eroding the lockdown, not my actions where I broke the lockdown that I just told you about.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Oh my god why does he think it would have been better to have made this statement earlier ....we still think you're a lying twat.. ..this is doing him no favours whatsoever thankfully


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Was that "why are you so different" rhetorical or does she expect him to answer?


----------



## Chilli.s (May 25, 2020)

He did whatever he wanted. He's not sorry.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

I fully expect him to shout 'Stop picking on me!!!!'


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

He doesn't really appear to be a strategic mastermind, does he?


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

"I knew what the guidance was"

ten minutes after

"I thought I could go back to work next week"


----------



## Threshers_Flail (May 25, 2020)

Thank you Beth!


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Threshers_Flail said:


> Thank you Beth!



Aye.  Good question that.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Aye.  Good question that.



What was the question?


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

Weirdly, I believe him.

Doesn't change the fact that he's introduced likely lethal confusion into the mix.

But I think he'll get away with it


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

I like her. ‘It was the media, they’re so mean!‘
No mate, we’re angry at you because of what you did.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Go Beth.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

The media were wrong!

Arrogance is starting to break out because he's starting to get a hard time.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

He's unrepentant. Everyone else's fault


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

It's the media's fault, not mine.


----------



## quiet guy (May 25, 2020)

The press are letting this shit off. They are useless.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Keeping up the "it's all made up" line.
There won't be an apology and we'll have to see how this plays out.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

flypanam said:


> Doesnt know where London begins and ends.



He was speaking philosophically


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

This is going excellently.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

He really does think that he is so exceptional that no matter what he has done, that the country needs him so he obviously can't quit... Even though he went off-grid for a fortnight


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> What was the question?



It boiled down to 'what makes you so special?'


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

No, I'm angry Dominic you utter cunt that you did what you have admitted you did.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

This is a good time to use the "I didn't think I'd get caught" get-out.
One of my personal favourites.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It boiled down to 'what makes you so special?'



ta


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Never ask a three part question, it allows the respondent to pick the questions they are strongest on and emphasise the answer.



Unless you want to let them do that, of course. 



Roadkill said:


> Aye.  Good question that.



What did she ask? I'm only following it on here.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Go Beth.



She's doing the best so far.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

If people keep the pressure on for a couple of days there’ll be no going back.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

He just said 'honest truth'....twice


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

(this is a tweet from a protected account)



> We are expected to believe he drove a 60 MILE round trip to test his impaired eyesight at SAME TIME as we are meant to believe he took his child to Durham for his child’s safety? A man who drove his child in a car when he couldn’t see properly?? House of cards. Tissue of lies.


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

“Anger based on reports in the media that are not true”


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

“What's the point of having people like me around... I make mistakes”

Quote of the day there


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

scifisam said:


> Unless you want to let them do that, of course.
> 
> 
> 
> What did she ask? I'm only following it on here.


What makes you so special?


----------



## fucthest8 (May 25, 2020)

So it was the best idea not to let the PM know that his special advisor was doing a runner when the PM had so many inport things going on.

Fucksake


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

scifisam said:


> What did she ask? I'm only following it on here.



It amounted to 'what makes you so special?' but she's asked a couple of fairly well pointed follow-ups, including a suggestion he should resign.

Best questions so far, although after Kuenssberg and Peston that wasn't a high bar to pass.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

All the people asking questions sounds supremely angry, except peston of course.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

Who was the reporter between Peston and Gibbon? She was raging


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

I still don't understand why he's sitting at a trestle table.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

"I was in bad shape" so I drove 260 miles. 

Fucking hell, someone take this man's license.


----------



## scifisam (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> “Anger based on reports in the media that are not true”



Except for all the bits I've just confirmed are true


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> “Anger based on reports in the media that are not true”



written by his wife


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I still don't understand why he's sitting at a trestle table.


He probably can’t feel his legs at the moment. 😄


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Who was the reporter between Peston and Gibbon? She was raging



Yeah, I wondered who she was.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Who was the reporter between Peston and Gibbon? She was raging


Beth Rigby, political editor at Sky News.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Was he not asked to apologise 5 minutes ago?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Losing it big stylee now.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

He is clearly not telling the truth. He is trying to spin a yarn.


----------



## Dr. Furface (May 25, 2020)

This performance shows why he's a Spad and not a politician. I've heard more articulate footballers


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

In my experience, shit managers always paint themselves into a corner by talking too much.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Beth Rigby, political editor at Sky News.


Cheers


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> "I was in bad shape" so I drove 260 miles.
> 
> Fucking hell, someone take this man's license life.



Corrected 4 you.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Sounds like he lied to Boris.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

He is lying.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> All the people asking questions sounds supremely angry, except peston of course.



The country is fucking angry. I am always angry but have upgraded that anger to fucking livid!


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Beth Rigby, political editor at Sky News.


I'm switching to Sky news. They're terrible but they are closer to an actual news channel than the BBC.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

what's he even doing on the tele


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

This Gary bloke is quite good, forensic


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Did he just say "You didn't have to stay at home if you couldn't"


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> The country is fucking angry. I am always angry but Have upgraded that anger to fucking livid!


I'm 2 past livid.


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Sounds like he lied to Boris.


Thats what I thought he said, in amongst all the staged waffle!


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

the guidance doesnt say you just have to sit there


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I still don't understand why he's sitting at a trestle table.



So he looks solid in contrast to the table.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> I'm switching to Sky news. They're terrible but they are closer to an actual news channel than the BBC.


No comment 

To be fair I've heard good things about Sky News especially throughout this episode.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

My wife was woried that my eyes couldnt sweat. In hindsight, I should have gone to specsavers. However, you cant rely on hindsight when driving, so I still believe I did the right thing.


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> This Gary bloke is quite good, forensic


Should stand as a Labour MP, he'll be straight in on the front bench.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Ooooh


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Did he just say "You didn't have to stay at home if you couldn't"



Finally he pulls out the killer point.
Right, back to the pub, lads?


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Obviously nobody else has s 4 year old child.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

Eyes rolling across the country at the idea parents can break the lockdown if one of them is sick.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

one of these journalists has to ask him what in the Mirror / Guardian was wrong


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

There's no such thing as society. Only individuals and their families.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

Who's this fella? He's not bad.


----------



## Combustible (May 25, 2020)

But they could look after him, in his story he did look after them, he drove 250 miles to look after them in a different space.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Introducing Jason Groves..........'Hi'


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> This Gary bloke is quite good, forensic


 gary bloke? You mean the renowned c4 journalist?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> I'm switching to Sky news. They're terrible but they are closer to an actual news channel than the BBC.



They have been out doing the BBC for ages.

And, it's safe to watch now Murdoch doesn't own it.


----------



## Dr. Furface (May 25, 2020)

You da man!


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Jasons a belter


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Really don't think a drive in a enclosed car and a walk by the river are the things to be focusing on.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

Although it does get exponentially worse with every nanosecond his mouth is open...


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> They have been out doing the BBC for ages.
> 
> And, it's safe to watch now Murdoch doesn't own it.


Boulton's absolute scum but you'd rather have a drink with him than any of the BBC bootlickers.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> gary bloke? You mean the renowned c4 journalist?


I like Gary.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> Who's this fella? He's not bad.



C-4 News, another good watch.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Ha! This guy's gone all Corbyn


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

He's just drawing squiggles, isn't he?


----------



## Part-timah (May 25, 2020)

Note the repeated use of the word “guidance” not policy.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

My turn now: who's this guy talking about the spirit of the restrictions?


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> C-4 News, another good watch.


Funny name.


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Don't quote this post...



No blindfold?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

This journo is a bit of a bellend.  Who is he?


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

This car stop/toilet story is utter horseshit.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)

WHO DOES YOUR PETROL FFS


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

Didn't offer to resign, didn't consider it.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Is Piers Morgan coming on soon?


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

If I didnt work here, I could have stayed in an isolated cottage for weeks afterwards


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Don't quote this post.


OK.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

I'm too fucking important to act like you plebs, OK?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

'They feel like mugs now' Get in Jason


----------



## Dr. Furface (May 25, 2020)

Prince Andrew v2


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> No blindfold?



Let's give him a blindfold so that he can enjoy the bluebells and the atmosphere even more when he gets there. I mean it might be the last time he sees it. With the car park being closed and everything.


----------



## Poot (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> This car stop/toilet story is utter horseshit.


He was so obviously just trying to remember where he might have been seen.


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

What does he keep doodling. Spunking cocks?


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> This journo is a bit of a bellend.  Who is he?


I think he’s doing quite well.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Oh this is good. I'm enjoying this now. He is talking bollocks. He is in the shit, the arrogant bellend


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

He now can't remember what lie he needs to refer back to, this is the danger with making lies too elaborate


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 25, 2020)

rekil said:


> What does he keep doodling. Spunking cocks?



Black Book of Revenge, I reckon


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

> Hi James
> 
> As a labour county councillor and local activist you know that I make my opinions pretty much known through social media, the press and by any means I can find.
> 
> ...


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

FFS, he's the most important advisor, he's fucking shit?! No wonder the fucking State we're in.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

He's tired now bless him, dropping his 't's all over the shop.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

So his child needs a wee between Castle Barnard and Durham, but not between London and Durham?


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)




----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Didn't take medical advice until day 14? Bullshit.


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> This journo is a bit of a bellend.  Who is he?


Answering my own question, it's Jason Groves from the Daily Mail and IMO he's doing a great job here.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Obviously hasn't learned Zoom or Teams like millions of other people


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> I think he’s doing quite well.


For a minute there I thought you meant Dominic Cummings. I was just about to go "Looby!?!"


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

Also he looked up and to the right, which is typically thought to indicate lying


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

'Dominic Cummings Was Lurking Here': Joke blue plaque pokes fun at alleged visit | ITV News
					

A signed has appeared in Barnard Castle poking fun at Dominic Cummings' alleged visit to the town during the lockdown period.  | ITV National News




					www.itv.com


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

clicker said:


> He's tired now bless him, dropping his 't's all over the shop.


 Brutal comedown


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> This journo is a bit of a bellend.  Who is he?


----------



## ElizabethofYork (May 25, 2020)

Were the public stupid for following the rules rather than looking for loopholes like you did?


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

Nice question about loopholes!


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Oooh yes the Barnard Castle trip. I was just testing my eyesight. Ha ha ha!


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

It’s a schoolboy error to let someone _talk so much _🤷🏽‍♀️


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Revealed in the next episode: his family GP is Leo Spaceman


There we go....

“Following expert medical advice...”


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

One thing he's not mentioned is fuel.  He could get from London to Durham easily, but in that tanking great 4x4 of his I'd be surprised if he could get back again, along with a trip to Barnard Castle.  So where did he stop?


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

Who's this woman? She's going in strong!


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

It doesn't matter if you've cleared by doctors, you don't fucking travel! Cunt!


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

If nothing else take his fucking driving licence.


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> There we go....
> 
> “Following expert medical advice...”


Who? Who is this expert?


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

The driving to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight is fan-fucking-tastic. His wife's suggestion now. Doesn't even make sense.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

He was PRACTISING, dur!


----------



## Spymaster (May 25, 2020)

He's really punting the 'test-drive' to Barnard Castle line.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

I'm not going to drive all the way to London, I'll test my eyes for 30miles instead. He's fucked


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

He didn't think about that. Fucking funny.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

5t3IIa said:


> Who? Who is this expert?


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

Arrogant fucker


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> I think he’s doing quite well.



He was just trying to needle an emotional reaction from him.
A lot of this other stuff is just "please can you apologise for rich people having more options than poor people".

Will probably work, depends who else is still behind him, I reckon.  

There will be a resignation in the next couple of days imo.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> One thing he's not mentioned is fuel.  He could get from London to Durham easily, but in that tanking great 4x4 of his I'd be surprised if he could get back again, along with a trip to Barnard Castle.  So where did he stop?


He explicitly said he did not stop.


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

OMG he's like a teenager getting caught borrowing his mum's car and trying to cover it up.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> I like Gary.



I'm so so.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Who's this woman? She's going in strong!



Anna Mikhailova, of the Telegraph amazingly enough


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

This is like watchjng an 8 year old being told off by a series of headteachers.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Anna's on the case  about Barnard Castle


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

"Let's whizz on down the road"


----------



## tommers (May 25, 2020)

This is excruciating & hilarious at the same time


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

If your vision was at all wonky, WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DRIVE?!


----------



## Big Bertha (May 25, 2020)

I think he did a reasonable job.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> No blindfold?



Lol his eyesight is bad, he can test it with the blindfold and without.


----------



## ElizabethofYork (May 25, 2020)

It was all my wife's idea!


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Claims security reasons for not mentioning they’d been to Durham. Bullshit.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> Anna Mikhailova, of the Telegraph amazingly enough


My whole perception of the traditional right wing press has been upended during this crisis.


----------



## Chilli.s (May 25, 2020)

He's obviously used to people saying yes to him all the time, so he thinks he's right all the time. It's a poor look.

No one thinks that London doesn't have any emergency childcare. Especially for someone in his situation.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

I was just testing my eyesight, honest, officer.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Oooh yes the Barnard Castle trip. I was just testing my eyesight. Ha ha ha!



I nearly died when that excuse emerged. I laughed so loud I was surprised nothing fell off the walls.

I agree with him about one thing, his vision is a bit weird.


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> One thing he's not mentioned is fuel.  He could get from London to Durham easily, but in that tanking great 4x4 of his I'd be surprised if he could get back again, along with a trip to Barnard Castle.  So where did he stop?


Not too mention the number of stops a 4year old needs!


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Looks like he and Boris built a giant boring machine yesterday.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> He explicitly said he did not stop.



He said he didn't stop on the way to Durham, but in all of the movements he carefully sets out thereafter none of them includes filling the car up, and yet it surely must have needed it at some point...

edit - ah, he's 'pretty sure' he filled up on the way back


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

Big Bertha said:


> I think he did a reasonable job.


Fuck off for a week, trollboy.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

I have considerable experience of watching people lie. He is lying.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Best quote ever "You wrote one too. You're not a writer". Brilliant!


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

I also agree with Cummings that unpleasant things go on around his house.


----------



## pogofish (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> I'm not going to drive all the way to London, I'll test my eyes for 30miles instead. He's fucked



Isn’t it over forty miles From Durham to Barnard Castle?


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

THIS IS GOING WELL


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> My whole perception of the traditional right wing press has been upended during this crisis.


Don't mistake blue on blue fighting for being on our side


----------



## Spymaster (May 25, 2020)

This is the best telly for months


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

"Had a few pints, was just testing out if I could drive OK before I headed all the way back home."


----------



## not a trot (May 25, 2020)

So cunts really can talk.


----------



## tommers (May 25, 2020)

Big Bertha said:


> I think he did a reasonable job.



He's basically confirmed everything that people accused him of and refused to apologise.


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> Anna Mikhailova, of the Telegraph amazingly enough


No wonder he looked pissed off, he must have thought they were onside!


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Didn't seek medical advice before going to Durham. Genius.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> Best quote ever "You wrote one too. You're not a writer". Brilliant!



?????


----------



## 8115 (May 25, 2020)

This is just all getting a bit bizarre now.


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

Someone please ask him how he refueled the car!!


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> So his child needs a wee between Castle Barnard and Durham, but not between London and Durham?


Barnard Castle


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> My whole perception of the traditional right wing press has been upended during this crisis.



They probably have realised there is no polishing this any more.

If any of them come out defending him in the morning, even those clowns at Spiked, I will be amazed.  He has admitted worse things than Crerar et al accused him of.


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

Why did the let him do this??


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Has he apologised yet?


----------



## mauvais (May 25, 2020)

Do I regret driving dangerously? Well, perhaps I should have driven *very* dangerously, maybe that's what I should I have done? I regret not doing that.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Don't mistake blue on blue fighting for being on our side


I don't trust them any more than I ever have, but I can certainly acknowledge some of the good writing they've done - particularly the FT.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

pogofish said:


> Isn’t it over forty miles From Durham to Barnard Castle?


About 30.


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Can’t remember if he filled up with petrol but even if he did it was allowed.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

Mogden said:


> OMG he's like a teenager getting caught borrowing his mum's car and trying to cover it up.



"But my wife said, let's go to Barnard Castle..."


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

He's lying about the petrol.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Barnard Castle


OK.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

I have a really horrible, increasing suspicion that this man has ADHD


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Funny how he and his wife were both sick but she's capable of looking after their son.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

"It's a five hour trip...I can't remember if we stopped"


----------



## Badgers (May 25, 2020)

Check his fuel consumption for that journey. Not stopping at all despite the child on board needing a wee


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

This performance is the greatest gift Grant Shapps has ever or will ever recieve.  Noone is ever going to remember his performances after this.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

He's a fucking liar. Too much hedging.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> I don't trust them any more than I ever have, but I can certainly acknowledge some of the good writing they've done - particularly the FT.


Often it's not a question of their talents, but what they use them for.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

what was the honking noise when the interview started? It was throwing him off kilter.


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 25, 2020)

Old Rishi must be please he tagged his rising star to this


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

How can you not be sure if you stopped off for petrol or not?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Fuck off for a week, trollboy.



I assume there has been stuff happening on other threads..


----------



## rekil (May 25, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> "Had a few pints, was just testing out if I could drive OK before I headed all the way back home."


Drive Yourself Sober.


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> He's lying about the petrol.


Of course he is. I can fully see Clarkson doing an entire episode of the fuel capacity of Cummings' car


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Check his fuel consumption for that journey. Not stopping at all despite the child on board needing a wee



he'll probably say he was using red diesel


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Nine Bob Note said:


> "But my wife said, let's go to Barnard Castle..."



Wasn't that her birthday I saw reported somewhere?


----------



## Doctor Carrot (May 25, 2020)

tommers said:


> This is excruciating & hilarious at the same time



Exactly this... What must the rest of the world think of this? I feel like I've entered a different dystopian timeline where I'm watching some sinister reality TV show about a bloke who has to convince a panel of judges he's not a lying fuck wit before the public vote on whether he gets executed or not at the end.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

I can't go 250 miles by car without a slash, where did the kid piss?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

He literally cannot bring himself to apologise or express regret about _anything; _not the smallest thing


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

I wonder how many millions have thought "fuck this" and are on the phone as we speak arranging to meet lived ones?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Starmers finished he's about as forensic as a paper bag compared to some of these


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> He's lying about the petrol.



A convenient bout of amnesia at that point...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> This is the best telly for months



It's a reward from the government for lockdown.


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Someone please ask him how he refueled the car!!


This would be best. You’ve told us you pissed in the woods in County Durham - then when? Did you refuel? Did you need a snack? Did the child need a snack? Did you go to the supermarket for snacks before you left? Did you piss in a glass or plastic bottle on the hard shoulder? Which motorway?


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

I CAN'T REMEMBER.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> ?????


One of the reporters said it.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

He keeps looking up and to the right


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

95% chance I stopped for petrol   . Check your credit card?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

pogofish said:


> Isn’t it over forty miles From Durham to Barnard Castle?


Sorry, 42 from my house , so about 40 from the house he was at .


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

Kind of point where jurors start tittering.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

If his London house was under such a dangerous siege, why did he take his wife and child back there?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> OK.


My sister lives there , shs been texting me complaining about people getting the name wrong.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> How can you not be sure if you stopped off for petrol or not?



He'd have the credit card receipt, he'd hardly pay by cash if he'd had the virus.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

Mation said:


> I have a really horrible, increasing suspicion that this man has ADHD



No he doesn't, he's just lying scum mate.  xx


----------



## tim (May 25, 2020)

FiFi said:


> He doesn't really appear to be a strategic mastermind, does he?



In comparison with Johnson, he does


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> He literally cannot bring himself to apologies or express regret about _anything; _not the smallest thing



He's not the type of person who can pretend to be sorry when he isn't.  We expect better acting skills from our politicians, which he isn't.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

The idea that a cross country drive on deserted motorways in lockdown would be pretty memorable, you'd know if you stopped. 

I do believe he's got no mates though.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> He keeps looking up and to the right



someone in the FCO has a sign out saying "_tell us more about the pissing_"


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

who is this cunt on the tele? wtf


----------



## ElizabethofYork (May 25, 2020)

I was at Pizza Express.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> I wonder how many millions have thought "fuck this" and are on the phone as we speak arranging to meet lived ones?



We have arranged a BBQ for two days after Frau Bahn’s mum’s birthday.


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 25, 2020)

what the fuck is this waffle?


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> No he doesn't, he's just lying scum mate.  xx


He's behaving (right now) _exactly _as though he does.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

there has been a warm stream of media stories over the past few weeks

more piss analogies


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Was he doing what any good father would do when he put his wife and child in the car and drove 30 miles to check he could see properly?


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

Dickhead is playing the fucking victim, the absolute fucking cunt!


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> This performance is the greatest gift Grant Shapps has ever or will ever recieve.  Noone is ever going to remember his performances after this.


Grant Shapps reminds me of Dominic  West's  Doctor character in Brassic


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> I don't trust them any more than I ever have, but I can certainly acknowledge some of the good writing they've done - particularly the FT.



not like you to support a tory tabloid


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

This is turning out so much better than I thought it would.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

Who's this guy? He's useless.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

Easter Sunday 12th April...it's his wife's birthday...he hasn't mentioned that...but remembers testing his eyes with a drive there.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

My 17 year old niece said she'd help with childcare 260 miles away so I didn't ask any friends nearby.


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

sheothebudworths said:


> I CAN'T REMEMBER.


Last time I drove 270 miles (DURING LOCKDOWN*) i stopped for a piss and every single services 👍🏼 Every single one 👇🏼

* mother rush to hospital. I considered it reasonable.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

He's been caught in thousands of lies and cant get out of it.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 25, 2020)

landies have about 18 gallon tank. if it was brim full and he managened to break 30 mpg ( hmmm ) , he could maybe get to scratchwood services on the return leg with a wind behind him before it died. thats about the very very  best scenario and not very likely at all.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what was the honking noise when the interview started? It was throwing him off kilter.



The goose of truth will not be silenced.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

"would have led to more confusion" "That often happens around here." Sure it does.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

Sadly he went to Barnard Castle instead of Ferryhill.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

You're all confused.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

It wasn't complicated Dominic ...we all know it wasn't complicated ,stop saying it , this is embarrassing now ...we won't say ok now... we want you to f*** right off pronto.


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

Mation said:


> He's behaving (right now) _exactly _as though he does.


If he does, and in a high pressure situation like this it's bloody difficult to tell so I wouldn't like to call it, it's a reason not an excuse. He's had plenty to time to work out when he went, came back, stopped, bought things, taken his kid for a tinkle and he's done none of that. If I was going in for a disciplinary meeting I'd be damn sure to have everything in order.

And that's no slight at you Mation, it's just he is being a cunt.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

I was feeling weird, dizzy, my eyesight was funny.

"Right you two, in the car, I need to check something with a half hour drive"


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

If you mean any of this, then fucking apologise already!


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> He's been caught in thousands of lies and cant get out of it.



The whole statement is a lie of sorts:



He's struggling with the questions though.  Tbf he's not someone who is comfortable in front of a camera - power behind the throne is his preferred position - but he's also lying his arse off.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

Errrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmm.... no, lol.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

The situation was complicated and I tried to minimise the risks to everyone. Except my parents and wider family and Barnard Castle residents and petrol station employees...


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Wait till Starmer gets to work on the transcript. Blood will flow in rivers of guilt.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

I'm wondering whether Boris and Cummings have basically decided to base the whole thing loosely on the plot of _Skyfall._


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> The situation was complicated and I tried to minimise the risks to everyone. Except my parents and wider family and Barnard Castle residents and petrol station employees...



... and NHS employees, and taxi drivers


----------



## Smangus (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Who's this guy? He's useless.



Dominic Cummings , he's a top adviser to Boris.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> ... and NHS employees, and taxi drivers



And geese.


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 25, 2020)

"to get more investment in the NHS" Get, from whom?


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

Like that time my hands were shaking so I tested if I could steady them by juggling knives.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> I'm wondering whether Boris and Cummings have basically decided to base the whole thing loosely on the plot of _Skyfall._



wouldn't M have had to also been Raoul Silva and drop the helicopter onto her own head for that to be a parallel with this?


----------



## Combustible (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> Who's this guy? He's useless.



His name's Dominic Cummings, surprised you've not heard of hiim before.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

'to get more investment for the NHS' - cunt.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

You've made mistakes, eh? Then fucking pay for them!


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> Wait till Starmer gets to work on the transcript. Blood will flow in rivers of guilt.



Yes he's forensic that man, forensic.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Made mistakes going back to January? Tell us more...


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Sky strapline. "Cummings said he did drive to Barnard Castle but only to check if he could drive to London.."

Damn sure they wanted to put LOL at the end.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> wouldn't M have had to also been Raoul Silva and drop the helicopter onto her own head for that to be a parallel with this?



Fuck's sake - are you expecting them to have watched the whole thing in that delay earlier?


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

'I make bad decisions every day' says the powerful Spad.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

Who's the women on now with glasses and a flowery shirt? She's really, really shit, as was the person on before her.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

They won't agree, Dom.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Boris' presser at six is gonna be 🔥


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

An hour in, and he hasn't said sorry. Just how brass necked can these Public school wankers be?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> Like that time my hands were shaking so I tested if I could steady them by juggling knives.


Thread winner


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

is Pippa Crerar one of the hacks in attendance?


----------



## Combustible (May 25, 2020)

Did all of these journalists think they would be the first one to think of the "one rule for you, and one rule for everyone else" line


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> landies have about 18 gallon tank. if it was brim full and he managened to break 30 mpg ( hmmm ) , he could maybe get to scratchwood services on the return leg with a wind behind him before it died. thats about the very very  best scenario and not very likely at all.


It would really behove the journos to get off the big picture and pick at this to show him up to be a worm. Refuelling, snacks, 4 year olds needing a pee, etc etc.


----------



## Mation (May 25, 2020)

Mogden said:


> If he does, and in a high pressure situation like this it's bloody difficult to tell so I wouldn't like to call it, it's a reason not an excuse. He's had plenty to time to work out when he went, came back, stopped, bought things, taken his kid for a tinkle and he's done none of that. If I was going in for a disciplinary meeting I'd be damn sure to have everything in order.
> 
> And that's no slight at you Mation, it's just he is being a cunt.


Oh, it doesn't excuse him doing what was completely and entirely the wrong thing to do. He needs to go. He's put others' lives at risk. And he's a fucking elitist Tory.

But I don't think he's lying about what he thought he was doing. ADHD pathological honesty combined with atypical thinking often looks like lying to others. 

It's irrelevant to what needs to happen, it's just making me cringe.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

Trying to talk down his pile, fucking hell.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

_"How dare you have a house lying around?"_

Bit of a mistake by the media there.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

My child/my job/my house.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

I'd just like to say big up to the No 10 gardener.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Nobody gives a fuck about your thought process.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

We're only 30 mins from Johnson's appearance. Presuming that'll be delayed now.


----------



## 5t3IIa (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Yes he's forensic that man, forensic.


His former position should stand him in good stead 🤘🏼


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

Combustible said:


> Did all of these journalists think they would be the first one to think of the "one rule for you, and one rule for everyone else" line


They might be trying to wear him down


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Combustible said:


> Did all of these journalists think they would be the first one to think of the "one rule for you, and one rule for everyone else" line


Suspect there are people on social media still imagining nobody else has thought of Dominic Goings


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Oh, it wasn't a nice place to be.

I'm sure his parents are thrilled with his ingraciousness.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Fled his house because of vigilantism


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> We're only 30 mins from Johnson's appearance. Presuming that'll be delayed now.



They've had plenty of time to install a lot of locks on that fridge.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Fled his house because of vigilantism



after telling everyone that is where he was


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

Mation said:


> Oh, it doesn't excuse him doing what was completely and entirely the wrong thing to do. He needs to go. He's put others' lives at risk. And he's a fucking elitist Tory.
> 
> But I don't think he's lying about what he thought he was doing. ADHD pathological honesty combined with atypical thinking often looks like lying to others.
> 
> It's irrelevant to what needs to happen, it's just making me cringe.


Yep. Like many NDs, they have an NT partner who guides them. I can see that. I'm too angry today to be cringing at all for a change!


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Boris' presser at six is gonna be 🔥



OMG, have we got that, too?!


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Dom why do you shit yourself every time it looks like one of those bits of paper is going to blow away?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Not a parody account.


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> They've had plenty of time to install a lot of locks on that fridge.


But, sadly, he left it ages ago.


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

That was a hard swallow when asked if he should be out of Downing Street!!


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Good question Caitlin.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

It would be great if one of the journals asked why he was thirty minutes late to his own press conference.


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> 'I make bad decisions every day' says the powerful Spad.


'Yes, we know" replies the rest of the country


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

The "no reasonable people" fallacy. This man's thick as fuck


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

"What's your message to the voters who want you out?"

Falls on his fucking face, stutters, hums, haws.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

Don't believe what you read in the media, says the powerful spin doctor.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Practice drive. Get outta that prick


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

If there was a jury theyd be back in with decision already


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

FiFi said:


> 'Yes, we know" replies the rest of the country



Oh come on, how often do we get some honesty from this level of Government?


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Sub-consciously he is patting himself on the back because nobody else is going to.

Eta or he's been stung.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Wait...is he now saying he had corona?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> It would be great if one of the journals asked why he was thirty minutes late to his own press conference.



And if he still didn’t care that it’s not a good look...


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

More of a pause on the question of the impact on Tory voters than anything else, wanker.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Sky strapline. "Cummings said he did drive to Barnard Castle but only to check if he could drive to London.."
> 
> Damn sure they wanted to put LOL at the end.



no, he was never at Barnard Castle; pay attention.


----------



## NoXion (May 25, 2020)

I've had enough. How long are they going to drag this shit out?


----------



## hegley (May 25, 2020)

He's not even going to Patel it out and say "I'm sorry people feel that way"


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Wait...is he now saying he had corona?


Yes. But he didn't have it. But he did


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)




----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If there was a jury theyd be back in with decision already


His brief would be asking for a break or he would be "taking a dive".


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If there was a jury theyd be back in with decision already



we find the defendant guilty of the crimes charged, and also these other things he admitted to as part of his not guilty plea


----------



## FiFi (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> Oh come on, how often do we get some honesty from this level of Government?


 I know. I'm just trying to enjoy myself!


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

So his kid did the whole journey north without needing a stop for a pee and yet half an hour down the road he needs a tinkle??


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> The "no reasonable people" fallacy. This man's thick as fuck



Is this different to the "no true Scotsman/Christian/communist" thing?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Boris Sprinkler said:


> what the fuck is this waffle?


 and who the fuck is the waffler? What's the point of this!!??


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)




----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

He wasnt sightseeing in Barnard Castle because he couldnt see at the time.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> and who the fuck is the waffler? What's the point of this!!??



A big part of the right-wing establishment has spotted an opportunity to get rid of a liability.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

South? East? - fuck knows.

He's gonna go home (or not!) for a BIG CRY after this, isn't he?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> Is this different to the "no true Scotsman/Christian/communist" thing?


Same thing


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Penny has dropped as to why following this thread is a bit weird now, it's because I had to pause the TV for a piss stop, so I am behind everyone by 2 minutes.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

Journalists totally muted now.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> A big part of the right-wing establishment has spotted an opportunity to get rid of a liability.



thats what you think. He's going nowhere.


----------



## Dr. Furface (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Spymaster (May 25, 2020)

"You have to exercise your judgement, that's what the rules say"

NO THEY FUCKING DON'T


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

You're allowed to exercise judgement, according to the rules.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> He wasnt sightseeing in Barnard Castle because he couldnt see at the time.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

sheothebudworths said:


> South? East? - fuck knows.
> 
> He's gonna go home (or not!) for a BIG CRY after this, isn't he?



I want him to cry now.


----------



## N_igma (May 25, 2020)

Mogden said:


> So his kid did the whole journey north without needing a stop for a pee and yet half an hour down the road he needs a tinkle??



There’s a service station somewhere between London and Durham that has CCTV of them getting out. If I was a journalist I know where I’d be making enquiries.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

I will sleep soundly tonight knowing the country is in such capable hands.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, the Oxford Mail journo's second question was about a doctor self-isolating who she contrasted with Cummings. Johnson was refering to the doctor when talking about Cummings, not the porter in her first question who died.
> 
> Why don't you watch it for yourself?


So I've been watching cummings' shitty press conference and I've been waiting for the killer point you've suggested might emerge. Tell me, are you still suggesting if we knew the truth we'd not be damning him? Tbh I think he's made matters worse by his refusal to show contrition


----------



## jakethesnake (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Penny has dropped as to why following this thread is a bit weird now, it's because I had to pause the TV for a piss stop, so I am behind everyone by 2 minutes.


Thankyou for clearing that up for me!


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

Millions of parents of small children _got it wrong_, basically.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

he is so fucked after this


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> and who the fuck is the waffler? What's the point of this!!??


I'm referring to Cummings blustering and bullshitting through this.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> "You have to exercise your judgement, that's what the rules say"
> 
> NO THEY FUCKING DON'T



Do they not?
I find it hard to remember which caveats were in force at that time as opposed to the subtle changes recently.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Good luck to the anchors trying to summarise this...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

what a dick head though!! Fancy going on tele for an hour so that nobody will ever forget his face.

I'd have bowed out immediately.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

He keeps saying the rules say you can exercise your judgement

 "If you have children, keep following this advice to the best of your ability, however, we are aware that not all these measures will be possible."


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

With great respect x 100. Fucker didn't have any respect for people he may have infected. Cunt.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

Take care, like I didnt.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

The bit the journos have missed is the actual car trip up there. Child with 2 parents in a car, a five foot long capsule, breathing the same air. Get fucking social services in!

Oh, and does his partner not drive?


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

He keeps going on about exercising judgement...not knowing that people see he did it wrongly, very badly.

tldr   no apology


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Boris Sprinkler said:


> I'm referring to Cummings blustering and bullshitting through this.


 So am I. Who is he? Why is he on television?


----------



## Looby (May 25, 2020)

Cupid Stunt can’t even watch a press conference d without needing a piss but bladder of steel Cummings and his family can drive to Durham.
I sort of hope he produces the bottles of piss he filled on the way.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Isn't the whole thing basically:

fam getting poorly
oh noez, teh baby! - no babysitters!
leg it up North - spare house and immortal teenagers to teh rescue!
poorliness
poorliness
bit better
trial run with the driving back
ok, back to london


----------



## oryx (May 25, 2020)

The longer he goes without apologising and/or resigning*, the more the Tories are fucked.

Can't wait to see the next lot of opinion polls.

*I do think he should resign though.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> The bit the journos have missed is the actual car trip up there. Child with 2 parents in a car, a five foot long capsule, breathing the same air. Get fucking social services in!
> 
> Oh, and does his partner not drive?


they covered it; he said that he and his child are like Kim Jong Un and that they don't have to go the toilet.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> Oh, and does his partner not drive?


Yeah, I was assuming I'd just missed the bit where he said that, because otherwise it's a pretty obvious question.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

I liked the bit at the end when the camera slowly zoomed out, and he shuffled his papers and rearranged the desk like he'd just read the six o'clock news


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Remember to jump onto google to check out 'the farm', peeps.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


>



So, the dead cat wasn't so much the Lion King as the Essex Lion.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

The BBC is basically running a Tory party political broadcast for the Tory Twitter party.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Not so much a car crash as a multi car pike up on the M1.


----------



## Sue (May 25, 2020)

sheothebudworths said:


> Millions of parents of small children _got it wrong_, basically.


Millions of *bad* parents.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Nine Bob Note said:


> I liked the bit at the end when the camera slowly zoomed out, and he shuffled his papers and rearranged the desk like he'd just read the six o'clock news


... and then started coughing.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> The BBC is basically running a Tory party political broadcast for the Tory Twitter party.



They fucking are!


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> oh noez, teh baby! - no babysitters!


Now, now, he did say that his 17-year-old niece 270 miles away had already offered, so why would he think to look anywhere else?


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Not so much a car crash as a multi car pike up on the M1.



does gthe m1 go to durham?


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> The BBC is basically running a Tory party political broadcast for the Tory Twitter party.



Sky are taking the piss quite well


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

What a complete omnishambles, brilliant job.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Cummings instinctively did what every father would do in driving 30 miles in a car with his wife and kid to see if he could see properly to drive 



			https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/drivers-warned-on-driving-when-ill/


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

Also there were loads of contradictions there eg he started by saying bj asked him to give the press conference and then saying he'd had input into the decision. And there were the chats he had with bj which they couldn't remember in which loads of important things were discussed. Does this sound like a way to run a government, making decisions no one recalls?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Sky are taking the piss quite well


Never really watch Sky News but they were hilarious


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Sky are taking the piss quite well


Miles better than the beeb. At least you know they're Tories.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> You're allowed to exercise judgement, according to the rules.


equationgirl I can't find where it says that (genuinely)


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)




----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Now, now, he did say that his 17-year-old niece 270 miles away had already offered, so why would he think to look anywhere else?



I thought before that he had said that they had checked available avenues.

I can understand the instinct to leg it somewhere safe - at that point they believed it wasn't affecting younger people, and also it felt a lot more threatening at that time due to lack of knowledge.

Boris and some of the Government are going to regret throwing that scientist to the wolves for nipping out for a shag.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> The BBC is basically running a Tory party political broadcast for the Tory Twitter party.


And this took you how long?  It's 2020 ffs.

Cancel your license mate.


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)

Right so just to clarify, if you have small children, feel free to interpret the law however you like.

I'll be right back, just gonna nick my neighbour's car


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

This has just been highlighted to me. There is a outline. Can't unsee it now.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Maybe when you've had a couple of drinks and don't know whether you can drive or not, best thing is to have a little hour long return journey to see how things are going?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> What a complete omnishambles, brilliant job.



Brooker's review of the year is going to have something good on this.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> equationgirl I can't find where it says that (genuinely)


That's what Dom says not me, and I don't believe for a second it actually says that.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

little_legs said:


> Right so just to clarify, if you have small children, feel free to interpret the law however you like.
> 
> I'll be right back, just gonna knick my neighbour's car


I'm taking mine for a holiday on Dom's dad's farm.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> does gthe m1 go to durham?



A1M


----------



## philosophical (May 25, 2020)

I never knew there were so many ways to make yourself look like a cunt.


----------



## oryx (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> I thought before that he had said that they had checked available avenues.
> 
> I can understand the instinct to leg it somewhere safe - at that point they believed it wasn't affecting younger people, and also it felt a lot more threatening at that time due to lack of knowledge.
> 
> Boris and some of the Government are going to regret throwing that scientist to the wolves for nipping out for a shag.


And AFAIK neither he nor the Scottish doctor (allegedly) had coronavirus.


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

So, when for the resignation?  I'm going to stick a flag in Wednesday.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Professor did not nip out for a shag, she came to his flat. So lockdown was still broken that way.


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> So am I. Who is he? Why is he on television?



As far I am aware he is the prime minister of the untied kingdom's big brains special advisor.  He is not elected, He tells Boris what to do or something.
He went to mummy and daddys house because it's big, and in the country and the zombies were coming in London. Rather than just staying put in his undoubtedly large house in London. Cos he's a cunt.

But rumour has it...he was selling the NHS - i think he also mentioned it in his speech.

He won't resign because he has a plan. They won't fire him because he has a plan and he delivered Brexit. So he is their Svengali. I dont know, reading the tiwtter about it and people are pretty fucking angry. At best he's fucked the point of lockdown cos people will make their own executive decisions from now on. But srsly what kind of muppet does that?


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> So, when for the resignation?  I'm going to stick a flag in Wednesday.


He's a 100% liar, but the way this was spun doesn't give the media too much leverage. I suspect he's going to stay. His relationship with the media will be awful though.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Mogden said:


> This has just been highlighted to me. There is a outline. Can't unsee it now.


?


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Professor did not nip out for a shag, she came to his flat. So lockdown was still broken that way.



But if he hadn't invited her in, it would only be her breaking the lockdown.
Cunning plan missed.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> ?


She's talking about his twinkle.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Full account in the Spectator 









						Dominic Cummings: Why I travelled to Durham | The Spectator
					

This is a transcript of Dominic Cummings' statement: Around midnight on Thursday, the twenty sixth of March, I spoke to the prime minister. He told me that he tested positive for Covid. We discussed the national emergency arrangements for No.10, given his isolation and what I would do in No. 10...




					www.spectator.co.uk


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

Alistair Campbell pulling no punches.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Testing his eyesight. So if he crashed the car and injured or killed somebody then he could conclude that he shouldn't have driven. You couldn't make it up.


----------



## t0bytoo (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> Alistair Campbell pulling no punches.



Crazy times. He's loving it. In a slightly sadistic way..


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Who's this little prick on sky?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

8ball said:


> I thought before that he had said that they had checked available avenues.


My memory was he didn't want to ask local friends to put them at risk of the deadly virus, but his nieces are 17 and 20 so in the 'safest' category.


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)




----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Who's this little prick on sky?



Darren Grimes


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> My memory was he didn't want to ask local friends to put them at risk of the deadly virus, but his nieces are 17 and 20 so in the 'safest' category.



That sounds about right, think there was also something about not being able to get a babysitter but tbh I've been half-working through the thing.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> My memory was he didn't want to ask local friends to put them at risk of the deadly virus, but his nieces are 17 and 20 so in the 'safest' category.


Except there is no safe category with coronavirus, really. So he was still being a cunt.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Who's this little prick on sky?


exactly that


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> Darren Grimes



That is such a Sky News name.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Who's this little prick on sky?



I just turned over and thought Tom Daley had taken up alt-right politics


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> ?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Who's this little prick on sky?


Darren something cant stand the little jumped up weirdo


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Anyway, my middle aged bladder wants to know he was taking.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)

There is only one thing people are going to remember.

He didn't apologise.

Cunt (upgraded from wanker deservedly)


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Treacle Toes (May 25, 2020)

He's made the Trumpian fake news argument without using the expression #Scummedia is trending on twitter in defence of him.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> He's made the Trumpian fake news argument without using the expression #Scummedia is trending on twitter in defence of him.



Are any actual real people involved or just bots?


----------



## philosophical (May 25, 2020)

What happened to the journalist Pippa? Had she lost interest in the story?


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> There is only one thing people are going to remember.
> 
> He didn't apologise.
> 
> Cunt (upgraded from wanker deservedly)



They might remember the eyesight excuse too.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

"Barnard Castle welcomes drivers who can see properly"


----------



## 8ball (May 25, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> There is only one thing people are going to remember.
> 
> He didn't apologise.



Well, if we had a populace which could remember more than one thing we wouldn’t be in this mess.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> He's made the Trumpian fake news argument without using the expression #Scummedia is trending on twitter in defence of him.



Has been all day. It's the latest bit of alt-right whataboutery.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Ooh, that's a point...


----------



## tim (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> "I was in bad shape" so I drove 260 miles.
> 
> Fucking hell, someone take this man's license.



Presumably the DVLA are on the case.

*Visual field defects and driving*
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.
*Car or motorbike licence*
You must tell DVLA if you have a visual field defect.
Report your condition online
You can also fill in form V1 and send it to DVLA. The address is on the form.


----------



## Chilli.s (May 25, 2020)

So the big brain tories think that unrepentant show of logic is gonna help their cause? Maybe not.


----------



## A380 (May 25, 2020)




----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

As somebody said, this was a pure retrofit. I suspect 90%+ of the facts/dates and timings were true, but the motivation he announced for each decision was universally untrue. There are bits that could unravel, particularly if it turns out his wife can drive or that his usual childcare in London was available. But ultimately this was an awful but effective strategy.

Oh, sorry, the other bit was weak as piss and might have interesting consequences was where he said he'd spoke to johnson but they were both too far gone to remember it. There's clearly more to pick at there.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)




----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

I'm 95% certain I'm going to pop out for a pint of milk in a minute.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

Brilliant point on BBC from a lecturer from Durham University, Lisa McKenzie, saying it's no great surprise that an elite rich man does what he wants, and why aren't the press covering the millions of working class people who are struggling and will struggle to cope with rent and bills through this crisis


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Looby said:


> He went to Barnard Castle to test if he could drive. 😄


Just catching up . Does it get any better than this? This is excellent.


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Brilliant point on BBC from a lecturer from Durham University, Lisa McKenzie, saying it's no great surprise that an elite rich man does what he wants, and why aren't the press covering the millions of working class people who are struggling and will struggle to cope with rent and bills through this crisis


She's from Class War isn't she?


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

tim said:


> Presumably the DVLA are on the case.
> 
> *Visual field defects and driving*
> You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.
> ...


In my day, the test was 'can you read a number plate at 15 yards?'. Nowadays, seems to me can you drive family members on an hour long drive with no more than a 15 minute rest by the river.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 25, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> so I didn't ask any *friends* nearby.



Key word there


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Brilliant point on BBC from a lecturer from Durham University, Lisa McKenzie, saying it's no great surprise that an elite rich man does what he wants, and why aren't the press covering the millions of working class people who are struggling and will struggle to cope with rent and bills through this crisis



It is, but I like many am able to be angry about multiple things at a time, and seeing Cummings's head on a fucking pike is still up there with all the other stuff.  I don't have to drop that because there are other things I am also angry about.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> She's from Class War isn't she?


No idea
ETA Google says yes


----------



## what (May 25, 2020)

Can anyone find in the legislation the words about child and discretion?


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

My spidey sense says the self isolation dates are probably all wrong. Chuck the info at some autists and they'll find all the holes 


This replay is really showing up gaping holes in his testimony. There's bits about sitting on a riverbank and then driving back from Barnard complete with the wee stop? Did I hear that right?


----------



## tommers (May 25, 2020)

The eyesight thing is just ridiculous. Absolutely brilliant. 

Either get your wife to drive and sit in the passenger seat. Or if she is not able to drive, then go by yourself. 

Or, give it a day and see if it improves. 

I mean, it makes no sense.


----------



## sheothebudworths (May 25, 2020)

What I have thought of, since the start of this stuff with Cummings, is people like Kayla Williams - and her husband and their three children.








						London woman dies of suspected Covid-19 after being told she was 'not priority'
					

Kayla Williams, 36, from Peckham, south London, died a day after calling 999 Coronavirus – all updates




					www.theguardian.com
				




It doesn't relate directly to this story - but it was definitely the first story that brought a thump to my heart.

Just one of tens of thousands of deaths now - but this cunt using up time to plead his own case now, instead of just standing down, while that family had to isolate after such a traumatic loss, using his _important position_ and his child to justify his move hundreds of miles away to the family pile - it's just so fucking repulsive.


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> No idea
> ETA Google says yes


Definitely was a Lisa McKenzie who became an academic but thought she was in London.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Anyway this fucking covid thing is a real trickster: 'she rang me to say she had it... I had a bit of a cough... I nearly collapsed... I didn't tell anyone I had it... I didn't have a test... they went into hospital... the little 'un didn't have it... the hour long driving defect test showed I didn't have it... I probably had it when I spoke to Boris, but neither of us can remember...'.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

what was all the honking noise when the appearance started?


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

tommers said:


> Or, give it a day and see if it improves.



But then it wouldnt be his wifes birthday anymore. Oh, wait, oops.


----------



## 8115 (May 25, 2020)

Yes, it's the same Lisa McKenzie.


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> As somebody said, this was a pure retrofit. I suspect 90%+ of the facts/dates and timings were true, but the motivation he announced for each decision was universally untrue. There are bits that could unravel, particularly if it turns out his wife can drive or that his usual childcare in London was available. But ultimately this was an awful but effective strategy.
> 
> Oh, sorry, the other bit was weak as piss and might have interesting consequences was where he said he'd spoke to johnson but they were both too far gone to remember it. There's clearly more to pick at there.


It was also pointed out by Carole Cadwalladr that it was his wife's birthday when they spent the day at the castle, they probably had a day out with family for Easter and her birthday.


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

Has there been any follow up on his wife's obviously whole cloth fake Spectator article?


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what was all the honking noise when the appearance started?



Someone discovered that dirty protests can be further augmented with a vuvuzela.


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

Or maybe they popped into Barnard castle for the Ribena.


----------



## Voley (May 25, 2020)

Hahahahahahaaaaaaa


----------



## MrSki (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what was all the honking noise when the appearance started?


His soul, so fucking embarrassed it was trying to get out of his body.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> Has there been any follow up on his wife's obviously whole cloth fake Spectator article?



Someone asked about it but my brain was fading out by that point.


----------



## teqniq (May 25, 2020)

Thanks to all for the running commentary. Nicked this from FB:


----------



## 8115 (May 25, 2020)

I've just watched the replay. It really sounds like he tried to get back to London, and work, when he wasn't fully recovered.


----------



## Tankus (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> Just catching up . Does it get any better than this? This is excellent.


He should have asked Chris Huhne to give him a lift,  I'm told he has some experience in such matters .


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

Voley said:


> Hahahahahahaaaaaaa




Would 'leave Dominic alone!' be too old and obscure a reference by now?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

what said:


> Can anyone find in the legislation the words about child and discretion?


No


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> Someone asked about it but my brain was fading out by that point.


Wanted to keep the location in Durham secret due to the severe security threats on his house in London, apparently.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

Cummings should have gone to Spadsavers


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> Definitely was a Lisa McKenzie who became an academic but thought she was in London.


She's up in the North East now


----------



## existentialist (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> His soul, so fucking embarrassed it was trying to get out of his body.


I reckon that went to the highest bidder a long time ago...


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> She's up in the North East now


Yeah, she was introduced as being from the LSE, her first words were to correct this


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> Or maybe they popped into Barnard castle for the Ribena.


There is butchers shop there that does very good pork pies


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Mogden said:


> My spidey sense says the self isolation dates are probably all wrong. Chuck the info at some autists and they'll find all the holes
> 
> 
> This replay is really showing up gaping holes in his testimony. There's bits about sitting on a riverbank and then driving back from Barnard complete with the wee stop? Did I hear that right?


He totally lost me at that bit. The child was in and out of the car, feeling sick, not feeling sick, having a wee, not relaxing by a river bank. Somewhere in the middle of it all I think his wife wished someone a 'Happy Easter',  but it was gibberish. 
I honestly thought he was going to throw his hands up and do the decent thing about ten minutes before the end, after the big sigh. But no.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> His soul, so fucking embarrassed it was trying to get out of his body.


can i get a serious answer? lol

It seemed to be really throwing off until it stopped


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Betfair offering 5/2 he will have gone by June 1st.


----------



## Mogden (May 25, 2020)

clicker said:


> He totally lost me at that bit. The child was in and out of the car, feeling sick, not feeling sick, having a wee, not relaxing by a river bank. Somewhere in the middle of it all I think his wife wished someone a 'Happy Easter',  but it was gibberish.
> I honestly thought he was going to throw his hands up and do the decent thing about ten minutes before the end, after the big sigh. But no.


Yeah if I could be arsed I'd find the holes in it but I've got paint to watch drying


----------



## tommers (May 25, 2020)

S☼I said:


> No



Jess Phillips tweeted that they were put in to protect children at risk of domestic abuse.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> Wanted to keep the location in Durham secret due to the severe security threats on his house in London, apparently.



Well that was the 'feel sorry for me' bit of todays fiasco. That and the evil media having it in for him.

I suppose Johnson will now (well, at the 7pm press conference) announce some detail about the next step of leaving lockdown that will be hoping to grab at least some of the front page headlines tomorrow.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

he's basically done a police interview i.e I'll give comment around the information you have already given to me to suit my agenda.


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> There is butchers shop there that does very good pork pies


Pork pies clearly a bit of a theme round those parts


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Voley said:


> Hahahahahahaaaaaaa




Fuck's sake, like the lying little cunt isn't part of 'the media' himself.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> he's basically done a police interview i.e I'll give comment around the information you have already given to me to suit my agenda.



He did take the opportunity to get some additional detail into the public domain before it emerged elsewhere. The child going to hospital stuff was new to me anyway, but maybe I missed it being discussed elsewhere before todays speech.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Am I soppy cunt for feeling concerned about his and his famiky safety?


----------



## cyberfairy (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> There is butchers shop there that does very good pork pies


A superb bakery there too


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

So, Johnson's press briefing is late now, I bet they are going over Cummings' performance & trying to work out what questions will be coming his way.


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Presume he has some kind of nominal line manager (other than johnson). Did you self certify? For how long? Who did you inform etc.


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> Am I soppy cunt for feeling concerned about his and his famiky safety?


you're a mark. don't fall for it.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

This is lines to take from the "fake news" Bannon playbook (a word which I hate but can't be arsed to change).


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)

Tankus said:


> He should have asked Chris Huhne to give him a lift,  I'm told he has some experience in such matters .



I can't let this one go unappreciated


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

wayward bob said:


> you're a mark. don't fall for it.



nah, I'm not keen on every man and his dog knowing where he lives.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> Am I soppy cunt for feeling concerned about his and his famiky safety?



Yes.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> So, Johnson's press briefing is late now, I bet they are going over Cummings' performance & trying to work out what questions will be coming his way.



Prime Minister, why did you avoid answering the question yesterday about Dom's visit to Barnard Castle if it was a simple issue of a test drive for eyesight purposes? You could have told us that couldn't you? Or did you not fancy sounding ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RIDICULOUS?


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

I'm happy for him to be chased out of his house with torches and pitchforks. I wish I still lived up the road.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> Am I soppy cunt for feeling concerned about his and his famiky safety?


He didn't give a flying fuck about anyone elses , so yes.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

I think the eye test bollocks has fucked it for him. A million specsaver memes have already been whatsapped. Boris could lose a lot of face tonight.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

I fucking HATE these cunts.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> I think the eye test bollocks has fucked it for him. A million specsaver memes have already been whatsapped. Boris could lose a lot of face tonight.


And he's admitted a driving offence.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> I think the eye test bollocks has fucked it for him. A million specsaver memes have already been whatsapped. Boris could lose a lot of face tonight.


TBF, if a neurosurgeon suspects they themselves may have eyesight issues, the NHS protocol is to give it a go for an hour or so.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

cyberfairy said:


> A superb bakery there too


Pubs vary in quality though. The one over the bridge on the way to the Young Offenders is good but others you tend to wipe your feet as you go out of the door.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Steel Icarus (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Prime Minister, why did you avoid answering the question yesterday about Dom's visit to Barnard Castle if it was a simple issue of a test drive for eyesight purposes? You could have told us that couldn't you? Or did you not fancy sounding ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RIDICULOUS?


This is the question I hope is asked


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Can’t bring self to actually watch it but sounds like the basic message was I’m not sorry and I  (the mp’s brains) have utterly terrible judgement and am a massive liar . 
So looks like it went about as well as you’d expect. 
Are there signs that anybody has been mollified by it though?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

12th April (date of Barnard Castle trip) just happens to be his wife's 45th birthday. Nobody has mentioned that yet, but it will feature prominently in tomorrows headlines. Not to mention that his visit to Durham coincided with his mother's 71st birthday.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> can i get a serious answer? lol
> 
> It seemed to be really throwing off until it stopped



Its ok I've got the sensible answer now. It was suppsed to be this band, but they started to get sick and there was a problem with seagulls attacking their instruments.


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> I'm happy for him to be chased out of his house with torches and pitchforks. I wish I still lived up the road.


Imagine living on a street where every single soul knows he couldn't ask for any help in London because he is a loathsome fuck.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

Wilf said:


> TBF, if a neurosurgeon suspects they themselves may have eyesight issues, the NHS protocol is to give it a go for an hour or so.


Not with a 4 year old in the car though.


----------



## cyberfairy (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Pubs vary in quality though. The one over the bridge on the way to the Young Offenders is good but others you tend to wipe your feet as you go out of the door.


The one I went to was quite pleasant but has an annoying amount of Prosecco themed signs as I recall and quite pricey so possibly the one you mentioned. Nice wee licenced cafe in an art centre and an excellent charity shop. All you need in a small market town apart from Dominic Cummings.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> Its ok I've got the sensible answer now. It was suppsed to be this band, but they started to get sick and there was a problem with seagulls attacking their instruments.




fuckimng seagulls


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> I'm happy for him to be chased out of his house with torches and pitchforks. I wish I still lived up the road.


what about the 4 year old?


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> fuckimng seagulls



To finally give my honest answer, I assumed it was a protester that took some time to silence. There was some shouting at some point, I cant remember if that coincided with the end of the noise.

At one stage it had such regular timing and sound that I thought it started to sound like some kind of alarm, but then occasionally it would hit a dodgy note and then then the frenetic nature went up a notch and I discarded that theory.


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what about the 4 year old?


She drove on the way back.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> Not with a 4 year old in the car though.


Oh, I think they let them play around in the operating theatres don't they? Bring junior to work day? Let them at least close up.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> To finally give my honest answer, I assumed it was a protester that took some time to silence. There was some shouting at some point, I cant remember if that coincided with the end of the noise.
> 
> At one stage it had such regular timing and sound that I thought it started to sound like some kind of alarm, but then occasionally it would hit a dodgy note and then then the frenetic nature went up a notch and I discarded that theory.



you'd have thought there was a stand by just in case.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> She drove on the way back.



Actually after seeking medical advice, he still drove but the child acted as his eyes and described the view at all times.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

cyberfairy said:


> The one I went to was quite pleasant but has an annoying amount of Prosecco themed signs as I recall and quite pricey so possibly the one you mentioned. Nice wee licenced cafe in an art centre and an excellent charity shop. All you need in a small market town apart from Dominic Cummings.


Must have been a different pub unless it was draft Prossecco.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> what about the 4 year old?


Bit little to carry a pitchfork.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

JimW said:


> She drove on the way back.


no. what about the 4 year old when the villagers turn up with pitchforks.


----------



## 2hats (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> He did take the opportunity to get some additional detail into the public domain before it emerged elsewhere. The child going to hospital stuff was new to me anyway, but maybe I missed it being discussed elsewhere before todays speech.


Definitely a wise move to drive several hundred miles away from some of the best university/teaching hospitals and arguably the best children's hospital in the country if you have any concerns about your child.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> Can’t bring self to actually watch it but sounds like the basic message was I’m not sorry and I  (the mp’s brains) have utterly terrible judgement and am a massive liar .
> So looks like it went about as well as you’d expect.
> Are there signs that anybody has been mollified by it though?


Yes, Boris Johnson's well pleased with how it went


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

2hats said:


> Definitely a wise move to drive several hundred miles away from some of the best university/teaching hospitals and arguably the best children's hospital in the country if you have any concerns about your child.


Ah but he never gave staying in London any thought because everyone hates him


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> Bit little to carry a pitchfork.


thread is ignore for me.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

What did you do in the war daddy?
- drove to fucking Switzerland sharpish.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> no. what about the 4 year old when the villagers turn up with pitchforks.



Have you lost your grip on reality or something?  This isn't a hammer horror film...


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> thread is ignore for me.


You're being taken for a mug here. You've fallen for his crap.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> no. what about the 4 year old when the villagers turn up with pitchforks.



Generally two cunts give birth to a cunt - but it is probably too early to judge but hey what the fuck.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> no. what about the 4 year old when the villagers turn up with pitchforks.


A lighter burden for one lucky pitchforker compared to the ones who have to carry mr and mrs c


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> no. what about the 4 year old when the villagers turn up with pitchforks.


hide in a fridge?


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> You're being taken for a mug here. You've fallen for his crap.


Cs is a mug


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> You're being taken for a mug here. You've fallen for his crap.



i was hoping for a better reaction


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Yes, Boris Johnson's well pleased with how it went



Not what I'm hearing.

BJ: Did you do the one about the eyesight?
DC: Yeah.
BJ: No way!
DC: Way. You owe me a tenner.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Anyway, if you take an hour long drive to check your virus affected eyesight, I wonder if cummings has any advice for people who get the clap?


----------



## JimW (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> no. what about the 4 year old when the villagers turn up with pitchforks.


On the face of it more at risk in the care of flying blind Cummings the disease vector than any made up vigilantes.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Cs is a mug



No I am not.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Airline pilots who have had a few drinks: DO NOT FLY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC! Just nip over to Corfu and back.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Someone a year ago said 100 pages by COP nearly there already.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> This is lines to take from the "fake news" Bannon playbook (a word which I hate but can't be arsed to change).




The sheer hypocrisy of that is astounding, when you look at the kind of harrassment that women journalists - and it primarily is women - get from those kinds of accounts. They're quite happy to unleash the clanking troll-bot armies when it suits them, and then whine when one of their own is in the spotlight.  Scum.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> i was hoping for a better reaction



Better reaction to what? Total cunt goes on tv to lie his arse off for an hour in a desperate attempt to keep his miserable career and uses his child as part of his lies.

You: Think of the child...

Like I say, you're a mug. I hope there aren't lots more of you around the country.


----------



## A380 (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> The sheer hypocrisy of that is astounding, when you look at the kind of harrassment that women journalists - and it primarily is women - get from those kinds of accounts. They're quite happy to unleash the clanking troll-bot armies when it suits them, and then whine when one of their own is in the spotlight.  Scum.



Coz line all bullies the reason they do it is, not very far down, they are weak and know it.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> i was hoping for a better reaction


Why?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

Sorry if this has been covered already, but this seems to answer a question many of us had.


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Bomb squad officer 'Dammit, chief, I can't see a thing!'
- Don't worry, just go and defuse that smaller bomb.
'Okay'


----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Sorry if this has been covered already, but this seems to answer a question many of us had.



... and that's the Mary Wakefield who had recovered whilst he became ill (according to him).


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Sorry if this has been covered already, but this seems to answer a question many of us had.



Based on her recent reporting, I wouldn't trust a word that woman says.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> Generally two cunts give birth to a cunt - but it is probably too early to judge but hey what the fuck.


for prosperity


----------



## A380 (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

what said:


> Can anyone find in the legislation the words about child and discretion?



The guidance gives "very limited reasons for leaving the house". This includes "Any medical need", which in turn includes the need to "provide care or help a vulnerable person". Given that the word "care" is used but childcare isn't expressly excluded, if you have children that need caring for, hey presto, the world is your oyster.

I honestly think that's the best the lawyers have been able to do in terms of a loophole on which to build the whole story.


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

It’s just so mad ! A 100 times better to say sorry we wanted to see the castle than this completely comedy lie about eyes. Brilliant.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> The sheer hypocrisy of that is astounding, when you look at the kind of harrassment that women journalists - and it primarily is women - get from those kinds of accounts. They're quite happy to unleash the clanking troll-bot armies when it suits them, and then whine when one of their own is in the spotlight.  Scum.



And top Guido comment so nothing about the detail just DEFLECT warp factor 10. 
_
Chinese Communist Party unleashes deadly virus which kills 350k people and trashes the global economy.
Not a dicky-bird from the left.
Man drives to Durham.....HOLY CR@P, LEFTIST MELTDOWN!!_


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> for prosperity


nobody is advocating actually pitchforking Cummings and his family you hysterical bellend.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

I think Cummings is descended from Baron Munchausen.


----------



## equationgirl (May 25, 2020)

I bet Dom's getting pissed and moaning to Mary that nobody's understood the sacrifices he's made.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

This whole daily briefing shit and today's Cummings fest reminds me of very early memories of TV in 1970's Argentina.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

2hats said:


> Definitely a wise move to drive several hundred miles away from some of the best university/teaching hospitals and arguably the best children's hospital in the country if you have any concerns about your child.


Considering dryburn hospital,durham,  is known in the northeast as dieburn,  cos once in that shit hole you don't come out.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> for prosperity


Posterity surely. Or is quoting a little light internet rage good for the fengshui?


----------



## what (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> The guidance gives "very limited reasons for leaving the house". This includes "Any medical need", which in turn includes the need to "provide care or help a vulnerable person". Given that the word "care" is used but childcare isn't expressly excluded, if you have children that need caring for, hey presto, the world is your oyster.
> 
> I honestly think that's the best the lawyers have been able to do in terms of a loophole on which to build the whole story.


Just heard him on the news quote the legislation and use a phrase including "ability". I can't find the appropriate part of the legislation which has that in it. Anyone find it?


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Considering dryburn hospital,durham,  is known in the northeast as dieburn,  cos once in that shit hole you don't come out.


 Oh, like MayDie (Mayday) in Croydon then...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> nobody is advocating actually pitchforking Cummings and his family you hysterical bellend.



well, I can always use that quote at a later date.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Considering dryburn hospital,durham,  is known in the northeast as dieburn,  cos once in that shit hole you don't come out.


Ironically due to Tory cuts no doubt!


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Classic Dom will take on a new meaning or die, preferably die.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> Posterity surely. Or is quoting a little light internet rage good for the fengshui?



thanks for pulling me up on that slight grammatical oversight.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> well, I can always use that quote at a later date.



He will have security and on-going risk assessments for himself and his family. Just like Campbell did.

Don't be fooled mate.


----------



## Humberto (May 25, 2020)

Does anyone believe him though? This administration looks weaker and weaker with the passing months. A climb-down would seem inevitable so postponing it doesn't make sense. If it was a government minister they would be out of a job, yet this guy has more actual power and influence than most ministers in government it looks like. If the press and politicians can't make this stick, then I guess nothing ever will.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> He will have security and on-going risk assessments for himself and his family. Just like Campbell did.
> 
> Don't be fooled mate.


ye he's a cunt!! Of no doubt.

But tweeting his coordinates just isn't my cup o' tea.


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> ye he's a cunt!! Of no doubt.
> 
> But tweeting his coordinates just isn't my cup o' tea.


OK, fair enough. Who did that?


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> And top Guido comment so nothing about the detail just DEFLECT warp factor 10.
> 
> _Chinese Communist Party unleashes deadly virus which kills 350k people and trashes the global economy.
> Not a dicky-bird from the left.
> Man drives to Durham.....HOLY CR@P, LEFTIST MELTDOWN!!_



 Stupids gonna stupid. Unfortunately we now have alt-right social media to rile them up.  Cummings and his like are good at that.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> OK, fair enough. Who did that?



everybody in the world.


----------



## maomao (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> thanks for pulling me up on that slight grammatical oversight.


Malapropism. Nothing to do with grammar.


----------



## kenny g (May 25, 2020)

From Bo Jo's press conference it is clear what they are scared of is a charge of misconduct in a public office against cummings.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Well...that was like something from a Bolivian or Hungarian type.   

What an absolute laughing stock the UK is.   Imagine how this is being reported.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Joe Pike
@joepike
· 9m
NEW: Prof Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance left No 10 at approx 1820.

Earlier we were told they would be appearing with the PM at the daily press conference.

Why did they turn up for the presser and then leave?

Have asked No 10 for comment.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> everybody in the world.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> Oh, like MayDie (Mayday) in Croydon then...



My kids were both born in St Peters. The greeter of the dead...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

maomao said:


> Malapropism.


i dont no what that meings


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Johnson is looking seriously pissed off about being questioned about Cummings, and is trying to close that line of questioning down.

Did he honestly think it would be any different?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

He basically said fuck off Beth rigby. 
Wash ya hands again!


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

Oooh, getting pissed off now between the waffle. I hope he snaps


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

LOL - they are muting reporters & cutting them off, whilst he just waffles.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Well...he's fucking trending now.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Johnson is looking seriously pissed off about being questioned about Cummings, and is trying to close that line of questioning down.
> 
> Did he honestly think it would be any different?


He's sorry that we feel like that...


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


>




Always thumbing his nose. defo a coke user.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

No comeback for any of the journos, the waffling shitbag .


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> LOL - they are muting reporters & cutting them off, whilst he just waffles.


it's good in it


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Is he getting redder or is my set on the blink?


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

no court would convict a socially-distanced head-shot, right?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Is he getting redder or is my set on the blink?



He is. 

This is comedy gold part 2.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 25, 2020)

I understood that Johnson tries to model himself on Churchill.
Is it that insurance dog?


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Is he getting redder or is my set on the blink?


Definitely had a spot of vit D I reckon.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 25, 2020)

Look at what this country has achieved..
Err, lots of unnecessary deaths ?


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> well, I can always use that quote at a later date.


What for?


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

It's insulting, frankly, to have had huge components of Bullshit Mountain sluicing through my TV into my living room. I'm gonna get pissed now.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

The twat actually seems to have thought he had taken control of the whole sorry mess.

He hasn't.


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I understood that Johnson tries to model himself on Churchill.
> Is it that insurance dog?


<no no no no no no>


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> What for?


posterity...


----------



## Ax^ (May 25, 2020)

did I mishear him or did he pull glasses out of his pocket and say that they were due to the carno virus in an attempt to back Cummings

the vain pricks been wearing them for years


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> posterity...



You're insinuating that when your imaginary pitchfork-wielding villagers descend on Cummings home and rip his 4 year old child apart like a pack of rabid werewolves that you can then refer back to that quote and say "I told you so?"  Is that what you mean?


----------



## ska invita (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> Am I soppy cunt for feeling concerned about his and his famiky safety?


ive got you down as a troll. any other questions?


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> nobody is advocating actually pitchforking Cummings and his family you hysterical bellend.



No I'm certainly not. That would be horrendous.

Just Cummings.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> You're insinuating that when your imaginary pitchfork-wielding villagers descend on Cummings home and rip his 4 year old child apart like a pack of rabid werewolves that you can then refer back to that quote and say "I told you so?"  Is that what you mean?



exactly. Whats the problem


----------



## existentialist (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> thread is ignore for me.


Bless.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

ska invita said:


> ive got you down as a troll.


 
Sometimes. 

More not than often.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

existentialist said:


> Bless.


i changed my mind


----------



## existentialist (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> Have you lost your grip on reality or something?  This isn't a hammer horror film...


Have pearls, will clutch.


----------



## weltweit (May 25, 2020)

Well, the great men have spoken. 

Let that be an end to it. 

Far be it for a pleb like me to have any opinions, above my station.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I understood that Johnson tries to model himself on Churchill.
> Is it that insurance dog?



Its a little known fact that his Gimpston Herdchill routine is inspired mostly by Tommy Cooper.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> exactly. Whats the problem



You've either lost the plot completely or you are deliberately trolling then.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Oh, and...


----------



## crossthebreeze (May 25, 2020)

what said:


> Just heard him on the news quote the legislation and use a phrase including "ability". I can't find the appropriate part of the legislation which has that in it. Anyone find it?


Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection


> *If you are living with children*
> 
> Keep following this advice to the best of your ability, however, we are aware that not all these measures will be possible.
> 
> What we have seen so far is that children with coronavirus (COVID-19) appear to be less severely affected. It is nevertheless important to do your best to follow this guidance.


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> You've either lost the plot completely or you are deliberately trolling then.


well, when people start suggesting its ok to turn up en masse at some cunts home where his kids live that is when my brain starts to get silly.


----------



## gosub (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> well, when people start suggesting its ok to turn up en masse at some cunts home where his kids live that is when my brain starts to get silly.



Nobody has suggested that you stupid fuckwit


----------



## wayward bob (May 25, 2020)

my autistic kid would absolutely have benefitted from some (familiar and relaxing) time with her nanny&bampy at any point over the past couple of months.

as an autistic parent i would absolutely have benefitted from knowing both my kids were safe and well cared-for, with a small breathing space to re-calibrate my tentative understanding of "how things work" these days.

as a full-time wfh parent mr b might have been released from a fraction of the burden of being the only reliable grown-up in the household, if he'd been informed there was an out.

but guess the fuck what? we didn't drive them to the relative safety of pembrokeshire. _or_ north wales. stuck it out in the place we've made home because we figured _they_ wouldn't ask more of us than can be reasonably given.

assume am already signd up to the register of gullible people with some tentative faith in the national duty bourne by the government of the day


----------



## cyril_smear (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> Nobody has suggested that you stupid fuckwit



name calling doesn't work you cunt fart.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> name calling doesn't work you cunt fart.



Go to bed.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> name calling doesn't work you cunt fart.


Take a week off from this thread.


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

I shouldn't have sunk to that level, apologies for being quite that rude.  I could have phrased it a bit more sensitively.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 25, 2020)




----------



## eatmorecheese (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> I shouldn't have sunk to that level, apologies for being quite that rude.  I could have phrased it a bit more sensitively.



That's nice-hearted of you, kudos


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

crossthebreeze said:


> Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection


That wouldn't cut it, because the advice that follows is about social distancing in the home, rather than about whether you can visit relatives.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

crossthebreeze said:


> Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection


Unless I'm being dumb, (quite possible), I can't see the date that advice was issued. Is it possible to see that?


----------



## what (May 25, 2020)

crossthebreeze said:


> Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection


Interesting. That is advice and not legislation.


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Unless I'm being dumb, (quite possible), I can't see the date that advice was issued. Is it possible to see that?


It only has the update date. The earliest version on Wayback says 16 March.


----------



## crossthebreeze (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Unless I'm being dumb, (quite possible), I can't see the date that advice was issued. Is it possible to see that?


It shows when updates made if you click "show all updates" here, but doesn't give wording of the updates.

My memory is that that wording was always in there, but the guidance was more complicated originally (more talk about separating the person with symptoms from the rest of the household which might be difficult with small kids).


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> It only has the update date. The earliest version on Wayback says 16 March.


Thanks, one reason I ask is because of this, which must be some sort of re-hash of a CCHQ line...presumably it refers to the original guidelines issued the day after Johnson's March 23rd announcement?


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> Nobody has suggested that you stupid fuckwit


As Boris would say we all need to make out minds up on that one.


----------



## Supine (May 25, 2020)




----------



## mwgdrwg (May 25, 2020)




----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

crossthebreeze said:


> It shows when updates made if you click "show all updates" here, but doesn't give wording of the updates.
> 
> My memory is that that wording was always in there, but the guidance was more complicated originally (more talk about separating the person with symptoms from the rest of the household which might be difficult with small kids).


I got this:



but the link did this:


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Wilf (May 25, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> well, when people start suggesting its ok to turn up en masse at some cunts home where his kids live that is when my brain starts eto get silly.


Oh Cyril, just fuck off. We've got a plague going, where the people who made it about 10,000 deaths worse are fucking lording it over us. We're just having shits and giggles at their little moment of discomfort. Sheesh.


----------



## stavros (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


>




In your dreams, Hancock.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

So, we have to stay at home, but now move on.


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


>



Back on whose feet? It makes no sense.


----------



## bimble (May 25, 2020)

Calling countries she. Do any non-arseholes do that or is it a rule that you have to be one.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

So this bit about his son going to hospital, why did he pick his son up from hospital the day after he told us he'd collapsed? He was symptomatic so he should have been self isolating. Where were these relatives that were supposedly the whole point of driving to Durham? Shouldn't they have picked his son up, because otherwise he's admitted walking into a children's hospital with likely coronavirus. Having travelled from London to the North East.

That's appalling isn't it?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Back on whose feet? It makes no sense.


He had a long war with no thanks from his ailing boss. Dom or no Dom he will regard him as a cunt no doubt.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

The FT going in hard.



> *Boris Johnson can’t afford to squander trust by protecting Dominic Cummings*
> Governments tend to lose the public over time, but these few weeks could be a tipping point
> 
> Maintain a safe distance or you may be exposed to infection. In the furore unfolding around Dominic Cummings breaking his own government’s lockdown, anger is competing with another reaction among seasoned political observers: astonishment at how far Prime Minister Boris Johnson has forgotten basic political hygiene in sticking so closely to his contaminated chief adviser.
> ...





Spoiler: The rest of the article, for those that don't know how to get around their paywall.



Is a political tipping point discernible? For the past four years, the Conservatives have been blessed with a lack of opposition as Brexit tore through two of the party’s prime ministers and delivered Mr Johnson to power at the head of what seemed a fresh iteration of the Conservative project. His new coalition of Tory and Labour voters backed an agenda successfully sold as a patriotic project that emphasised effective action: “Get Brexit Done”. Five months later, that commitment to taking charge looks shaky. 

High levels of support for Mr Johnson, boosted by sympathy during his illness and the tendency to rally round leaders in an emergency, are ebbing. It will no longer be enough to assume that there is no alternative. Labour leader Keir Starmer’s restrained critique of ministers’ performance is a telling contrast to cabinet bombast at the daily government press briefing, overpromising and underdelivering. As the UK emerges from Covid-19’s first onslaught, the Tories cannot afford to bungle the economic response alongside the public health emergency. A double whammy of blame would not be survivable, even if Mr Sunak were to offer a fresh face at the helm. 

Competence is not always the defining factor in politics — in normal times it is a necessary precondition, a basic requirement for office. But after a shock, political scientists find that changes. “Something happens to make the political competition centred on handling and trust,” as Jane Green, author of The Politics of Competence, puts it. Bluntly, at some point the mood switches from, “They’re doing the best they can” to, “This is a shambles”. 

Usually, says Prof Green, there is attrition on a government’s competence rating over time — the “cost of ruling”. But rather than a series of small crises, one significant disaster can be politically devastating as loss of trust becomes generalised — consider the many years it took the Conservative party to recover its reputation after Black Wednesday. Coronavirus is both a personal and universal shock. It is bizarre for government loyalists to assert that the Cummings affair is a Westminster bubble story or to question its “cut through” with voters. 

Every individual and household in the UK has been affected by lockdown, some making extreme sacrifices. The daily press conference reaches up to 27m viewers. The scandal damages the bond that Mr Cummings’ flair as a campaigner successfully established between the Johnson operation and the electorate. The Leave victory rested at least partly on impatience — disgust even — at a cadre of professional politicians easily caricatured as bloodless technocrats, interested in management and preserving the status quo. 

It was Mr Cummings and Mr Johnson at the head of that campaign who brought this discontent with the governing elites to a head. It may be a fitting irony that it is, “Do as I say, not as I do” hypocrisy has mobilised public anger against them. But the more serious problem they face is their inability to show that they, too, can be trusted managers and in a crisis, that they are equipped to govern competently — and to protect the public from the twin threats of disease and destitution. Last year a Hansard Society poll found majority support in Britain for “a strong leader willing to break the rules”. 

But it turns out the Brits do want the rules to be observed — even by the leader and those around him. Mr Johnson likes to invoke Winston Churchill. He will not thank me for suggesting that unless Downing Street can recover public trust, the next few weeks could be the beginning of the end of his premiership.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)




----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

bimble said:


> Calling countries she. Do any non-arseholes do that or is it a rule that you have to be one.


18th century poets. No proof he isn't one.


----------



## MickiQ (May 25, 2020)

Mrs Q and I sat and watched it and had cornettos since we are out of popcorn, The eyesight quote was an absolute classic; If true it's so awesomely fucking stupid that it defies belief, if it's not it's even more incredible that it's the best they can come up with.
During BoZo's briefing I was expecting him to storm off shouting "Give It A Fucking Rest with Dominic Cummings", he was clearly losing it towards the end.
My only regret is that I didn't follow this thread at the same time as watching it since it moved on 30+ pages by the time I came back to it.
Cummings has put some stakes in the ground though, he specifically stated that he only went to Barnard Castle on the 12th and the guy who claimed he saw him on the 14th is mistaken. I reckon there is going to be a massive appeal for phone or dashcam footage that proves otherwise.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

wayward bob said:


> you're a mark. don't fall for it.



Exactly what I would say to anyone thinking of responding to one of cyril_smear's transparently irksome posts.


----------



## stavros (May 25, 2020)

Andrew Bridgen on C4 News described Cummings as a key worker, and made the comparison with a doctor.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

stavros said:


> Andrew Bridgen on C4 News described Cummings as a key worker, and made the comparison with a doctor.


He did, didn't he?
Also appeared to diagnose the untested Cummings as Covid+ by explaining his decision making as consistent with those who have suffered, 9as he had done).
Warracunt.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

_‘If you’re someone who was sitting at home watching a lot of the media over the last three days, then I think lots of people would be very angry.’_

Dominic Cummings in his statement today.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> _‘If you’re someone who was sitting at home watching a lot of the media over the last three days, then I think lots of people would be very angry.’_
> 
> Dominic Cummings in his statement today.


Fucking idiots.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Questions, questions, more questions...









						The lockdown breach questions Dominic Cummings has yet to clarify
					

Boris Johnson’s aide failed to draw a line under affair that has caused fury across the UK




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

Cummings having enough dirt on Johnson to bury him forever is looking like the only plausible explanation here.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Fucking idiots.



Problem is, there are a lot of fucking idiots out there who'll blame 'the media' for hounding Cummings rather than him for ... well, being Cummings.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Cummings having enough dirt on Johnson to bury him forever is looking like the only plausible explanation here.


or hapless Johnson is scared and useless and sees Cumming's as his strategy saviour as there is no Plan B.


----------



## LDC (May 25, 2020)

No, they're just ideological bedfellows and mates.


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Problem is, there are a lot of fucking idiots out there who'll blame 'the media' for hounding Cummings rather than him for ... well, being Cummings.


I really don't think there are that many.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

People are trolling Trip Advisor now.









						Coronavirus: Barnard Castle's TripAdvisor page flooded with spoof Dominic Cummings reviews
					

One spoof reviewer said it was "a chance to really let my hair down and get away from work".




					www.google.com


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Cummings having enough dirt on Johnson to bury him forever is looking like the only plausible explanation here.



If you go back about 20 or 30 pages to last night you'll find me making this same argument.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> I really don't think there are that many.



Difficult to tell, isn't it. Twitter would make you believe there are loads, but...  Too many either way though.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> If you go back about 20 or 30 pages to last night you'll find me making this same argument.



It's not physically possible to keep up with this thread at the moment. I went out for an afternoon stroll today and when I came home I was 30+ pages behind.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> People are trolling Trip Advisor now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Someone edited the wiki page for Barnard Castle, listing Cummings as a 'famous visitor', it's since been deleted.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> It's not physically possible to keep up with this thread at the moment. I went out for an afternoon stroll today and when I came home I was 30+ pages behind.


Threads like this used to happen regularly on here.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Someone edited the wiki page for Barnard Castle, listing Cummings as a 'famous visitor', it's since been deleted.



Correction, it's back again.


----------



## Ax^ (May 25, 2020)

Can you imagine how pissed the doctor who had to resign for Banging his married bit on the side must be today

he did not even drive 40 miles for that


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Correction, it's back again.


It's not wrong. There's an editorial case for giving him his own section.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

Ax^ said:


> Can you imagine how pissed the doctor who had to resign for Banging his married bit on the side must be today
> 
> he did not even drive 40 miles for that



he didnt even leave his house


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> or hapless Johnson is scared and useless and sees Cumming's as his strategy saviour as there is no Plan B.



Or both. Personally, I think they regard Cummings as too important to the whole enterprise to lose, but they're also well aware that he knows where the bodies are buried.


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Threads like this used to happen regularly on here.


They happen every time theres a big political event dont they?


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> People are trolling Trip Advisor now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...







Becky Griffiths
Great place for an eye test. Staff weren't around for some reason but we just let ourselves in. Don't think there are any petrol stations near by though so make sure you drive in your magic car.




Jack William
So happy they're taking visitors during lockdown




Martyn Taylor
Can't recommend this town enough. Could barely see when  I left home (Islington) but once here it was like I had been to Specsavers. I don't regret the trip one bit.




Harry Barrett
The ideal alternative to Specsavers. Be sure to stop here before a long journey to ensure you're eyes still work properly.




Jacob Shaw
Went here expecting an on-site opticians but was disappointed as there was nothing . Still a lovely place with a nice river nearby perfect for a picnic.




Daniel Sanders
If you want to see if your eyesight is good enough to drive, take a trip here. It's garaunteed to accurately evaluate your eyesight!




Dan Hall
Great eye testing facilities




Kyria Wild
Need an eye test? Drive here




Emily Shepherd
Great opticians!




Nathan Fitzpatrick
I've always said to my family, if you want to test your eyesight, drive to Barnard Castle!





Esther Scoburgh
worth the drive there to test out my eyesight. Thanks for the recommendation Dom.




M Wild
During my allotted time for exercise I bumped in to a familiar face from the government.  I was incredulous that he seemed to be breaking the very rules he had set out for us so I said to him, "You can dance, you can lie, having the drive of your life, head up North, walk the Tees, you've broken your quarantine."




Andrew
Eventually found the place thanks to my sat nav, but I couldn't actually see the structure. My wife had to drive us back home to London. Only one comfort brake on the way back, and managed to shake hands with the toilet attendant.




TryingToBeRational
Recently drove up there for an eye test, fantastic experience.




veryvickers
Very nice. Historic, picturesque and worth the trip. Really made me see things clearly...
Opened my eyes!


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> well at least I'm getting some nice pictures of an empty garden via the Guardian feed of this event. Better than talking heads on the BBC.




Got about 5mins in and gave up - someone is blaring a siren in the background which is a welcome distraction to the boring yarn Cummings in bleating on but - it’s all a bit surreal really with him sitting in the garden


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> Becky Griffiths
> Great place for an eye test. Staff weren't around for some reason but we just let ourselves in. Don't think there are any petrol stations near by though so make sure you drive in your magic car.
> 
> 
> ...



Aye, I've been hitting refresh on that page all day - it just keeps on giving


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 25, 2020)

Raheem said:


> I really don't think there are that many.


I do hope not but there are a few on Facebook who are still running with either the
"He was looking after his child"
"It's the media hounding the Tories"
or, my favourite
"It's revenge for Brexit"
I've engaged with a couple but then thought it's just not worth it. If traveling 60 miles with your child in your car to test your eyesight isn't going to convince them then nothing will!


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> They happen every time theres a big political event dont they?


Elections and that yeah. Not so much for trivial bollocks any more.


----------



## hegley (May 25, 2020)




----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> I do hope not but there are a few on Facebook who are still running with either the
> "He was looking after his child"
> "It's the media hounding the Tories"
> or, my favourite
> ...


Thing is he can never take that back and nor can the idiots in cabinet who have supported it. In a way him stumbling on for a bit longer as a diminished figure of ridicule may not be so bad.


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

A friend from the north east alerts me to this incredible conjunction of the stars


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

Did Prince Andrew advise Cummings to do this press conference?


----------



## Supine (May 25, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 25, 2020)

Oops, I clicked on a Mail link, but under these unusual circumstances I am pleased I did.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

Imagine if Cummings wins this.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Imagine if Cummings wins this.


He doesn't. He is damaged. Johnson is damaged. The whole government is damaged. How damaged? is the only question.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

Dominic Cummings walks into a bar.

Should've driven to Barnard Castle to test his eyes then shouldn't he?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

I'm praying that the next quiz I go to has a question on the distance between London and Durham


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> He doesn't. He is damaged. Johnson is damaged. The whole government is damaged. How damaged? is the only question.


Beyond repair


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> He doesn't. He is damaged. Johnson is damaged. The whole government is damaged. How damaged? is the only question.


Ik...don't imagine it.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

A nice diversion ...








						Mark Steel's in Town - Series 6 - Barnard Castle - BBC Sounds
					

Mark Steel visits the County Durham town of Barnard Castle and performs for the locals.




					www.bbc.co.uk


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Oops, I clicked on a Mail link, but under these unusual circumstances I am pleased I did.
> 
> View attachment 214714


Now he is being openly mocked the only question is when his p45 will arrive


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Imagine if Cummings wins this.


In one sense, he has already; he's survived.
But all the time he remains a visible part of Johnson's regime he depresses their polling. 
The leadership & Westminster numbers have been falling anyway, but the forthcoming ones will show the damage he's causing by his continuing presence.


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> A friend from the north east alerts me to this incredible conjunction of the stars



lol a great find that.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

Oh dear.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Oh dear.
> 
> View attachment 214724


Should have thought about that when they allowed the election to go ahead. CUNTS.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> In one sense, he has already; he's survived.
> But all the time he remains a visible part of Johnson's regime he depresses their polling.
> The leadership & Westminster numbers have been falling anyway, but the forthcoming ones will show the damage he's causing by his continuing presence.


They've only got four years to get over this and conceivably Cummings may have outlasted his use by then.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

elbows said:


> lol a great find that.
> 
> View attachment 214717


Guilty of a circumlocutory act


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Oh dear.
> 
> View attachment 214724


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> In one sense, he has already; he's survived.
> But all the time he remains a visible part of Johnson's regime he depresses their polling.
> The leadership & Westminster numbers have been falling anyway, but the forthcoming ones will show the damage he's causing by his continuing presence.


Let's see what tomorrow brings.  His Prince Andrew moment has only just happened.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

So this is how they are framing it on 'reasonable middle England conservative land'.  I reckon now he has done just enough that he and Johnson get to fight another day, mores the pity.

_The bottom line is that most of his foes want him out so that Boris Johnson can be weakened, the Conservatives damaged, the Government’s electoral chances set back and EU transition extended.
They shouldn’t succeed, but they could do. For if those poll numbers don’t move, we think that Cummings may walk.  We have few illusions here about British politics.  Or human nature._









						Cummings made a reasonable case yesterday, and his critics should accept it - and move on | Conservative Home
					

Any fair-minded observer would think better of him at the end of yesterday's press conference than he or she may have done at the beginning.




					www.conservativehome.com


----------



## N_igma (May 25, 2020)

QueenOfGoths said:


> I do hope not but there are a few on Facebook who are still running with either the
> "He was looking after his child"
> "It's the media hounding the Tories"
> or, my favourite
> ...



I just ask them ‘if this was Jeremy Corbyn would you be sticking up for him like you’re sticking up for Cummings?’ Usually shuts them up.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> They've only got four years to get over this and conceivably Cummings may have outlasted his use by then.


All true, and who knows how long the party will put up with Johnson?
But...there's been some talk on here about the 50% polling the vermin have racked up...looking like we see how that crumbles back to the norm now.


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Was there any news on the A66 upgrade that Shapps was on about  the other day?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Cummings having enough dirt on Johnson to bury him forever is looking like the only plausible explanation here.





planetgeli said:


> If you go back about 20 or 30 pages to last night you'll find me making this same argument.



Don’t normally go with that line, people were saying Max Clifford knee where the bodies were buried and so on. But really what other explanation can there be here?


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Don’t normally go with that line, people were saying Max Clifford knee where the bodies were buried and so on. But really what other explanation can there be here?


That the man won Brexit & a 80 maj for him.


----------



## planetgeli (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Imagine if Cummings wins this.



He's lost this. That doesn't necessarily mean Johnson will sack him, because Johnson seems so stupid and so married to him that it's a possibility Cummings won't have to go. And part of me even welcomes that, because frankly it's fucking funny watching them all squirm like this and it can only do damage to keep him on. But contrast the Cummings we saw today with the Cummings of 48 hours ago, arrogantly lording it over the press in Islington when he was 100% confident his mate wasn't going to sack him.

Now it's possible that press conference today was 30 minutes late because they spent those 30 minutes drumming it into Cummings "Don't do cocksure, don't do cocksure." But that was one uncomfortable man, picking at his sleeves, looking over his shoulder, mumbling and stumbling over his words. And when he was asked about the possibility of resigning he spent quite a long time delivering words about how that was up to Johnson and out of his hands. He said that bit like he meant it, no longer the assured smirk of "I'm safe." That's definitely how it looked to me.

His personality has taken a big hit over the last 48 hours. Imagine being him tonight. He knows he didn't get away with the eyesight crap and a thousand internet memes are there to testify to it. The media are ripping his story apart. Sky news were openly taking the piss straight after he finished talking. Imagine being him tonight, knowing the world is ripping him apart. It's one thing not to court public favour, quite another to go to bed knowing you've been made to make an arse of yourself (because there was nobody left to take the flak on your behalf) and you are now the story in the most comedic and negative way, having made yourself look worthy of derision and being inadequate. Left to fight for yourself, and flailing around friendless, apart from your mate who is PM, and he's been massively weakened too in his own party and his cabinet you helped create.

I hope the cunt splashes around desperately for a bit longer before he drowns.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Ik...don't imagine it.


You imagine it for us.


----------



## killer b (May 25, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Don’t normally go with that line, people were saying Max Clifford knee where the bodies were buried and so on. But really what other explanation can there be here?


Johnson believes he would be totally fucked without him. Maybe he would be, I dunno.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> He's lost this. That doesn't necessarily mean Johnson will sack him, because Johnson seems so stupid and so married to him that it's a possibility Cummings won't have to go. And part of me even welcomes that, because frankly it's fucking funny watching them all squirm like this and it can only do damage to keep him on. But contrast the Cummings we saw today with the Cummings of 48 hours ago, arrogantly lording it over the press in Islington when he was 100% confident his mate wasn't going to sack him.
> 
> Now it's possible that press conference today was 30 minutes late because they spent those 30 minutes drumming it into Cummings "Don't do cocksure, don't do cocksure." But that was one uncomfortable man, picking at his sleeves, looking over his shoulder, mumbling and stumbling over his words. And when he was asked about the possibility of resigning he spent quite a long time delivering words about how that was up to Johnson and out of his hands. He said that bit like he meant it, no longer the assured smirk of "I'm safe." That's definitely how it looked to me.
> 
> ...


I'll sup on that thin gruel of hope.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> You imagine it for us.


Sorry I made it a rule recently never to converse here with someone who says 'us'.  Carry on.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> So this is how they are framing it on 'reasonable middle England conservative land'.  I reckon now he has done just enough that he and Johnson get to fight another day, mores the pity.
> 
> _The bottom line is that most of his foes want him out so that Boris Johnson can be weakened, the Conservatives damaged, the Government’s electoral chances set back and EU transition extended.
> They shouldn’t succeed, but they could do. For if those poll numbers don’t move, we think that Cummings may walk.  We have few illusions here about British politics.  Or human nature._
> ...


Lol of course his foes a want him out to damage Johnson, the Tories, the govt, conservative election hopes etc. 

That's simply stating the bleeding obvious.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Sorry I made it a rule recently never to converse here with someone who says 'us'.  Carry on.


You twat 

Imagine it for all of us on the thread. Say something!


----------



## Favelado (May 25, 2020)

If he goes, he's back in 18 months. There are precedents for Cummings.


----------



## Roadkill (May 25, 2020)

Bishops who bashed the Johnson now getting death threats.


----------



## prunus (May 25, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Sorry I made it a rule recently never to converse here with someone who says 'us'.  Carry on.



It’s of small beer in the general contexts, and each is free to make their own life choices, but it has to be said: that’s a really really weird rule.


----------



## brogdale (May 25, 2020)

Might be a weird rule, but the use of 'us' on forums is a pretty good heuristic of cuntitude.


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Bishops who bashed the Johnson now getting death threats.



If Jesus could handle crucifixion and rise above it I'm sure out bishops can shake off some unpleasantness on twatter, *in a very real sense*. Plus they are very forgiving.


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Might be a weird rule, but the use of 'us' on forums is a pretty good heuristic of cuntitude.



you just used it


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 25, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Might be a weird rule, but the use of 'us' on forums is a pretty good heuristic of cuntitude.


... he said in a post of unnecessary cuntitude.


----------



## MrSki (May 25, 2020)




----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

two sheds said:


> you just used it



as did i


----------



## Plumdaff (May 25, 2020)

killer b said:


> A friend from the north east alerts me to this incredible conjunction of the stars
> 
> View attachment 214711


nm got it


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

have we had this yet?


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

The Heil is ripping into him.  Yes I did wash my hands after reading, singing several choruses of happy birthday, but there's something grimly satisfying in the reading.


----------



## agricola (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> The Heil is ripping into him.  Yes I did wash my hands after reading, singing several choruses of happy birthday, but there's something grimly satisfying in the reading.



the S*n isnt - according to the front page of tomorrows edition, he did it for his Country


----------



## chilango (May 25, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Cummings having enough dirt on Johnson to bury him forever is looking like the only plausible explanation here.



Hmm.

Lied to the Queen.

Illegally shut down parliament to avoid debate
Hides from reporters in fridges.

Refuses to go on TV debates.

Bumboys

Letterboxes

Picaninnies

String of record defeats in parliament

Sacked from numerous jobs for "character flaws"

Gave public money to a mistress

Has an unknown number of children that he won't talk about.

What on earth could Cummings have on him that tops what everyone already knows?

Let's not forget his predecessor-but-one was widely believed to have fucked a dead pig's head in the mouth... and stayed in office.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> the S*n isnt - according to the front page of tomorrows edition, he did it for his Country


As a Scouser I can't even.  But I can well believe it.


----------



## ska invita (May 25, 2020)

chilango said:


> Hmm.
> 
> Lied to the Queen.
> 
> ...


Helping organise a hit on that journalist is a mad one that i cant believe didnt even get mentioned during the election
And his foray into becoming an author, the Seventy Two Virgins book is so openly and repeatedly racist its jawdropping

...doesnt alter your point, just amazed every day that this cunt was elected and  remains so popular


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> have we had this yet?




I kind of did a double take when he claimed that in the press conference tbh but it was lost in amongst the driving eye test stuff in my head... it just seems unlikely that a political adviser had come out with specific warnings about a pandemic last year without the assistance of a fucking crystal ball - I could believe it if one of the scientific/medical advisers said it, but Cummings claiming it sounded faintly ridiculous tbh.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 25, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> You twat
> 
> Imagine it for all of us on the thread. Say something!


OK I appreciate the good grace of your reply so I may have been overly concerned there.  There's some mad ones about, you know. 

Well...it's great for me, obviously, as a Scots indy supporter.   The whole thing _apart from the horrific death count and disdain for life and Animal Farmness of the nightmare_ _we are all currently living in_ is terrible, but I'm only talking on scales that it is comfortable to comment on.   

Cummings could win this.  Boris has an 80 seat majority, they don't give a fuck about anything, they've cleared out anyone with balls.   They've got major supporters with Kuensberg and the rest, they've got the money behind them...so it's really important that cummings goes.

I'm just not sure England is up to it.   

It's the worst fucking people at the worst fucking time...what could go wrong?  I want him to be wiped from influence, I'm not betting on it...I'm not betting against it.  Things are fucked and show no signs of getting less so.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 25, 2020)

agricola said:


> the S*n isnt - according to the front page of tomorrows edition, he did it for his Country


For his country home


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Curious little story from Faisal Islam developing about Cummings mention a blog he had written last year  which had warned about  the threat of covoid and the need for planning  (that proved he was against herd immunity) . Said blog had very little to say on the matter but it did reference covoid re outbreak at a lab in Wuhan. Faisal asked on Twitter if anyone could point him to further blogs by Cummings that might have more to say on covoid and the need for planning, No luck but some very helpful chap  using timemachine  pointed out that Cummings scant  reference on his blog to an incident at  Wuhan had been added to the article  somewhere between April and May this year whilst the original article had been written a year earlier.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

Epona said:


> I kind of did a double take when he claimed that in the press conference tbh but it was lost in amongst the driving eye test stuff in my head... it just seems unlikely that a political adviser had come out with specific warnings about a pandemic last year without the assistance of a fucking crystal ball - I could believe it if one of the scientific/medical advisers said it, but Cummings claiming it sounded faintly ridiculous tbh.


Every single bit of what he said today is going to be picked apart. _Every single bit. _


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Curious little story from Faisal Islam developing about Cummings mention a blog he had written last year  which had warned about  the threat of covoid and the need for planning  (that proved he was against herd immunity) . Said blog had very little to say on the matter but it did reference covoid re outbreak at a lab in Wuhan. Faisal asked on Twitter if anyone could point him to further blogs by Cummings that might have more to say on covoid and the need for planning, No luck but some very helpful chap  using timemachine  pointed out that Cummings scant  reference on his blog to an incident at  Wuhan had been added to the article  somewhere between April and May this year whilst the original article had been written a year earlier.



Link here:









						The Dominic Cummings file
					

I do hope not but there are a few on Facebook who are still running with either the "He was looking after his child" "It's the media hounding the Tories" or, my favourite "It's revenge for Brexit" I've engaged with a couple but then thought it's just not worth it. If traveling 60 miles with your...




					www.urban75.net


----------



## Ax^ (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Curious little story from Faisal Islam developing about Cummings mention a blog he had written last year  which had warned about  the threat of covoid and the need for planning  (that proved he was against herd immunity) . Said blog had very little to say on the matter but it did reference covoid re outbreak at a lab in Wuhan. Faisal asked on Twitter if anyone could point him to further blogs by Cummings that might have more to say on covoid and the need for planning, No luck but some very helpful chap  using timemachine  pointed out that Cummings scant  reference on his blog to an incident at  Wuhan had been added to the article  somewhere between April and May this year whilst the original article had been written a year earlier.



was that the same blog that featured another now sacked goverment aid who want to force birth control on the poor to stop the growth of a worthless underclass


----------



## Humberto (May 25, 2020)

Wants to be hailed as genius, clearly. Fucking wrong 'un.


----------



## ska invita (May 25, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Wants to be hailed as genius, clearly.


serial liar was my first thought, but yeah that too


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Ax^ said:


> was that the same blog that featured another now sacked goverment aid who want to force birth control on the poor to stop the growth of a worthless underclass


dunno tbh but here are the working outs if you can see them


----------



## editor (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214741


I love the fact that someone built a signpost and brought it along to his house.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214741



Now we know where he buys his meat from (his bag).


----------



## Epona (May 25, 2020)

editor said:


> I love the fact that someone built a signpost and brought it along to his house.



People have been using lockdown to hone their DIY carpentry and painting skills, good on 'em


----------



## prunus (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> dunno tbh but here are the working outs if you can see them
> 
> View attachment 214742



Oh dear,  not quite as clever as he thinks he is eh?


----------



## little_legs (May 25, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> He's lost this. That doesn't necessarily mean Johnson will sack him, because Johnson seems so stupid and so married to him that it's a possibility Cummings won't have to go. And part of me even welcomes that, because frankly it's fucking funny watching them all squirm like this and it can only do damage to keep him on. But contrast the Cummings we saw today with the Cummings of 48 hours ago, arrogantly lording it over the press in Islington when he was 100% confident his mate wasn't going to sack him.
> 
> Now it's possible that press conference today was 30 minutes late because they spent those 30 minutes drumming it into Cummings "Don't do cocksure, don't do cocksure." But that was one uncomfortable man, picking at his sleeves, looking over his shoulder, mumbling and stumbling over his words. And when he was asked about the possibility of resigning he spent quite a long time delivering words about how that was up to Johnson and out of his hands. He said that bit like he meant it, no longer the assured smirk of "I'm safe." That's definitely how it looked to me.
> 
> ...


It's kinda the only thing that cheered me at all this month; the thought that Johnson and Cummings might soon wish they had died of covid when they’d caught it, and the thought of them knowing that for the foreseeable future so many people of this country wishing both of them had died of it.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (May 25, 2020)

from teh twittersphere


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

prunus said:


> Oh dear,  not quite as clever as he thinks he is eh?


May have been lost in translation at the press conference


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Now we know where he buys his meat from (his bag).


wheres that ?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214741


He really should complain to his local MP about this tbh


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> wheres that ?



web site advertised on his bag in photo


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> He really should complain to his local MP about this tbh


Emily Thornbury or Jez?


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> web site advertised on his bag in photo


cant enlarge the photo , just tell me what shop please


----------



## The39thStep (May 25, 2020)

harpo said:


> Emily Thornbury or Jez?


Think its the latter?


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> cant enlarge the photo , just tell me what shop please


MeatLondon.  Although it might not be a butchers.


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Think its the latter?


I think Cannonbury is borderline Emily.  Either way, good luck to him.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> cant enlarge the photo , just tell me what shop please



meatlondon .co etc


----------



## BCBlues (May 25, 2020)

prunus said:


> Oh dear,  not quite as clever as he thinks he is eh?



Dim Dom


----------



## two sheds (May 25, 2020)

Dim Dum Dom


----------



## phillm (May 25, 2020)

Telegraph pics so they are hounding him at home. Interesting.


----------



## clicker (May 25, 2020)

Damn Dim Dum Dom.


----------



## Raheem (May 25, 2020)

clicker said:


> Damn Dim Dum Dom.


To the tune of Oh Christmas Tree.


----------



## Marty1 (May 25, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214741



Just noticed that pic looks like Cummings has just got out of the camper van behind him


----------



## harpo (May 25, 2020)

clicker said:


> Damn Dim Dum Dom.


To the tune of Big Ben.


----------



## wtfftw (May 25, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> So this bit about his son going to hospital, why did he pick his son up from hospital the day after he told us he'd collapsed? He was symptomatic so he should have been self isolating. Where were these relatives that were supposedly the whole point of driving to Durham? Shouldn't they have picked his son up, because otherwise he's admitted walking into a children's hospital with likely coronavirus. Having travelled from London to the North East.
> 
> That's appalling isn't it?


Yep. He said there were no taxis and he didn't leave the car. So that's fine then!


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

I mean this is worse than 'I went to Salisbury to see the 300 year old spire'.


----------



## Favelado (May 25, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Just noticed that pic looks like Cummings has just got out of the camper van behind him



I wish he'd leave for ever.

I hope Cummings resigns too.


----------



## Favelado (May 25, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> I mean this is worse than 'I went to Salisbury to see the 300 year old spire'.



A rastafarian invited me for dinner when I was strolling across Clapham Common.


----------



## frogwoman (May 25, 2020)

Lol


----------



## Marty1 (May 26, 2020)

5t3IIa said:


> Why did the let him do this??



Im guessing they thought it would draw a line under the media interest.

They guessed wrong, it’s backfired spectacularly.

Im more surprised they thought they could get away with this sort of caper.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

Unelected guy's been exposed as a laughably notorious liar. This is beyond a joke.


----------



## Miss-Shelf (May 26, 2020)

Puddy_Tat said:


> from teh twittersphere
> 
> View attachment 214743


I sent this to my daughter 
She didn't get it
I had to explain
She said it doesn't work in a southern accent


----------



## krtek a houby (May 26, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Im guessing they thought it would draw a line under the media interest.
> 
> They guessed wrong, it’s backfired spectacularly.
> 
> Im more surprised they thought they could get away with this sort of caper.



You'd be surprised what some cunts get away with


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

Torygraph claiming Johnson facing “Poll Tax Moment” 👍









						Boris Johnson 'facing poll tax moment' as Tory MPs warn of fury over Dominic Cummings
					

One MP tells colleagues he plans to forward all constituents' letters about PM's chief adviser to Number 10




					www.telegraph.co.uk


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

krtek a houby said:


> You'd be surprised what some cunts get away with



aye if Cummings can survive hiring a Eugenics fuckspud and defending him


he might survive this


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

Claims to have predicted Covid-19 btw, in his defence statement that nobody believes.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Discussed above - looks like bollocks.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

Oh I know, it's just why throw another provably false lie in the defence of a lie?


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Doesn't  seem able to stop himself.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

Well I'm lost for words.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Admiration at his brass nerve?


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Claims to have predicted Covid-19 btw, in his defence statement that nobody believes.



If he predicted it then why has he made such a piss poor job of dealing with it.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

More like disgust. But at others too.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> I mean this is worse than 'I went to Salisbury to see the 300 year old spire'.


At least the Russians only killed one person


Humberto said:


> Oh I know, it's just why throw another provably false lie in the defence of a lie?


He's like one of them dickheads who hangs around at a corner table in a Hereford pub on their tod wearing a combat jacket, giving it full spectrum Sean Bean, all ‘when I was Scud-hunting in Iraq I saw a lovely birra raspberry jam’ and that


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> At least the Russians only killed one person
> 
> He's like one of them dickheads who hangs around at a corner table in a Hereford pub on their tod wearing a combat jacket, giving it full spectrum Sean Bean, all ‘when I was Scud-hunting in Iraq I saw a lovely birra raspberry jam’ and that



That's precisely his type


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Oh I know, it's just why throw another provably false lie in the defence of a lie?



If he made the changes to the blog once he returned from his Durham escapade he was probably doing it out of understanding his poor judgement has killed many and nearly the PM. He may felt he needed to reinforce his position as a visionary. 

I’d be surprised if this was the first time he’s forged his brilliance. It also massively concerning he authorised the handover of our personal and sensitive medical data to the CIA funded and NSA contracted surveillance firm Palantir.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

I did read somewhere that there's a dictator in some country who as soon as he heard of coronavirus buggered off to his bunker to hide and left the country in charge of expert virologists and similar. They immediately stopped people entering the country and (as I recall) started tracking and tracing and isolating people. As a result they've had hardly any cases. It's a bugger when you start wanting a cowardly dictator to be in charge


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> That's precisely his type


I once worked in a paper shop where we had two such types as regulars, each of whom was called Steve by some coincidence. Naturally both were immediately christened ‘Bullshit Steve’. One was your Jay-from-_The-Inbetweeners_ type of fantasist, all ‘Cor I am so knackered after the weekend, I met up with this supermodel and she took me back to her penthouse apartment and then Elton John came round’ stuff, whilst the other was full-on Walt - would never come out and straight ahead claim he was in _The Regiment That May Not Be Named_, but went all round the houses to not mention it, IYSWIM. (He never really explained how it was that he was always hanging round our shop at the same time each day though - perhaps he was undercover.)  Was very forthright in his self-regard for his martial arts prowess though


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> If he made the changes to the blog once he returned from his Durham escapade he was probably doing it out of understanding his poor judgement has killed many and nearly the PM. He may felt he needed to reinforce his position as a visionary.




The sort of visionary who doesn't understand caches and who has never heard of the Internet Archive. Perhaps he should rustle up some venture capital and get into business with those other leading Tory avatars of online entrepreneurial iconoclasm Shapps and Mensch


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> Telegraph pics so they are hounding him at home. Interesting.


You sure they haven't just bought them off someone?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214741


WHO'S TAKING THE PICTURE???

Does Mary have a side gig as an agency snapper? Is Little Ceddy doing a _what I did during COVID_ scrapbook project for school?


----------



## Favelado (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> You sure they haven't just bought them off someone?



I have a banworthy reply to this.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> WHO'S TAKING THE PICTURE???
> 
> Does Mary have a side gig as an agency snapper? Is Little Ceddy doing a _what I did during COVID_ scrapbook project for school?



hehe yes I wondered that


----------



## clicker (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> View attachment 214741


He should really be wearing those glasses.


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> The sort of visionary who doesn't understand caches and who has never heard of the Internet Archive. Perhaps he should rustle up some venture capital and get into business with those other leading Tory avatars of online entrepreneurial iconoclasm Shapps and Mensch



This is not the first time he’s been exposed by scamps poking around the Wayback Machine: Dominic Cummings' think tank called for 'end of BBC it its current form' and creation of Fox News equivalent in UK


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 26, 2020)

clicker said:


> He should really be wearing those glasses.


Best not to see the braying mob of plebs.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

'dogs' is I think the technical term


----------



## editor (May 26, 2020)

Apols if already posted 










						'Cummings is the real boss': world's press pours scorn on Boris Johnson
					

Newspapers around world question PM’s judgment that led to his ‘shameless’ response to breach




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> This is not the first time he’s been exposed by scamps poking around the Wayback Machine: Dominic Cummings' think tank called for 'end of BBC it its current form' and creation of Fox News equivalent in UK



In fact, he’s been caught out loads by expecting no one looks at the Internet archive: Dominic Cummings (@odysseanproject) deletes his Twitter account - piecing it back together - Jon Worth Euroblog


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

If the press picks up on this deception of modding his blog to look like a visionary it’ll be game over.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> If the press picks up on this deception of modding his blog to look like a visionary it’ll be game over.


He'll be handed a p45 with one bullet in it


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> He'll be handed a p45 with one bullet in it


He'll get a battered old ratting spoon and be grateful for it


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

It begins...


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> He doesn't. He is damaged. Johnson is damaged. The whole government is damaged. How damaged? is the only question.


I suspect tory backbenchers will fall into line. In fact few of them even stepped _out _of line over this. Relatively little changes in terms of substantive policy outcomes/class war. Might _just _make the media a little less craven.


----------



## equationgirl (May 26, 2020)

I wonder what revelations tomorrow will bring in domgate...


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

Wilf said:


> I suspect tory backbenchers will fall into line. In fact few of them even stepped _out _of line over this. Relatively little changes in terms of substantive policy outcomes/class war. Might _just _make the media a little less craven.


I think we may be surprised


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> I wonder what revelations tomorrow will bring in domgate...


In tomorrow's exciting episode...


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> If Jesus could handle crucifixion and rise above it I'm sure out bishops can shake off some unpleasantness on twatter, *in a very real sense*. Plus they are very forgiving.



I'm sure they can but it's toxic nevertheless.  Cummings has played some role in creating the climate in which it happens, given that a lot of his political strategy is based on exploiting/stoking up a culture war against an amorphous 'elite,' which effectively consists of anyone getting in the way.  Aggressive use of social media has been part of that.  Hence the vile treatment handed out to journalists - female journalists, especially - who asked questions about the Cambridge Analytica business, among other things.  I'm not suggesting he's directly responsible for it, but some of his allies seem to have been.  That is partly what makes Tom Harwood and Darren Grimes' whining about how he's being treated by 'the media' so hypocritical.

That said, the internet has always been a space in which people engage typing fingers before operating brain and social media has only accentuated that, and it isn't necessarily political either.  Of all the trivial examples, when Edd China left the car show Wheeler Dealers a few years ago he ended up having to issue a statement to try and stop people sending threats and abuse to his erstwhile co-presenter and his family. The internet in general makes it very easy for angry people to type nonsense without thinking and the spread of social media has accelerated that, especially in the heated political climate of the last few years. Cummings has been pretty adept at exploiting that when it's suited him.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

I like the Metro's 'Stay Elite' front page. 



Good, not for him, round-up of coverage in today's papers - 









						'Stay elite': what the papers say about Dominic Cummings' refusal to quit
					

Boris Johnson adviser’s defiant performance covers the front pages, with little sign that the scandal is going to go away quietly




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> It begins...




Faisal Islam has spotted it too.



Heheheh, this could be fun...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

One thing that particularly bugged me, was the excuse for leaving London due to being worried about security at their home -



> People came to my house shouting threats. There were posts on social media, encouraging attacks. There were many media reports on TV showing pictures of my house.
> 
> I was also worried that given the severity of this emergency, this situation would get worse. And I was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and off into the night while I worked in No.10. I thought the best thing to do in all the circumstances was to drive to an isolated cottage on my father's farm.



It didn't make sense to me, if there had been protesters outside his home at the end of March, considering it was at the start of lockdown, why wasn't it reported by the media, why didn't he report these people to the police, or ask for police protection? It's item 2 on the list of 9 unanswered questions the Mirror has come up with, link below, and they report the Met saying they had no reports for incidents at his home.   

He seems to have slipped that in, because of the images in people's minds of the protesters in the last couple of days, thinking people would accept these protesters were there 2 months ago.

The more I think of the whole pantomime, it feels like he/they took all the provable pieces of information in the public domain, and reversed engineered a story to make excuses for each element.  









						9 killer questions Dominic Cummings still has to answer after press conference
					

In a rare press conference from Downing Street, Dominic Cummings explained why he travelled 260 miles to his family home in Durham during the lockdown, but it raised yet more questions




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> You sure they haven't just bought them off someone?


"Thatcher's dead"


----------



## Mation (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> It begins...



That was the one thing that stood out as a lie.


----------



## wtfftw (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> One thing that particularly bugged me, was the excuse for leaving London due to being worried about security at their home -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's included to set him up as a victim. The horrible media and people picking on his family even before he didn't do anything wrong.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Professor Robert West, who sits on the advisory group on behavioural science for Sage, is not happy, and not mincing his words. 



> In reference to Cummings’ account of why he drove hundreds of miles to Durham during lockdown, West said: “There are so many holes in his narrative that only the most desperate people who want to believe him could do so. Not least is the idea that someone who is not an idiot would drive for 30 miles (coincidentally to a tourist attraction) with his wife and child in the car to check that he was safe to drive.”
> 
> “It may sound odd but I really wanted him to find a credible and honourable way out of this mess,” said West. “But the whole thing is playing out like a Greek tragedy with the protagonists trapped by their own proclivities to self-destruct - in his case by his hubris and inability to say sorry.”



Plenty more like that in the full article -









						Cummings' actions show government cannot be trusted, says adviser
					

Sage scientist condemns ‘vacuum in the heart of government’




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> hehe yes I wondered that


Taken by wife/friend at the property to try to add to the sympathy vote of the house under siege narrative so had to flee to Durham. Prepped on the journey back from the Rose Garden. "Dom , Dom , no smirking now whilst I get the shot" + exclusive so got to be worth a few bob , maybe. Or drone or pushy pap.....


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Gove on BBC News is waffling on about the security threats to Cummings at the time, despite the Mirror reporting the Met saying they had no reports for incidents at his home. 

See post #3201 above.


----------



## DJWrongspeed (May 26, 2020)

I don't think he'll survive now,? He's in  a weird position, this won't go away and he'll probably have to move house. It's becoming such a boring story as well .


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

I know these online petitions are generally just a bit of fun, but around 650,000 have now signed it. 









						Sign the Petition
					

Dominic Cummings must be sacked




					www.change.org


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I know these online petitions are generally just a bit of fun, but around 650,000 have now signed it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've done it three times. Throwaway email is your friend...they are the modern political equivalent of the clapometer on Opportunity Knocks.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I know these online petitions are generally just a bit of fun, but around 650,000 have now signed it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think the deciding factor in how long this excellent entertainment goes on for is probably how many emails conservative MPs get daily from their furious (or actually just amused but don't say so) constituents. Wrote to mine yesterday might send another , doesnt take much longer than signing a petition maybe 2 mins: WriteToThem


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Brendan O'Neill's attack lines which are popping up all over social that and Johnson's "you will need to make up your own minds" crap. 

_The media’s Dominic Cummings story has completely collapsed. He did NOT go to Durham a second time, which was reported on the front page of the Sunday Mirror and the Observer. He did NOT have any physical contact with family members. The police did NOT talk to the Cummings family about the Covid lockdown guidelines. Cummings did NOT carry on doing things that everyone else had stopped doing — he even missed the funeral of his uncle who died from Covid. He did NOT leave his London home for leisure reasons — he left it because he was receiving death threats as a result of media demonisation. He was very ill, his wife was ill, and at one point his child was taken to hospital in an ambulance in Durham.

His family has had a really rough time and the media have told lie after lie about him. The scandal is not Cummings’ behaviour — it is the collapse of ethics and objectivity in the British media._


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> I think the deciding factor in how long this excellent entertainment goes on for is probably how many emails conservative MPs get daily from their furious (or actually just amused but don't say so) constituents. Wrote to mine yesterday might send another , doesnt take much longer than signing a petition maybe 2 mins: WriteToThem



Done on Sunday. Crafted one from the perspective of a Tory...apologies for the sick bag cringeworthy asides


Dear

As my MP, I am contacting you to register my disappointment at the Prime Minister's decision to retain the services of Mr Dominic Cummings.

In today's briefing, an emphasis was placed on whether Mr Cummings instincts were those of a father, encouraging the public to empathise with his child care dilemma. As a senior official in government, it is clear that there were any number of alternatives available to him, and this will be seen as sophistry.

However, whether or not Mr Cummings actions were reasonable, or conformed to the letter of lockdown, misses the point. His actions will at least be perceived by a great number of people as breaking lockdown, and as tacit authority to do likewise. This is something that should at least have been anticipated, and for this reason alone, his actions show a lack of judgement which not only undermines the efforts the public are making but any claim he might make to being a valuable advisor.

Worse, Boris Johnson's support of his colleague shows that he puts the advice Mr Cummings gives above an inevitable erosion of covid precautions. This makes him look weak, and by his extension, the government look weak, at a time when strong leadership is vital. This seems not only ill-advised but politically inept. By all means, support his friend and colleague by showing understanding (if it is, in fact, the case) why Mr Cummings acted impetuously, but then show character and vital objectivity in reiterating the importance of adhering to universal rules. 

This could have been a game-changing moment for Mr Johnson - an ideal opportunity to reinforce the lockdown when it is crumbling, a chance to show he does not need Mr Cummings as a crutch, and that the Tory party is, if nothing else, a fair-minded institution that plays by the rules.

Instead, he came across as a mendacious fool that no one believes and no one takes seriously.

I urge you as a backbencher that has shown himself capable of independent thought,  to join those few brave Tories prepared to voice the opinion of the vast majority of cross-party thinking on this, and by doing so, claw back some semblance of credibility for your party and our government

sincerely


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 26, 2020)

cyril_smear said:


> for prosperity


The word you're looking for is posterity you massive sanctimonious twat


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> Done on Sunday. Crafted one from the perspective of a Tory...apologies for the sick bag cringeworthy asides
> 
> 
> Dear
> ...


This is excellent work, puts my half arsed pretence of being a wavering tory voter to shame. I will try harder.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 26, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> This is excellent work, puts mine to shame. I will try harder.


 A mate wrote it for his tory mp in Norfolk so I cribbed it for mine in Kent lazy sod that I am ....too many fucking Tory mps


----------



## NoXion (May 26, 2020)

SpineyNorman said:


> The word you're looking for is posterity you massive sanctimonious twat



No, I think maomao had it right. Clearly he's concerned about the flow of _qi_.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> I think the deciding factor in how long this excellent entertainment goes on for is probably how many emails conservative MPs get daily from their furious (or actually just amused but don't say so) constituents. Wrote to mine yesterday might send another , doesnt take much longer than signing a petition maybe 2 mins: WriteToThem



I did yesterday, Sir Peter Bottomley - Father of the House, despite the fact that the twat came out in support of Cummings during a Radio 4 interview.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Everyone got a bit over excited yesterday didn't they? The government is not about to collapse and people will be bored of this story in a couple of days.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Everyone got a bit over excited yesterday didn't they? The government is not about to collapse and people will be bored of this story in a couple of days.


That's certainly what tories are hoping for.


----------



## Marty1 (May 26, 2020)

I wonder if this story will be adapted for a TV mini-series?  🤔


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Everyone got a bit over excited yesterday didn't they? The government is not about to collapse and people will be bored of this story in a couple of days.


Stop raining on this tiny parade. It's just schadenfreude, not the most exalted kind of pleasure but i'll take what i can get.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> That's certainly what tories are hoping for.



Aye, and yet the _Mail_ is still blazing away like some antediluvian battleship this morning.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Stop raining on this tiny parade. It's just schadenfreude, not the most exalted kind of pleasure but i'll take what i can get.


But ultimately a few people may be regretting their hasty public comments, which now look a little overblown.


----------



## MickiQ (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I know these online petitions are generally just a bit of fun, but around 650,000 have now signed it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've just signed it and it's up to about 657,000 and you can see the counter going up, I didn't but a lot of people are chipping in a tenner


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> But ultimately a few people may be regretting their hasty public comments, which now look a little overblown.


Odd; on first reading Cummings appeared to confirm the case that was made against him, yesterday.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 26, 2020)

If it encourages a more critical stance towards the government that will be a lasting improvement, because God knows there's much to be critical about and there's a dearth of great communicators in the Cabinet.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

Plumdaff said:


> If it encourages a more critical stance towards the government that will be a lasting improvement, because God knows there's much to be critical about and there's a dearth of great communicators in the Cabinet.


As tho the prorogue lying issue, arcuri, Russian report etc etc hadn't already encouraged criticism of the government


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Odd; on first reading Cummings appeared to confirm the case that was made against him, yesterday.


No, it changed from a story where he was clearly in the wrong to one where it's a matter of opinion.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

My favourite bit is the retired teacher who, by staying alert, is responsible for the whole mad eye test road trip story having to be unleashed on the nation. And that it couldn't have happened to a more fitting character than the man who was puffed up as some sort of genius of cunning to be felled by ridicule for the utter stupidity of both his choices and his lies.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> No, it changed from a story where he was clearly in the wrong to one where it's a matter of opinion.


But where he's still clearly wrong unless your opinion is built on sand


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> As tho the prorogue lying issue, arcuri, Russian report etc etc hadn't already encouraged criticism of the government



This has more 'cut through' to those not very interested in politics, though.  Most people have followed the lockdown rules as best they can, even had to say goodbye to dying relatives via video-link and not attend their funerals, and then find out that the PM's advisor fucked off on a 260-mile road trip.  Understandably a lot of people seem to be furious about that, and rightly so.  That's why I don't think this story is going anywhere just yet, and the longer it hangs about the more damage to the government it will do.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> No, it changed from a story where he was clearly in the wrong to one where it's a matter of opinion.


No, it changed from a media accusation about his behaviour which he conveniently confirmed.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> But where he's still clearly wrong unless your opinion is built on sand


Doesn't matter what you think. It matters what 'the public' thinks. It'll fizz out and your opinion will remain as irrelevant as usual.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This has more 'cut through' to those not very interested in politics, though.  Most people have followed the lockdown rules as best they can, had to say goodbye to dying relatives via video-link and not attend their funerals, and then find out that the PM's advisor fucked off on a 260-mile road trip.  Understandably a lot of people seem to be furious about that, and rightly so.  That's why I don't think this story is going anywhere just yet, and the longer it hangs about the more damage to the government it will do.


 I hate it when some shitty pr neologism appears and takes the place of more meaningful existing words or phrases. I also dislike it when things are explained to me like I'm a particularly recalcitrant toddler.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Doesn't matter what you think. It matters what 'the public' thinks. It'll fizz out and your opinion will remain as irrelevant as usual.


I'll say one thing for Cummings, I bet he has a lock on his toilet


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I hate it when some shitty pr neologism appears and takes the place of more meaningful existing words or phrases. I also dislike it when things are explained to me like I'm a particularly recalcitrant toddler.



I wasn't so much trying to explain it to you as use your post as a starting to point to highlight to others why it's not going anywhere, although admittedly I didn't go about it particularly well.


----------



## polly (May 26, 2020)

That letter is brilliant phillm. I was inspired to write to my own as a betrayed first time tory voter


----------



## tommers (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Doesn't matter what you think. It matters what 'the public' thinks. It'll fizz out and your opinion will remain as irrelevant as usual.



Every single time from now on that Johnson says "we need to pull together" or "stay at home to save the nhs" everybody will remember this and get a little bit angrier. He's completely destroyed the credibility of the govt. 

To be honest i don't think that's a good thing, certainly not when public health will rely on that happening over the next months, but that's where we are. Why should i follow what they say when they clearly don't?


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Doesn't matter what you think. It matters what 'the public' thinks. It'll fizz out and your opinion will remain as irrelevant as usual.


If the daily mail and it’s readership turning  against this government doesn’t count as a proper disaster for them then your standards are just too high I think.


----------



## Johnny Vodka (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I know these online petitions are generally just a bit of fun, but around 650,000 have now signed it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm not a Tory, so it makes little difference to me whether he's sacked or not.  Actually, in some ways, it's better if he sticks around, even for just a little bit longer.  It's fun watching all the in-fighting on the right - it can only do the Tories a lot of damage.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> If the daily mail and it’s readership turning  against this government doesn’t count as a proper disaster for them then your standards are just too high I think.


I suspect the Mail's stance in this case is guided by it's readership, rather than the other way round. Expect we'll see some new polling numbers today or tomorrow and they are going to be horrific for Cummings.


----------



## LDC (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Unelected guy's been exposed as a laughably notorious liar. This is beyond a joke.



What's the depressing joke is the state of the left that can't do anything about it anyway, and that it's come to being fixated on this tbh.


----------



## Plumdaff (May 26, 2020)

My in laws are really cross about it. They are older voters in a marginal seat who have voted Labour but tended towards Tory in recent elections. They supported Leave. They don't bring up politics much. It has really cut through.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> If the daily mail and it’s readership turning  against this government doesn’t count as a proper disaster for them then your standards are just too high I think.


This is what the DM currently have at the top of their news page:



The DM will be included in the people now feeling like they made hasty judgements I reckon. They will quietly drop it.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> I suspect the Mail's stance in this case is guided by it's readership, rather than the other way round. Expect we'll see some new polling numbers today or tomorrow and they are going to be horrific for Cummings.


Yep. Looks like they've shoved it way down their (online) front page today but the most popular comment under the cummings article there is still 'boris is weak'. I don't think he (the PM) will easily or quickly recover from the damage done in terms of his 'likeability', won't say trustworthiness because don't think people are that stupid.


----------



## Sue (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I hate it when some shitty pr neologism appears and takes the place of more meaningful existing words or phrases.


See also 'presser' and 'double down', both of which people here* have very recently started bandying about.   

* The UK.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

polly said:


> That letter is brilliant phillm. I was inspired to write to my own as a betrayed first time tory voter


My mate who wrote it is a writer and and in the midsts of time a wannabe barrister !


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> What's the depressing joke is the state of the left that can't do anything about it anyway, and that it's come to being fixated on this tbh.



Think it's a gift tbh


----------



## Marty1 (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> Taken by wife/friend at the property to try to add to the sympathy vote of the house under siege narrative so had to flee to Durham. Prepped on the journey back from the Rose Garden. "Dom , Dom , no smirking now whilst I get the shot" + exclusive so got to be worth a few bob , maybe. Or drone or pushy pap.....



Looks like the latter.



Edit: are those metal bins to the bottom left of the video thumbnail?


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Yep. Looks like they've shoved it way down their (online) front page today but the most popular comment under the cummings article there is still 'boris is weak'. I don't think he (the PM) will easily or quickly recover from the damage done in terms of his 'likeability', won't say trustworthiness because don't think people are that stupid.


They need to put some clear blue water between themselves and the Guardian/Mirror axis of evil.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Yep. Looks like they've shoved it way down their (online) front page today but the most popular comment under the cummings article there is still 'boris is weak'. I don't think he (the PM) will easily or quickly recover from the damage done in terms of his 'likeability', won't say trustworthiness because don't think people are that stupid.


that said, I think unless there's anything new, the pressure for him to go of the last few days will likely fade this week - but the damage to the government will be significant and lasting.


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

Woke up with the thought that the way Johnson has dealt with the Cummings scandal has equivalence with him throwing money at the restaurant owner having smashed the place up back in his Bullingdon days. Learning to be a reckless and self-entitled law unto yourself is what Bullingdon is for, its why it comes so naturally.


----------



## planetgeli (May 26, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> What's the depressing joke is the state of the left that can't do anything about it anyway, and that it's come to being fixated on this tbh.



Are the Left fixated on this? I'm not even sure what you (or even I) mean by the Left right now. The Daily Mail (and other media) are fixated on this because it's doing untold damage to the Tories and that's what they care about. People in general are fixated on this because they have a stake (and therefore shouldn't the Left be following what the people are interested in?) and have stayed in their homes while elite twats think they can do what they like. Other than that some of us on 'the Left' are enjoying the best bit of schadenfreude in years.

And besides, Starmer is talking to the banks and fund managers. Everything is going to be alright.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Yeah, a lot of people including Tory voters are livid at the constant lying and Bolsonaro esque contempt.


----------



## LDC (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Think it's a gift tbh



Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it as much as anyone on here. But we're powerless to do anything concrete about it. Strike? Riot? March on his house? Demand anything? All playing out in the realm of the media and discontent that can't really go anywhere. Whether he goes or stays won't really change anything.

And yeah 'fixated' wrong term to use planetgeli

Maybe I'm just feeling extra cynical this morning.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> What's the depressing joke is the state of the left that can't do anything about it anyway, and that it's come to being fixated on this tbh.


what are you fixated on, that we can do something about?


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Everyone got a bit over excited yesterday didn't they? The government is not about to collapse and people will be bored of this story in a couple of days.


It won’t bring down the government but I reckon there’s a while to run before this is chip-wrappings. I can’t see how Cummings can stay now. He’s painted himself into an absurd corner with the eye-test thing alone, and then there’s the rest of the bollocks. He’ll be ridiculed forever and he can’t back away from it without confirming that he’s been telling massive porkies. The golden rule of public bullshitting is to ensure at least an element of plausibility no matter how preposterous the story. He fucked that completely. The smart thing would’ve been to hold his hands up and apologise, fuck off for a bit, then get sneaked back in, a la Pritti Patel, but can’t see that happening now.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it as much as anyone on here. But we're powerless to do anything concrete about it. Strike? Riot? March on his house? Demand anything? All playing out in the realm of the media and discontent that can't really go anywhere. Whether he goes or stays won't really change anything.
> 
> And yeah 'fixated' wrong term to use planetgeli it's more that it's a bit depressing this is where we find hope I think.



Keeping perspective like. Hope this rumbles on though.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Badgers (May 26, 2020)




----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Woke up with the thought that the way Johnson has dealt with the Cummings scandal has equivalence with him throwing money at the restaurant owner having smashed the place up back in his Bullingdon days. Learning to be a reckless and self-entitled law unto yourself is what Bullingdon is for, its why it comes so naturally.


That's why they messed this up so badly, thinking that as usual there would be no consequences to their actions when in fact (i think) this time there are. That presumption is what caused them to miscalculate and treat it like a standard political scandal which you can bluff your way though when it was actually a different fish.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

A few more junior ministers, or ideally ministers, resigning could be a real game changer.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 26, 2020)

They are oblivious to the outside world obviously.
Anyone pulled in for a disciplinary at work realises you admit your mistakes immediately and lessen the digging and investigation. The more covering up the more searching for more damning evidence.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)




----------



## tommers (May 26, 2020)

Gove also has "driven on occasion to check my eyesight" apparently


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

tommers said:


> Gove also has "driven on occasion to check my eyesight" apparently



He's so full of bullshit.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> It won’t bring down the government but I reckon there’s a while to run before this is chip-wrappings. I can’t see how Cummings can stay now. He’s painted himself into an absurd corner with the eye-test thing alone, and then there’s the rest of the bollocks. He’ll be ridiculed forever and he can’t back away from it without confirming that he’s been telling massive porkies. The golden rule of public bullshitting is to ensure at least an element of plausibility no matter how preposterous the story. He fucked that completely. The smart thing would’ve been to hold his hands up, fuck off for a bit, then get sneaked back in, a la Pritti Patel, but can’t see that happening now.


It has an element of plausibility for me. If I've gone from "this appears totally out of order" to "meh, maybe he broke the spirit of the guidance to some extent" then probably a lot of others have as well. Last night I spoke to some friends who I expected to be in outrage about the whole thing but they had kind of changed their minds following the statement. I get that there are people angry that they've not been able to visit ill/dying family members and so on, but the wind has been taken out of those sails by the fact that he had no contact with his family up there. Of course, if new evidence appears that he did, then that could change things. The 30 mile trip doesn't seem all that significant to me - lots of people have blatantly been going out for joyrides in their cars throughout this.


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2020)

If he drove 'half an hour' down the road from Durham to Barnard Castle on those roads how fast was the sick blind man going with his wife and child in the car?


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> A few more junior ministers, or ideally ministers, resigning could be a real game changer.


They usually only do this when they’ve wanted to go anyway, probably have another job lined up elsewhere and decide to leave with a flounce. Politicians that you’ve hardly ever heard of having a go at making a headline.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> It has an element of plausibility for me. If I've gone from "this appears totally out of order" to "meh, maybe he broke the spirit of the guidance to some extent" then probably a lot of others have as well. I get that there are people angry that they've not been able to visit ill/dying family members and so on, but the wind has been taken out of those sails by the fact that he had no contact with his family up there. Of course, if new evidence appears that he did, then that could change things. The 30 mile trip doesn't seem all that significant to me - lots of people have blatantly been going out for joyrides in their cars throughout this.


Lol his wife wrote an article claiming he was too ill to get out of bed and emerged back into 'london lockdown'. He is so full of shit. He had already scuttled up to Durham by the time his uncle died.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

tommers said:


> Gove also has "driven on occasion to check my eyesight" apparently


Ferrari was openly laughing at him during that interview and then asked him when and he just stuttered and stammered away. Lie is the default mode now.


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> what are you fixated on, that we can do something about?



Mutual aid responses and workers trying to resist being sent into unsafe workplaces.


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> It has an element of plausibility for me. If I've gone from "this appears totally out of order" to "meh, maybe he broke the spirit of the guidance to some extent" then probably a lot of others have as well. Last night I spoke to some friends who I expected to be in outrage about the whole thing but they had kind of changed their minds following the statement. I get that there are people angry that they've not been able to visit ill/dying family members and so on, but the wind has been taken out of those sails by the fact that he had no contact with his family up there. Of course, if new evidence appears that he did, then that could change things. The 30 mile trip doesn't seem all that significant to me - lots of people have blatantly been going out for joyrides in their cars throughout this.


I’d agree with this if he hadn’t blatantly lied about it yesterday. Now the story isn’t about what he did or why, but the fact that he’s gone on national telly in a blatant attempt to mug everyone off. That’s what’s going to do for him.


----------



## Petcha (May 26, 2020)

lolz. he'll survive. 4 years or something till an election and a massive majority in the commons thanks to the utter incompetence of the 'opposition'. there's no reason to sack him if you look at it cynically.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> Mutual aid responses and workers trying to resist being sent into unsafe workplaces.


link us up.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Lol his wife wrote an article claiming he was too ill to get out of bed and emerged back into 'london lockdown'. He is so full of shit. He had already scuttled up to Durham by the time his uncle died.


What article is that?


----------



## MickiQ (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> The 30 mile trip doesn't seem all that significant to me - lots of people have blatantly been going out for joyrides in their cars throughout this.


Sending aside the WTF?? eyesight thing, The people going for joyrides weren't punished because they weren't caught. Had they been caught then they would have been; They and everyone else know this. Cummings is admitting to breaking the rules  but insisting he didn't do anything wrong.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> What article is that?



This one









						Getting coronavirus does not bring clarity | The Spectator Australia
					

I had thought that actually getting the coronavirus would bring clarity — that there would be some satisfaction in meeting the enemy, feeling its spectral hands around my lungs. No such luck.




					www.spectator.com.au


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> link us up.



Link you up?

The beauty of this stuff is it's not confined to the internet.

For me, the Thursday evening claps have been important.

Neighbours who previously never spoke to each other are chatting and checking up on each other. Helping each other out. Acting collectively.

That's the seed we need to plant.

Not get carried away with the spectacle.

If/when Cummings goes it won't change a damn thing.

People rediscovering their own power, however gently, will.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

I'd like to see a proper timeline of all the things he and his wife have claimed/admitted. I think that might demonstrate the lies, and help with responses to the tory wankers who are still supporting him.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> I’d agree with this if he hadn’t blatantly lied about it yesterday. Now the story isn’t about what he did or why, but the fact that he’s gone on national telly in a blatant attempt to mug everyone off. That’s what’s going to do for him.


Lied about what?


----------



## Mr.Bishie (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Lied about what?



Not one journo yesterday asked why his wife’s account that she’d published in the Spectator was so very different from his account. Those lies!


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

An actual ministerial resignation. Maybe Boris' army of thick right wing mps don't actually want to be the unsullied to his Daenerys and some of them may even have turned up to work with illusions of representing the people who elected them. 
Well I can dream.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> Sending aside the WTF?? eyesight thing, The people going for joyrides weren't punished because they weren't caught. Had they been caught then they would have been; They and everyone else know this. Cummings is admitting to breaking the rules  but insisting he didn't do anything wrong.


People have been going for joyrides and the police have been making virtually no effort to do anything about it. How many people have been caught and/or punished for going for short rides in their cars? They should have been but the focus has been on park sunbathers and ranting about joggers.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Not one journo yesterday asked why his wife’s account that she’d published in the Spectator was so very different from his account. Those lies!


She didn't lie though she just forgot to mention that they had a trip to Durham in between getting sick and 'emerging' into London. Same way that both the prime minister and DC forgot the conversation they'd had about that trip. All perfectly understandable.


----------



## Petcha (May 26, 2020)

It's up there with the Woking Pizza Express line really. Sheer brilliance. His career will be defined by it.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

Petcha said:


> lolz. he'll survive. 4 years or something till an election and a massive majority in the commons thanks to the utter incompetence of the 'opposition'. there's no reason to sack him if you look at it cynically.


This is the really weird thing. Either his wife couldn't drive, in which case why take her (which also necessitates bringing his kid), or she can drive in which case why isn't she driving back to London?? And, also, why not just wait until you were sure your eyesight was ok??

Am I right in understanding this was the day of his wife's birthday? Would have been nice for one of the journos to point that out, just to make him at least give us the ol' "oh, that's just a coincidence" bullshit.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> People have been going for joyrides and the police have been making virtually no effort to do anything about it. How many people have been caught and/or punished for going for short rides in their cars? They should have been but the focus has been on park sunbathers and ranting about joggers.



Sussex plod have certainly been very busy!

“*Sussex Police has* revealed how *many fines have* been *issued* to members of the public for flouting the rules of *lockdown*. Between Friday, March 27, and Monday, *May* 11 – roughly the first eight weeks of *lockdown* – *police issued* a total of 655 *fines* to people breaching the rules.18 May 2020”


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I'd like to see a proper timeline of all the things he and his wife have claimed/admitted. I think that might demonstrate the lies, and help with responses to the tory wankers who are still supporting him.


Starmer is constructing a most beautiful one as we speak...but to no avail as the uber-deflector Johnson will be that people need to make up their own minds line. Repeatedly for an hour - whilst touting the latest fag-packet corona wheeze dreamt up by coked-up schoolboys and gels gorging on big data.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Not one journo yesterday asked why his wife’s account that she’d published in the Spectator was so very different from his account. Those lies!


I'd imagine they all routinely make stuff up in articles about themselves too. She's not a member or employee of the government and the Spectator article doesn't mean anything.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> This one
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok - I don't see what the problem is with the bit about emerging into london lockdown.

But it does imply that she already thought she had covid at the point where they drove north, which is a problem.


----------



## Petcha (May 26, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> This is the really weird thing. Either his wife couldn't drive, in which case why take her (which also necessitates bringing his kid), or she can drive in which case why isn't she driving back to London?? And, also, why not just wait until you were sure your eyesight was ok??
> 
> Am I right in understanding this was the day of his wife's birthday? Would have been nice for one of the journos to point that out, just to make him at least give us the ol' "oh, that's just a coincidence" bullshit.



As I understand it, yeh it was...









						Gove says it's 'irrelevant' that Cummings' country drive was on wife's birthday
					

Mr Gove, a long-time ally of Mr Cummings, said he couldn't see the relevance of the journey taking place on his wife's birthday - or on Easter Sunday, for that matter




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I'd like to see a proper timeline of all the things he and his wife have claimed/admitted. I think that might demonstrate the lies, and help with responses to the tory wankers who are still supporting him.


Yeah, this would be mighty handy. Keep idly thinking about drawing up a rough one, but then... well, not bothering 


bimble said:


> She didn't lie though she just forgot to mention that they had a trip to Durham in between getting sick and 'emerging' into London. Same way that both the prime minister and DC forgot the conversation they'd had about that trip. All perfectly understandable.


There's also the line that he was "doggo" (?? - is this "sick as a dog", or something?) and in bed for 10 days. I guess they'd argue he was in bed for 10 days _after _they drove up to Durham.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Ok - I don't see what the problem is with the bit about emerging into london lockdown.
> 
> But it does imply that she already thought she had covid at the point where they drove north, which is a problem.



How is she emerging into london lockdown when they drove back from Durham?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

Petcha said:


> As I understand it, yeh it was...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good ol' Gove...


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> Link you up?
> 
> The beauty of this stuff is it's not confined to the internet.
> 
> ...


Oh, ok. I'm a member of my local mutual support group, zero going on. Maybe a couple of requests for help a week which are quickly picked up by people desperate to do something useful, but nothing beyond that, and no real opportunity for communication with the group beyond that as it's an email list (I've dropped a cake off at the guy who's running the list's house and chatted to him on the doorstep a couple of times though). 

Don't see much of the neighbours and they mostly don't want to chat when I do. 

The pompous moralising that periodically crops up on here that we should be doing something more constructive with our time is pretty irritating tbh.


----------



## mauvais (May 26, 2020)

Same here. Our mutual aid thing is a FB group with loads of members but nothing going on.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> How is she emerging into london lockdown when they drove back from Durham?


You finish your durham quarantine, then you drive back, then you re-emerge because by then you are in London. You choose not to mention that you have been in Durham but why would you? There is a slightly complicated thing about public messaging where it makes sense not to advertise that you have been doing stuff that you consider to have been within your interpretation of the rules, but which it would not be helpful if everyone decided they could do it in a looser definition of 'exceptional circumstances'. I know that is to some extent 'one rule for us' but it's also the reality of how public health messaging works.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Michael Gove has just been on LBC to say he drives to check his eyesight.


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Lied about what?


The reason for the trip to Barnard Castle for sure. Possibly the entire escapade.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Why did he say that he'd warned of the dangers of coronaviruses in 2019 and add it into his blog in April?


----------



## Badgers (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Why did he say that he'd warned of the dangers of coronaviruses in 2019 and add it into his blog in April?


Because he is a liar and self serving attention seeker cunt?


----------



## Poot (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Why did he say that he'd warned of the dangers of coronaviruses in 2019 and add it into his blog in April?


It turns out that driving to Barnard Castle doesn't just cure eyesight, it's also brilliant for your hindsight.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> The reason for the trip to Barnard Castle for sure. Possibly the entire escapade.


The one about how he thinks he did tell the PM about his plans but unfortunately neither of them have any recollection of that conversation which almost certainly probably happened, that was pretty good.


----------



## Petcha (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Michael Gove has just been on LBC to say he drives to check his eyesight.



I prefer to drive to test my blood alcohol level. Coz that makes perfect sense.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> The reason for the trip to Barnard Castle for sure. Possibly the entire escapade.


It depends if people in general care though. Most people aren't interested in details and get bored easily. If there was clear evidence that he had been in contact with his parents, or that he or his wife knowingly had covid symptoms when they set off then I think that would be significant. The Barnard Castle thing will be of interest to those to want him gone, or damage to the government, for other reasons, but it'll be too vague a contravention for many to get too worked up about it I reckon.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> It depends if people in general care though. Most people aren't interested in details and get bored easily. If there was clear evidence that he had been in contact with his parents, or that he or his wife knowingly had covid symptoms when they set off then I think that would be significant. The Barnard Castle thing will be of interest to those to want him gone, or damage to the government, for other reasons, but it'll be too vague a contravention for many to get too worked up about it I reckon.



They did have covid symptoms!


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Why did he say that he'd warned of the dangers of coronaviruses in 2019 and add it into his blog in April?


I'm assuming it's an attempt to counter suggestions he took it lightly, or that he was against lockdown? As well as giving the impression he's a genius who foresaw all this, of course.


----------



## Aladdin (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> No, it changed from a story where he was clearly in the wrong to one where it's a matter of opinion.




🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dom and Boris; two bookends to their große Lüge


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> They did have covid symptoms!


Ok, I've just read the transcript and I see that he isn't denying that they both thought they possibly had covid when they set off. That's a bit different to what I'd heard reported which was that his wife had symptoms but they weren't clearly Covid ones. Maybe that changes my opinion a little.


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> How many people have been caught and/or punished for going for short rides in their cars?


Lots I believe. We only hear about the big ones in the news but there'll be hundreds of others. There have been police spot-checks set up on the A5 at Kilburn every weekend that I have seen so there must be dozens of others.

Regardless of what everyone else has been up to, they're not senior government advisors who had a hand in making the very rules he's been breaking. "Do as I say, not as I do" is always a shit look for those in powerful positions.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 26, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Because he is a liar and self serving attention seeker cunt?


Tell ‘em like it is reverend!


----------



## tommers (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> They did have covid symptoms!



He very pointedly said that she threw up but didn't have "coughing or a fever".  But he then got coronavirus, in small building made of blocks, and his wife and child didn't get it but the child had to be taken to hospital after throwing up and having a fever.  I'm pretty sure he himself also then threw up once he had recovered from Covid but I was getting a bit confused by that point.

He knows that if he said that she was coughing then that would be worse, so he very clearly said that wasn't the case.

It was pretty clear what he was doing.


----------



## planetgeli (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Why did he say that he'd warned of the dangers of coronaviruses in 2019 and add it into his blog in April?





Badgers said:


> Because he is a liar and self serving attention seeker cunt?



Yeah frogwoman you need to come up with harder ones than that.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Same here. Our mutual aid thing is a FB group with loads of members but nothing going on.


Same here did a few days of leaflet drop early on, since then have helped my immediate neighbours with some gardening and litter pick and making hand gel from meths and wasting my time on the internet !


----------



## Marty1 (May 26, 2020)

Petcha said:


> It's up there with the Woking Pizza Express line really. Sheer brilliance. His career will be defined by it.




Tbf, hindsight is 20/20.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> Lots I believe. We only hear about the big ones in the news but there'll be hundreds of others. There have been police spot-checks set up on the A5 at Kilburn every weekend that I have seen so there must be dozens of others.
> 
> Regardless of what everyone else has been up to, they're not senior government advisors who had a hand in making the very rules he's been breaking. "Do as I say, not as I do" is always a shit look for those in powerful positions.



We've had police checkpoints down here, preventing people heading to the coast, issuing tickets & turning them around. Mr.Bishie posted earlier that Sussex police had issued almost 700 tickets, I remember reading around 90% were to people from outside the two counties & city of Brighton & Hove.


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> It depends if people in general care though. Most people aren't interested in details and get bored easily. If there was clear evidence that he had been in contact with his parents, or that he or his wife knowingly had covid symptoms when they set off then I think that would be significant. The Barnard Castle thing will be of interest to those to want him gone, or damage to the government, for other reasons, but it'll be too vague a contravention for many to get too worked up about it I reckon.


I disagree. I think all of it would have been soon forgotten if he'd played it straight and fallen on his sword. Can you even remember the names of the other lockdown-breakers who've variously resigned? Of course, his is a bigger scalp for those who don't like him or the Tories, and they'd have made more of it for a while but it would still have fizzled out soon, enabling a quiet comeback perhaps next year. The silly lies have hugely magnified a situation that would otherwise have soon blown over, like you suggest.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

It's not so much a cover-up as stuffing your porn mags under the bed which your mum finds when cleaning your bedroom. That and the crusty used tissues...


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> Oh, ok. I'm a member of my local mutual support group, zero going on. Maybe a couple of requests for help a week which are quickly picked up by people desperate to do something useful, but nothing beyond that, and no real opportunity for communication with the group beyond that as it's an email list (I've dropped a cake off at the guy who's running the list's house and chatted to him on the doorstep a couple of times though).
> 
> Don't see much of the neighbours and they mostly don't want to chat when I do.
> 
> The pompous moralising that periodically crops up on here that we should be doing something more constructive with our time is pretty irritating tbh.



It's less pompous moralising about doing something more and more a weary (and wary) cynicism about the regular excitement about spectacles we have no control over and won't get anything out of.

Look, I'm angry at what Cummings did. I'm enjoying watching the shitshow, but the idea that we can win somehow?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Telegraph today.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

With Gove saying he also goes driving to check his eyesight, suddenly the C19 response is making more sense, as their approach to medical concerns seems to be "have a go and see how bad it gets".


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

"GET BREXIT DOM"


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Yeah, this would be mighty handy. Keep idly thinking about drawing up a rough one, but then... well, not bothering



Yes, with the dates the rules changed. Someone's bound to do one. 

In fact there are a few I think including: Dominic Cummings timeline: What we know of aide’s lockdown movements



> There's also the line that he was "doggo" (?? - is this "sick as a dog", or something?) and in bed for 10 days. I guess they'd argue he was in bed for 10 days _after _they drove up to Durham.



Lying doggo just means lying low really. But definitely in his case lying


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> It's less pompous moralising about doing something more and more a weary (and wary) cynicism about the regular excitement about spectacles we have no control over and won't get anything out of.
> 
> Look, I'm angry at what Cummings did. I'm enjoying watching the shitshow, but the idea that we can win somehow?


I don't think very many people here think we can 'win'. But brushing this off as purely a spectacle is wrong too - it lays bare some quite profound questions about the relationship between the governed and the government, and each twist of the story chips away at the moral authority of this government. In itself, not a fatal blow of course, and maybe in the long run insignificant - but also, maybe not.


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

where's Rory Stewart when you need him ?


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Yes, with the dates the rules changed. Someone's bound to do one.
> 
> In fact there are a few I think including: Dominic Cummings timeline: What we know of aide’s lockdown movements


What would be handy is to also track when different claims were made; the Spectator article is an obvious anomaly, but I'm pretty sure the stories, or at least the details, coming from the government camp have changed as this has all come out.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Yes, adding in the date he claimed he'd altered that statement to claim that he'd foreseen coronavirus


----------



## mauvais (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> It's less pompous moralising about doing something more and more a weary (and wary) cynicism about the regular excitement about spectacles we have no control over and won't get anything out of.
> 
> Look, I'm angry at what Cummings did. I'm enjoying watching the shitshow, but the idea that we can win somehow?


Even with a weary cynicist's hat on, do you think it's completely without consequence? For example does it not degrade the public's faith in government and particularly the Tories? Is there nothing to be gained from that?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Johnson will not be happy with this, approval rating drops 20% in 4 days, he likes being popular.



> Boris Johnson’s approval rating has dropped to -1% after he refused to sack Dominic Cummings for driving to Durham during lockdown.
> 
> According to Savanta, a coronavirus data tracker which looks at how the UK population is responding to the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s rating was previously +19% just four days ago. It states that the overall government approval rate is now at -2%, having dropped 16 points in a day.
> 
> ...











						Boris Johnson's approval rating drops by 20 points since Cummings saga
					

The overall government approval rate is now also at -2%, having dropped 16 points in a day.




					metro.co.uk


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Wragg hath spake:



So too has one set of polls, and killer b is right: they're not good:



edit - bugger.  cupid_stunt got there first!


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> I disagree. I think all of it would have been soon forgotten if he'd played it straight and fallen on his sword. Can you even remember the names of the other lockdown-breakers who've variously resigned? Of course, his is a bigger scalp for those who don't like him or the Tories, and they'd have made more of it for a while but it would still have fizzled out soon, enabling a quiet comeback perhaps next year. The silly lies have hugely magnified a situation that would otherwise have soon blown over, like you suggest.


Let's see.

I remember how excited everyone got when BJ prorogued parliament with people suggesting the country was going to go into meltdown over this blatant disregard for blah blah, but then he went and comfortably won the general election.

If in a week or two Cummings is still there and the papers have moved on to other things, I'll come back and quote my own posts saying it'll blow over, and if not I'll just not say anything.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> Done on Sunday. Crafted one from the perspective of a Tory...apologies for the sick bag cringeworthy asides
> 
> 
> Dear
> ...


Perfect!


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)




----------



## gosub (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> Lots I believe. We only hear about the big ones in the news but there'll be hundreds of others. There have been police spot-checks set up on the A5 at Kilburn every weekend that I have seen so there must be dozens of others.
> 
> Regardless of what everyone else has been up to, they're not senior government advisors who had a hand in making the very rules he's been breaking. "Do as I say, not as I do" is always a shit look for those in powerful positions.



Its not just a shit look, In dealing with  pandemic, its almost as much about psychology as it is about virology.  Assuming a second spike, how now to manage the 20% that don't think covid is real plus the millions that now believe themselves to be immune on top of arseholes who believe in exceptionalism?


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Johnson will not be happy with this, approval rating drops 20% in 4 days, he likes being popular.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They say that he was at 19% 4 days ago but note also that he was at 8% 15 days ago, wobbling around at 6-8% for the past couple of weeks with the 19% being something of an anomaly.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> They say that he was at 19% 4 days ago but note also that he was at 8% 15 days ago, wobbling around at 6-8% for the past couple of weeks with the 19% being something of an anomaly.


Two words for that, I reckon: furlough extension.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

The number of Tory MPs calling for him to go is slowly growing, 28 now, a roll-call in the link below









						Every Conservative MP who has condemned Dominic Cummings as lockdown row escalates
					

A rolling list of every Conservative MP that has broken party ranks to condemn Dominic Cummings. There are widespread calls for the senior aide’s r...




					www.politicshome.com


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Let's see.
> 
> I remember how excited everyone got when BJ prorogued parliament with people suggesting the country was going to go into meltdown over this blatant disregard for blah blah, but then he went and comfortably won the general election.
> 
> If in a week or two Cummings is still there and the papers have moved on to other things, I'll come back and quote my own posts saying it'll blow over, and if not I'll just not say anything.


How do we judge if it's _blown over_? Poll ratings back up to pre-Cumgate (urgh) levels? Or just him remaining in place? If it's the second, then you'll most likely be back here quoting your own posts, but I'm not sure that's enough. I'm not sure a week or two is long enough to judge what impact this will have.


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> If in a week or two Cummings is still there and the papers have moved on to other things, I'll come back and quote my own posts saying it'll blow over, and if not I'll just not say anything.


You should get a job as a political advisor. There'll be one going shortly.


----------



## mauvais (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> How do we judge if it's _blown over_? Poll ratings back up to pre-Cumgate (urgh) levels? Or just him remaining in place? If it's the second, then you'll most likely be back here quoting your own posts, but I'm not sure that's enough. I'm not sure a week or two is long enough to judge what impact this will have.


Is it fair to say that this is ultimately the kind of sequence of events that has done in prior governments? I feel like this sort of thing, whilst not individually catastrophic, was responsible for whittling down Blair and Brown's popularity, to say nothing of the blue Tories before them. OTOH what really did for Brown was probably the economic crash, so perhaps it's overstating it.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Is it fair to say that this is ultimately the kind of sequence of events that has done in prior governments? I feel like this sort of thing, whilst not individually catastrophic, was responsible for whittling down Blair and Brown's popularity, to say nothing of the blue Tories before them. OTOH what really did for Brown was probably the economic crash, so perhaps it's overstating it.


I was thinking about his response to the Skripal poisoning being the key turning point of the Corbyn project. I didn't spot it at the time, but looking back the collapse started there.


----------



## wtfftw (May 26, 2020)

There's an economic crash coming tho right? So maybe something different will rise out of those ashes (and we won't need a bloody revolution).


I mean, I don't think so but more of the same is such a shitty prospect.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> How do we judge if it's _blown over_? Poll ratings back up to pre-Cumgate (urgh) levels? Or just him remaining in place? If it's the second, then you'll most likely be back here quoting your own posts, but I'm not sure that's enough. I'm not sure a week or two is long enough to judge what impact this will have.


I dunno, I'll just have to make a judgement on the extent to which it's blown over enough for me to feel smug enough to quote myself for it to be worth the bother.


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 26, 2020)

whatever happens it has caused permanent damage to the government. The arrogance, hypocrisy and mendacity of cummings  - and johnson's  desperate and humiliating attempts to protect him is entwined with the bigger story of their criminal mishandling of the pandemic.  That is not  a"bubble" story that will blow over - it is the sort of narrative that permanently trashes people trust in a government. Their credibility is shot.
John Majors government never recovered from black wednesday in 1992- which occurred a mere 6 months after he won a majority.
Huge numbers of people - ordinary people, working class people, people who pay little or no attention to politics generally - are furious. They feel  betrayed and spat upon by these shysters. Jackanory bullshit time from cummings will not change that - it just magnifies the offence.
I cant see how cummings can stay - and Johnson wont last without him - his authority is gone and he is so palaalby not up to the job. Hes like like a deflated bag of blubber - trump with the aninmainting fury removed  and nothing left but half hearted waffle.
As i said earlier - the tories plan/hope will be to ditch johnson once the emergency is over and present themselves as a new government. If could very well work (e.g major replacing thatcher in 1990).


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> I dunno, I'll just have to make a judgement on the extent to which it's blown over enough for me to feel smug enough to quote myself for it to be worth the bother.


I've mentally bookmarked a couple of your posts for a smug 'like' in a few months / years, if things go badly (and I remember).


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> whatever happens it has caused permanent damage to the government. The arrogance, hypocrisy and mendacity of cummings and johnsons  desperate and humiliating attempts to protect him is entwined with the bigger story of their criminal mishandling of the pandemic.  That is not "bubble" story that will blow over - it is the sort of narrative that permanently trashes people trust in a government. Their credibility is shot.
> John Majors government never recovered from black wednesday in 1992- which occurred a mere 6 months after he won a majority.
> Huge numbers of people - ordinary people, working class people, people who pay little or no attention to politics generally - are furious. They feel  betrayed and spat upon by these shysters. Jackanory bullshit time from cummings will not change that - it just magnifies the offence.
> I cant see how cummings can stay - and Johnson wont last without him - his authority is gone and he is so palaalby not up to the job. Hes like like a deflated bag of blubber - trump with the aninmainting fury removed  and nothing left but half hearted waffle.
> As i said earlier - the tories plan/hope will be to ditch johnson once the emergency is over and present themselves as a new government. If could very well work (e.g major replacing thatcher in 1990).



It'll at least be quoted by most people each time they're caught disregarding lockdown-type rules.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> whatever happens it has caused permanent damage to the government. The arrogance, hypocrisy and mendacity of cummings and johnsons  desperate and humiliating attempts to protect him is entwined with the bigger story of their criminal mishandling of the pandemic.  That is not "bubble" story that will blow over - it is the sort of narrative that permanently trashes people trust in a government. Their credibility is shot.
> John Majors government never recovered from black wednesday in 1992- which occurred a mere 6 months after he won a majority.
> Huge numbers of people - ordinary people, working class people, people who pay little or no attention to politics generally - are furious. They feel  betrayed and spat upon by these shysters. Jackanory bullshit time from cummings will not change that - it just magnifies the offence.
> I cant see how cummings can stay - and Johnson wont last without him - his authority is gone and he is so palaalby not up to the job. Hes like like a deflated bag of blubber - trump with the aninmainting fury removed  and nothing left but half hearted waffle.
> As i said earlier - the tories plan/hope will be to ditch johnson once the emergency is over and present themselves as a new government. If could very well work (e.g major replacing thatcher in 1990).



Agreed.  That said, I suspect Johnson would have ended up being thrown overboard when he'd outlived his usefulness but Cummings would have stayed on.   He's Gove's ally, after all, and Gove has form for knifing people.  If I'm right about that, this has driven a coach and horses through their strategy by seriously damaging 'Dom' at the same time as weakening BJ.

edit - why did I write 'people'?  Gove has form for knifing Johnson, never mind anyone else!


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

As soon as a covid vaccine is found I'm sure Hancock will turn his attention to the growing crisis in opthalmology with 100,000 drive-in eye tests at Barnard Castle by the end of 2022


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Here's an interesting read, where a criminal barrister considers the case. 



> There seems to be at least a _prima facie_ case that there has been a violation of the regulations insofar as the Durham journey is concerned, and that is saying nothing about the various other escapades that seem to have ensued once there; undertaking a 60-minute driving test may well raise more than a few legal eyebrows, for example.
> 
> The future of ‘Cummingsgate’, and particularly any prosecutorial response, clearly remains to be seen. Whilst contemplating a trial may well have a whiff of prematurity, Cummings would bear an evidential burden in explaining his actions. One would presume that he would give evidence on his own behalf to that end. One can also speculate as to his performance as a witness but, judging from his performance at the Rose Garden matinee, he is certainly reminiscent of many a defence lawyer’s bread and butter ‘punter’.











						Cummings and goings: Did Dom break the law? - Legal Cheek
					

Criminal barrister Syam Soni casts a legal eye over Durham saga




					www.legalcheek.com


----------



## rutabowa (May 26, 2020)

if i see someone write "cummings and goings" one more time I am going to flip.


----------



## Part 2 (May 26, 2020)

For anyone who missed it, here's Gove laughing at the absurd story he's trying to back up.



And here's someone who looked into the autism tweets. platinumsage was posting it about 4 hours after the first tweet.









						Don’t let anyone fool you with the ‘autism’ excuse for Dominic Cummings’ wrongdoing. It isn’t true
					

I had not been aware of this, but if you have heard the rumour that Dominic Cummings needed to travel 260 miles for childcare because his child is autistic and needs familiar people nearby… D…



					voxpoliticalonline.com


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

The Metro has picked-up on the story about when he edited his blog post.



> But the Wayback Machine – a digital archive showing what webpages looked like at specific dates – shows this quote was added between April and May this year. As recently as April 9, no mention of coronavirus is made.
> ----
> The blog’s own sitemap shows the edit was made on April 14 – the same day Mr Cummings returned to work in London from Durham.











						Dominic Cummings 'edited blog to make it look like he warned of coronavirus'
					

The internet never forgets.




					metro.co.uk


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

I liked the first tweet under the Gove video: 



> Touching the nose is a sign that someone is lying.  But give him the benefit of the doubt.  Could just be the cocaine.


----------



## editor (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> For anyone who missed it, here's Gove laughing at the absurd story he's trying to back up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



"I don't know how you're going to get out of this but it's going to be fun" - not a fan of the guy, but jumping in with that as Gove is mid-sentence that was funny


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> The Metro has picked-up on the story about when he edited his blog post.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow. For someone so supposedly clever, that's a spectacularly stupid thing to do.


----------



## Combustible (May 26, 2020)

tommers said:


> He very pointedly said that she threw up but didn't have "coughing or a fever".  But he then got coronavirus, in small building made of blocks, and his wife and child didn't get it but the child had to be taken to hospital after throwing up and having a fever.  I'm pretty sure he himself also then threw up once he had recovered from Covid but I was getting a bit confused by that point.


The whole crux of his argument was that there was a reasonable chance that both him and his wife would be incapable of looking after their son because of Covid, and therefore it was prudent that he go to Durham where he could give the child to his niece if necessary. He cannot have it both ways, by downplaying her symptoms it makes his hypothetical scenario even less likely, reducing the justification for his actions even further.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

I wonder how BJ feels about being Prime Minister right now.  I bet part of him wishes he'd stuck to writing mendacious newspaper columns and shit history books.


----------



## Aladdin (May 26, 2020)

Petcha said:


> It's up there with the Woking Pizza Express line really. Sheer brilliance. His career will be defined by it.





And this guy is advising your PM?
Clearly he shows absence of good judgement and is unfit to advise anyone but especially a PM

Having said this Boris is also lacking in sound judgement. 

They need to go


----------



## Aladdin (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I wonder how BJ feels about being Prime Minister right now.  I bet part of him wishes he'd stuck to writing mendacious newspaper columns and shit history books.





What has Cummings got on Boris?  Cos there's no reasonable explanation for saving his skinny covid ass.


----------



## planetgeli (May 26, 2020)

Might be funny if he sacks him (he won't) for editing a blogpost rather than for breaking lockdown.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Wow. For someone so supposedly clever, that's a spectacularly stupid thing to do.


Exactly, thats what makes this so fun, he was supposed to be a very srs Evil Genius, that was the whole point of him and he will not ever be taken seriously again.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Exactly, thats what makes this so fun, he was supposed to be a very srs Evil Genius, that was the whole point of him and he will not ever be taken seriously again.


And the 'tech fella', the bloke who plays modern media. I'm no tech fella but even I know that records are kept around the internet somehow or other, so you can't just change shit and pretend it never happened. 

It does keep on giving, though.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Sugar Kane said:


> What has Cummings got on Boris?  Cos there's no reasonable explanation for saving his skinny covid ass.



It's not so much what Cummings has on BJ as what they all have on each other.  I doubt Johnson was closely involved with all the dodgy-data machinations around Vote Leave but he's still going to know more than most, Michael Gove probably even more so, and they were all up to their necks in the furore around prorogation last year, to give just a few 'highlights.'  I still think the plan may be to throw Johnson overboard when he's served his purpose as figurehead, but for the time being the calculation may well be that if they don't hang together they'll hang separately.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> And the 'tech fella', the bloke who plays modern media. I'm no tech fella but even I know that records are kept around the internet somehow or other, so you can't just change shit and pretend it never happened.
> 
> It does keep on giving, though.


Definitely more farce than tragedy, destroyed by his own misguided idea of himself as an extremely clever man. Unless you're him in which case I'm sure its very sad. I'd consider feeling sorry for his wife if she wasn't such a terrible writer.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

I think it's just that Cummings is central to the current government's strategic direction, and they've changed a lot of processes so that his removal would result in a power vacuum that couldn't be quickly or easily filled.


----------



## Teaboy (May 26, 2020)

I just think its as simple as Johnson is the figure head and Cummings is the engine room.  No way Cummings himself would ever get elected (not that he'd want to) and no way the lazy booze hound Johnson could carry on the pretense without Cummings.  They are a symbiotic relationship which up until this point has worked very well for them.

It was like the idea a lot of tories had that they could elect Johnson as their leader, he'd win them the election and then they would do all the work in the background.  Johnson as was just the means of getting power, unfortunately for them it didn't work out that way because they hadn't banked on Johnson and Cummings steamrolling through all that.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Definitely more farce than tragedy, destroyed by his own misguided idea of himself as an extremely clever man. Unless you're him in which case I'm sure its very sad. I'd consider feeling sorry for his wife if she wasn't such a terrible writer.


Strikes me that he's a bod that got lucky as much as anything. He ran a dirty campaign in which he was prepared to break the law, which gave him an advantage over those not prepared to do the same thing, regardless of how clever they were, and squeaked the leave vote by a thin margin due a bit to what he did but also a lot to other factors not in his control. If he'd narrowly lost that vote, his illegal machinations may well have landed him in a massive heap of problems, and he'd have been labelled a dangerous fool that nobody should touch with a barge pole.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> I think it's just that Cummings is central to the current government's strategic direction, and they've changed a lot of processes so that his removal would result in a power vacuum that couldn't be quickly or easily filled.



Yes, and also given him the authority to make changes himself.  I forget who it was who suggested last year that the deal was probably that he would win Johnson the election in return for being let loose on the Civil Service, which he hates.  There's some evidence that's already started to happen, though badly blown off course by Covid-19.  But yes, it's not only a matter of what he knows about what's gone on in the past as what his role is supposed to be in future.

edit - he, not we


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Strikes me that he's a bod that got lucky as much as anything. He ran a dirty campaign in which he was prepared to break the law, which gave him an advantage over those not prepared to do the same thing, regardless of how clever they were, and squeaked the leave vote by a thin margin due a bit to what he did but also a lot to other factors not in his control. If he'd narrowly lost that vote, his illegal machinations may well have landed him in a massive heap of problems, and he'd have been labelled a dangerous fool that nobody should touch with a barge pole.


Thats true too. At the same time though compared to the current crop of our rulers right now he probably has reliably been the cleverest person in the room most of the time.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Thats true too. At the same time though compared to the current crop of our rulers right now he probably has reliably been the cleverest person in the room most of the time.


I used to often be the cleverest person in the room when I worked with 3-6 year olds. It's a similar principle.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I wonder how BJ feels about being Prime Minister right now.  I bet part of him wishes he'd stuck to writing mendacious newspaper columns and shit history books.



time for him to fall on his sword in the best tradition of roman generals.

only he'd probably miss.


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2020)

Cummings said yesterday that he decides what does or doesn't cross Johnson's desk.
He is the one running the gaff.
He is a lying creep who regards you and I as units to be exploited or disregarded or sacrificed.
And for what exactly?
Like he is some kind of visionary?
Yet he doesn't trust his own vision enough he must subject it to the Barnard Castle eye test.
In my own clumsy way I am trying to point out to the converted already that Cummings is an utter cunt.


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

Sadly, the blog edit and lie on live tv to the nation hasn’t taken hold...yet


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Sadly, the blog edit snd lie on live tv ti the nation hasn’t took hold yet.



It's starting to, I posted the link to the Metro above, now both The Times & The New Statesman have picked-up on it, and for some strange reason the Salisbury Journal, which is part of the Newsquest regional & local newspaper group, so that will spread across their titles.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

It is quite pleasing to look at this and refresh the memory on exactly how pretentious and self aggrandising the man is who will forever now be known as the one who tested his eyesight by driving down the motorway with his kid in the car. 








						An Index of blogs, articles, papers
					

This page organises various blogs, articles, and papers into some categories. The series on the referendum is HERE. In 2019, just before going to No10, I wrote about the likely failure of UK crisis…




					dominiccummings.com


----------



## quimcunx (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I'd like to see a proper timeline of all the things he and his wife have claimed/admitted. I think that might demonstrate the lies, and help with responses to the tory wankers who are still supporting him.



I missed most of it. Everything after going up there in the first instance. At that point I was mostly ok with it _if it was true_.  A couple of things he said I scoffed at like the protesters bollocks. If it wasnt safe then then why come back to it. I can see the sense in being in a seperate house but having people there if needed.   If he had gone up and stayed up I would have more sympathy. Having to come to london for work. No he could have zoomed meetings same as everyone else. The 2nd hand accounts I've seen of what I missed lose my sympathy. 

What I'm finding frustrating is we seem to be being led by the right wing press into limiting our criticism to johnson rather than the govt as a whole.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> time for him to fall on his sword in the best tradition of roman generals.
> 
> only he'd probably miss.



And fall instead on a gigantic pink dildo.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

> Now they are trapped in a great whirlpool of lies. Whatever Cummings says becomes gospel, so ministers are charged with going out and pretending that it is entirely reasonable. First they sacrificed the lock-down, replacing it with a fine-print independent-judgement don't-you-care-for-your-kids bespoke version. Now, in a series of media rounds this morning, Michael Gove seemed to be rewriting driving law with a half-hearted insistence that driving was a perfectly reasonable way to check if you are capable of driving.
> 
> *It's like the Cabinet are chained to a mad dog. Whenever it runs off barking somewhere, they're pulled along behind it, insisting this is exactly where they wanted to go on a walk in the first place.*



What a great line.   









						Cummings scandal: The culture war doesn't work anymore
					

As soon as the tribalism of Brexit fades, Cummings and Johnson stand exposed.




					www.politics.co.uk


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> It is quite pleasing to look at this and refresh the memory on exactly how pretentious and self aggrandising the man is who will forever now be known as the one who tested his eyesight by driving down the motorway with his kid in the car.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Less a genius more an idiot savant.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> It's starting to, I posted the link to the Metro above, now both The Times & The New Statesman have picked-up on it, and for some strange reason the Salisbury Journal, which is part of the Newsquest regional & local newspaper group, so that will spread across their titles.



Well the Salisbury journal have some experience with national governments getting into hot water regarding visits to notable tourist attractions.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Looks like his neighbour hates him and allows the paps privileged access to their steps. Next they should get high powered mikes that can hear through walls and a few terabytes of disks. Bit like WikiLeaks a dirty business but sometimes it is just the right way forward. 






						Listen Through Walls Device : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools
					

Listen Through Walls Device : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools



					www.amazon.co.uk


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> Looks like his neighbour hates him and allows the paps privileged access to their steps. Next they should get high powered mikes that can hear through walls and a few terabytes of disks. Bit like WikiLeaks a dirty business but sometimes it is just the right way forward.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh god no.  The last thing we need are recordings of Cummings' cummings.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Oh god no.  The last thing we need are recordings of Cummings' cummings.



You bastard, I've just splattered my laptop with lager.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> You bastard, I've just splattered my laptop with lager.



My work here is done!


----------



## Sue (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> They usually only do this when they’ve wanted to go anyway, probably have another job lined up elsewhere and decide to leave with a flounce. Politicians that you’ve hardly ever heard of having a go at making a headline.



I suspect it's more about distancing himself from the Tories at Westminster (from the Guardian update thing so I've copied and pasted):

'Ipsos Mori polling for the BBC this morning that found 82% of Scots think *Nicola Sturgeon* has handled the coronavirus crisis well, in contrast to 30% saying the same thing about Boris Johnson.

Plus, Ross, who unseated the SNP’s then Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, in Moray in 2017, has a majority of little over 500, which can only sharpen his response to the outrage of constituents that he detailed in his resignation statement.'


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> What a great line.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's government-by-Fenton


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> You bastard, I've just splattered my laptop with lager.


Just imagine the carnage on Dom's


----------



## planetgeli (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> It's starting to, I posted the link to the Metro above, now both The Times & The New Statesman have picked-up on it, and for some strange reason the Salisbury Journal, which is part of the Newsquest regional & local newspaper group, so that will spread across their titles.



The blog edit is on the Guardian live blog, entered at 11.25am. The discrepancy in his statement compared to his wife's, about not being able to get out of bed yet somehow driving to the hospital, has been taken up by Beth Rigby of Sky, who was one of the better journalists yesterday.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 26, 2020)

Does Cummings remind anyone else of the Thick of It's Stuart Pearson?
Maybe it will end like this.
NSFW
Bit sweary.


----------



## Lurdan (May 26, 2020)

YouGov poll conducted today







Here at their site together with those for the identical poll questions three days ago. Clearly that interview worked out well 

Those charts in full :


Spoiler: chart one













Spoiler: Chart Two













Spoiler: Chart Three


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> The blog edit is on the Guardian live blog, entered at 11.25am. The discrepancy in his statement compared to his wife's, about not being able to get out of bed yet somehow driving to the hospital, has been taken up by Beth Rigby of Sky, who was one of the better journalists yesterday.


And that's one thing I've learned from this. Never watched Sky before yesterday. I have a mate who works for them and have always been a bit scoffy about it - he moved from BBC News for a big fat pay rise. But I can see his points about them now - beside doubling his salary. They do have some semblance of editorial independence.


----------



## Jeremiah18.17 (May 26, 2020)

Have people not the teentsiest suspicion that some of this ridiculous lying is deliberate- in the Trump/Bannon playbook?  I.e “Look at the ridiculous shit we can get away with. You can’t do shit about it. We have the power. LOSERS.  Suckers”
And some of their base, the batshit national-populist-Brexit-obsessed wannabe blackshirts LOVE it. “See us own the Libtards and lefties. See the sweet lefty tears”
It is a gamble, yes, as is everything Johnson, Trump, Bolsonaro, Modi, Erdogan, Putin and the rest of the criminal gang do. But they are still there, and still gaslighting the world.
Just saying


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Does Cummings remind anyone else of the Thick of It's Stuart Pearson?
> Maybe it will end like this.
> NSFW
> Bit sweary.



That was modelled on Steve Hilton


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Does Cummings remind anyone else of the Thick of It's Stuart Pearson?
> Maybe it will end like this.
> NSFW
> Bit sweary.




Stuart Pearson had some redeeming features Cummings does not.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

I bet Cummings is totally confused that the one bit of the story that's actually true is the bit everyone finds hysterically ridiculous.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Yep exactly, front it out like Bolsonaro. 'So what'.


----------



## editor (May 26, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Does Cummings remind anyone else of the Thick of It's Stuart Pearson?
> Maybe it will end like this.
> NSFW
> Bit sweary.



"Walking thought pod"


----------



## Mogden (May 26, 2020)

We should make Cummings interview again with no forewarning and see if the story is the same.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> The blog edit is on the Guardian live blog, entered at 11.25am. The discrepancy in his statement compared to his wife's, about not being able to get out of bed yet somehow driving to the hospital, has been taken up by Beth Rigby of Sky, who was one of the better journalists yesterday.





littlebabyjesus said:


> And that's one thing I've learned from this. Never watched Sky before yesterday. I have a mate who works for them and have always been a bit scoffy about it - he moved from BBC News for a big fat pay rise. But I can see his points about them now - beside doubling his salary. They do have some semblance of editorial independence.



I've always been impressed with Beth Rigby, and Sky News has grown on me in in the last couple of years, which is in line with when Sky got taken over, and Murdoch was gone.

They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves with this story.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Stuart Pearson had some redeeming features Cummings does not.


Yes, Pearson is fictional.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

Well he doesn't seem to have persuaded anyone:


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

maomao said:


> Well he doesn't seem to have persuaded anyone:
> 
> View attachment 214807


Crazy thing is, turning round those numbers is now going to be a central task of government.


----------



## Smangus (May 26, 2020)

I fancy Beth


----------



## teqniq (May 26, 2020)

Apologies if already posted. This is a pretty damning piece:









						Cummings' actions show government cannot be trusted, says adviser
					

Sage scientist condemns ‘vacuum in the heart of government’




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

So, the majority of conservative voters don't think he should resign.


----------



## Shirl (May 26, 2020)

Smangus said:


> I fancy Beth


And me, I spotted her a while back. Red lippy and clever


----------



## Mogden (May 26, 2020)

Plenty of lies highlighted here.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Tankus said:


> He should have asked Chris Huhne to give him a lift,  I'm told he has some experience in such matters .



Right on cue:


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

It's Evenly split 46 v 46


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

It's kicking off in Scotland now.



> SCOTTISH Tory leader Jackson Carlaw is now facing an open rebellion after four of the most senior members of his Holyrood team broke ranks over the Dominic Cummings saga.
> 
> Murdo Fraser, Donald Cameron, Graham Simpson and Adam Tomkins have spoken out over the Prime Minister's decision not to sack his chief aide – despite their boss Carlaw insisting it is a matter for Boris Johnson.
> 
> ...



Oh dear, what a shame, never mind.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

philosophical said:


> Cummings said yesterday that he decides what does or doesn't cross Johnson's desk.
> He is the one running the gaff.
> He is a lying creep who regards you and I as units to be exploited or disregarded or sacrificed.
> And for what exactly?
> ...


frankly number ten sounds completely chaotic


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Right on cue:



Yeah, what a funny guy...the one who sent his Mrs down in Holloway.
Massive cunt.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Plenty of lies highlighted here.



This story is nothing. Wakefield is not a politician and is not obliged to tell the truth in Spectator articles.


----------



## Shechemite (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> You bastard, I've just splattered my laptop with lager.



Yes. With lager.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Yeah, what a funny guy...the one who sent his Mrs down in Holloway.
> Massive cunt.



You won't find me disagreeing there, but even a massive cunt can have a point from time to time...


----------



## Teaboy (May 26, 2020)

Bit of a bind for Scottish tories.  They went in pretty hard on the Calderwood thing which is at best the same thing as Cummings did.


----------



## Mogden (May 26, 2020)

maomao said:


> This story is nothing. Wakefield is not a politician and is not obliged to tell the truth in Spectator articles.


Casts doubt though surely. Seems like a silly thing to compose a fiction about such an event, on her part I mean.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

I think the cat is out of the bag on Cummings; he's never getting away with this. One way or another he's screwed. The whole thing is of a different order to most of their bullshitting, it's personal for people from all political strands. Fintan O'Toole makes a good argument about this in the Guardian.









						Cummings’ contempt for lockdown rules makes the public feel like fools | Fintan O’Toole
					

The Catholic church in Ireland lost power by flouting the morals it prescribed. The Tory government risks a similar fate, says Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole




					www.theguardian.com
				




It's a fatal blunder. Or at least a serious self-inflicted blow to this administration, and the Tories more widely. Politicians trade on their (usually prentence of) integrity, of being 'on our side'. It's the powerful's old enemy hubris biting them hard.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Casts doubt though surely. Seems like a silly thing to compose a fiction about such an event, on her part I mean.


the master criminal always makes one fatal error and his was not to coordinate the lies with his wife


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Some fun being had on this thread:


----------



## Jeremiah18.17 (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> I think the cat is out of the bag on Cummings; he's never getting away with this. One way or another he's screwed. The whole thing is of a different order to most of their bullshitting, it's personal for people from all political strands. Fintan O'Toole makes a good argument about this in the Guardian.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is encouraging yes.
But what is the mechanism by which they will be held to account?
From where does the threat come, not just to Cummings and Johnson, but to the wider project that they are merely the current UK frontmen for?


----------



## planetgeli (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> Hmm.
> 
> Lied to the Queen.
> 
> ...



Sorry, I really don't want to keep this debate going but I am going to point out that the only thing on that list that merits real trouble for him if caught is the public money to a mistress. I know you think you've made a long list there and it's got a lot of likes but really, that's nowhere near anything majorly illegal apart from the one I mentioned. It might be morally reprehensible to fuck a dead pig but it's not illegal.

How about malfeasance, embezzlement, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, drug dealing? 

Not for one minute that I'm saying Johnson has committed any of these things. No, of course not. No. Not me.

But it doesn't take much imagination to go further than letterboxes and bum boys.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> frankly number ten sounds completely chaotic



Pandemic pandemonium.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> So, the majority of conservative voters don't think he should resign.





frogwoman said:


> It's Evenly split 46 v 46



Yep.



Bit dishonest of teuchter there, as you would expect from a Tory.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

Jeremiah18.17 said:


> That is encouraging yes.
> But what is the mechanism by which they will be held to account?
> From where does the threat come, not just to Cummings and Johnson, but to the wider project that they are merely the current UK frontmen for?



I'd have to think hard to give a good answer but I think they are at least going to be hounded and will be hated and laughed at in equal measure. Considering the current situation, it's hard to say what may happen. Whether about the best of it is wind in Labours' sails I don't know.


----------



## Teaboy (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Yep.
> 
> View attachment 214810
> 
> Bit dishonest of teuchter there, as you would expect from a Tory.



A odd slip of the tongue from someone who is usually so pedantic with numbers.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> So, the majority of conservative voters don't think he should resign.


The majority also don't think he shouldn't resign.


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Kaka Tim (May 26, 2020)

how much time are the most senior members of the government spending on protecting cummings? good job we are not in the middle of an unprecedented public health emergency.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Oh, FFS.   









						Number 10 defend Cummings over bizarre 'coronavirus' blog editing
					

NUMBER 10 have stuck up for adviser Dominic Cummings after it emerged he edited a year-old blog post on pandemic risks to include references to…




					www.thenational.scot
				




We are back to....



> *It's like the Cabinet are chained to a mad dog. Whenever it runs off barking somewhere, they're pulled along behind it, insisting this is exactly where they wanted to go on a walk in the first place.*


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

maomao said:


> Well he doesn't seem to have persuaded anyone:
> 
> View attachment 214807


Digging into those a bit on the yougov site, for the 'did he break lockdown' question, the interview has reduced the number of don't knows by a lot - number saying 'no' also went up, from 18 to 20%. The disapproval among the old actually went down a fair bit, although still high. Among the young, disapproval went up a lot. Among tory voters, disapproval went down a bit. 

So post-interview, there has been a little bit of tory lining up behind their man, or probably more likely behind Johnson. Not a lot, but a bit.


----------



## Part-timah (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Digging into those a bit on the yougov site, for the 'did he break lockdown' question, the interview has reduced the number of don't knows by a lot - number saying 'no' also went up, from 18 to 20%. The disapproval among the old actually went down a fair bit, although still high. Among the young, disapproval went up a lot. Among tory voters, disapproval went down a bit.
> 
> So post-interview, there has been a little bit of tory lining up behind their man, or probably more likely behind Johnson. Not a lot, but a bit.



Or it could just be Tories are older on average than normal people. This is likely to lead to less peer-to-peer, social media news consumption and greater reliance on old school broadcast media.


----------



## Jeremiah18.17 (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> I'd have to think hard to give a good answer but I think they are at least going to be hounded and will be hated and laughed at in equal measure. Considering the current situation, it's hard to say what may happen. Whether about the best of it is wind in Labours' sails I don't know.


Likewise.
Don’t get me wrong, anything which will disrupt, demoralise or further de-legitimise them is to be welcomed.
It is just that the most that can be short term hoped for (and IMHO not currently that likely) would be Cummings slipping out of the limelight with one of these “temporary” resignations the Tories are fond of. 
Anything that reduces the indirect influence of Matthew Elliott and his shady backers and dents the Johnson brand with the “apolitical” is to be welcomed though.


----------



## DJWrongspeed (May 26, 2020)

Does Cummings have more than 24hrs in his role, it's not looking good? 

Was just checking a few headlines from the newspapers. In a mad distraction the Torygraph is going with this one  
*Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle had 'row' over young bridesmaids' tights ahead of royal wedding*


----------



## Teaboy (May 26, 2020)

I doubt many tory voters are especially fond of Cummings but Johnson is their man, he is very popular amongst the rank and file.  Johnson going all in on Cummings will mean a lot in that regard.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Or it could just be Tories are older on average than normal people. This is likely to lead to less peer-to-peer, social media news consumption and greater reliance on old school broadcast media.


Perhaps. You do have to be wary of such confounding factors, but it is notable to me that among the over-65s, the interview actually may have done Cummings a little (and it is only a little) bit of good. Which is a bit surprising, even if you only watch the BBC and think Laura Kuenssberg is a bit of a liberal leftie, given what he actually said.


----------



## Shechemite (May 26, 2020)

What’s Mathew Goodwin’s eminent take on this?


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> What’s Mathew Goodwin’s eminent take on this?


still banging on about how shit Labour is.


----------



## Shechemite (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> still banging on about how shit Labour is.



Expert at understanding the public mood he is


----------



## existentialist (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> So, the majority of conservative voters don't think he should resign.


People say that you are curmudgeonly, but I say no! teuchter knows how to find the positives in the worst situation


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

oh no, here he is, condemning... that guy who sent the tweet from the civil service twitter account before being sacked.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Jeremiah18.17 said:


> Likewise.
> Don’t get me wrong, anything which will disrupt, demoralise or further de-legitimise them is to be welcomed.
> It is just that the most that can be short term hoped for (and IMHO not currently that likely) would be Cummings slipping out of the limelight with one of these “temporary” resignations the Tories are fond of.
> Anything that reduces the indirect influence of Matthew Elliott and his shady backers and dents the Johnson brand with the “apolitical” is to be welcomed though.



It's too late for that now.  If they were going to sideline Cummings and then quietly bring him back then Saturday morning would have been the time to do it, which probably wouldn't have killed the story altogether but would have taken a lot of the momentum out of it.  They've invested too much capital in hanging on to him to do it now without doing even more damage.


----------



## Spymaster (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> You bastard, I've just splattered my laptop with lager.


An improvement on what you usually splatter it with.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

Depending on the lager.


----------



## Marty1 (May 26, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> For anyone who missed it, here's Gove laughing at the absurd story he's trying to back up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Jesus wept - Gove went for the spin then pulled up at the last minute.

Has Tory HQ been spiked with LSD?


----------



## gosub (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> I think the cat is out of the bag on Cummings; he's never getting away with this. One way or another he's screwed. The whole thing is of a different order to most of their bullshitting, it's personal for people from all political strands. Fintan O'Toole makes a good argument about this in the Guardian.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Assuming there is a second spikie, there will be people who lose loved ones or suffer from the even worse economic shock that wiho have been told in advance that suffering was less important than that one man keeping his job.  Of course there might not be a second spike in which hurrah for the government, but that's a hell of a red black bet


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

gosub said:


> Assuming there is a second spikie, there will be people who lose loved ones or suffer from the even worse economic shock that wiho have been told in advance that suffering was less important than that one man keeping his job.  Of course there might not be a second spike in which hurrah for the government, but that's a hell of a red black bet


If there's a second spike and a second lockdown is needed, how the fuck can Johnson go on TV to announce it?


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Mogden said:


> We should make Cummings interview again with no forewarning and see if the story is the same.


Under caution.


----------



## gentlegreen (May 26, 2020)

Raheem said:


> If there's a second spike and a second lockdown is needed, how the fuck can Johnson go on TV to announce it?


Don't worry, he'll find a way to blame it on us.
But as has been the case so far it's all gambling for these psychopaths and a big reward if it pays off and if it doesn't they still end up wealthier than any of us could ever dream of being.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

Spymaster said:


> An improvement on what you usually splatter it with.



We don't all have your habits.


----------



## BristolEcho (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> Link you up?
> 
> The beauty of this stuff is it's not confined to the internet.
> 
> ...



Not to knock everything you've said, but most of the people I know in the sector including my colleagues find the clapping patronising. Can't speak for everyone of course. It gets even worse when you consider that we have been endangered and put at great risk at times including the people we work with. Literally clapping people to their death. Hopefully people will change their attitudes towards jobs that are traditionally undervalued and underpaid. Though there are a few that gave appreciated it and I can see the coming together as a good chance to plant seeds.

I agree though to some extent their have been positives that might be built on. Mutual aid being one of them.


----------



## gosub (May 26, 2020)

Raheem said:


> If there's a second spike and a second lockdown is needed, how the fuck can Johnson go on TV to announce it?


If he opened with putting Cummings in front of a firing squad, and then declared martial law, he might get a level of compliance.  As is, thats just a train crash for another day


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

gentlegreen said:


> Don't worry, he'll find a way to blame it on us.
> But as has been the case so far it's all gambling for these psychopaths and a big reward if it pays off and if it doesn't they still end up wealthier than any of us could ever dream of being.


Only possible downside = some of the little people dying; no brainer


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

I was living in Russia during when the two ordinary, patriotic, travel-loving young lads made their Salisbury visit btw and the similarities are absolutely striking.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Both in terms of the absolute brazeness of the 'press conferences' and the sycophantic Putin lackeys guilt tripping people for causing their families distress, that they only wanted to visit a cathedral but that he deserved it anyway etc


----------



## 2hats (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> If there was clear evidence that [...] he or his wife knowingly had covid symptoms when they set off then I think that would be significant.


----------



## editor (May 26, 2020)

Wow.



> Senior bishops who criticised Dominic Cummings' lockdown travel say they have received death threats.
> 
> Bishops in Newcastle, Ripon and Liverpool are among those who have said they have received hate mail.











						Coronavirus: Bishops get death threats over Cummings criticism
					

Bishops in Newcastle, Ripon and Liverpool are among those who say they have received hate mail.



					www.bbc.co.uk


----------



## 2hats (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Michael Gove has just been on LBC to say he drives to check his eyesight.


Truly amazing as to how many tory MPs and opinion writers have come forward in the last ~24 hours to freely admit to driving offences.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Yep.
> 
> View attachment 214810
> 
> Bit dishonest of teuchter there, as you would expect from a Tory.


So you are arguing that people who say "I don't know whether he should resign" are in fact people who "think he should resign"?

The fact is, amongst tory voters, it's a minority who think he should resign.


----------



## 8ball (May 26, 2020)

editor said:


> Wow.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



New levels of WTFness.


----------



## teuchter (May 26, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> A odd slip of the tongue from someone who is usually so pedantic with numbers.


No, I was careful to say "the majority of conservative voters don't think he should resign".

If I had said "the majority of conservative voters think he should not resign", that would be different.

As any serious pedant would understand.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> So you are arguing that people who say "I don't know whether he should resign" are in fact people who "think he should resign"?



No, but then you know that, you tedious clown.



> The fact is, amongst tory voters, it's a minority who think he should resign.



The fact is, amongst your mates, it's a minority who think he should stay.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (May 26, 2020)

editor said:


> Wow.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I thought it was just the loony left that brandished pitchforks and chased people away to County Durham....until they are blind


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

BristolEcho said:


> Not to knock everything you've said, but most of the people I know in the sector including my colleagues find the clapping patronising. Can't speak for everyone of course. It gets even worse when you consider that we have been endangered and put at great risk at times including the people we work with. Literally clapping people to their death. Hopefully people will change their attitudes towards jobs that are traditionally undervalued and underpaid. Though there are a few that gave appreciated it and I can see the coming together as a good chance to plant seeds.
> 
> I agree though to some extent their have been positives that might be built on. Mutual aid being one of them.



Yeah.

It's not the clapping itself that I find encouraging but that the street is collectively doing something together and (re)making lost connection s of community. Albeit in a very small, very tentative way.

It's not much against the 40 year tsunami of individualism that we've faced.

But it's something.


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Sorry, I really don't want to keep this debate going but I am going to point out that the only thing on that list that merits real trouble for him if caught is the public money to a mistress. I know you think you've made a long list there and it's got a lot of likes but really, that's nowhere near anything majorly illegal apart from the one I mentioned. It might be morally reprehensible to fuck a dead pig but it's not illegal.
> 
> How about malfeasance, embezzlement, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, drug dealing?
> 
> ...



Well, I'll look forward to that.


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

mauvais said:


> Even with a weary cynicist's hat on, do you think it's completely without consequence? For example does it not degrade the public's faith in government and particularly the Tories? Is there nothing to be gained from that?



Potentially.

It's also very dangerous.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

Whatever it is, if it's bad for the Tories, it's unlikely to also be bad for society.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> It's kicking off in Scotland now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw seems to have changed his mind.



> The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has told Downing Street that Dominic Cummings should consider his position, BBC Scotland has learned.
> 
> Jackson Carlaw made his views known as Scotland Office minister Douglas Ross quit the UK government over the row.
> 
> ...



The story that keeps of giving.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Whatever it is, if it's bad for the Tories, it's unlikely to also be bad for society.


Normally I would totally agree. Covid-19 is an exception, though. A half-competent response to the crisis would have been good for the Tories and also probably saved around 30,000 lives.


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2020)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> What's the depressing joke is the state of the left that can't do anything about it anyway, and that it's come to being fixated on this tbh.


This really. I'll take what I can get at the moment, but yeah, this really is a sign of 'our' weakness.


----------



## Struwwelpeter (May 26, 2020)

And where is Labour?  Can't even be arsed to add their name to the joint letter from the other opposition parties.


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2020)

If they're all coked up to the eyeballs how do they score their supply without getting caught?


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Lied about what?


TBH, I'm far from convinced he ever had covid.


----------



## Shechemite (May 26, 2020)

Labour improving in the polling fwiw


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Normally I would totally agree. Covid-19 is an exception, though. A half-competent response to the crisis would have been good for the Tories and also probably saved around 30,000 lives.


A half-competent response would have been profligate and pulled at all their internal fissures.


----------



## Shechemite (May 26, 2020)

Wilf said:


> This really. I'll take what I can get at the moment, but yeah, this really is a sign of 'our' weakness.



to be fair to ourselves the literal social isolation/separation does make it much harder to organise in the community/workplace.

The substitutionist left do actually seem to be doing well atm though


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

philosophical said:


> If they're all coked up to the eyeballs how do they score their supply without getting caught?


This coke thing that keeps being brought up is such a tedious nonsense I wish people would just stop with it. Your postman probably does a bit of coke it’s just not a factor. None of these men come across as cokeheads and even if they did it would probably be the most humanising thing about them.


----------



## Jeremiah18.17 (May 26, 2020)

Prediction: 
If by some miracle, Cummings actually goes, Johnson will immediately replace him with Matthew Elliott or some other Tufton Street Tosser.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> Labour improving in the polling fwiw


Difficult to separate this from a seesaw effect from government approval dropping though


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Jeremiah18.17 said:


> Prediction:
> If by some miracle, Cummings actually goes, Johnson will immediately replace him with Matthew Elliott or some other Tufton Street Tosser.



Doubt it: those people stay in the background and pull the strings from there.  They don't actually need to be in government; just to have its ear, which they clearly do from the number of Tufton Street thinktank bods who have advisory positions of one sort or another.


----------



## Jeremiah18.17 (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Doubt it: those people stay in the background and pull the strings from there.  They don't actually need to be in government; just to have its ear, which they clearly do from the number of Tufton Street thinktank bods who have advisory positions of one sort or another.


Maybe, but will deffo be some absolute tosspot, both to replicate Cummings and give the maximum two fingers to opponents if Cummings has been forced out.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Your postman probably does a bit of coke


That would explain a thing or two


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> This coke thing that keeps being brought up is such a tedious nonsense I wish people would just stop with it. Your postman probably does a bit of coke it’s just not a factor. None of these men come across as cokeheads and even if they did it would probably be the most humanising thing about them.


 My question was about getting it without getting caught.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Jeremiah18.17 said:


> Maybe, but will deffo be some absolute tosspot, both to replicate Cummings and give the maximum two fingers to opponents if Cummings has been forced out.



I think the problem is that there's no-one who can replicate Cummings.  That's one reason - perhaps the main one - why they won't sack him.


----------



## Teaboy (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> This coke thing that keeps being brought up is such a tedious nonsense I wish people would just stop with it. Your postman probably does a bit of coke it’s just not a factor. None of these men come across as cokeheads and even if they did it would probably be the most humanising thing about them.



Doubt it, my postie has the look of a hardened booze hound.  The point being the total hypocrisy of it all as they are the ones in charge of its continuing criminalisation.  One rule for them etc...


----------



## 8ball (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I think the problem is that there's no-one who can replicate Cummings.  That's one reason - perhaps the main one - why they won't sack him.



You think he’ll just lie low for a bit?


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

8ball said:


> You think he’ll just lie low for a bit?


He might try, tbf he hasn’t been one for the spotlight aside from this , but he’s going to find it hard .


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I think the problem is that there's no-one who can replicate Cummings.  That's one reason - perhaps the main one - why they won't sack him.


Correct. I just hope they don't start redirecting virologists to the task.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

All opposition parties _except Labour_ are calling on Cummings to resign.


----------



## editor (May 26, 2020)

Meanwhile, in Holland:









						Dutch PM did not visit dying mother until her final night because of lockdown restrictions
					

He complied with restrictions in place over the virus, spokesperson says




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

8ball said:


> You think he’ll just lie low for a bit?



I think they'll do everything they can to keep him out of the limelight for a bit, yes.  But he won't be sacked, even if the plan is to bring him back quietly in the future.  It's too late for that now.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

maomao said:


> All opposition parties _except Labour_ are calling on Cummings to resign.


Tbf, Starmer has said that Cummings should be sacked. Trouble is he said it towards the end of a sentence, so most people will have lost concentration.


----------



## not a trot (May 26, 2020)

Surprised


Jeremiah18.17 said:


> Prediction:
> If by some miracle, Cummings actually goes, Johnson will immediately replace him with Matthew Elliott or some other Tufton Street Tosser.



Might as well replace him with Larry the fucking cat for all the good it will do him.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

This 


The39thStep said:


> He might try, tbf he hasn’t been one for the spotlight aside from this , but he’s going to find it hard .


If he's out he's out though. He might end up having the occasional chat with Johnson (should he stay!) from time to time but he will be out of the loop for the detail stuff the stuff he needs to be in the flow of. Anyways he'll probably think fuck this for a game of soldiers and head off for some multi-million-pound eyrie in some hedge fund/internet startup from where he can make a huge wedge in the shadows. Johnson seems to think he needs him but he definitely doesn't need him anymore.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Tbf, Starmer has said that Cummings should be sacked. Trouble is he said it towards the end of a sentence, so most people will have lost concentration.


He should get one of the labour luvies to give him acting lessons. Partick Stewart might do the job.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> He should get one of the labour luvies to give him acting lessons. Partick Stewart might do the job.


frankie howerd or ken dodd would have been more apt, being as they'd have been able to help him deal with a difficult audience


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

not a trot said:


> Might as well replace him with Larry the fucking cat for all the good it will do him.



Can't do that.  Having to share No.10 with that shower of shite is near enough cruelty to the poor puss as it is!


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> frankie howerd or ken dodd would have been more apt, being as they'd have been able to help him deal with a difficult audience


Ken Dodd was one for lock-in marathon tickle me sessions. If we have a Boring Olympics then he would be in a shout for medals would have thought.I have actually forgotten who the LibDem leader is and can't be arsed to look him up. He's probably furloughed at the moment.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2020)

don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> This coke thing that keeps being brought up is such a tedious nonsense I wish people would just stop with it. Your postman probably does a bit of coke it’s just not a factor. None of these men come across as cokeheads and even if they did it would probably be the most humanising thing about them.




Except that lots of people, particularly young black poor people here and poor people in South America have their lives either fucked up by the state or taken by rivals as a result of these men making the Production and delivery of the gak they snort Unlawful.


----------



## Mogden (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> This coke thing that keeps being brought up is such a tedious nonsense I wish people would just stop with it. Your postman probably does a bit of coke it’s just not a factor. None of these men come across as cokeheads and even if they did it would probably be the most humanising thing about them.


As people in charge of the livelihood of thousands of English residents I'd quite like to know they're doing it sober, not with a jolt up their noses to give them the confidence to bluster their way through whatever is thrown at them.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

A380 said:


> Except that lots of people, particularly young black poor people here and poor people in South America have their lives either fucked up by the state or taken by rivals as a result of these men making the Production and delivery of the gak they snort Unlawful.


Fair enough, if there’s a conversation about that then crack on ( ) but going ooh look Cummings touched his nose must be a coke addict is extremely silly.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Fair enough, if there’s a conversation about that then crack on ( ) but going ooh look Cummings touched his nose must be a coke addicts is extremely silly.


It was Gove, who has admitted to taking coke 'on several occasions'. If he's admitting to more than once, that means he was a habitual user. Fair game, imo.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

Mogden said:


> As people in charge of the livelihood of thousands of English residents I'd quite like to know they're doing it sober, not with a jolt up their noses to give them the confidence to bluster their way through whatever is thrown at them.


Oh I really don’t think they need drugs for that that’s a long term problem, they wake up like that.


----------



## wayward bob (May 26, 2020)

doubling down on "exceptional circumstances" as a get out of jail free card 

allllll of this is exceptional circumstances you bunch of cunts.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

I've decided to dabble in conceptual art in my lockdown downtime.

I call this piece:


*That Shit Teacher That All The Other Teachers Think Is A Knob Too Who Has To Sit At A Table All On His Lonesome, In The Canteen, At Lunchtime, Every Day.*
(D. Cinzano, 2020)


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

wayward bob said:


> doubling down on "exceptional circumstances" as a get out of jail free card


_Exceptional circumstances in these exceptional circumstances_

They are very, very _special_, you know.


----------



## wayward bob (May 26, 2020)

as a wuss i never quite got the stringing up/lampposts fury quite how i get it atm


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

This is so embarrassing for them. They are apparently ready to retrospectively change the basic rule of lockdown (and refund fines given to families) in order to try to save that man.


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> This coke thing that keeps being brought up is such a tedious nonsense I wish people would just stop with it. Your postman probably does a bit of coke it’s just not a factor. None of these men come across as cokeheads and even if they did it would probably be the most humanising thing about them.


I would have gone along with you before yesterday and then I saw the endless nose touching and the absolute self referential bullshit and I was reminded of all the reasons why I have avoided the stuff for years. If the man isn't on it his soul hasn't got over it. It sits in his core. Your postman would use it to do his rounds. These people use it to close down that nagging voice which screams the truth before you sleep.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

Philip Davies has called for Cummings to go. He's a wanker of the highest order and he's also ERG, so the pressure from that wing of the party isn't fading away just yet.


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> I've decided to dabble in conceptual art in my lockdown downtime.
> 
> I call this piece:
> 
> ...



It’s a really flimsy folding table. I was hoping one of the reporters was going to pick him up and body slam him on to to causing it to break in half al’la WWF ( not the one that’s nice to pandas, though that would have been cool too).


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

He's going to have to go, isn't he? 

My bet would be on no admission of guilt at all. He'll 'resign' citing to the persecution and danger his family has been put under.


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

Whilst the murdering public school bastards may well use coke it's the intoxication of power and privilege schooled into them that leads to their behaviour imo.


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

kenny g said:


> These people use it to close down that nagging voice which screams the truth before you sleep.



What, the one that says “have you left the downstairs light on” or “ you really should get up and have a pee now”...


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (May 26, 2020)

Ax^ said:


> was that the same blog that featured another now sacked goverment aid who want to force birth control on the poor to stop the growth of a worthless underclass


i was discussing this with a friend last night. Who has been acquainted with this man a couple of times. Homeschooled apparently. 
And some other more juicy tales.
I only wish I had this information back in February. He seems like an odd chap.


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

A380 said:


> What, the one that says “have you left the downstairs light on” or “ you really should get up and have a pee now”...



For normal people that is the one i.e. check the light and go for a piss. His would be a little different and less solvable


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> He's going to have to go, isn't he?
> 
> My bet would be on no admission of guilt at all. He'll 'resign' citing to the persecution and danger his family has been put under.


He will _definitely _blame the media.

I figured it might be a "I don't wish to be a continued distraction from the real job of government which is to... blah blah blah".

I'm honestly not sure if he's actually got it in him to do it, though


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2020)

Pretty much all the press conference questions today (Hancock) are Cummings-related one way or another. 

Still no sign of Whitty or Vallance, Newton was doing the slides today.


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

kenny g said:


> For normal people that is the one i.e. check the light and go for a piss. His would be a little different and less solvable



The voice that says he is worthless, no one has ever truly loved or cared for him and his life is meaningless, and has his butler turned of the hall light?


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

A380 said:


> The voice that says he is worthless, no one has ever truly loved or cared for him and his life is meaningless, and has his butler turned of the hall light?



Maybe time to do another line.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> He will _definitely _blame the media.
> 
> I figured it might be a "I don't wish to be a continued distraction from the real job of government which is to... blah blah blah".
> 
> I'm honestly not sure if he's actually got it in him to do it, though


Of course he's only a spad. He can resign without saying anything at all if he likes. He's not actually a public figure.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> He's going to have to go, isn't he?


What makes you say that today? Looking less likely imo, the damage is already done basically so might as well just carry on.


----------



## agricola (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> He should get one of the labour luvies to give him acting lessons. Partick Stewart might do the job.



especially him, he does a fantastic reasonable conversation face that suddenly turns threatening


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

elbows said:


> Still no sign of Whitty or Vallance, Newton was doing the slides today.



That is weird, yesterday Sky reported that both Whitty and Vallance had turned-up at No. 10 whilst Cummings was making a fool of himself, yet they didn't appear when Johnson arrived to make a fool of himself.


----------



## agricola (May 26, 2020)

elbows said:


> Pretty much all the press conference questions today (Hancock) are Cummings-related one way or another.
> 
> Still no sign of Whitty or Vallance, Newton was doing the slides today.



didnt someone point out that they were due to do last nights, turned up and were then sent home?


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> What makes you say that today? Looking less likely imo, the damage is already done basically so might as well just carry on.


Tories continuing to turn on him. Johnson risks splitting the party over this.


----------



## wayward bob (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> What makes you say that today? Looking less likely imo, the damage is already done basically might as well just carry on.


looking increasingly likely. 

cunts.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2020)

The first two syllables in Matt Hancock's name really are redundant aren't they.

That's fucking unbelievable. Changing the law retrospectively to protect a paid advisor. Fucking astounding.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

agricola said:


> didnt someone point out that they were due to do last nights, turned up and were then sent home?


Not needed any more. We've beaten this - thanks lads, you can go. More important matters to focus on now.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Of course he's only a spad. He can resign without saying anything at all if he likes. He's not actually a public figure.


He resigns to spend more time with his family- oh he's already done that.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2020)

agricola said:


> didnt someone point out that they were due to do last nights, turned up and were then sent home?



Yes thats why I will continue to comment about them until such a time as they might be seen at the press conference again.

Although to be honest its not like they had been appearing that often recently anyway. Its their non-appearance when Johnson was on thats the story really, as that pairing had previous been favoured for Johnson ones.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

Bet they’re discussing how soon they can stop doing these tv shows without looking even more ridiculous by stopping.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

wayward bob said:


> as a wuss i never quite got the stringing up/lampposts fury quite how i get it atm


I'm now picturing a training montage which starts with you in the attic angrily watching clips of his press conference, and climaxes with you jumping up and down on the top step outside Chez Cummings, arms aloft, pitchfork on one hand, molotov in the other


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

Showers of shits.


----------



## planetgeli (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> Bet they’re discussing how soon they can stop doing these tv shows without looking even more ridiculous by stopping.



In a roundabout way I think that may have been LBJ's point. They can't carry on with the conferences being dominated by Cumming's undermining of the advice. So yeah, still more likely they'll stop the conferences than make Cummings resign.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

agricola said:


> didnt someone point out that they were due to do last nights, turned up and were then sent home?



Some guy on Sky was just commenting on this again, Whitty and Vallance arrived yesterday & were told the briefing was most likely going to be about Cummings, and left again, not sure if that was their call or Downing Street's call.


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> You finish your durham quarantine, then you drive back, then you re-emerge because by then you are in London. You choose not to mention that you have been in Durham but why would you? There is a slightly complicated thing about public messaging where it makes sense not to advertise that you have been doing stuff that you consider to have been within your interpretation of the rules, but which it would not be helpful if everyone decided they could do it in a looser definition of 'exceptional circumstances'. I know that is to some extent 'one rule for us' but it's also the reality of how public health messaging works.


With all due respect, LOL


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Whitty and Vallance need to resign asap.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 26, 2020)

At last confirmation that Durham police have started their investigation.  



> Durham police have begun their investigation into Dominic Cummings’ alleged breaking of lockdown rules, the Guardian and Daily Mirror have learned.
> 
> A witness has been interviewed by detectives, while the officers also have access to software to track the movement of a vehicle used by the prime minister’s top aide.
> 
> The developments came after Cummings denied any wrongdoing. It also follows police being asked on Monday to establish the facts by Steve White, the acting police, crime and victims’ commissioner for Durham, who oversees the force.











						Durham police open investigation into Dominic Cummings
					

Key witness interviewed and police have access to vehicle-tracking software amid claims aide broke lockdown




					www.theguardian.com
				




Just another bit of fun.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Of course he's only a spad. He can resign without saying anything at all if he likes. He's not actually a public figure.


This is a fair point.

But these are also unprecedented times.


----------



## Septimus Rufiji (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Michael Gove has just been on LBC to say he drives to check his eyesight.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

From Hancock's press conference, Cummings' "exceptional circumstance" seems to be that he and his partner had no alternative childcare available in the house.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

People died because they were told to stay home rather than go to hospital.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Who was the reporter between Peston and Gibbon? She was raging





mauvais said:


> Beth Rigby, political editor at Sky News.


Tracked down some footage of her putting her questions to the Odd Dunelmian


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Why havent Whitty and Vallance gone? They need to if they're to retain any integrity.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 26, 2020)




----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> People died because they were told to stay home rather than go to hospital.



The murdering public school bastards have form on this...

Lest we forget.


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 26, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


>



4X4 cunt mobile


----------



## Mogden (May 26, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


>



That sums up just how much of a mindfuck this whole thing is when a spoof news reporter is more sincere and honest and hard hitting than what is actually being done.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 26, 2020)

Breaking a rule of never listening to Fartrage ( typo , but fuck it it's staying..), on LBC , most of the callers are still really angry , self confessed brexiters too, and this is the problem for the tossers, it's united the country.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> In a roundabout way I think that may have been LBJ's point. They can't carry on with the conferences being dominated by Cumming's undermining of the advice. So yeah, still more likely they'll stop the conferences than make Cummings resign.



I think you may be right, and - and not aimed at you: a general observation - this is precisely why in any sane set of circumstances he would have gone long ago.  The focus of these briefings should be on what the situation is with the virus and what the government and essential services are doing, not some sort extra lobby briefing with added medics. It's because of his role in bringing about and sustaining the _in_sane circumstances we're in that this might be a possibility. It's absolute madness, and it's literally lethal.

e2a - sorry, stating the obvious there, but listening to a bit of the briefing kind of highlighted the sheer obscenity of the situation.  Thousands of people have died unnecessarily because of these clowns.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Look there's certainly been problems with drive through opticians but it's way too soon to compare them with normal opticians, we don't know until the end.


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

It might be that driving along to Barnard Castle while coughing your lungs out actually saves your eyesight at the expense of short term pain. We just dont know. Who can tell? Total mystery.


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

phillm said:


> This
> 
> If he's out he's out though. He might end up having the occasional chat with Johnson (should he stay!) from time to time but he will be out of the loop for the detail stuff the stuff he needs to be in the flow of. Anyways he'll probably think fuck this for a game of soldiers and head off for some multi-million-pound eyrie in some hedge fund/internet startup from where he can make a huge wedge in the shadows. Johnson seems to think he needs him but he definitely doesn't need him anymore.


Don’t think he’s going anywhere at the moment tbh. He doesn’t seem to stay too long in jobs , might be an ideas man and not a finisher completer. On one hand he could be the same as Steve Hilton bright blue sky thing one moment then forgotten the next . However his statement and interview suggests that he reports to Johnson on a cross cutting departmental reform programme and shielding Johnson . It’s a difficult role to fulfil unless you have the full confidence and ear of the person you are reporting to. Johnson’s put his cards on the table not with a ‘ Ive given him a stern warning but decided on merit to let him carry on ‘ type message but quite the reverse a glowing exoneration. Suggests that with that sort of endorsement he’s around for at least a little while longer . As I’ve said before they have 80 seats and a 4 years to see this out .


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Why havent Whitty and Vallance gone? They need to if they're to retain any integrity.


Nah, they'll be fine. They shouldn't be, but.


----------



## equationgirl (May 26, 2020)

A380 said:


> It’s a really flimsy folding table. I was hoping one of the reporters was going to pick him up and body slam him on to to causing it to break in half al’la WWF ( not the one that’s nice to pandas, though that would have been cool too).


Surely panda slamming Dom a la WWF style into the table would have been far more believable that yesterday's press conference.


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Tbf, Starmer has said that Cummings should be sacked. Trouble is he said it towards the end of a sentence, so most people will have lost concentration.


It’s the last sentence that should contain the message .


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> Nah, they'll be fine. They shouldn't be, but.



How the fuck can they stand and watch this shit show? If nothing else the whole thing will be pinned on them,


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> It’s the last sentence that should contain the message .



The important bit was towards the end of the sentence so I didn't get that far


----------



## tommers (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> It might be that driving along to Barnard Castle while coughing your lungs out actually saves your eyesight at the expense of short term pain. We just dont know. Who can tell? Total mystery.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

This from last year shows he is some kind of chancer anyway.









						Dominic Cummings accused of conflict of interest over NHS fund
					

Boris Johnson’s aide was consultant for AI startup that could win share of £250m fund




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

The thing about liars is if they get away with it they start to think they have control over the truth.


----------



## keybored (May 26, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> That would explain a thing or two


Those missing darknet orders.


----------



## Badgers (May 26, 2020)

Police: Public using Cummings' actions as excuse to breach lockdown
					

Serving officer in London says two people caught breaking lockdown rules told him 'well if Dominic Cummings can do what he wants then we should be able to too'




					www.standard.co.uk


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> oh no, here he is, condemning... that guy who sent the tweet from the civil service twitter account before being sacked.



The man has become a complete joke, does anyone take him seriously any more?


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

SpineyNorman said:


> The man has become a complete joke, does anyone take him seriously any more?


He's regularly published by all the worst news & opinion sites in the world, so I guess they all do.


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> oh no, here he is, condemning... that guy who sent the tweet from the civil service twitter account before being sacked.



Yup good with data and analysis but for him any outloud  thinking on Twitter is a no go area .


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> At last confirmation that Durham police have started their investigation.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The Police's record on investigating top Tory brass is about as good as their investigations into themselves.
I live in hope though....wouldn't take much of a new revelation to do for him


----------



## DexterTCN (May 26, 2020)

Dunno if it was mentioned but I think JK Rowling said she'd give the civil servant a years salary if he got sacked.


----------



## vanya (May 26, 2020)

In the Rose Garden
					

After keeping the TV schedules waiting for half an hour, did Dominic Cummings do enough to save his bacon? It's doubtful his presentation ...




					averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com
				






> After keeping the TV schedules waiting for half an hour, did Dominic Cummings do enough to save his bacon? It's doubtful his presentation in the Downing Street rose garden changed anyone's mind. If you're prepared to defend the government and Cummings after the weekend's revelations you're going to carry on doing so. After all, for the likes of Dan Hodges and Guidelet-at-large Tom Haywood the truth is a firm second to media profile - even if it means eating shit on the government's behalf. And if you're angry because Cummings flouted lockdown rules, you're still going to be angry.
> 
> In an impressive display of doublethink, Cummings said he did nothing wrong. And then admitted to the assembled pressers all the times he disobeyed the rules he helped write:
> 
> ...


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

vanya said:


> In the Rose Garden
> 
> 
> After keeping the TV schedules waiting for half an hour, did Dominic Cummings do enough to save his bacon? It's doubtful his presentation ...
> ...



Good summary. One thing confuses me though: "After having recovered somewhat following a couple of days in bed, he felt his eyesight had been adversely affected" I thought his wife said he was in bed for 10 days virtually unable to move.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

I locked my dog in the house then set it on fire to see if the fire-alarm was working.I didn't do anything wrong but it was one hell of a_* hot dog...*_


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)




----------



## DexterTCN (May 26, 2020)




----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

I set fire to my bakery on Pudding Lane in 1666 because I knew smoke alarms would be invented 200 years later. I wrote a blog about this at the time.

"I turned up half an hour late to my own press conference just to check if everyone's watches were working"


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> At last confirmation that Durham police have started their investigation.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Police's record on investigating top Tory brass is about as good as their investigations into themselves.
I live in hope though....


vanya said:


> From that blog piece:
> "And so he's dug his heels in, and Boris Johnson is backing him to the hilt. Their fates are now tied - they stand together or they fall together"


Lets say plod do uncover something that contradicts his already dubious account, at that point Johnson can still distance himself, pin it on Cummings for lying, express his disappointment in him, and wipe his grubby hands to some extent


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

He does have to watch out in his criticisms though. He wouldn't like to turn Cummings against him to provoke a proper Kiss and Tell expose.


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

__





						Misconduct in Public Office | The Crown Prosecution Service
					






					www.cps.gov.uk
				




"Misconduct in public office is an offence at common law triable only on indictment. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It is an offence confined to those who are public office holders and is committed when the office holder acts (or fails to act) in a way that constitutes a breach of the duties of that office."


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He does have to watch out in his criticisms though. He wouldn't like to turn Cummings against him to provoke a proper Kiss and Tell expose.


Im not feeling this Ive Got The Dirt So Watch It Blackmail angle at all tbh...seems fantastical to me


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Im not feeling this Ive Got The Dirt So Watch It Blackmail angle at all tbh...seems fantastical to me



Not needed - if they fall out it's likely all to come out with no talk of blackmail.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

not that a condone drinking driving


"sorry officer i wanted to test if i was to pissed to drive"


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2020)

kenny g said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Does Cummings hold any kind of public office? I thought he was a SPAD.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Im not feeling this Ive Got The Dirt So Watch It Blackmail angle at all tbh...seems fantastical to me


it's absolute bollocks, verging on conspiracy theory. embarrassing to see it bandied about tbh.


----------



## equationgirl (May 26, 2020)

Yes, more likely Bojo would face that offence as an elected official, not Dom.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> it's absolute bollocks, verging on conspiracy theory. embarrassing to see it bandied about tbh.



Where was it bandied about?


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 26, 2020)

good trout fishing on the tees at barnard castle- salmon too









						Look at the size of this brown trout caught on the River Tees
					

THIS fish pictured is a huge wild brown trout that a Teesside man caught while fishing on Wednesday (May 20).




					www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
				




Beautiful native brown trout there- look at its colouring

/derail


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Where was it bandied about?


what, that Cummings has the dirt on Johnson and that's why he's being looked after? everywhere. Multiple posts on this thread, the whole of twitter and facebook for the last 5 days...


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Ah ok. Your post was in response to ska's which was in response to mine. To clarify I'm not talking about blackmail, I'm talking about if two people with huge egos fall out.


----------



## equationgirl (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Ah ok. Your post was in response to ska's which was in response to mine. To clarify I'm not talking about blackmail, I'm talking about if two people with huge egos fall out.


Some kind of ego-apocolypse I would expect. Like the worst, most acrimonious divorce ever.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Some kind of ego-apocolypse I would expect. Like the worst, most acrimonious divorce ever.


Johnson gets Brexit every other weekend.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

Really dark stuff from Steve...


----------



## equationgirl (May 26, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Johnson gets Brexit every other weekend.


They fight over who doesn't get custody of Gove.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2020)

The ‘scumedia’ thing is scary now, does anyone know where it started? Just pure trumpism, tribal dangerous shit.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

These cunts know better than to fall out like that. That's why Gove's knifing of Johnson in 2016 was so shocking - they don't do it like that.


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 26, 2020)

teuchter said:


> So you are arguing that people who say "I don't know whether he should resign" are in fact people who "think he should resign"?
> 
> The fact is, amongst tory voters, it's a minority who think he should resign.


But a majority do not think he should not not not resign too.


----------



## The Octagon (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> what, that Cummings has the dirt on Johnson and that's why he's being looked after? everywhere. Multiple posts on this thread, the whole of twitter and facebook for the last 5 days...



I don't think it's that far fetched to assume that Cummings has been witness to (and almost certainly party to) behaviour by Government ministers that they would not want to be made public knowledge. 

The idea that he's sat in front of Johnson and outright suggested he'll stitch them up if he's not looked after is less convincing, agreed.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2020)

I know this has been covered multiple times already including if I remember correctly the original tweets from the author of this piece, but I wanted to quote a bit of it.









						Coronavirus: Why did Dominic Cummings say he predicted it?
					

Dominic Cummings's 2019 blog mentioned coronavirus, but only after it was edited in April 2020.



					www.bbc.co.uk
				






> It is difficult to see why editing a year-old personal blog would have been on any list of priorities for any No 10 official on a day like that - in the middle of the period where hospital deaths had peaked the previous week, but care home deaths were still mounting.
> 
> But Mr Cummings clearly felt the need on Monday to point to examples of prescience on this specific issue.
> 
> ...


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

The Octagon said:


> I don't think it's that far fetched to assume that Cummings has been witness to (and almost certainly party to) behaviour by Government ministers that they would not want to be made public knowledge.
> 
> The idea that he's sat in front of Johnson and outright suggested he'll stitch them up if he's not looked after is less convincing, agreed.


that's true of literally every significant political advisor ever though, and the vast majority of insignificant ones.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

bimble said:


> The ‘scumedia’ thing is scary now, does anyone know where it started? Just pure trumpism, tribal dangerous shit.



trump election campaign 

methinks


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Really dark stuff from Steve...
> 
> View attachment 214869



His wife is a care worker, so he was saying on Twitter when he posted this, and he's furious about what she's had to go through.  Tbh I don't get past finding a lot of his stuff mildly amusing, but that one's so very sad.


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> They fight over who doesn't get custody of Gove.


He's jack them both off if asked. Both individually and together if required.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> His wife is a care worker, so he was saying on Twitter when he posted this, and he's furious about what she's had to go through.  Tbh I don't get past finding a lot of his stuff mildly amusing, but that one's so very sad.


Yes, powerful and sad.

It makes one of the more powerful points about the context of the whole cummings event; had they actually been anywhere near effective at stopping mass deaths some folk might have been more forgiving had the cunt apologised.


----------



## xenon (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Not needed - if they fall out it's likely all to come out with no talk of blackmail.



What else could come out. Everyone knows what Johnson's like. A few more allegations of affairs, misusing public finances, flagrant provable bullshitting trying to get journalists beatn up... Those who don't care, still won't.care.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

The Octagon said:


> I don't think it's that far fetched to assume that Cummings has been witness to (and almost certainly party to) behaviour by Government ministers that they would not want to be made public knowledge.



Absolutely he has.  But Johnson and Gove, especially, have probably connived in him breaking the law too, which along with his influence over government strategy is what makes him different from most other special advisors.  It's not so much a matter of him having dirt on them as all of them being in it together.  I still think that the saying 'hang together or we'll hang separately' explains some of what's happened in the last few days and weeks.


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

The Octagon said:


> The idea that he's sat in front of Johnson and outright suggested he'll stitch them up if he's not looked after is less convincing


Yeah, not Dom, no way.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> These cunts know better than to fall out like that. That's why Gove's knifing of Johnson in 2016 was so shocking - they don't do it like that.



Possibly. If Johnson turned on Cummings and accused him of lying to him to save his own job, though...

After Cummings got the buffoon his Brexit and Prime Ministership and after he'd done nothing wrong and was only looking after his son and testing his eyesight and had just been thrown to the media dogs.  I doubt  Cummings could keep his mouth shut in private conversations which would inevitably become public, and I wouldn't be surprised if he secretly despises Johnson. No need for blackmail.


----------



## xenon (May 26, 2020)

I mean like Trump. People think if you expose more of their  bullshit, their support will drift away. Total miscalculation. The fenatics revil in it.


----------



## xenon (May 26, 2020)

Well we'll se in 4 years I guess. Probably a few crisies between now and then though.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

Well there the second wave of carnovirus to look forward to


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

xenon said:


> What else could come out. Everyone knows what Johnson's like. A few more allegations of affairs, misusing public finances, flagrant provable bullshitting trying to get journalists beatn up... Those who don't care, still won't.care.



Continuous quotes showing up what a buffoon Johnson is. Other people won't care, I'm sure Johnson would. Again, though, I'm not saying he's threatening Johnson. Like Roadkill said there's a lot of "hang together or we'll hang separately"


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

xenon said:


> Well we'll se in 4 years I guess. Probably a few crisis between now and then though.


Of course, at this stage of the electoral cycle it would be foolish to assume anything. That said, the Covid year (?) is not something that anyone will forget; rather exceptionally everyone is involved in this 'political story' and has experienced some sacrifice/loss. And, although it's a massive over-simplification, there will be many in the vermin's core demographic for whom a British identity trait of 'fair-play' is strongly  believed.
I really think this has the potential to be very damaging.


----------



## kenny g (May 26, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Does Cummings hold any kind of public office? I thought he was a SPAD.



Being a SPAD is a public office.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

The gift that keeps giving  









						‘No formal review to take place’ on refunds for those caught doing what Cummings did
					

Matt Hancock promises to go over fines with Treasury in latest contortion to defend top aide




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

Ordered my commemorative mug.




( not sure many on here would want to use my supplier mind.)


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

Fact check: Dominic Cummings does not have a sister working for the IT solutions company Idox
					

Social media users have widely shared incorrect claims that the sister of the British Prime Minister’s special advisor Dominic Cummings is a director in software solutions company Idox.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> The gift that keeps giving
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think they've already corrected Hancock's press briefing brain-fart and said that won't happen. You can see why; imagine having to defend the prosecutions when the Prime Minister had previously described the very offence committed as behaving “responsibly, legally and with integrity”


----------



## eatmorecheese (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Fact check: Dominic Cummings does not have a sister working for the IT solutions company Idox
> 
> 
> Social media users have widely shared incorrect claims that the sister of the British Prime Minister’s special advisor Dominic Cummings is a director in software solutions company Idox.
> ...



Fair enough. It'll be important to get the indictment right


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

ska invita said:


> The Police's record on investigating top Tory brass is about as good as their investigations into themselves.
> I live in hope though....wouldn't take much of a new revelation to do for him



That’s not through lack of trying anymore. The last three showers in number 10 have managed what was the quite impressive achievement of getting both the old bill corporately and the majority of individual rozzers to dislike the Tories almost as much as they do most other people. In terms of losing your dressing room it was a fantastic effort that took real skills and perseverance.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2020)

kenny g said:


> Being a SPAD is a public office.



You sure?




			
				your link said:
			
		

> The courts have been reluctant to provide a detailed definition of a public officer. The case law contains an element of circularity, in that the cases tend to define a public officer as a person who carries out a public duty or has an office of trust. What may constitute a public duty or an office of trust must therefore be inferred from the facts of particular cases.


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2020)

A lot of the "Cummings must have dirt on Johnson" hang on the assumption that otherwise Boris would sack him.

Why?

He's got a rock solid majority.

An election is years away.

He's as untouchable as it gets.

He has no need to sack him.

In fact, whilst in normal times this kind of spectacle would be a damaging distraction,  this (whilst damaging) is a useful distraction nonetheless. 

...and as people start to ignore government regulations, they get the herd immunity strategy they wanted all along.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

Its going to based on the ongoing public reaction

they currently deep into spinning it until it goes away


even on most social media highlight other politicians who have broken lock down

which is odd as Cummings has not been elected


would be interesting to see the contract of a special aid
and how the rules they  have been bending


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

lol


----------



## DexterTCN (May 26, 2020)

Ax^ said:


> Its going to based on the ongoing public reaction
> 
> they....currently deep into spinning it until it goes away


Not spinning though... ignoring, yup, brazenness and bare-faced affrontery.

On the wave of 10 years of electoral victory and non-existent opposition it encourages them to show more of their nature (just like in Scotland, but opposite).


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> lol
> 
> View attachment 214874



Bloody hell.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Bloody hell.


Best bit = he claims he wasn't there...maybe at a castle?


----------



## MrSki (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

Clearly the public were being too sensible and not breaking lockdown fast enough, so like Thanos before them they thought "fuck it, we'll do it ourselves"


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> In fact, whilst in normal times this kind of spectacle would be a damaging distraction,  this (whilst damaging) is a useful distraction nonetheless.



Tbh I think it's much too damaging to be a worthwhile distraction from their pov.  It is early in the election cycle, but 'one law for them...' is still going to have traction with a lot of people four years from now, and the opposition won't be above quietly reminding people of the soon to be even more horrendous death toll either. I can't help thinking that any special advisor who'd created even a tenth as as much of a shit-storm for this or any previous administration would have been booted out sharpish.


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

#WheresStarmer

Didnt even sign this








						Opposition leaders call for Dominic Cummings to quit
					

Lockdown trip ‘undermined’ public health advice, Lib Dems, SNP, Alliance party, SDLP, Plaid Cymru and Greens tell PM




					www.theguardian.com
				




I dont really care tbh


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

Charlie Brooker's fucked now  - what can he write about that's better than this? This is a perpetual Black Mirror episode with no end in sight. Tomorrow is another groundhog day


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

chilango said:


> A lot of the "Cummings must have dirt on Johnson" hang on the assumption that otherwise Boris would sack him.
> 
> Why?
> 
> ...


All good until the last point , the NHS cant cope with a herd immunity strategy and the subsequent rise in intensive care and deaths would  lead to more lockdown.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Fact check: Dominic Cummings does not have a sister working for the IT solutions company Idox
> 
> 
> Social media users have widely shared incorrect claims that the sister of the British Prime Minister’s special advisor Dominic Cummings is a director in software solutions company Idox.
> ...



I'll just smugly park this here...



DaveCinzano said:


> I looked at that and I couldn't make any definitive findings. There is an Alice Cummings in the Durham area but it seems almost certain to be a different one to the one who is a director of innumerable private sector medical companies (different initials for example). I've not seen anything posted anywhere apart from THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME SURNAME!!! breathlessness to indicate the health service carpetbagger is the sister (or indeed a relative) of the man nappy-wearing wolfbagger.


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

sorry if late to the show  but the worlds gone barmy , who would have thought Sky news would broadcast this?


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> sorry if late to the show  but the worlds gone barmy , who would have thought Sky news would broadcast this?




I'm disappointed now I've seen that one I thought there was _another_ one.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

but sky news are part of the main stream news bias compared to he who must not be named


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I'm disappointed now I've seen that one I thought there was _another_ one.


Humble apologies , been out to a bar , saw it and thought I'd been spiked.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

the bar 


you bastard


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Ax^ said:


> the bar
> 
> 
> you bastard



I hadn't noticed that - Like withdrawn

RESIGN


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)




----------



## tim (May 26, 2020)

.


A380 said:


> Except that lots of people, particularly young black poor people here and poor people in South America have their lives either fucked up by the state or taken by rivals as a result of these men making the Production and delivery of the gak they snort Unlawful.



That's the nature of commodity production and supply in Capitalism. The misery caused by oil is as great or greater than that caused by cocaine


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2020)

As Dom has filled the aides with people like himself how long

before brutus appears


no one on the front bench can accept premoting

someone elses media profile for that long

more so Bojo


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


>



Whilst this is obviously a better direction for things to be going, all does feel a little... well, either 6 months too late or four and half years to early.

<edit: though I do appreciate it serves to demonstrate how damaging this is all being to the Tories.>


----------



## frogwoman (May 26, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> sorry if late to the show  but the worlds gone barmy , who would have thought Sky news would broadcast this?




Lol the state of him.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)

Figures on that link I posted slightly wrong so the poster deleted, this is correct:


----------



## keybored (May 26, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


>



Unavailable, what was it?


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)

keybored said:


> Unavailable, what was it?


Tory lead shrinking from 15 points to 6 points on latest yougov poll - new link above


----------



## keybored (May 26, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Tory lead shrinking from 15 points to 6 points on yougov poll - new link above


Oh, meh. I was hoping the rogue Civil Service tweeter was at it again.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 26, 2020)

ska invita said:


> #WheresStarmer
> 
> Didnt even sign this
> 
> ...




This seems to be his style though...avoid accusations of SM band wagon jumping and going it alone...He will be 'forensic' stating the fucking obvious again at PMQs  tomorrow though


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

The Star has done a politics!


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> This seem to be his style though...avoid accusations of SM band wagon jumping and going it alone...He will be 'forensic' stating the fucking obvious again at PMQs  tomorrow though




no pmq tomorrow though as parliament in recess


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 26, 2020)

keybored said:


> Oh, meh. I was hoping the rogue Civil Service tweeter was at it again.




Did you see the glorious cross stitch version of that tweet? 

Behold...




Really captures the simple realism of the moment I think 😂


----------



## Marty1 (May 26, 2020)

Struwwelpeter said:


> And where is Labour?  Can't even be arsed to add their name to the joint letter from the other opposition parties.



Sure I saw Starmer say something about Cummings - wasn’t particularly memorable tho.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 26, 2020)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> no pmq tomorrow though as parliament in recess




Ah well...another week of Tories running up their gums for him to pick over then.


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> This seems to be his style though...avoid accusations of SM band wagon jumping and going it alone...He will be 'forensic' stating the fucking obvious again at PMQs  tomorrow though


He thinks its


I think its





(timewasting post this)


----------



## Smangus (May 26, 2020)

I actually think Labour is being quite smart. As soon as they get involved the Tories will rally round. Atm they are killing themselves.


----------



## belboid (May 26, 2020)

So Dom’s lad is called Alexander Cedd.

Cedd? From a seventh century Northumbrian saint.
According to Bede, he had just finished doing a jolly good job at a conference deciding upon the date of Easter.  

“A short time later, he returned to Northumbria and the monastery at Lastingham. He fell ill with the plague and died on 26 October 664. Bede records that immediately after Cedd's death a party of thirty monks travelled up from Essex to Lastingham to do homage. All but one small boy died there, also of the plague.”


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

Smangus said:


> I actually think Labour is being quite smart. As soon as they get involved the Tories will rally round. Atm they are killing themselves.


Four more years of this strategy and they'll get in on a landslide


----------



## phillm (May 26, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Four more years of this strategy and they'll get in on a landslide


They should furlough the PLP and use the funds saved to go to the election warchest.


----------



## A380 (May 26, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> This seems to be his style though...avoid accusations of SM band wagon jumping and going it alone...He will be 'forensic' stating the fucking obvious again at PMQs  tomorrow though


Sadly no PMQs as they are on (another) holiday.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 26, 2020)

Oh divine echo...I hear thee!


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

They get more holidays than school kids


----------



## BristolEcho (May 26, 2020)

Daily Star tomorrow. (Sorry I know it's the star)


----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> They get more holidays than school kids


And they learn fewer lessons.


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

With friends like that...


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Four more years of this strategy and they'll get in on a landslide


I wouldnt be surprised if Brexit fucks Labour again... Starmers closest supporters pushing him to re-join the EU leading him to skewer himself triangulating


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> With friends like that...



its not Cummings choice though, this is all about Johnson. If he wanted him gone hed be gone, if he wants him to stay he stays


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

ska invita said:


> its not Cummings choice though, this is all about Johnson. If he wanted him gone hed be gone, if he wants him to stay he stays



39 Conservative MPs from pretty much across the party have said openly they want him gone.  Dozens more haven't said anything.  Yet.


----------



## The39thStep (May 26, 2020)

Starmer


Roadkill said:


> With friends like that...



If true got to admire Cummings's assessment of the Cabinet  but I sense there is a little bit more to the story  and the timing of tbh.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> With friends like that...



Hope he stays


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> With friends like that...



I understand he's considering an offer to move over to become Starmer's SPAD.


----------



## Humberto (May 26, 2020)

Fucking Rasputin


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

The Mail have this poll tomorrow which is even worse than the one we've already seen (not sure who JL Partners are though)


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Fucking Rasputin



Where's an iced-over river when you need one?


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2020)

Smangus said:


> I actually think Labour is being quite smart. As soon as they get involved the Tories will rally round. Atm they are killing themselves.


Totally. Starmer's said one simple thing afaik, that he would have sacked Cummings if he'd been PM, and left it at that. 

It really would be _awfully rude_ to interrupt while the tories are tearing themselves to pieces.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2020)

killer b said:


> (not sure who JL Partners are though)


some tory ex-SPADs who set up their own polling company apparently.


----------



## William of Walworth (May 26, 2020)

This is defintely the fastest-moving Urban thread I can remember for a *very!* long time ........ 

Prior to all this, 'The Dominic Cummings File' had only reached fifteen pages ......

It's taken me quite a while  to reach page 123 from page 15 .........


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> This is defintely the fastest-moving Urban thread I can remember for a *very!* long time ........
> 
> Prior to all this, 'The Dominic Cummings File' had only reached fifteen pages ......
> 
> It's taken me quite a while  to reach page 123 from page 15 .........


Pah, I was there the day the Brexit thread gained more pages than the actual withdrawal agreement!


----------



## oryx (May 26, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> This is defintely the fastest-moving Urban thread I can remember for a *very!* long time ........
> 
> Prior to all this, 'The Dominic Cummings File' had only reached fifteen pages ......
> 
> It's taken me quite a while  to reach page 123 from page 15 .........


Yes, I've not said much on this thread because I catch up with it in 10 pages chunks and by that time just about everything that can be said has already been said!


----------



## Roadkill (May 26, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If true got to admire Cummings's assessment of the Cabinet  but I sense there is a little bit more to the story  and the timing of tbh.



Oh I'd have thought so. Certainly timed for maximum effect. But what effect and by whom will be interesting to watch!


----------



## William of Walworth (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Pah, I was there the day the Brexit thread gained more pages than the actual withdrawal agreement!




I think I may have skipped various pages of that now and again ....


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2020)

brogdale said:


> lol
> 
> View attachment 214874


This guy is too smart...


----------



## BCBlues (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I hadn't noticed that - Like withdrawn
> 
> RESIGN



In all fairness, The39thStep only went to the bar to check that his eyesight was ok after problems updating his blog on Covid19. All reasonable and legal to me


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

I heard he'd been drinking BEFORE he went to the bar which is why he wanted to check his eyesight


----------



## Marty1 (May 27, 2020)

Other than Boris & Gove - is anyone else defending Cummings?


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Other than Boris & Gove - is anyone else defending Cummings?



They are just lying. 'I understand but it's a matter of opinion'. Sooner or later we have to just say we aren't having it. 2 + 2 equals 4


----------



## belboid (May 27, 2020)

Just in case you’ve had that thing on facefuck - Cummings sister is called Sarah, not Alice.  She doesn’t work for idox









						Fact check: Dominic Cummings does not have a sister working for the IT solutions company Idox
					

Social media users have widely shared incorrect claims that the sister of the British Prime Minister’s special advisor Dominic Cummings is a director in software solutions company Idox.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

It's the 'the best thing would be for me to be a totalitarian (but 'benevolent') dictator' bullshit. I 'get it'. Except these are little boys raised and instilled with ruling class sensibilities.


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

They are all geniuses too, don't you know.


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

Johnson is toast anyway. A seventy mile round trip to 'test your eye-sight', on your wife's birthday, with a four year old child in the back? Fuck off.


----------



## quiet guy (May 27, 2020)

Emily Maitlis getting the message out on Newsnight


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows

My tenner on Stay at Home to be in Cummings speech or questions at 3-1  paid out


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

Fucker brought his 4 year old son into it with no shame though.


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

The absolute worst part? He thought he had Covid-19 and decided to visit a hospital on the other end of the country!


----------



## Kaka Tim (May 27, 2020)

has a british government ever acted more ridiculously than this one? utter shambles.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

belboid said:


> Just in case you’ve had that thing on facefuck - Cummings sister is called Sarah, not Alice.  She doesn’t work for idox
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh shit FridgeMagnet, you're going to have to stick the Chief into the iso-cubes for a coupla weeks


----------



## little_legs (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Doesn't matter what you think. It matters what 'the public' thinks. It'll fizz out and your opinion will remain as irrelevant as usual.



There will be a few tens of thousands less voters at the next election due to the government response. Because the government will have killed them.


----------



## Streathamite (May 27, 2020)

eatmorecheese said:


> Fair enough. It'll be important to get the indictment right


Also, tbf, Idox are a completely unexceptional, uncontroversial IT firm


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2020)

Kaka Tim said:


> has a british government ever acted more ridiculously than this one? utter shambles.



There have been moments, but in this 'once in a generation'* situation there is so much opportunity for bulk bungling and miscalculation multipliers.

All the same, I would mostly still say true to form, exhibit a:



*such complacency in a phrase like that, complacency that in this case was ongoing for decades, it cant happen here in this shiny modern world. Oh I remember too all that 'its the end of history' bollocks, how did that idea work out long term for the unipolar world fucknoids who promoted it post-Soviet collapse? Ha that didnt stand the test of time, but then what does, its mostly only ever a question of how much time.  And in this pandemic the original criminal government response timing in the early months has probably affected the timing of their ultimate fate.


----------



## Streathamite (May 27, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> This seems to be his style though...avoid accusations of SM band wagon jumping and going it alone...He will be 'forensic' stating the fucking obvious again at PMQs  tomorrow though


Ermm...no PMQs tomorrow
(e2a: damn just saw others beat me to it!)


----------



## Raheem (May 27, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Fucker brought his 4 year old son into it with no shame though.


He at least has the decency not to tell us he was called Alexander Cedd. No-one needs a verb as their middle name.


----------



## little_legs (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> I don't think very many people here think we can 'win'. But brushing this off as purely a spectacle is wrong too - it lays bare some quite profound questions about the relationship between the governed and the government, and each twist of the story chips away at the moral authority of this government. In itself, not a fatal blow of course, and maybe in the long run insignificant - but also, maybe not.


Without presuming to speak for chilango, I think they are trying to say that a man called Dominic Cummings tried to kill his parents and it is the biggest story in British media for 5 days in a row. Because nothing else is happening.


----------



## Streathamite (May 27, 2020)

Smangus said:


> I actually think Labour is being quite smart. As soon as they get involved the Tories will rally round. Atm they are killing themselves.


Precisely. I am deeply depressed that Starmer is Labour leader - but he has got this right.
If Starmer waded in now, Johnson would immediately recast it as a Labour v Tory battle, every Tory would fall into line behind them, and both Cummings and Johnson would be off the hook. 
Instead, all he needs do is sit back and watch scores of Tory MPs doing his job for him.


----------



## little_legs (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> I think it's just that Cummings is central to the current government's strategic direction, and they've changed a lot of processes so that his removal would result in a power vacuum that couldn't be quickly or easily filled.



I am lazy to look this up but I think Coulson was also the glue guy for Hameron, and it took a few days for him to resign. Though admittedly the NoW scandal may have been more significant than some twat trying to kill his parents.


----------



## Streathamite (May 27, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Other than Boris & Gove - is anyone else defending Cummings?


Hancock, in the presser


----------



## little_legs (May 27, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> I doubt many tory voters are especially fond of Cummings but Johnson is their man, he is very popular amongst the rank and file.  Johnson going all in on Cummings will mean a lot in that regard.



_at least we're not under Corbyn's socialism_


----------



## belboid (May 27, 2020)

little_legs said:


> I am lazy to look this up but I think Coulson was also the glue guy for Hameron, and it took a few days for him to resign. Though admittedly the NoW scandal may have been more significant than some twat trying to kill his parents.


Months. There'd been a big story then more drip drip rumour gossip until January. Cameron went big on defending him four days before his (Coulson's) resignation.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 27, 2020)

Good morning all.


----------



## MrSki (May 27, 2020)




----------



## Chilli.s (May 27, 2020)

Humberto said:


> The absolute worst part? He thought he had Covid-19 and decided to visit a hospital on the other end of the country!


That's the thing that should have fucked him, spineless Boris should have sacked him for that alone, and the cops should be prosecuting. The main purpose of lockdown, protect the NHS. All the going to a holiday home and the rest is just additional selfishness.


----------



## Dogsauce (May 27, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Good morning all.




significant that this is The Star, one of the more bootlicky papers. The even more toady Express is ignoring the story, while Murdoch’s Sun is still batting for the government, presumably to protect their asset Gove. How long can they hold out this editorial line before they end up looking ridiculous?


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

Well it hasn't gone away quite yet then. 


Certainly helps that there hasn't been much news in the world for the last couple of months what with everyone else staying at home and having a focus for all the frustration and anger is well timed.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Raheem said:


> He at least has the decency not to tell us he was called Alexander Cedd. No-one needs a verb as their middle name.


Surprised he didn't call him Cuntlet - you know to be contrarian and in honour of his father.


----------



## Tankus (May 27, 2020)

Has he gone yet ?


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance must speak out against Dominic Cummings
					

Not to do so would be an insult to the public and the ideal of evidence-based policymaking



					www.prospectmagazine.co.uk


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

Has he gone yet?


----------



## Ted Striker (May 27, 2020)

brogdale said:


> I think they've already corrected Hancock's press briefing brain-fart and said that won't happen. You can see why; imagine having to defend the prosecutions when the Prime Minister had previously described the very offence committed as behaving “responsibly, legally and with integrity”



They wont be refunded, as itll out an explicit pound-amount on the cost of (the protection of) his deceit, and that will be repeated everywhere.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

He should be impaled outside Barnard castle as a warning to those who may be thinking of testing their own eyesight in the middle of a pandemic


----------



## Sprocket. (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> He should be impaled outside Barnard castle as a warning to those who may be thinking of testing their own eyesight in the middle of a pandemic


On barbed wire fencing as they do with Moles to warn others to stay away?


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

This is in the daily mail!


----------



## flypanam (May 27, 2020)




----------



## flypanam (May 27, 2020)

Supposed to have been written up by his local Sainsbury's according to someone on FB.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> On barbed wire fencing as they do with Moles to warn others to stay away?


I was thinking more as the famous vlad would have done but won't object


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

Why hasn't he been hanged in effigy as David Beckham was for a more minor infraction?


----------



## tommers (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Why hasn't he been hanged in effigy as David Beckham was for a more minor infraction?



No west ham games at the moment


----------



## teuchter (May 27, 2020)

Streathamite said:


> the presser


I feel that this Cummings story is becoming a distraction from the insidious creep of this stupid word which is what we should actually be focusing on dealing with.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 27, 2020)

Humberto said:


> The absolute worst part? He thought he had Covid-19 and decided to visit a hospital on the other end of the country!



Yep. He claims he didn’t leave the car. Same as when he drove up, can’t remember if he left the car on the way back. He had no idea if his car would need the attentions of an RAC type worker on this epic journey, seeing as it is a Jaguar-Land Rover vehicle it is fairly likely that it would.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 27, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance must speak out against Dominic Cummings
> 
> 
> Not to do so would be an insult to the public and the ideal of evidence-based policymaking
> ...


Very interesting, ta frogwoman 
I'm sure they're claiming herd immunity was _never_ the plan. Cummings I think did the other day, or at least claimed HE never backed it.


----------



## Part-timah (May 27, 2020)

flypanam said:


> Supposed to have been written up by his local Sainsbury's according to someone on FB.



Yep, that looks like the Sainsburys on Essex Road at the top oh his street.


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Very interesting, ta frogwoman
> I'm sure they're claiming herd immunity was _never_ the plan. Cummings I think did the other day, or at least claimed HE never backed it.




Oh well if Cummings said it it must be true.


----------



## FiFi (May 27, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Very interesting, ta frogwoman
> I'm sure they're claiming herd immunity was _never_ the plan. Cummings I think did the other day, or at least claimed HE never backed it.


Really? Well, I'm convinced then!


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Yep. He claims he didn’t leave the car. Same as when he drove up, can’t remember if he left the car on the way back. He had no idea if his car would need the attentions of an RAC type worker on this epic journey, seeing as it is a Jaguar-Land Rover vehicle it is fairly likely that it would.


Happily, the aa would not have risked the health of their workers had he called them from the side of the road and answered yes when the first question they ask is ‘does anyone in the car have coronavirus symptoms’. I know this cos broke down before lockdown even started. If I’d said yes they’d have not helped me for two weeks, because why the hell are you driving around you are supposed to be at home.  But of course he’d have lied so yeah.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Yep, that looks like the Sainsburys on Essex Road at the top oh his street.



I used to be banned from that Sainsburys


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

Have emailed the following:

My MP copying the Tory Whip 
Local Labour Councillor 
Kier Starmer 
Jeremy Corbyn (part of a birthday greeting) 
Islington police 
Durham Police 
National Crime Agency 

 

The Labour councillor has replyed saying she can't do much but said she is 'raising it through social media, the press and by any means I can find'

The NCA said this is not part of their remit  I have replied saying it is a national issue and they need to step up. I look forward to being black bagged and dragged behind a shed.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Why hasn't he been hanged in effigy as David Beckham was for a more minor infraction?



I'm sure Lewes will do him proud in November


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

maomao said:


> I used to be banned from that Sainsburys



scab tills ?


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2020)

maomao said:


> I used to be banned from that Sainsburys



because?


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> scab tills ?


An argument about.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Have emailed the following:
> 
> My MP copying the Tory Whip
> Local Labour Councillor
> ...


They'll have to unfurlough some of their staff to deal with your deluge ! Nice work.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

maomao said:


> An argument about.


The old onions/prime steak mistake or doing an Anthony Worral-Thompson.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> The old onions/prime steak mistake or doing an Anthony Worral-Thompson.


Neither. It was when scab tills had just come in. I refused to use one, one of the guys who worked there was rude about it and things escalated.


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> They'll have to unfurlough some of their staff to deal with your deluge ! Nice work.


I don't think social media posts do anything but keep the public angry. Takes no time to cut and paste a 'strongly worded' email to a load of people. Some might not feel it is their (my?) job to do it but the more establishment people getting hassled the more they talk and moan.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 27, 2020)

Emailed my MP again , expressing fury and dismay at not  having heard back from the first email etc


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Nice one will do the same. Also worth emailing the PM as well. He will get a read-out of the stats as a dipstick of public opinion. He likes to be liked as well but hat horse has well and truly bolted. Before Brexit he could ride around on his bike and get a cheery wave from the 'peeple' which added to his self-esteem. Not anymore.


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2020)

Cut through...


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Emailed my MP again , expressing fury and dismay at not  having heard back from the first email etc


My MP is a lazy feckless Tory who's only interest is his career. Blocks people on social media who ask questions, never responds to emails and is barely ever even here. 









						Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami refuses to answer questions on Dominic Cummings scandal
					

Harpenden and Hitchin MP Bim Afolami has refused to be drawn on the Dominic Cummings controversy, and has ignored questions about his...




					www.hertsad.co.uk


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Emailed my MP again , expressing fury and dismay at not  having heard back from the first email etc


Make sure you copy the whip


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

Just emailed the Home Office  

Who next?


----------



## mauvais (May 27, 2020)

_"Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough."_

- The Dominic Cummings School of Motoring


----------



## teqniq (May 27, 2020)

Oh my.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Just emailed the Home Office
> 
> Who next?


local newspaper, national newspaper letter pages, print out and paste onto the local bus shelter , supermarket noticeboards! (small ones made to look like an ad)  to name but 6. There's a market for t-shirts as well for early movers...


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Oh my.
> 
> View attachment 214941


When you are the national meme of ridicule then you know it's time to leave the S(T)AGE.


----------



## hegley (May 27, 2020)




----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Nice one will do the same. Also worth emailing the PM as well. He will get a read-out of the stats as a dipstick of public opinion. He likes to be liked as well but hat horse has well and truly bolted. Before Brexit he could ride around on his bike and get a cheery wave from the 'peeple' which added to his self-esteem. Not anymore.



Some text CAPS, some text underlined some text in red and sign off in green for an authentic old-school tory feel?


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Just emailed the Home Office
> 
> Who next?


could you write to my cunt of an MP?








						Bob Stewart (politician) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 27, 2020)

got a reply, this is from pure greenbelt surrey...

Thank you for your email. The local Mole Valley email address is not constantly monitored, this address for Sir Paul is readily available in the public domain. It may be helpful to explain that Sir Paul and his small team have received hundreds - and possibly by the end of today thousands - of emails about Dominic Cummings. This is in addition to our normal casework from constituents who have _urgent _problems of housing, finance, benefits etc. We deal with these as a priority. Emails registering outrage (with some exceptions) at Mr Cummings will be responded to as soon as possible (very unfortunately we have to eat and sleep occasionally) , and we would appreciate your patience.



Yours sincerely,



Office of Sir Paul Beresford

ETA my reply.

Thanks for your email.

I am sorry Mr Cummings has put such stress your selves and your staff and the nation as a whole.

Regards


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> got a reply, this is from pure greenbelt surrey...
> 
> Thank you for your email. The local Mole Valley email address is not constantly monitored, this address for Sir Paul is readily available in the public domain. It may be helpful to explain that Sir Paul and his small team have received hundreds - and possibly by the end of today thousands - of emails about Dominic Cummings. This is in addition to our normal casework from constituents who have _urgent _problems of housing, finance, benefits etc. We deal with these as a priority. Emails registering outrage (with some exceptions) at Mr Cummings will be responded to as soon as possible (very unfortunately we have to eat and sleep occasionally) , and we would appreciate your patience.
> 
> ...



Oooooo passive aggressive I hope you feel really GUILTY!!!

Eta possibly e-mail back saying "well sack the cunt then, I won't bother you any more".


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Oooooo passive aggressive I hope you feel really GUILTY!!!
> 
> Eta possibly e-mail back saying "well sack the cunt then, I won't bother you any more".


see my reply above


----------



## pesh (May 27, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> got a reply, this is from pure greenbelt surrey...
> 
> Thank you for your email. The local Mole Valley email address is not constantly monitored, this address for Sir Paul is readily available in the public domain. It may be helpful to explain that Sir Paul and his small team have received hundreds - and possibly by the end of today thousands - of emails about Dominic Cummings. This is in addition to our normal casework from constituents who have _urgent _problems of housing, finance, benefits etc. We deal with these as a priority. Emails registering outrage (with some exceptions) at Mr Cummings will be responded to as soon as possible (very unfortunately we have to eat and sleep occasionally) , and we would appreciate your patience.
> 
> ...


this requires a passive aggressive reply on the side of the office


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Trolling MPs the current national pandemic sport. Next step is to print them out and mail them with no stamp to the fuckers.

_"What did you do in the World Pandemic War, daddy ?"

"I emailed my mp angrily, son"_


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Emailed my MP again , expressing fury and dismay at not  having heard back from the first email etc


I will do this again later  

Will write to the local newspapers too. 

I think it will be something like this: 



> Cummings has behaved like a weak Pablo Escobar. With the country in 'prison' he used his status (with the support of the disgraced elite) to leave prison on a jolly to Durham AND Barnard Market. He brought death to that region and his lies/excuses make my blood run cold.


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

Add Kay Burley to people I find myself strangely agreeing with.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Trolling MPs the current national pandemic sport.





ska invita said:


> could you write to my cunt of an MP?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Go for the line as an ex-soldier and ardent supporter of Brexit but ....


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Go for the line as an ex-soldier and ardent supporter of Brexit but ....


"I didnt vote to be free from the yolk of the EU and fight off the argies just so this snake in the grass could undermine our great britain from within"


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

My mp said the only one criticising Cummings were 'left wing critics'


----------



## William of Walworth (May 27, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> My mp said the only one criticising Cummings were 'left wing critics'



What, like the _Daily Mail_? 
When was this?


----------



## Dogsauce (May 27, 2020)

The thing I find most delightful about this is how having presented themselves as some kind of anti-elite crusaders for the past number of years, all this is coming back in their faces now that they’ve demonstrated they think they are above us all and outside of the rules. All that hatred of the elite they stirred up is now steered right back at them.


----------



## William of Walworth (May 27, 2020)

ska invita said:


> "I didnt vote to be free from the *yolk* of the EU and fight off the argies just so this snake in the grass could undermine our great britain from within"



This spelling *has *to be retained to make the email that much more authentic-looking


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

I refuse to discuss politics with friends precisely because it will divide friendships but at this very moment I'm champing at the bit to ask a friend, who thought BoJo was doing a decent job, just what their current opinion is


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

See my reply.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> I refuse to discuss politics with friends precisely because it will divide friendships but at this very moment I'm champing at the bit to ask a friend, who thought BoJo was doing a decent job, just what their current opinion is


Oooh do, please.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> See my reply.



Can you ask her why she's not angry about the whole domgate saga? She fucking should be.


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

Still not enough but moving in the right direction


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Can you ask her why she's not angry about the whole domgate saga? She fucking should be.



Tbf I'm not angry about it and am quite far removed from her politically.
Maybe I ran out of anger with previous elements of the debacle.


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Can you ask her why she's not angry about the whole domgate saga? She fucking should be.


----------



## rekil (May 27, 2020)

During a whinge with Embery about people outside Cummings's house, Galloway claimed that "even the mafia didn’t attack people at home". Oh yes they did.


----------



## teuchter (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Can you ask her why she's not angry about the whole domgate saga? She fucking should be.


She'll never have anticipated this reaction! Definitely the more people who tweet back the better!


----------



## chalkhorse (May 27, 2020)

Can someone remind me why the news of the desperate drive to Durham didn't arise until Friday, and why it arose then? ISTR _The Guardian_ and others were asking about the reported Durham sightings repeatedly for weeks without getting any answer - so what happened? The earliest accounts I could find were the Guardian 'exclusive' on 22 May and the Mirror 'exclusive' on the same day as a result of a joint investigation, but it's not clear what triggered them to act at that particular point. Was it simply competitive journalism because others were on the verge of picking up the story? Once they'd started asking politicians for reactions it would be impossible to keep under wraps. But how had Downing St managed to keep a lid on things for so long?


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)




----------



## keybored (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> She'll never have anticipated this reaction! Definitely the more people who tweet back the better!


She's more subtle than you though.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

ska invita said:


> "I didnt vote to be free from the yolk of the EU and fight off the argies just so this snake in the grass could undermine our great britain from within"



Seriously that's it - done the job. I have a close mate who has worked for an MP  - backbenchers will read all their postbag and a short and simple one will be more effective than acres of diatribe. Maybe add

Dear Colonel Stewart

I have never before been moved to write to my MP  but as a proud ex-serviceman, Royal Marines (retired) of 25 years service for Queen and Country I feel I have simply *no alternative*.  I most *certainly *didn't vote to be free from the shackles of the EU and fight off the argies just so this loathsome, above the law, snake in the grass individual could undermine our most Great Britain from within.

Is this what Sir Captain Tom did his long walk to defend? I think not, I hope you can pass on my disgust in the *strongest possible terms* to the Prime Minister. I have to say in all other respects and to my knowledge, you have been a most excellent constituency MP please accept my thanks and keep safe during this terrible pandemic. 

yours furiously


----------



## NoXion (May 27, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> The thing I find most delightful about this is how having presented themselves as some kind of anti-elite crusaders for the past number of years, all this is coming back in their faces now that they’ve demonstrated they think they are above us all and outside of the rules. All that hatred of the elite they stirred up is now steered right back at them.



The fucking idiots have been playing with fire for a long time. Did they genuinely think that they would never feel the heat? The absolute hubris of these people is astounding. Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.


----------



## Dogsauce (May 27, 2020)

All these ministers following the party line and making themselves look like fools must privately be really fucking furious about this happening, how one man’s stupidity and arrogance is threatening the whole ‘project’.  They could have disarmed this considerably if Cummings had just said he was sorry and that on reflection this might not have been the right thing to do, I was just thinking of my son, I was very careful and put nobody in danger etc. A small bit of contrition would have kept more of the public on his side, it’d have passed by now. Instead it’s now a problem for all of them, Johnson and Gove now pissing away credibility. What the fuck are they doing?


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

Classic crossover here.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> Classic crossover here.




Punk AF.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Anti-porn filters stop Dominic Cummings trending on Twitter
					

Name of PM’s aide is blocked, which has led to variety of misspelt hashtags




					www.theguardian.com
				






> This sort of accidental filtering has gained a name in computer science: the Scunthorpe problem, so-called because of the Lincolnshire town’s regular issues with such censorship.
> 
> Bizarrely, the shortened hashtag #cumgate has also trended, since the first word of the sentence is not included in Twitter’s filter list, apparently in an attempt to avoid the Scunthorpe problem applying too broadly – for instance, by blocking words such as “scum”, “cumbersome” or “cumulative”.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> All these ministers following the party line and making themselves look like fools must privately be really fucking furious about this happening, how one man’s stupidity and arrogance is threatening the whole ‘project’.  They could have disarmed this considerably if Cummings had just said he was sorry and that on reflection this might not have been the right thing to do, I was just thinking of my son, I was very careful and put nobody in danger etc. A small bit of contrition would have kept more of the public on his side, it’d have passed by now. Instead it’s now a problem for all of them, Johnson and Gove now pissing away credibility. What the fuck are they doing?


What he normally does shitting incompetently over everybody and everything whilst talking utter shit.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

This could be interesting: a lawyer dissects Cummings' carefully lawyered statement. I've not listened all through yet, but the word 'damning' is being used on legal twitter...


----------



## weltweit (May 27, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> All these ministers following the party line and making themselves look like fools must privately be really fucking furious about this happening, how one man’s stupidity and arrogance is threatening the whole ‘project’.  They could have disarmed this considerably if Cummings had just said he was sorry and that on reflection this might not have been the right thing to do, I was just thinking of my son, I was very careful and put nobody in danger etc. A small bit of contrition would have kept more of the public on his side, it’d have passed by now. Instead it’s now a problem for all of them, Johnson and Gove now pissing away credibility. What the fuck are they doing?


A small apology does go a long way, Johnson knows this and does it frequently, Cummings doesn't seem to have got the memo.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

weltweit said:


> A small apology does go a long way, Johnson knows this and does it frequently, Cummings doesn't seem to have got the memo.


He did but told Johnson to fuck right off.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> Classic crossover here.



Much as I am not a fan of Brewdog, I like their response. Brightened my day momentary.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This could be interesting: a lawyer dissects Cummings' carefully lawyered statement. I've not listened all through yet, but the word 'damning' is being used on legal twitter...



Oh bloody hell, this is like a prosecution barrister cross examining someone who's obviously as guilty as hell.


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

Let's post a feel good tweet to gee up the nation and make them feel solidarity about the poverty and hardship we're all facing.


----------



## existentialist (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Let's post a feel good tweet to gee up the nation and make them feel solidarity about the poverty and hardship we're all facing.



Jesus fucking Christ, are they COMPLETELY tone-deaf?


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

existentialist said:


> Jesus fucking Christ, are they COMPLETELY tone-deaf?


Something something chicken. Something something furiously hot


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Oh bloody hell, this is like a prosecution barrister cross examining someone who's obviously as guilty as hell.


Guilty as fuck , mlud..


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

existentialist said:


> Jesus fucking Christ, are they COMPLETELY tone-deaf?


To be fair my work whatsapp group is very impressed by this.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

existentialist said:


> Jesus fucking Christ, are they COMPLETELY tone-deaf?



Have a cheeky Nando's and forget all about it, fella.


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

I do wonder how many Tory voters are waking up to the realisation of this abusive and gaslighting relationship we're stuck in. The duper's delight from Cummings the other afternoon was good enough for a Silence of the Lambs remake, Gove is psychopathically swerving awkward questions and Boris can't say two words without getting tangled up in his own tongue. If we were watching a friend receiving this sort of behaviour from a partner then we'd be helping them pack their bags and find an anonymous place to stay.


----------



## editor (May 27, 2020)

Lovely stuff



> The Wayback Machine shows that Cummings added two paragraphs about Ebola and SARS to a post on his blog between April 9 and May 3.
> 
> However, another open source intelligence (OSINT) tool – and a tantalising trail of digital breadcrumbs – narrows down the data even further. XML data, generated when a page is changed, indicates that the change was made on 14 April, the day Cummings returned to London from Durham. Presented with the evidence, Downing Street sources have been forced to partially backtrack on Cummings’ claims about the blog posts, saying that, while the post did not directly mention coronaviruses, it linked to an article that did.
> 
> The blogpost tampering is doubly embarrassing for Cummings, who has a profound admiration for so-called “superforecasters”, people who have an exceptional knack for predicting upcoming events and trends. It’s less “forecasting” when you actually change your predictions after the even











						Cummings tried to rewrite history. The internet had other ideas
					

On the internet, everyone can see you lie




					www.wired.co.uk


----------



## Teaboy (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Let's post a feel good tweet to gee up the nation and make them feel solidarity about the poverty and hardship we're all facing.




Its good but nowhere near as good as the housing minister (jenrick? I can't be bothered to check) using the daily corona virus briefing to promote Wimpy homes amazing offer of 5% off new homes for key workers.  That's right an amazing 5%! _Now other to Chris Whittey to tell us how many hundreds needlessly died yesterday._


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

editor said:


> Lovely stuff
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can't decide if he's sociopathic or psychopathic but whichever path it is, it's a fucking dangerous one. I wouldn't like to be around when that pot explodes.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Oh bloody hell, this is like a prosecution barrister cross examining someone who's obviously as guilty as hell.



I found it more of a damning indictment of the fetid pile of shit that we call the law, and a profession that is paid by the minute for their priestly insights.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> I found it more of a damning indictment of the fetid pile of shit that we call the law, and a profession that is paid by the minute for their priestly insights.



That's as may be, but the law and its practitioners are a fact.  Cummings used them to try and protect himself.  It does seem, though, that there's a limit to how much glitter even the best lawyer (and I would love to know whether whoever constructed his statement was privately hired or paid for by the state) can sprinkle on a turd...


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 27, 2020)

I know we've kind of moved on from it, but it just occurred to me that the 60 mile round trip plus the hospital visit were all supposedly done on the same tank of petrol that took them the 260 miles from London to Durham _and _at least some of the way back, right? So probably around 350 miles in a Land Rover, on one tank?

I know next to nothing about cars, but that's surely one of those where it's almost too easy to prove false?


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This could be interesting: a lawyer dissects Cummings' carefully lawyered statement. I've not listened all through yet, but the word 'damning' is being used on legal twitter...



Interesting. Does take it apart to make the whole episode look very suspicious. No real gotchas I don't think, although he points to a possibility that further evidence might show him to be lying.

[my notes in square brackets although of course I'm not a lawyer]

He points out that Cummings really needed an excuse for Barnard Castle [which makes it look like it really was a jolly]. He refers to photos and data on phone that prove he was not in Durham on 19 April, nowhere else mentions his phone so he can say media reports of this date are false [although I'd imagine this opens up any prosecution to be able to examine his phone for more evidence].

At the end there was no sorry, no regret so is claiming he did nothing wrong.

He says it was clearly written by a lawyer. with each sentence having at least one function: to explain evidence, explain away evidence, to show reasonable belief, or to show that certain decisions were made on the best possible basis.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I know we've kind of moved on from it, but it just occurred to me that the 60 mile round trip plus the hospital visit were all supposedly done on the same tank of petrol that took them the 260 miles from London to Durham _and _at least some of the way back, right? So probably around 350 miles in a Land Rover, on one tank?
> 
> I know next to nothing about cars, but that's surely one of those where it's almost too easy to prove false?


These people did 530 in a similar car:









						Real world fuel economy: how far can you go?
					

How far will a car realistically go on a full tank of fuel? Most fleet operators will know it isn’t as far as manufacturers lead you to believe in their advertising.




					www.fleetnews.co.uk


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Let's post a feel good tweet to gee up the nation and make them feel solidarity about the poverty and hardship we're all facing.



A cunt endorsing a cunt business


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Oh bloody hell, this is like a prosecution barrister cross examining someone who's obviously as guilty as hell.


My favourite part so far is where he describes the eyesight test drive reason as 'preposturous'. Awesome


----------



## teuchter (May 27, 2020)

maomao said:


> To be fair my work whatsapp group is very impressed by this.


I'm guessing your WhatsApp group is a bit less snobby than urban75 politics people. And maybe a bit more in touch with reality.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I know we've kind of moved on from it, but it just occurred to me that the 60 mile round trip plus the hospital visit were all supposedly done on the same tank of petrol that took them the 260 miles from London to Durham _and _at least some of the way back, right? So probably around 350 miles in a Land Rover, on one tank?
> 
> I know next to nothing about cars, but that's surely one of those where it's almost too easy to prove false?



He claimed not to be sure whether he'd stopped for fuel on the way back.

I don't know what engine his Land Rover has or how big the fuel tank is, or how heavy-footed a driver he is for that matter, so difficult to say whether he could do 600-odd miles (Durham and back plus the 60-mile jaunt to Barnard Castle and back) on a tank, but some cars do have remarkable range.  About fifteen years ago Jeremy Clarkson drove a bloody great supercharged Jag from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank - near enough 800 miles - for a Top Gear feature.  I don't think it's necessarily implausible that Cummings didn't need a fuel stop, but the fact he couldn't or wouldn't confirm whether he'd made one or not is very telling...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

I think this is the first newspaper article picking-up on how his wife's published version differs from his, I doubt it will make much different, apart from slightly adding to the doubt about their honesty. 









						How Dominic Cummings' wife's coronavirus account differs from his statement
					

The article made no mention of the family travelling to Durham during the lockdown




					inews.co.uk


----------



## 2hats (May 27, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> Its good but nowhere near as good as the housing minister (jenrick? I can't be bothered to check) using the daily corona virus briefing to promote Wimpy homes amazing offer of 5% off new homes for key workers.  That's right an amazing 5%! _Now other to Chris Whittey to tell us how many hundreds needlessly died yesterday._





> I’d like to thank today Taylor Wimpey, who now have now got construction safely underway on the majority of their sites and have started removing staff from the furlough scheme and getting back to work on full pay.
> 
> They are offering a discount of 5% for NHS staff and care workers on new homes – a great way to recognise the contribution that our front line heroes are making to the country.











						Housing Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 13 May 2020
					

The Housing Secretary on the government’s response to COVID-19 and the plan to safely restart, reopen and renew the housing market.




					www.gov.uk


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This could be interesting: a lawyer dissects Cummings' carefully lawyered statement. I've not listened all through yet, but the word 'damning' is being used on legal twitter...


That is really bloody interesting. I'd like to see a slowed down version of him reading it out so I could look for more gives. There were a few I spotted during the broadcast but that with the information about the statement, fascinating. Gets my psychological juices all riled up.


----------



## kenny g (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Let's post a feel good tweet to gee up the nation and make them feel solidarity about the poverty and hardship we're all facing.




Let them eat chicken. 

Come on chaps. It's not all bad. You can come and have some chicken.


----------



## Smangus (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> He claimed not to be sure whether he'd stopped for fuel on the way back.
> 
> I don't know what engine his Land Rover has or how big the fuel tank is, or how heavy-footed a driver he is for that matter, so difficult to say whether he could do 600-odd miles (Durham and back plus the 60-mile jaunt to Barnard Castle and back) on a tank, but some cars do have remarkable range.  About fifteen years ago Jeremy Clarkson drove a bloody great supercharged Jag from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank - near enough 800 miles - for a Top Gear feature.  I don't think it's necessarily implausible that Cummings didn't need a fuel stop, but the fact he couldn't or wouldn't confirm whether he'd made one or not is very telling...



Well if it's a diesel he would have topped it up (illegally) with some red from the farm....

 Possibly , allegedly, with all legal  caveats  etc


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

Smangus said:


> Well if it's a diesel he would have topped it up (illegally) with some red from the farm....
> 
> Possibly , allegedly, with all legal  caveats  etc



Pretty sure I've seen that suggestion already.  He was hardly going to admit duty evasion on top of everything else though, was he!


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

Smangus said:


> Well if it's a diesel he would have topped it up (illegally) with some red from the farm....



Sorry, agricola beat you to that punchline a mere 1,217 posts ago


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Pretty sure I've seen that suggestion already.  He was hardly going to admit duty evasion on top of everything else though, was he!


Oh I don't know, might have admitted evasion of duty to stop the investigation uncovering something worse...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> I think this is the first newspaper article picking-up on how his wife's published version differs from his, I doubt it will make much different, apart from slightly adding to the doubt about their honesty.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



And, so it starts to spread...









						Wife says Cummings was in bed for 10 days while he 'picked up son from hospital'
					

Holes are being blown in the couple's stories.




					metro.co.uk


----------



## Smangus (May 27, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Sorry, agricola beat you to that punchline a mere 1,217 posts ago



Oh well, doesn't hurt to reinforce the point though


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> He claimed not to be sure whether he'd stopped for fuel on the way back.
> 
> I don't know what engine his Land Rover has or how big the fuel tank is, or how heavy-footed a driver he is for that matter, so difficult to say whether he could do 600-odd miles (Durham and back plus the 60-mile jaunt to Barnard Castle and back) on a tank, but some cars do have remarkable range.  About fifteen years ago Jeremy Clarkson drove a bloody great supercharged Jag from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank - near enough 800 miles - for a Top Gear feature.  I don't think it's necessarily implausible that Cummings didn't need a fuel stop, but the fact he couldn't or wouldn't confirm whether he'd made one or not is very telling...


I thought he said in response to a question that he stopped on the way back, making the point that they were both beyond the 14 day limit.

I saw that Top Gear episode! Should have remembered; ok, totally plausible.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> I'm guessing your WhatsApp group is a bit less snobby than urban75 politics people. And maybe a bit more in touch with reality.



Grounded in reality is pretty far down my list of descriptions for my colleagues. 


Is thicko toffboy's 16:00 parliamentary grilling going to be on the telly then? It's parliament so it's likely to be on time unlike that twat Cummings' disgraceful tardiness the other day.


----------



## Mogden (May 27, 2020)

maomao said:


> Grounded in reality is pretty far down my list of descriptions for my colleagues.
> 
> 
> Is thicko toffboy's 16:00 parliamentary grilling going to be on the telly then? Its parliament so it's likely to be on time unlike that twat Axl Rose Cummings' disgraceful tardiness the other day.


FTFY


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I thought he said in response to a question that he stopped on the way back, making the point that they were both beyond the 14 day limit.



He said he didn't remember if he stopped on the way back or not iirc


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> I thought he said in response to a question that he stopped on the way back, making the point that they were both beyond the 14 day limit.



I've not gone back and checked but my recollection is that he did say he'd stopped somewhere, but claimed not to remember whether he'd bought fuel or not.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong!



equationgirl said:


> Oh I don't know, might have admitted evasion of duty to stop the investigation uncovering something worse...



That's a point.  He might have admitted it if it was true, but then that's easily checked because red diesel stains the fuel filter, so it's probably safe to assume he was driving on normal pump fuel.

That's assuming the car is a diesel to start off with, of course - if it's a petrol engine he must have been using pump fuel, and probably a lot more of it too...


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

chalkhorse said:


> Can someone remind me why the news of the desperate drive to Durham didn't arise until Friday, and why it arose then? ISTR _The Guardian_ and others were asking about the reported Durham sightings repeatedly for weeks without getting any answer - so what happened? The earliest accounts I could find were the Guardian 'exclusive' on 22 May and the Mirror 'exclusive' on the same day as a result of a joint investigation, but it's not clear what triggered them to act at that particular point. Was it simply competitive journalism because others were on the verge of picking up the story? Once they'd started asking politicians for reactions it would be impossible to keep under wraps. But how had Downing St managed to keep a lid on things for so long?



I think the trigger was the police admitting they'd spoken to Cummings. Whether the Guardian knew this before they say they did - who knows? But it was certainly that revelation that prompted Downing St. to speak other than 'no comment' for the first time.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> He claimed not to be sure whether he'd stopped for fuel on the way back.
> 
> I don't know what engine his Land Rover has or how big the fuel tank is, or how heavy-footed a driver he is for that matter, so difficult to say whether he could do 600-odd miles (Durham and back plus the 60-mile jaunt to Barnard Castle and back) on a tank, but some cars do have remarkable range.  About fifteen years ago Jeremy Clarkson drove a bloody great supercharged Jag from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank - near enough 800 miles - for a Top Gear feature.  I don't think it's necessarily implausible that Cummings didn't need a fuel stop, but the fact he couldn't or wouldn't confirm whether he'd made one or not is very telling...



Clearly thinks it looks damning if he did stop but wants not to be shown to be a liar by denying it and it comes out later that he had. 

[Particularly if he stopped on the way up, fuelling up for a long journey. Eta: Roadkill below remarks he does say he didn't do this]


----------



## klang (May 27, 2020)

kenny g said:


> Let them eat chicken.
> 
> Come on chaps. It's not all bad. You can come and have some chicken.
> 
> View attachment 214962View attachment 214962


did you really have to post it twice?


----------



## teuchter (May 27, 2020)

maomao said:


> Grounded in reality is pretty far down my list of descriptions for my colleagues.


Not incompatible with my suspicions though.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Surely he must have stopped for fuel at some point on the way back, if only to make sure he had sufficient fuel in the car for other purposes, like going to the shops, in London.


----------



## chalkhorse (May 27, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> I think the trigger was the police admitting they'd spoken to Cummings. Whether the Guardian knew this before they say they did - who knows? But it was certainly that revelation that prompted Downing St. to speak other than 'no comment' for the first time.


The press articles are certainly written that way, but the police wouldn't have volunteered the information without being asked, presumably by the press, and it was the press that revealed it. AFAIK the police didn't make it public first.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> My favourite part so far is where he describes the eyesight test drive reason as 'preposturous'. Awesome



It's also really good because he adds in the dates of everything.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> It's also really good because he adds in the dates of everything.


I did enjoy the whole thing. He basically called him a lying liar who lies


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

chalkhorse said:


> The press articles are certainly written that way, but the police wouldn't have volunteered the information without being asked, presumably by the press, and it was the press that revealed it. AFAIK the police didn't make it public first.



Yep, I get what you're saying, which is why I put the caveat in about 'when did the Guardian know this'. As the investigation was across two newspapers I find it as hard to understand how they managed to keep the investigation to themselves for so long as I do in believing they didn't ask the police for this information well before the story was published.

Murky world of the press eh?


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Clearly thinks it looks damning if he did stop but wants not to be shown to be a liar by denying it and it comes out later that he had. Particularly if he stopped on the way up, fuelling up for a long journey.



He was unequivocal that he didn't stop on the way north.  Given that that would be an easy lie to disprove - all garage forecourts have CCTV, after all - I reckon it's probably true.  Well, true to the extent that he didn't stop for fuel: there's still the question of a four-year-old's bladder on a 260-mile drive...


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Pretty sure I've seen that suggestion already.  He was hardly going to admit duty evasion on top of everything else though, was he!



If Dom Cumming's Dad is anything like mine, he'd know the battle over turning down the red diesel on ethical grounds wouldn't be worth the grief, so don't feel right adding that to the charge sheet myself.


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

The only kind of defence I’ve seen on the internet these last says has been a general furious attack stance against journalists as a whole and individually. It might be a loud but very small number of people doing that (hashtag scum media etc) but it is I think a really dangerous thing.  Strange times when defending the ruling party line against the media is the transgressive thing to be doing.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

bimble said:


> The only kind of defence I’ve seen on the internet these last says has been a general furious attack stance against journalists as a whole and individually. It might be a loud but very small number of people doing that (hashtag scum media etc) but it is I think a very bad and dangerous thing.  Strange times when defending the ruling party line against the media is the transgressive thing to be doing.



It certainly is.  The media _are_ a fucking disgrace, though.
I wish they could all lose


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Haven't enjoyed politics this much since the MPs expenses scandal, I think.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> If Dom Cumming's Dad is anything like mine, he'd know the battle over turning down the red diesel on ethical grounds wouldn't be worth the grief, so don't feel right adding that to the charge sheet myself.



Yes, I agree.  I think red diesel is a red herring here, and the real issue is the fuel stop which he might or might not have made on the way back.  The evidence to prove that either way may not exist now though.


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> It certainly is.  The media _are_ a fucking disgrace, though.
> I wish they could all lose


The woman who (I think) broke this story is not a disgrace and I’d be frightened to walk to the shop if I was her. Anyway, the days of looking down on the weird Americans from our much more sensible little island are definitely over isn’t it.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Bastard probably siphoned off his dad's diesel


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Haven't enjoyed politics this much since the MPs expenses scandal, I think.



Was that before or after Thatcher dying?


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

bimble said:


> The only kind of defence I’ve seen on the internet these last says has been a general furious attack stance against journalists as a whole and individually. It might be a loud but very small number of people doing that (hashtag scum media etc) but it is I think a really dangerous thing.  Strange times when defending the ruling party line against the media is the transgressive thing to be doing.



It's not strange really: it's part of exactly the same pattern we've seen in the States.  Tbf 'the media' can and often does behave appallingly and most of the red tops, especially, are a disgrace, but this generalised attack on all journalists is dangerous.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

bimble said:


> The woman who (I think) broke this story is not a disgrace and I’d be frightened to walk to the shop if I was her. Anyway, the days of looking down on the weird Americans from our much more sensible little island are definitely over isn’t it.



I think we might be talking about different things.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It's not strange really: it's part of exactly the same pattern we've seen in the States.  Tbf 'the media' can and often does behave appallingly and most of the red tops, especially, are a disgrace, but this generalised attack on all journalists is dangerous.



There's always one good apple.


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It's not strange really: it's part of exactly the same pattern we've seen in the States.  Tbf 'the media' can and often does behave appallingly and most of the red tops, especially, are a disgrace, but this generalised attack on all journalists is dangerous.


Yep exactly like the American situation. There was a bit of this around brexit but never seen it quite like this before.


----------



## teuchter (May 27, 2020)

bimble said:


> The only kind of defence I’ve seen on the internet these last says has been a general furious attack stance against journalists as a whole and individually. It might be a loud but very small number of people doing that (hashtag scum media etc) but it is I think a really dangerous thing.  Strange times when defending the ruling party line against the media is the transgressive thing to be doing.


25,000 of them for you here









						45,102 people signed and won this petition
					

Support for Dominic Cummings




					www.change.org


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Haven't enjoyed politics this much since the MPs expenses scandal, I think.



Tbh I can't remember a time when I've been as glued to live news since the July 2005 bombings - and since on that day a lot of the news media started creaking under the strain I followed that mainly on here.  now there's Twitter, live feeds on every news website, etc etc.  It's done bugger all for my productivity over the last few days.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

bimble said:


> Yep exactly like the American situation. There was a bit of this around brexit but never seen it quite like this before.



It does seem to have stepped up a gear, doesn't it.  But it's the same phenomenon, coming from the same places and orchestrated by many of the same people, I think.


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> 25,000 of them for you here
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That petition repeats the claim that his son has special needs. A claim even Cummings wasn't low enough to try. So that's pretty low.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It does seem to have stepped up a gear, doesn't it.  But it's the same phenomenon, coming from the same places and orchestrated by many of the same people, I think.



And telling that most weren't at all bothered when the media was piling into Corbyn and Labour.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> Was that before or after Thatcher dying?


Good question, think expenses was 2008 or 2009, thatch died in 2013.


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Go for the line as an ex-soldier and ardent supporter of Brexit but ....



Fuck off trying to bring Brexit into this, 70% ain't happy (understandably) and its fuck all to with Brexit


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> 25,000 of them for you here
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great choice of photo.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

gosub said:


> Fuck off trying to bring Brexit into this, 70% ain't happy (understandably) and its fuck all to with Brexit



I think you've totally misunderstood what was going on in that post.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Somewhat dwarfed by the number of people demanding his resignation, teuchter ...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> 25,000 of them for you here
> 
> 
> 
> ...



More amusing 776,492 here...









						Sign the Petition
					

Dominic Cummings must be sacked




					www.change.org


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

kenny g said:


> Let them eat chicken.
> 
> Come on chaps. It's not all bad. You can come and have some chicken.
> 
> View attachment 214962View attachment 214962


Ah the good old days when we could spray microorganisms over each other with abandon....I miss those days come back soon.


----------



## keybored (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Pretty sure I've seen that suggestion already.  He was hardly going to admit duty evasion on top of everything else though, was he!


It's not duty evasion, it's following fatherly instincts.


----------



## Teaboy (May 27, 2020)

Why would stopping for fuel on the way home be an issue?  Presumably he and the family had already done their quarantine, that was the whole point of going up to Durham in the first place.  You've always been allowed to go out and get fuel if you need it.

It all seems quite a simple story really.  He and / or his wife got symptoms.  They decided they'd prefer to spend their quarantine in a holiday home on the family estate. During that quarantine they got bored and fancied a day trip to a local picturesque town.  Simple as that really, its amazing all the other shit that they've managed to shovel into the equation.

You either think his actions were OK, not OK or not OK but you'll defend it anyway because you perceive him to be on your side.


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Haven't enjoyed politics this much since the MPs expenses scandal, I think.


Yup. Sadly that was mostly brushed under the carpet too. No doubt they are still grabbing every penny their greedy hands can get.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

keybored said:


> It's not duty evasion, it's following fatherly instincts.


It's following fatherly instincts if he does it, duty evasion if other desparate fathers do it.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> Why would stopping for fuel on the way home be an issue?  Presumably he and the family had already done their quarantine, that was the whole point of going up to Durham in the first place.  You've always been allowed to go out and get fuel if you need it.
> 
> It all seems quite a simple story really.  He and / or his wife got symptoms.  They decided they'd prefer to spend their quarantine in a holiday home on the family estate. During that quarantine they got bored and fancied a day trip to a local picturesque town.  Simple as that really, its amazing all the other shit that they've managed to shovel into the equation.
> 
> You either think his actions were OK, not OK or not OK but you'll defend it anyway because you perceive him to be on your side.


Not at a petrol station a couple of hundred miles away, mind, else everyone who's driven long distance and caught would be claimed they'd just popped out to fill up the tank.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> It all seems quite a simple story really.  He and / or his wife got symptoms.  They decided they'd prefer to spend their quarantine in a holiday home on the family estate. During that quarantine they got bored and fancied a day trip to a local picturesque town.



This is a much better story.  By which I mean it would have been better for Cummings, the Government etc.
But doesn't have the brilliant Barnard Castle Eye Test element which is everyone's favourite bit of the other one.


----------



## Teaboy (May 27, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Not at a petrol station a couple of hundred miles away, mind, else everyone who's driven long distance and caught would be claimed they'd just popped out to fill up the tank.



So yeah.  The problem is not whether he fueled up on the way home just why he was there in the first place which is not in dispute.  If he had fueled up on the way there or say used the motorway service toilets that might be one thing.  Fueling up on the way back is irrelevant because he's not denied being there.


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)




----------



## Dogsauce (May 27, 2020)

teuchter said:


> 25,000 of them for you here
> 
> 
> 
> ...



We’re going to need a bigger boat for the South Atlantic transports. At least this saves someone the job of writing out a passenger manifest.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 27, 2020)

Well played fella

ETA @ auld fella bimble posted


----------



## clicker (May 27, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> So yeah.  The problem is not whether he fueled up on the way home just why he was there in the first place which is not in dispute.  If he had fueled up on the way there or say used the motorway service toilets that might be one thing.  Fueling up on the way back is irrelevant because he's not denied being there.


He really would remember one way or the other though? He should have given a simple yes or no. 

To say you're 95% sure you did stop was unnecessary and desperate.  It's as though by applying a mathy answer, he thought it gave credibility to his account . When in fact it just made him look even more like a floundering liar.

Simple Dom check your credit card?


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Well played fella
> 
> ETA @ auld fella bimble posted


it's cute, but I smell a rat. he only has two tweets to his name (those two).


----------



## MickiQ (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> This is a much better story.  By which I mean it would have been better for Cummings, the Government etc.
> But doesn't have the brilliant Barnard Castle Eye Test element which is everyone's favourite bit of the other one.


That was such a WTF moment that Mrs Q thought she had misheard what he said when he said that, I had to reassure her that I heard it too.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> it's cute, but I smell a rat. he only has two tweets to his name (those two).


Strong Twitter game, though. Two tweets and huge numbers. Reminds me of the fake Lionel Richie account that just tweeted "Hello." and got thousands of RTs. (And posted nothing else for years until a single "Goodbye.")


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

Part-timah said:


> Yep, that looks like the Sainsburys on Essex Road at the top oh his street.


Someone I know with detailed knowledge of the street and area in question tells me that DC has an aide who lives a couple of streets away from him and his brother-in-law very slightly beyond that. In addition the street has a very strong sense of community, I'm told, so the decision not to seek help available locally seems increasingly perverse


----------



## Dogsauce (May 27, 2020)

clicker said:


> He really would remember one way or the other though? He should have given a simple yes or no.
> 
> To say you're 95% sure you did stop was unnecessary and desperate.  It's as though by applying a mathy answer, he thought it gave credibility to his account . When in fact it just made him look even more like a floundering liar.
> 
> Simple Dom check your credit card?



Thing is, he’s (allegedly) been up and down the A1 like a yo-yo during lockdown, it’s possible that he can’t remember which trips he’s stopped for fuel on and which he hasn’t.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Someone I know with detailed knowledge of the street and area in question tells me that DC has an aide who lives a couple of streets away from him *and his brother-in-law very slightly beyond that*. In addition the street has a very strong sense of community, I'm told, so the decision not to see help available locally seems increasingly perverse



Isn't that the discredited sister?


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

MickiQ said:


> That was such a WTF moment that Mrs Q thought she had misheard what he said when he said that, I had to reassure her that I heard it too.



If I was him and that was actually true, I'd want to make up something else unless I was a very poor liar and would be spraying tells about the place.
You can rest stop every so often on motorways, so why not say you wanted to check your energy levels were up to it?


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> If I was him and that was actually true, I'd want to make up something else unless I was a very poor liar and would be spraying tells about the place.
> You can rest stop every so often on motorways, so why not say you wanted to check your energy levels were up to it?



It's almost so weird that it has to be true


----------



## clicker (May 27, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Thing is, he’s (allegedly) been up and down the A1 like a yo-yo during lockdown, it’s possible that he can’t remember which trips he’s stopped for fuel on and which he hasn’t.


But this was such an eventful trip. What with the vomit and bluebells and impaired vision. He'd remember.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> It's almost so weird that it has to be true



That was my initial thinking.  Now I'm wondering about a double-bluff.

Bit of game theory _a la_ Cummings?


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

I was actually just knackered but I'll make myself out to be a complete bozo and laughing stock by claiming I couldn't see. Tempting.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Some more entertaining news.



> Graham Brady, the chairman of the powerful 1922 committee of Conservative backbench MPs, is expected to confront Boris Johnson over his decision to stand by Dominic Cummings amid a mounting backlash.
> 
> As the number of Tory MPs calling for Mr Cummings to resign continues to grow, Mr Brady is expected to raise the issue with the Prime Minister when the pair hold their next one-to-one meeting.
> 
> ...


----------



## Smangus (May 27, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Thing is, he’s (allegedly) been up and down the A1 like a yo-yo during lockdown, it’s possible that he can’t remember which trips he’s stopped for fuel on and which he hasn’t.



All the twat has to do is check his expenses claims.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Isn't that the discredited sister?


And her husband


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Breaking news on Sky, the deputy chief whip has had a Zoom meeting lasting over an hour with up to 109 pissed-off backbenchers.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> Bit of game theory _a la_ Cummings?



The only game theory he's been playing has been the selfish cunt in a prisoner's dilemma.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Isn't that the discredited sister?



By ‘discredited sister’ do you mean in relation to the BIG PHARMA DEAL conspirosphere stuff?

Because the issue with that is that there is an Alice Cummings (no relation) who is a director of various private sector medical equipment/services companies, who was conflated by some with an Alice Cummings in the Durham area, and assumed to be Dom's sibling.

Which doesn't negate his actually having a sister (but not called Alice).


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I was actually just knackered but I'll make myself out to be a complete bozo and laughing stock by claiming I couldn't see. Tempting.



There's something of the Brian Harvey / baked potatoes vibe about it.


----------



## Orang Utan (May 27, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Strong Twitter game, though. Two tweets and huge numbers. Reminds me of the fake Lionel Richie account that just tweeted "Hello." and got thousands of RTs. (And posted nothing else for years until a single "Goodbye.")


Also, this:



Spoiler: Derail 












						'Rocky Horror' Fan Time Warps 5 Years to Complete a Tweet
					

A dedicated Twitter user and Rocky Horror Picture Show fan took 5 years to complete his joke tweet.




					mashable.com


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

8ball said:


> There's something of the Brian Harvey / baked potatoes vibe about it.


Except Brian Harvey would make a more convincing witness.


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Strong Twitter game, though. Two tweets and huge numbers. Reminds me of the fake Lionel Richie account that just tweeted "Hello." and got thousands of RTs. (And posted nothing else for years until a single "Goodbye.")


I'd imagine the person behind the account (not the old feller in the photo) is someone with a larger following who retweeted it early on. They changed the name of an account they registered last year for some other purpose, grabbed a photo from the internet of someone who looks like they might be called Bernard, retweet and off you go.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> I'd imagine the person behind the account (not the old feller in the photo) is someone with a larger following who retweeted it early on. They changed the name of an account they registered last year for some other purpose, grabbed a photo from the internet of someone who looks like they might be called Bernard, retweet and off you go.



Ooh, fiendish!


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

This is hardly surprising, but also dumps more shit on Johnson, isn't it all going so well? 



> West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson says officers are reporting people breaking lockdown rules and using special adviser Dominic Cummings' actions as an excuse.
> 
> Mr Jamieson told BBC Radio 4's The World At One programme that people are telling officers that "if it is okay for Cummings, it is okay for us" and "it looks like there is one rule for us and another rule for the people in No 10 Downing Street"
> 
> He said: "Now you can't... if the rules are flexible, and people seem to have interpreted them who are at the heart of Government, then it is almost impossible then for police officers to be able to carry out their job effectively.











						Police commissioner says lockdown breakers are using Cummings as an excuse
					

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson says it's 'almost impossible' for officers to do their job




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## Shechemite (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Let's post a feel good tweet to gee up the nation and make them feel solidarity about the poverty and hardship we're all facing.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Nice bit of trolling from KFC.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> This is hardly surprising, but also dumps more shit on Johnson, isn't it all going so well?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I can't laugh at that tbh.  The consequences are potentially horrific.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> By ‘discredited sister’ do you mean in relation to the BIG PHARMA DEAL conspirosphere stuff?
> 
> Because the issue with that is that there is an Alice Cummings (no relation) who is a director of various private sector medical equipment/services companies, who was conflated by some with an Alice Cummings in the Durham area, and assumed to be Dom's sibling.
> 
> Which doesn't negate his actually having a sister (but not called Alice).



Aha!! In that case ....

I don't know


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I can't laugh at that tbh.  The consequences are potentially horrific.



Of course it's serious, but it was predicted, I am just laughing at the mess Johnson has made and how it's coming back to haunt him.


----------



## existentialist (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I can't laugh at that tbh.  The consequences are potentially horrific.


And it didn't happen in a vacuum. Johnson's previous burblings about lockdown had already undermined it - this was the perfect suckerpunch to follow that.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

MadeInBedlam said:


> View attachment 214975



I don't know if it's the angle or lighting or something, but Meghan Markle and Gary Shandling look a bit kinda weird in that pic.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

Six of this week's ten top trending _PR Week _stories:









						PR leaders: ‘Trumpian’ Cummings defence a ‘Government comms disaster that could prove deadly’
					

PR leaders: ‘Trumpian’ Cummings defence a ‘Government comms disaster that could prove deadly’. From PR Week




					www.prweek.com
				












						From ‘poorly polishing a turd’ to ‘a lesson in self preservation’ - PR chiefs react to Cummings press conference
					

From ‘poorly polishing a turd’ to ‘a lesson in self preservation’ - PR chiefs react to Cummings press conference. From PR Week




					www.prweek.com
				












						Has the Government’s decision to back Dominic Cummings ‘trashed’ its own public health message?
					

Has the Government’s decision to back Dominic Cummings ‘trashed’ its own public health message?. From PR Week




					www.prweek.com
				












						‘More people likely to bend the rules after Cummings transgression’ - behavioural scientist
					

‘More people likely to bend the rules after Cummings transgression’ - behavioural scientist. From PR Week




					www.prweek.com
				












						The Government’s failure to keep ‘on message’ could be a matter of life and death
					

The Government’s failure to keep ‘on message’ could be a matter of life and death. From PR Week




					www.prweek.com
				












						The PR Show podcast: 'Government urgently needs new approach to coronavirus comms'
					

The PR Show podcast: 'Government urgently needs new approach to coronavirus comms'. From PR Week




					www.prweek.com


----------



## discokermit (May 27, 2020)

no one keeps their car fuel tank full. my jag has a four litre engine and the tank has a range of four hundred miles. the only times i have had more than half a tank in it is when going on a long journey. it is rarely over a quarter full, otherwise you are carrying weight around for nothing.
the reason cummings is vague about what would have been a legitimate fuel stop on the way back is that it never happened. hes hoping no one will check on a legitimate stop.
i reckon its odds on that he topped up before the return journey.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)




----------



## Treacle Toes (May 27, 2020)

Yes, this roadsign declaring the rules don't apply to Dominic Cummings is real
					

The sign appeared underneath an official sign urging people to follow government guidance




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

The countdown is on, Johnson starts his select committee performance at 4 pm.

I think I'll record it, it will probably deserve a second viewing for a laugh.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Someone I know with detailed knowledge of the street and area in question tells me that DC has an aide who lives a couple of streets away from him and his brother-in-law very slightly beyond that. In addition the street has a very strong sense of community, I'm told, so the decision not to seek help available locally seems increasingly perverse


Someone from the local group posted to say they'd have been happy to help, had they been asked.


----------



## 8ball (May 27, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> The countdown is on, Johnson starts his select committee performance at 4 pm.
> 
> I think I'll record it, it will probably deserve a second viewing for a laugh.



I don't think I've ever watched 2 of these things in a row before.


----------



## agricola (May 27, 2020)

Sorry if this is the wrong thread for this, but surely even they* wouldn't do something as obviously wrong as this just to try and get the Cummings story off the top of every news agenda?









						Text message tells vulnerable people in UK they are dropped from shielding list
					

Outcry after some in England told they would lose government support without doctors being able to talk to them first




					www.theguardian.com
				




* i know, i know


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

agricola said:


> Sorry if this is the wrong thread for this, but surely even they* wouldn't do something as obviously wrong as this just to try and get the Cummings story off the top of every news agenda?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I've already put that in the coronavirus UK thread fwiw.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Whatever you say about Trump at least he had balls and dumped his Rasputin Bannon soonest to show who was in charge. Johnson utter contemptible coward can't even clean up his own shitshow. He's going to survive this current onslaught I fear but with a gaping wound.


----------



## agricola (May 27, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> I've already put that in the coronavirus UK thread fwiw.



Which is the right place for it, but I just thought it looked and sounded like a dead cat all day long.   Even for them its absolutely indefensible.


----------



## editor (May 27, 2020)




----------



## Part-timah (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Someone I know with detailed knowledge of the street and area in question tells me that DC has an aide who lives a couple of streets away from him and his brother-in-law very slightly beyond that. In addition the street has a very strong sense of community, I'm told, so the decision not to seek help available locally seems increasingly perverse



It’s almost as if he’s a lying little toad.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Whatever you say about Trump at least he had balls and dumped his Rasputin Bannon soonest to show who was in charge. Johnson utter contemptible coward can't even clean up his own shitshow. He's going to survive this current onslaught I fear but with a gaping wound.


The difference between trump and Johnson is that trump is in charge


----------



## agricola (May 27, 2020)

(wrong thread)


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> The difference between trump and Johnson is that trump is in charge


If Johnson isn't who is?


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If Johnson isn't who is?



Is this a trick question?


----------



## Raheem (May 27, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If Johnson isn't who is?


Well, he couldn't even make Cummings give an insincere half apology.


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Is this a trick question?


Yes and  then I want to explore the how


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Well, he couldn't even make Cummings give an insincere half apology.


What makes you think that he tried?


----------



## Raheem (May 27, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> What makes you think that he tried?


Not trying to be in charge would just be another way of not being in charge.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Hardly surprising, all the questions about Cummings were answered with flimflam, and the new slogan, which no doubt DC came up with, 'time to move on.'


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Yes and  then I want to explore the how



OK, I'll bite. There's a quote in this thread somewhere to the order of Cummings saying it is he who decides the agenda by determining what and what does not go into Johnson's in-tray ("across his desk" is the phrase Cummings uses I believe).

On top of that, we have an inept PM. At work, I have an inept centre manager. Nominally, he is in charge. But he's so useless that in real terms the centre is run on a day to day basis by us, his underlings. Nobody describes him anymore as 'being in charge' because to all intents and purposes, he isn't, despite what his JD says.


----------



## Petcha (May 27, 2020)

This is quite a good rant


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 27, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> OK, I'll bite. There's a quote in this thread somewhere to the order of Cummings saying it is he who decides the agenda by determining what and what does not go into Johnson's in-tray ("across his desk" is the phrase Cummings uses I believe).
> 
> On top of that, we have an inept PM. At work, I have an inept centre manager. Nominally, he is in charge. But he's so useless that in real terms the centre is run on a day to day basis by us, his underlings. Nobody describes him anymore as 'being in charge' because to all intents and purposes, he isn't, despite what his JD says.


The practise of some form of secretariat  shielding/briefing the top dog,  ie deciding what goes across the desk,  where there is a clear business plan with set priorities/risks is common across governments, councils and businesses.


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> The practise of some form of secretariat  shielding/briefing the top dog,  ie deciding what goes across the desk,  where there is a clear business plan with set priorities/risks is common across governments, councils and businesses.



Sure. But I think people might suggest this goes beyond any normal type of shielding you describe and that it's Cummings who wrote the business plan himself.


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

The difference with a centre manager is they mainly have operational oversight, PMs are supposed to operate at a strategic/leadership  level.


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> The difference with a centre manager is they mainly have operational oversight, PMs are supposed to operate at a strategic/leadership  level.



And the strategy is Cummings's not Johnson's. Is the argument no?


----------



## Petcha (May 27, 2020)

I didn't actually see her intro but I gather it wasn't exactly complementary of Mr Cummings?


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

Petcha said:


> I didn't actually see her intro but I gather it wasn't exactly complementary of Mr Cummings?




Maitlis needs to move to Sky. BBC are nothing more than a government mouthpiece anymore. That introduction is somewhere in this thread. It's nothing more than good, probing journalism. You know, the occupation where you ask difficult questions to those in the news.


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

If Johnson is considered as 'in charge' I'd hope he'd have a bit more strategy than four stock phrases, three of which are 'time to move on'.

His appearance at that select committee is embarrassing.


----------



## tim (May 27, 2020)

Trump shouts ventilators whilst under stress; Johnson bleats wash your hands.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

_The Spectator_ has a transcript of the Cummings statement and (some of) the questions that followed.



Spoiler: Part 1



Around midnight on Thursday, the twenty sixth of March, I spoke to the prime minister. He told me that he tested positive for Covid. We discussed the national emergency arrangements for No.10, given his isolation and what I would do in No. 10 the next day. The next morning, I went to work as usual. I was in a succession of meetings about this emergency.

I suddenly got a call from my wife who was at home looking after our four year old child. She told me she suddenly felt badly ill. She'd vomited and felt like she might pass out. And there'll be nobody to look after our child. None of our usual childcare options were available. They were alone in the house. After very briefly telling some officials in No.10 what had happened, I immediately left the building, ran to a car and drove home. This was reported by the media at the time who saw me run out of No. 10. After a couple of hours, my wife felt a bit better. There were many critical things at work and she urged me to return in the afternoon and I did. That evening, I returned home and discussed the situation with my wife.


She was ill. She might have Covid, though she did not have a cough or a fever. At this point, most of those who I work with most closely, including the prime minister himself and others who sit within 15 feet of me every day, either had had symptoms and had returned to work or were absent with symptoms. I thought there was a distinct probability that I had already caught the disease. I had a few conflicting thoughts in my mind. First, I was worried that if my wife and I were both seriously ill, possibly hospitalised, there was nobody in London that we could reasonably ask to look after our child and exposed themselves to Covid. My wife had felt on the edge of not being able to look after him safely a few hours earlier. I was thinking, what if the same or worse happens to me? There's nobody here that I can reasonably ask to help. The regulations make clear, I believe the risks to the health of a small child were an exceptional situation, and I had a way of dealing with this that minimised risk to others.

Second, I thought that if I did not develop symptoms, then I might be able to return to work to help deal with the crisis. There were ongoing discussions about testing government staff in order to keep people like me working rather than isolating. At this point, on the Friday, advisers such as myself had not been included in the list of who were tested. But it was possible that this might change the following week. Therefore, I thought that after testing negative, I could continue working.

In fact, this did not change and special advisers were not tested and I have never been tested. Third, there had been numerous false stories in the media about my actions and statements regarding Covid. In particular, there were stories suggesting that I had opposed lockdown and even then I did not care about many deaths. For years, I have warned of the dangers of pandemics. Last year I wrote about the possible threat of coronaviruses and the urgent need for planning. The truth is, that I had argued for lockdown. I did not oppose it. But these stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home. I was subject to threats of violence. People came to my house shouting threats. There were posts on social media, encouraging attacks. There were many media reports on TV showing pictures of my house. I was also worried that given the severity of this emergency, this situation would get worse. And I was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and off into the night while I worked in No.10. I thought the best thing to do in all the circumstances was to drive to an isolated cottage on my father's farm. At this farm, my parents live in one house. My sister and her two children live in another house, and there was a separate cottage roughly 50 metres away from either of them. My tentative conclusion on the Friday evening was this: if we are both unable to look after our child, then my sister or nieces can look after him. My nieces are 17 and 20. They are old enough to look after him, but also young enough to be in the safest category. And they had extremely kindly volunteered to do so if needed.

But, I thought, if I do not develop symptoms and there is a testing regime in place at work, I could return to work if I tested negative. In that situation, I could leave my wife and child behind in a safe place, safe in the form of support from family for shopping in emergencies, safe in the sense of being away from home which had become a target and also safe for everybody else because they were completely isolated on a farm and could not infect anybody. Contrary to some media reports, there are no neighbours in the normal sense of the word. The nearest other homes are roughly half a mile away. So in this scenario, I thought that they could stay there for a few weeks. I could go back to work, help colleagues and everybody, including the general public, would be safe.

I did not ask the prime minister about this decision. He was ill himself and he had huge problems to deal with. Everyday, I have to exercise my judgment about things like this and decide what to discuss with him. I thought I would speak to him when the situation clarified over coming days, including whether I had symptoms and whether there were tests available. Arguably, this was a mistake, and I understand that some will say that I should've spoken to the prime minister before deciding what to do. So I drove the three of us up to Durham last night, arriving roughly at midnight. I did not stop on the way. When I worked the next morning, Saturday the twenty eighth of March, I was in pain and clearly had Covid symptoms, including a bad headache and a serious fever.

Clearly, I could not return to work any time soon. For a day or two, we were both ill. I was in bed. My wife was ill, but not ill enough that she needed emergency help. I got worse. She got better. During the night of Thursday, the 2nd of April, my child woke up. He threw up and had a bad fever. He was very distressed. We took medical advice which was to call 999. An ambulance was sent, they assessed my child and said he must go to hospital. I could barely stand up. My wife went with him in the ambulance. I stayed at home. He stayed the night in the hospital. In the morning, my wife called to say that he had recovered, seemed back to normal. Doctors had tested him for Covid and said that they should return home. There were no taxis. I drove to the hospital, picked them up, then returned home. I did not leave the car or have any contact with anybody at any point on this short trip. The hospital's, I don't know what, roughly five miles or something away two miles, three miles four miles, something like that. A few days later, the hospital said that he tested negative. After I started to recover, one day in the second week, I tried to walk outside the house. At one point the three of us walked into woods owned by my father, next to the cottage that I was staying in. Some people saw us in these woods from a distance, but we had no interaction with them. We had not left the property. We were on private land. By Saturday, the 11th of April, I was still feeling weak and exhausted. But other than that, I had no Covid symptoms. I thought that I'd be able to return to work the following week, possibly part time.

It was obvious that the situation was extremely serious. The Prime Minister had been gravely ill. Colleagues were dealing with huge problems and many were ill or isolating. I felt like I ought to return to work if possible, given I was now recovering in order to relieve the intense strain at No. 10. That Saturday, I sought expert medical advice. I explained our family's symptoms and all the timings, and I asked if it was safe to return to work on Monday, Tuesday, seek child care and so on. I was told that it was safe and I could return to work and seek childcare.

On Sunday 12 April, 15 days after I had first displayed symptoms, I decided to return to work. My wife was very worried, particularly given my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease. She didn't want to risk a nearly 300-mile drive with our child, given how ill I had been. We agreed that we should go for a short drive to see if I could drive safely. We drove for roughly half an hour and ended up on the outskirts of Barnard Castle town. We did not visit the castle. We did not walk around the town. We parked by a river. My wife and I discussed the situation. We agreed that I could drive safely, we should turn around, go home. I felt a bit sick. We walked about 10 to 15 metres from the car to the river bank nearby. We sat there for about 15 minutes. We had no interactions with anybody. I felt better. We returned the car. An elderly gentleman walking nearby appeared to recognise me. My wife wished him Happy Easter from a distance, but we had no other interaction.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

Spoiler: Part 2



We headed home. On the way home, our child needed the toilet. He was in the back seat of the car. We pulled over to the side of the road, my wife and child jumped out into the woods by the side of the road. They were briefly outside. I briefly joined them. They played for a little bit and then I got out of the car, went outside. We were briefly in the woods. We saw some people at a distance. But at no point did we break any social distancing rules. We then got back in the car and went home.

We agreed that if I continued to improve then the next day, we should return to London and I would go back to work. We returned to London on the evening of Monday 13 April, Easter Monday. I went back to work in No. 10 the next morning. At no point between arriving and leaving Durham did any of the three of us enter my parents' house or my sister's house. Our only exchanges were shouted conversations at a distance. My sister shopped for us and left everything outside.

In the last few days, there have been many media reports that I returned to Durham after 13 April. All these stories are false. There is a particular report that I returned there on 19 April. Photos and data on my phone prove this to be false. And local CCTV, if it exists, would also prove that I'm telling the truth that I was in London on that day. I was not in Durham.

During this two-week period, my mother's brother died with Covid. There are media reports that this had some influence on my behaviour. These reports false. This private matter did not affect my movements. None of us saw him. None of us attended his funeral. In this very complex situation, I tried to exercise my judgment the best I could.

I believe that in all circumstances I behaved reasonably and legally, balancing the safety of my family and the extreme situation in No.10 and the public interest in effective government to which I could contribute.

I was involved in decisions affecting millions of people, and I thought that I should try to help as much as I could do. I can understand that some people will argue that I should have stayed at my home in London throughout.

I understand these views. I know the intense hardship and sacrifice that the entire country has had to go through. However, I respectfully disagree. The legal rules inevitably do not cover all circumstances, including those that I found myself in. I thought and I think today that the rules, including those regarding small children in extreme circumstances, allowed me to exercise my judgment about the situation I found myself in, including the way that my London home had become a target -- and all the complexity of the situation.

I accept, of course, that there is room for reasonable disagreement about this. I could also understand some people think I should not have driven at all anywhere.

But I had taken medical expert medical advice. It was 15 days after symptoms. I'd been told that I could return to work and employ childcare. I think it was reasonable and sensible to make a short journey before embarking on a five-hour drive to see whether I was in a fit state to do this. The alternative was to stay in Durham rather than going back to work and contributing to the government's efforts. I believe I made the right judgment, though I can understand that others may disagree with that.

I've explained all of the above to the Prime Minister. At some point during the first week where we were both sick and in bed, I mentioned to him what I had done. Unsurprisingly, given the condition we were in, neither of us remember the conversation in any detail. I did not make my movements public at the time because my London home was already a target. I did not believe that I was obliged to make my parents' and my sister's home a target for harassment as well. I understand that millions of people have seen media coverage of this issue. I know that millions have endured awful hardship, including personal tragedies, over the past few months, and people are suffering every day. And I know the British people hate the idea of unfairness. I wanted to explain what I thought, what I did and why, over this period, because I think that people like me who helped to make the rules should be accountable for their actions.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

Spoiler: Part 3



I'm happy to answer questions from the media who are here.

*Laura Kuenssberg: *Thank you very much, Mr. Cummings. Do you regret what you did? Because many people in this country have made heartbreaking sacrifices in the last couple of months in order to stick to the rules that you were a part of putting together. And many people may have listened to you and think you made your own interpretation. And do you understand, for some people, it seems as if there was one version of the rules for you. And one version of the rules for everyone else.

*DC:* Thank you, Laura. No, I don't, I don't regret what I did. As I said, I think reasonable people may well disagree about how I thought about what to do in these circumstances. But I think that what I did was actually reasonable in these circumstances.

In terms of the rules, I think that the rules make clear that if you're dealing with small children, then that could be, that can be, exceptional circumstances. And I think the situation that I was in was exceptional circumstances. And I think that the way that I dealt with it was the least risk to everybody concerned, if my wife and I had both been unable to look after our four-year-old.

*LK: *It may sound to many people this afternoon, though, that you're using a loophole that was in complete contrast to the message people heard day after day from No. 10 of stay at home, stay at home, stay at home. Do you understand why some people are really angry about this, not just respectfully disagree: that they're furious?

*DC*: I certainly do. I've seen some of the media obviously over the last couple of days and I'm not surprised that a lot of people are very angry and lots of people I know if -- if you're someone who was sitting at home watching a lot of the media over the last three days, then I think lots of people would be very angry. And I completely understand that. But I think -- I hope and think that today, when I've actually explained all of the circumstances about it -- I think people realize this is a very complicated, tricky situation. And I was trying to weigh up a lot of different things. Some people might have behaved differently in some ways. As I said, you know, arguably it was a mistake that I didn't call the Prime Minister on the Friday night and I just did what I thought was the right thing to do. But I have to make decisions like that every day. And yes, I understand the people watching the media could be very upset about what's happened, but I've explained why.

Do you want to offer any regret, any apology to people who didn't have the ability to make the decisions that you did, who didn't have the resources to do what you did?

As I said, I've obviously thought a lot about what I did over this period, what things I could have done better with this. Things I could have done better in general in dealing with the whole crisis. There's definitely a lot of things that I could have done better over the last few months. But I think what I did in this 14 days, I think that I behaved reasonably.

*Robert Peston: *So just to be absolutely clear in this 14 day period and subsequently, apart from one visit to Durham and back, and a trip to Barnard Castle, neither you nor Mary have been anywhere else at all. Also, millions of people haven't seen their parents for months now. Can you just tell us a bit more about the nature of your contact with your parents. And then, finally, your own scientists are worried. They said this last night that by introducing an element of personal discretion into the interpretation of the rules, you are putting lives at risk. What would you say to them and what would you say to us to reassure us?

*DC: *Thanks Robert. You asked whether it was true that over this 14 day period, that we didn't go anywhere else apart from off in the car on day 15. No, that's not correct.

*Peston: *Apart from the trip to hospital.

*DC: *The trip to hospital, yes, exactly. And then there was the drive on day 15, but apart from that, neither of us left.

*Peston: *And nothing since either?

*DC: *Nothing since then in terms of?

*Peston: *Just trips that break the rules as it were.

*DC: *No. You know, I left. Well, I'm not exactly sure where the boundaries of London are, but as far as I am aware, the only time I left London since the Tuesday the 14th, was to go to Chequers for meetings with the prime minister.

*Peston: *And that will apply to Mary too because obviously you are a household?

*DC: *Yes, I mean Mary and I have been together since we returned.

*Peston: *And then on this issue of contact with your parents?

*DC: *On the issue of contact with my parents. So, neither Mary or I have been tested. Neither of us could be definitively sure about what our situation was. Mary had been ill and then recovered. She hadn't had a cough, a fever. I pretty clearly seemed to have Covid and talking to medical experts they thought that but I wasn't tested. But obviously our default mode was assume that all three of us have got it. So I was in a cottage 50 meters or so away from everybody else. Obviously we kept very, very far away from them. There are various reports that I visited them, that I stayed with them. That's all completely untrue. My parents are in their 70s, obviously I did not want to give them this disease, and so we stayed very far away. We did have some conversations, but you know, we were on a farm and they were shouted conversations at a distance. They weren't some of the things that have been reported.

*DC: *In terms of introducing a question of discretion. I don't, I'm not seeking to introduce anything or any element of discretion. To me, the rules are there, they talk about what to do with exceptional circumstances and small children. I was trying to weigh up on that Friday night conflicting things between what happens if we're both ill; who's going to look after him; what's the safest way of doing that; is there a way in which I might go back to work the following week if the whole testing system changes, which was being discussed but did not, in fact, happen. I was trying to weigh all of those things up. Given that, I don't believe that I broke the rules.

*Peston: *If it's not breaking the rules it's that the SPIP and SPIM members last night said that they think you introduced the idea that if your personal circumstances don't allow then you can do something different from what the simple rules say. And they are very worried that will make it much harder to contain the spread of disease.

*DC: *Well, I think that they're right to be worried that coverage over the last couple of days could encourage people to behave in certain ways. But with great respect to them, they made those comments without knowing what had actually happened. And actually that's one of the reasons why I think now it would have been better to have made this statement earlier.

*DC: *But as it was, well, I didn't. And it would have been better to have done it earlier, for sure. And that would have also I think have also stopped some of those guys themselves being confused by what they read.



I'm not sure if anyone else has posted it, but I'm desperate for a piss UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 27, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> _The Spectator_ has a transcript of the Cummings statement and (some of) the questions that followed.


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Sure. But I think people might suggest this goes beyond any normal type of shielding you describe and that it's Cummings who wrote the business plan himself.



Yes they are but I'm not sure how familiar they are with this sort of role , its very common in large local authorities and doesn't resemble Yes Minister, its far more dynamic and political.  The business plan would have gone through the Policy Unit , the leader of which is paid significantly more than Cummings . Even the reform civil service stuff was jointly written with the head of policy as was the manifesto .  I think people are right not to underestimate his influence particularly as he is also a favourite of Goves but to say he's in charge I dont buy it tbh. other wise we wouldn't have the rumour of six Cabinet members displaying some unease about how this has all bee handled.

I know this is all speculative because we dont work there and its too early for someone to spill the beans.


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> If Johnson is considered as 'in charge' I'd hope he'd have a bit more strategy than four stock phrases, three of which are 'time to move on'.
> 
> His appearance at that select committee is embarrassing.


Well I'm quite sure they won't be putting   Cummings in front of anyone again for a while ( not that they could with this committee)


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2020)

Anti-porn filters stop Dominic Cummings trending on Twitter
					

Name of PM’s aide is blocked, which has led to variety of misspelt hashtags




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 27, 2020)

FWIW Jeremy Hunt is saying that Cummings broke the lockdown rules on three occasions. And, whilst not calling for his resignation he does say “Sometimes people do need to resign.”


----------



## Wilf (May 27, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> He was unequivocal that he didn't stop on the way north.  Given that that would be an easy lie to disprove - all garage forecourts have CCTV, after all - I reckon it's probably true.  Well, true to the extent that he didn't stop for fuel: there's still the question of a four-year-old's bladder on a 260-mile drive...


I'd guess almost all the facts are true. Trouble is he blatantly broke several bits of the government's lockdown advice/strategy/law (possibly) when he did those things. What is blatantly untrue at just about every twist and turn of the story is the reason he did x, y and z. Not only untrue, but each justification was blatantly unjustifiable. 

I'm catching up with this and the lawyer's commentary someone posted, but I come back to the 'I spoke to the PM a couple of times and neither of us can remember what we said' bit.  Everything in his meandering statement was there for a reason, to fit with what is publicly available and to defend against future accusations.


----------



## Raheem (May 27, 2020)

Wilf said:


> I'm catching up with this and the lawyer's commentary someone posted, but I come back to the 'I spoke to the PM a couple of times and neither of us can remember what we said' bit.  Everything in his meandering statement was there for a reason, to fit with what is publicly available and to defend against future accusations.


What struck me in this bit was the word 'understandably'. He said something like "understandably, neither of us remember very much". Normally, this connotes an objective judgement about a situation you are not directly involved in. So, you have to wonder if the situation being talked about involves two imaginary people.


----------



## Wilf (May 27, 2020)

clicker said:


> But this was such an eventful trip. What with the vomit and bluebells and impaired vision. He'd remember.


Wordsworth was going to go with this but decided to write about daffodils.


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

That Liaison Committee was a bit of a no show , actually after the questions on Cummings there was a far more interesting discussion about the economic side of coronavirus now and in the future. When asked about British Airways threatened redundancies and changes in conditions Johnson actually said that without naming companies he wasn't pleased at the actions of some companies and he wanted to have a look at it. The whole Britain is booming post Brexit stuff is going to hard to live up to without intervention. Also said that the furlough scheme and those who are paid by dividend would be looked at.


----------



## Roadkill (May 27, 2020)

Wilf said:


> I'd guess almost all the facts are true. Trouble is he blatantly broke several bits of the government's lockdown advice/strategy/law (possibly) when he did those things. What is blatantly untrue at just about every twist and turn of the story is the reason he did x, y and z. Not only untrue, but each justification was blatantly unjustifiable.
> 
> I'm catching up with this and the lawyer's commentary someone posted, but I come back to the 'I spoke to the PM a couple of times and neither of us can remember what we said' bit.  Everything in his meandering statement was there for a reason, to fit with what is publicly available and to defend against future accusations.



It was me who posted it, and I agree.  That's pretty much what DAG was saying.  But there are a couple of facts he couldn't explain, namely the conversation you point to and the stop on the way back south.  The latter probably doesn't matter much; the former might be interesting.  But there'll probably never be enough to shed much light on either.

sorry - pressed the wrong button and posted before I was ready, so not quite how i was going to put it, but never mind...


----------



## The39thStep (May 27, 2020)

Crowd sourced spreadsheet on Tory MPs position on Cummings  Cummings' Critics


----------



## editor (May 27, 2020)

All about Mary









> Mary is the daughter of Sir Humphry Wakefield, an English baronet and expert on antiques and architecture. Sir Humphry married his third wife, then the Hon. Katherine Baring, in December 1974, and in 1982 Sir Humphry bought Chillingham Castle in Northumberland. An imposing 13th century, Grade I-listed stronghold, the official website of the property describes it as ‘Britain’s most haunted historic castle... famed for action and battles.’ It had previously been the seat of the Greys of Chillingham, from whom Sir Humphry’s third wife is descended. The property became a passion project for Sir Humphry, who restored the decaying castle to a habitable state in order that it might be used to store his collection of antiques.











						Dominic Cummings’s wife Mary Wakefield has aristocratic roots
					

Now at the centre of a government scandal, Mary Wakefield heralds from quite the aristocratic background




					www.tatler.com


----------



## MrSki (May 27, 2020)

Petcha said:


> I didn't actually see her intro but I gather it wasn't exactly complementary of Mr Cummings?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

Whitty and Vallance are AWOL again.  

They are normally part of the furniture on the weekday briefings, they both turned-up at No. 10 on Monday, but didn't appear at the briefing, and haven't since, have they been bumped off?


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

MrSki said:


>




Complete lack of sycophancy - I can understand why BBC bods are fuming about it.


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Whitty and Vallance are AWOL again.
> 
> They are normally part of the furniture on the weekday briefings, they both turned-up at No. 10 on Monday, but didn't appear at the briefing, and haven't since, have they been bumped off?



Why havent they resigned?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 27, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Whitty and Vallance are AWOL again.
> 
> They are normally part of the furniture on the weekday briefings, they both turned-up at No. 10 on Monday, but didn't appear at the briefing, and haven't since, have they been bumped off?


The clown briefly mentioned whitty at the liaison bollocks. Can't remember why now cos my brain turned to piss.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

The eyesight thing is unusally lame. Looking at the route to the castle, which is in part down the London road, I don't know why he didn't say "We set off for London, intending to go home. Twenty miles into the journey I started to feel a bit odd, so we turned off the A1 and drove to the first place we could sensibly stop, which was just outside Barnard Castle. I sat there for 15 mins or so, got a bit of fresh air, but still didn't feel right, so decided the best thing was to drive back again. The next day, I gave it another go, felt a lot better so carried on to London"


----------



## Raheem (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> The eyesight thing is unusally lame. Looking at the route to the castle, which is in part down the London road, I don't know why he didn't say "We set off for London, intending to go home. Twenty miles into the journey I started to feel a bit odd, so we turned off the A1 and drove to the first place we could sensibly stop, which was just outside Barnard Castle. I sat there for 15 mins or so, got a bit of fresh air, but still didn't feel right, so decided the best thing was to drive back again. The next day, I gave it another go, felt a lot better so carried on to London"


Suggest this to him and report back about the expression on his face.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Suggest this to him and report back about the expression on his face.


One of the big takeaways from this is he's not that clever - talks a lot of high faluting guff thinks he can change the world, and swings a big dick (just like Johnson) but it's just intellectualized bluff. Both pound shop Emperor's have no clothes. He 'won' Brexit that will be his last ever 'win'. His personal life will be hell now as well without the insulation that a PM gets. Good.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> The eyesight thing is unusally lame. Looking at the route to the castle, which is in part down the London road, I don't know why he didn't say "We set off for London, intending to go home. Twenty miles into the journey I started to feel a bit odd, so we turned off the A1 and drove to the first place we could sensibly stop, which was just outside Barnard Castle. I sat there for 15 mins or so, got a bit of fresh air, but still didn't feel right, so decided the best thing was to drive back again. The next day, I gave it another go, felt a lot better so carried on to London"


Or his wife could have driven


----------



## planetgeli (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> The eyesight thing is unusally lame. Looking at the route to the castle, which is in part down the London road, I don't know why he didn't say "We set off for London, intending to go home. Twenty miles into the journey I started to feel a bit odd, so we turned off the A1 and drove to the first place we could sensibly stop, which was just outside Barnard Castle. I sat there for 15 mins or so, got a bit of fresh air, but still didn't feel right, so decided the best thing was to drive back again. The next day, I gave it another go, felt a lot better so carried on to London"



Conservative Central Office are on the phone. Something about a job.


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

Just not even bothering anymore is what this looks like, the laziness of it. No I won’t allow an enquiry because I wouldn’t want you to waste your time on this, yes I have seen the evidence that he was telling the truth but handing it over to you would just waste your time by seeing it.


----------



## Dogsauce (May 27, 2020)

This is beginning to feel more like the phone hacking business, where it never really felt that anyone was held to account for criminal acts, or likely to be.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)

bimble said:


> Just not even bothering anymore is what this looks like, the laziness of it. No I won’t allow an enquiry because I wouldn’t want you to waste your time on this, yes I have seen the evidence that he was telling the truth but handing it over to you would just waste your time by seeing it.
> 
> View attachment 215008


Yeah...he shouldn't have answered that...things are getting tighter and tighter.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Yeah...he shouldn't have answered that...things are getting tighter and tighter.


Can't the Scots raise an army and stop by Durham on the way for reinforcements?  You might find a temporary alliance from some of the English nobles and a fair few peasants joining the revolt.  King Harry and Queen Meghan might just allow you own King (or Queen) in return. Desperate times call for desperate measures.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Can't the Scots raise an army and stop by Durham on the way for reinforcements?  You might find a temporary alliance from some of the English nobles and a fair few peasants joining the revolt.  King Harry and Queen Meghan might just allow you own King (or Queen) in return. Desperate times call for desperate measures.


You're on your own mate, sorry.  10 times as many of you, do it yourself 

I did actually suggest we should march on York about 6 weeks ago, someplace else, if that's any cheer.


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> You're on your own mate, sorry.  10 times as many of you, do it yourself
> 
> I did actually suggest we should march on York about 6 weeks ago, someplace else, if that's any cheer.


English Civil War (The Sequel) then.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 27, 2020)




----------



## teqniq (May 27, 2020)

Fuck the people in charge at the BBC:









						Emily Maitlis replaced for Newsnight episode after Cummings remarks
					

Katie Razzall stepped in after BBC reprimanded host over ‘breach of impartiality rules’




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Badgers (May 27, 2020)




----------



## Wilf (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> The eyesight thing is unusally lame. Looking at the route to the castle, which is in part down the London road, I don't know why he didn't say "We set off for London, intending to go home. Twenty miles into the journey I started to feel a bit odd, so we turned off the A1 and drove to the first place we could sensibly stop, which was just outside Barnard Castle. I sat there for 15 mins or so, got a bit of fresh air, but still didn't feel right, so decided the best thing was to drive back again. The next day, I gave it another go, felt a lot better so carried on to London"


 ... a journey of a thousand 270 miles begins with a single step trip to Barnard Castle to celebrate your wife's birthday?


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

hmm - I enjoyed Maitlis' intro the other night, and I'm glad she did it, but it was clearly in breach of the impartiality rules so it's difficult to imagine them not reprimanding her


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> hmm - I enjoyed Maitlis' intro the other night, and I'm glad she did it, but it was clearly in breach of the impartiality rules so it's difficult to imagine them not reprimanding her



Totally agree, sadly.


----------



## Wilf (May 27, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Fuck the people in charge at the BBC:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


An element of misogyny there I'd have thought too. Doubt they'd have binned paxman off for similar.


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

they haven't binned her, they've just replaced her for one night. so far at least.


----------



## MrSki (May 27, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Fuck the people in charge at the BBC:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Wilf (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> they haven't binned her, they've just replaced her for one night. so far at least.


Yes, I know.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)

Wilf said:


> An element of misogyny there I'd have thought too. Doubt they'd have binned paxman off for similar.


Oh fuck off...Kuennsberg is a cummings mouthpiece.  There's no misogyny here because it isn't currently useful to them.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Oh fuck off...Kuennsberg is a cummings mouthpiece.  There's no misogyny here because it isn't currently useful to them.



You are familiar with the concept of the 'handmaiden' ?

Read what he wrote, his comparison was a fair one.


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

The most important bit is that he was talking about Maitlis, not Kuennsberg


----------



## belboid (May 27, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> You are familiar with the concept of the 'handmaiden' ?
> 
> Read what he wrote, his comparison was a fair one.


Are you familiar with Dexter? Inability to recognise misogyny is his....everything.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)




----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

Are you actually saying that because the BBC defended Kuenssberg for her tweets, and she's a woman, there can't be any misogynist element to their reprimand of Maitlis?


----------



## JimW (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> Are you actually saying that because the BBC defended Kuenssberg for her tweets, and she's a woman, there can't be any misogynist element to their reprimand of Maitlis?


Of course, just like racism ended in the States when they elected Obama.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> Are you actually saying that because the BBC defended Kuenssberg for her tweets, and she's a woman, there can't be any misogynist element to their reprimand of Maitlis?


Not anymore than I'm saying Patel is an evil tory because she's a woman, nope.   Or cummings is evil because he's a man.  It's nothing to do with this.

What I'm _saying_ is that trying to bring misogyny into this narrative can only come from someone who either doesn't understand the concept of what is going on or whose intent is to disrupt the actual narrative, and they should be considered a bad actor either through stupidity or intent  

There's loads of them about.

There's only one narrative here and it's the best urban will ever get...a perfect example of one set of people living by a different set of rules, and the whole country ready to get up in arms about it...and it's a huge chance to fucking stamp on them.  So fuck any sidetracking, alright?


----------



## Orang Utan (May 27, 2020)

you're the sidetrack, div


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Totally fair, Maitlis criticizes Cummings = bias, Kuenssberg defends Cummings (and the rest of the government) = impartial. Obvious, obviously.


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

I can't work out if you're just the most stupid person on urban, or the most stupid person alive Dexter. Definitely leaning towards the second.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> I can't work out if you're just the most stupid person on urban, or the most stupid person alive Dex. Definitely leaning towards the second.



Ta


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Ta


not you!


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 27, 2020)

Editor of Newsnight has skewered herself on Twitter....


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> not you!



I know  

I'm quite aware I'm only the third most stupid


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)

killer b said:


> I can't work out if you're just the most stupid person on urban, or the most stupid person alive Dexter. Definitely leaning towards the second.


I suppose...if you've been amongst a bunch of people who have been mouthy about massive social and economic change for a long time...you just weren't expecting them to hide under their covers and revert to talking about shite from the 1980s as justification during the biggest thing in the world.   

As I said, they're all over 

Every other person in the world knows that sexism is absolutely fuck all to do with this...and fucking listen to you.  Embarrassing...drowning fantasists clutching to imaginary lifebelts.


----------



## bimble (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> I suppose...if you've been amongst a bunch of people who have been mouthy about massive social and economic change for a long time...you just weren't expecting them to hide under their covers and revert to talking about shite from the 1980s as justification during the biggest thing in the world.
> 
> As I said, they're all over


what are you talking about?


----------



## killer b (May 27, 2020)

Misogyny is a thing from... the 80s?


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Editor of Newsnight has skewered herself on Twitter....




So Esme Wren says "I am the Editor of Newsnight  @carolecadwalla  & I am responsible for the output of the programme. 
@maitlis  hasn’t been replaced tonight in response to the BBC statement.  @katierazz  is part of the team and we work as a team throughout."

I don't understand - is she saying they've all been replaced for the night?


----------



## Marty1 (May 27, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Add Kay Burley to people I find myself strangely agreeing with.




Im more amazed Gove is still doing TV interviews - as - as he’s proved, he’s got nothing to say.


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2020)

CW Steve on a roll...


----------



## agricola (May 27, 2020)

That Kuenssberg decision is crazy - the BBC claim she was accurately reporting what a source said, but at no point has she ever acknowledged that the source was wrong about almost everything:



Cummings was very clear afterwards that he didn't stay with his parents, he wasn't ill when he went up there (though his wife was) and the parents did not help with childcare.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> From ‘poorly polishing a turd’ to ‘a lesson in self preservation’ - PR chiefs react to Cummings press conference
> 
> 
> From ‘poorly polishing a turd’ to ‘a lesson in self preservation’ - PR chiefs react to Cummings press conference. From PR Week
> ...



Some great stuff here...



> Today’s conference was a poor attempt at polishing a turd. They made him wear a shirt (nice try), allowed him to read his statement (as he’s shy) and ensured he arrived a couple of minutes late, but immediately apologised (poor bloke’s had a busy day). The whole routine was a carefully choreographed but poorly executed farce. The first law of holes: "if you find yourself in one, stop digging".
> *Hannah Patel, EMEA director, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry*





> It sounded like when I got caught by my mum bunking off school; a long rambling layer of lies. However, at least even at 15, I knew to start with an apology. How did someone review his speech and say, “go get ‘em tiger”.
> *Roxy Kalha, managing director, The Romans*





> Whoever wrote the Cummings speech needs to look for a new job. It was clearly designed to confuse and obfuscate and in that regard, it did its job, but it prompted more questions than answers. At no stage did Cummings show any understanding of the situation, nor empathy or regret for the outrage his actions have provoked.
> *David Alexander, managing director, Calacus*





> Mr Cummings did enough – that is: add emotion, add complexity and muddy the water just enough for the public to question their rage and the newscycle to move on… his performance shouldn’t be viewed through the lens of a politician; he’s not looking to be popular or hold on to a seat. It was all about self preservation and it was expertly done.
> *Shane O’Donoghue, director, Nelson Bostock Unlimited*





> The first rule of crisis communications is keep it factual and keep it brief. Dominic decided to keep it factual but with seemingly an hour-by-hour account of his activities over the last five weeks, he has opened himself up to greater scrutiny. The more he talked, the more he seemed to contradict himself. On one hand here’s a full account of my activity, on the other he was too busy to recall details of conversations. Either it’s a full account or it isn’t.
> *Tricia Fox, chief executive, Volpa*





> Cummings' previously unwarranted reputation as some kind of svengali lies in tatters. Anyone who before today proclaimed him the possessor of some psychological affinity with the British public had been made to look foolish. Cummings' smarts have been revealed to be nothing more than the proverbial smoke and mirrors. Worse, the smoke is acrid and the mirror is scratched beyond repair.
> *Stuart Lambert, co-founder, Blurred*





> What we all need to remember is that many thousands of people have lost loved ones and in the most tragic and difficult circumstances. It is through their eyes that we need to assess what is done. Those leading at a time of crisis need to ask 'what would those affected think' before they act.
> *Amanda Coleman, crisis communications consultant, Amanda Coleman Communications*





> Once the core fact that he travelled across the country, because he thought he might get ill, was established - the rest of the detail is largely irrelevant. By making that interpretation of the rules, he has jeopardised the public’s faith in the Government's coronavirus instructions. Whether Cummings believes that is a proportional response by the people is also irrelevant...for the word 'sorry' to be missing from his much rehearsed statement is nothing short of remarkable. It was the only solution, from a comms perspective, available to him – as the only objective was surely to reverse the damage done to public sentiment.”
> *George Baggaley, UK&I communications lead, HP*





> With breathtaking arrogance, he kept journalists - and millions of viewers - waiting for over half an hour.  When it came, his statement was long-winded and over-detailed, yet still didn’t clear everything up. It created as many questions as answers.
> *Ginny Paton, managing partner, Iris Worldwide*





> Cummings’ performance was great TV. But it lacked the contrition that could have started to help draw a line under this for the Government. Everyone is affected by lockdown, and almost everyone is abiding by the rules. Cummings’ performance – starting 30 minutes late, blaming ‘false’ media stories and his tetchy responses to questions – will have done little to dispel the anger many will feel.
> *Ben Lowndes, director of South West, Social Communications*





> If Cummings is still in place in two weeks it will have worked. However, if the clamour for him to go reaches a crescendo and forces him out, it will be because of what was omitted from today, not what was included. I personally believe it raised a number of questions, rather than answered them, and that is the biggest communication failure here today.
> *Tim Downs, director, Aberfield*





> Cummings must have summoned all his strength and might not to use that 5-letter word 'SORRY', and media certainly opened the door on numerous occasions. As soon as he did, it would have been an acceptance he did something wrong - which is in direct conflict with his whole strategy of claiming he behaved reasonably, and legally.
> *Lewis Davey, founder, Idea Farm*





> There are holes in the Barnard Castle round trip eye test story that will not be put to bed by journalists. Cummings has gone for an, “elite vs the people” message until now and mistrust of the “MSM”. Now he is inviting the MSM to explain why he is in fact exceptional and thanks to his parents’ multi-buildings house with lots of private land including a wood - he could self-isolate 260 miles away from his main residence in case the parents got so ill they couldn’t look after their child. Journalists cross-checking this account against his wife’s article in the Spectator about their lockdown will not be satisfied.
> *Siobhan Lipnicki, director, Buzz Lead Media*





> I think it's safe to say that this has been an utter PR disaster since the news broke that Cummings had broken lockdown rules to travel over 200 miles. I think the best course of action given the time would have been to apologise for his flouting of the rules and then to go on to explain the reasoning behind his actions. This would have sat much better with the UK public than just denying any wrongdoing and help keep his reputation intact.
> *Will Hobson, director, Rise at Seven*





> From a PR perspective, this conference dictates the end of Cummings as a "dark side lord" of political communication, as Steve Bannon, David Axelrod, Karl Rove, Alastair Campbell or James Carville have already been, to name a few. From a technical point of view, the press conference was a real disaster, violating all the rules that Cummings knows so well. The most important of them all was not having the ability to interpret the public opinion and not having realized that from the moment he decided to hold a press conference there could be only one thing to do: to apologize and relieve pressure on his leader.
> *Alexandre Guerra, press officer, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa*





> If Cummings survives, this time they really will seem to have created a double standard - we can still expect ministers and MPs to lead the charge against any private company, charity or public figure behaving in a similar way. The difference now is that they plainly don’t expect to be held accountable themselves. One other lesson is that, for all the dire warnings about a decline in the quality of journalism in this country - and suggestions that the public are losing trust in the mainstream media - this whole affair reminds everyone that reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated.
> *Tim Toulmin, managing director, crisis communications specialists Alder*


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)

agricola said:


> That Kuenssberg decision is crazy - the BBC claim she was accurately reporting what a source said, but at no point has she ever acknowledged that the source was wrong about almost everything:
> 
> 
> 
> Cummings was very clear afterwards that he didn't stay with his parents, he wasn't ill when he went up there (though his wife was) and the parents did not help with childcare.



Yup that was when all this shit started...when he wasn't trending and should have been.

At this stage...I mean _everyone_ has _always_ been expendable with them.  Wtf is actually going on because this is nuts.   It's never happened in the UK, has it?   

Worst leader in history with the worst advisor in history at the worst time in history.  sigh


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

> The last time a prime minister appeared before the committee was 12 months ago, *Sir Bernard Jenkin*, the committee chairman, said.
> 
> Can you, prime minister, commit to attending regularly this and again before summer recess?
> 
> *Boris Johnson* asks if he can get back to him on that as “there is a lot on at the moment” and his time is scarce.



 What's he got on at the moment then?! Nothing as far as I can tell. Unless he's planning to spend a weekend up at the castle too.


----------



## frogwoman (May 27, 2020)

Imagine if I used that excuse at work.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

From that lawyer up front he's clearly just done a witness statement he could try to use in court. I presume he's not said Sorry because it's a sort of admission of fault in law?

And Maitlis should clearly have used the Kuenssberg formula "Sources said ..."


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

brogdale said:


> CW Steve on a roll...
> 
> View attachment 215030


Brilliant stuff where are these from ?


----------



## Wilf (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Not anymore than I'm saying Patel is an evil tory because she's a woman, nope.   Or cummings is evil because he's a man.  It's nothing to do with this.
> 
> What I'm _saying_ is that trying to bring misogyny into this narrative can only come from someone who either doesn't understand the concept of what is going on or whose intent is to disrupt the actual narrative, and they should be considered a bad actor either through stupidity or intent
> 
> ...


Yeah, he's a real shit that Dominic Cummings, desperate to weave a story together that's stuffed to the seams with inconsistency, evasion and misrepresentation. Kind of reminds me of someone...


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2020)

phillm said:


> Brilliant stuff where are these from ?







__





						Cold War Steve (@Coldwar_Steve) on Twitter
					





					mobile.twitter.com


----------



## phillm (May 27, 2020)

brogdale said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ta muchly.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

If that was effectively Cummings' witness statement, Johnson will  presumably have been told by the lawyers that he can't comment on it in case he contradicts it and shows it up as a pack of lies  .


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2020)

two sheds said:


> If that was effectively Cummings' witness statement, Johnson will  presumably have been told by the lawyers that he can't comment on it in case he contradicts it and shows it up as a pack of lies  .


They have learned from the case of that unfortunate woman in iran


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Im more amazed Gove is still doing TV interviews - as - as he’s proved, he’s got nothing to say.



Lest we forget...


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 27, 2020)

If they seem terrible now, believe me, as someone who watched them at the time, they were shit then too


----------



## Marty1 (May 27, 2020)

Hearing some defenders of Cummings say that the only reason he’s been targeted for this media outrage is because he’s ‘the architect of Brexit’.

Something about Stephen Kinnock delivering a birthday cake to his dad not getting a peep out of Emily Maitlis.


----------



## B.I.G (May 27, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Hearing some defenders of Cummings say that the only reason he’s been targeted for this media outrage is because he’s ‘the architect of Brexit’.
> 
> Something about Stephen Kinnock delivering a birthday cake to his dad not getting a peep out of Emily Maitlis.



Famously stupid nazi.


----------



## xenon (May 27, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Someone I know with detailed knowledge of the street and area in question tells me that DC has an aide who lives a couple of streets away from him and his brother-in-law very slightly beyond that. In addition the street has a very strong sense of community, I'm told, so the decision not to seek help available locally seems increasingly perverse



they probably all think he is an unbearable arsehole.


----------



## Serge Forward (May 27, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Hearing some defenders of Cummings say that the only reason he’s been targeted for this media outrage is because he’s ‘the architect of Brexit’.
> 
> Something about Stephen Kinnock delivering a birthday cake to his dad not getting a peep out of Emily Maitlis.


Still here, you cunt?


----------



## DexterTCN (May 27, 2020)




----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


>



Tbf she prefaced her bullshit with A Source Says, whereas Emily  did sound like it was her own partial opinion, presented as fact. It is a fact of course, but there you go.

Anyway, the idea that the BBC is usually impartial other than this moment is a joke. The fact the response to being told by the Tories to jump was How High is the issue. When called on a long list of election bias against Labour it was always met with a shrug.


----------



## editor (May 27, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Hearing some defenders of Cummings say that the only reason he’s been targeted for this media outrage is because he’s ‘the architect of Brexit’.
> 
> Something about Stephen Kinnock delivering a birthday cake to his dad not getting a peep out of Emily Maitlis.


Off this thread you go.


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


>




It's a very English Tory version of Trump's attacks on the media. I'm sure this kind of thing is orchestrated from the top


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2020)

editor said:


> Off this thread you go.


Just permaban him Ed. Soon he'll be only left to bore people on the Great British Bake Off thread to pretend he's not trying to drop altright talking points on


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2020)

He must have made a hell of a contribution to the server fund


----------



## little_legs (May 27, 2020)

ska invita said:


> It's a very Tory English version of Trump's attacks on the media. I'm sure this kind of thing is orchestrated from the top


Straight outta the fascist play book. The end goal is to delegitimize any source of knowledge and make facts and expertise things that can't be trusted.


----------



## Humberto (May 27, 2020)

ska invita said:


> It's a very English Tory version of Trump's attacks on the media. I'm sure this kind of thing is orchestrated from the top



It could be a lot better and has been better in the past. Our local news is decent. At the end of the day the funding is controlled by the Tory government and then there is the whole 'the BBC is left-wing biased' received wisdom among the Tory faithful.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 27, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


>



Ah, now you were after some misogyny earlier. Here it is. Paxman used to be lauded for having exactly all of those qualities. 

He makes himself sound ridiculous, though. 'confrontational to the point of intimidation'?  Nobhead.


----------



## agricola (May 28, 2020)

ska invita said:


> It's a very English Tory version of Trump's attacks on the media. I'm sure this kind of thing is orchestrated from the top



Most of it is, though of course he has a strong defence against that charge in that he's been making a complete fool of himself for years without any direction from No.10.


----------



## killer b (May 28, 2020)

Politicians have always complained about aggressive journalists, its hardly a new thing. Didnt Blair call them 'feral' or something?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


>



He seems like a classy, not pimpy, truth-oriented kinda guy


----------



## killer b (May 28, 2020)

Ah yes, Tonty Blair talking about, er... the independent:

_it is like a feral beast just tearing people and reputations to bits. But no-one dares miss out._


----------



## editor (May 28, 2020)

two sheds said:


> He must have made a hell of a contribution to the server fund


That's below you mate.


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

Apologies, not intended seriously


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

grrr dp


----------



## Puddy_Tat (May 28, 2020)

most of the comments seem to be angry non tories who haven't read it properly...


----------



## frogwoman (May 28, 2020)

I wrote a poem lol, its probably no good as ice not written one in years but it was quite cathartic to write this evening. Not sure where to post it, here's as good a place as any


The Scum Parade
Ah whose got the short straw today lads?
Which one of the scum parade have we got today?
The one who ran a pyramid scheme?
The one who made laws that would kick out her own dad?
Another day, another lie.
It’s like another 747 falling out the sky.
The scum parade get up and say science has changed.
They say ‘we’re passing the peak'.
Like everything in life they fake it till they make it.
Funerals without hugs? Shut up and take it.
Let’s move on they say. 
Let’s all use common sense.
I thought my eyesight was going so drove down the road.
Common sense mate.
100,000 tests doesn’t mean actually tested. Common sense.
It’s the media that’s the problem. Common sense.
The scum parade can’t hide their contempt.
Families ripped apart. Jobs lost. Businesses ruined.
Science has changed. More like science is trashed.
And still the deaths go up.
‘The deaths' but each one was a person.
We’ve almost stopped caring about that. Isolated, desensitized.   
But look, they say, Nando's will be open.
‘The cases'. AKA sick people, scared and struggling to breathe.
‘The deaths today'. AKA hundreds of people died alone.
But enough of that. Next slide please.
Next lie please. Next scandal please, next horror, next disgrace.
Right, that’s all for today, thanks very much they say. 
Well, that’s it guys, the scum parade have finished for the day. Bye!
No, we won’t be answering your questions.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

killer b said:


> Ah yes, Tonty Blair talking about, er... the independent:
> 
> _it is like a feral beast just tearing people and reputations to bits. But no-one dares miss out._


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This could be interesting: a lawyer dissects Cummings' carefully lawyered statement. I've not listened all through yet, but the word 'damning' is being used on legal twitter...


Handily now on YouTube:


----------



## krtek a houby (May 28, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Hearing some defenders of Cummings say that the only reason he’s been targeted for this media outrage is because he’s ‘the architect of Brexit’.
> 
> Something about Stephen Kinnock delivering a birthday cake to his dad not getting a peep out of Emily Maitlis.



Your hearing is remarkably tuned to alt-right chatter.


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

8ball said:


> I don't know if it's the angle or lighting or something, but Meghan Markle and Gary Shandling look a bit kinda weird in that pic.


Not surprisingly Alison Steadman has a cob on as well....


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> What's he got on at the moment then?! Nothing as far as I can tell. Unless he's planning to spend a weekend up at the castle too.


Baby Wilfred, Carrie's having a go at asserting some authority before the we(e)ding having failed on the wine spill front.


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Hearing some defenders of Cummings say that the only reason he’s been targeted for this media outrage is because he’s ‘the architect of Brexit’.
> 
> Something about Stephen Kinnock delivering a birthday cake to his dad not getting a peep out of Emily Maitlis.


Next time you want to borrow a tenner I'll give you 10p, because they're both money and have "10" in their name. But I will fully expect my tenner back on pay-up time.


----------



## Badgers (May 28, 2020)




----------



## cupid_stunt (May 28, 2020)

Not strictly speaking a front page, just a mock-up of what next week's issue could look like, but still funny.


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


>




Clear message to BBC - don't dare criticize the government.


----------



## Ted Striker (May 28, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Tbf she prefaced her bullshit with A Source Says, whereas Emily  did sound like it was her own partial opinion, presented as fact. It is a fact of course, but there you go.
> 
> Anyway, the idea that the BBC is usually impartial other than this moment is a joke. The fact the response to being told by the Tories to jump was How High is the issue. When called on a long list of election bias against Labour it was always met with a shrug.



Absolutely this. LK has been way more consistent, if more subtle, in sympathetic coverage towards Boris and Conservatives.


----------



## weltweit (May 28, 2020)

editor said:


> Off this thread you go.


I don't see anything wrong with the post referenced. It is on topic.
If anything it is more mild than many more established posters have made on this very thread.
What is the justification for this thread ban?


----------



## bimble (May 28, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Ah, now you were after some misogyny earlier. Here it is. Paxman used to be lauded for having exactly all of those qualities.
> 
> He makes himself sound ridiculous, though. 'confrontational to the point of intimidation'?  Nobhead.


Yep. In his followup, wherein he of course calls for abolition of license fee, he just happens to use the word ‘brazen’. The twat. All very silly anyway, her being given a day off became the front page news so not much of a result for whoever ordered it as a reprimand.


----------



## Badgers (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


> My MP is a lazy feckless Tory who's only interest is his career. Blocks people on social media who ask questions, never responds to emails and is barely ever even here.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here he is


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Here he is


This is one of the (many) weird things about their argument: it hinges on them 'believing' either the public are too stupid to understand the rules, or the rules weren't communicated well enough. Neither are a great look for those in power.


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> This is one of the (many) weird things about their argument: it hinges on them 'believing' either the public are too stupid to understand the rules, or the rules weren't communicated well enough. Neither are a great look for those in power.


Not that the rules were quite fucking clear - you don't move if you've got symptoms. Things have suddenly changed retrospectively for _some reason. _


----------



## kenny g (May 28, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Not that the rules were quite fucking clear - you don't move if you've got symptoms. Things have suddenly changed retrospectively for _some reason. _



That's the thing about this which is so remarkable. He had symptoms. He was a potential super spreader. We had only seen a few weeks earlier people smear it across the country as they came back from skiing holidays. People with symptoms all over the country were doing the decent thing and completely locking down. At the very least they weren't heading out hundreds of miles to new areas. This wasn't a potential risk. It was an actual one.


----------



## Mogden (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Here he is



He's got Tory tongue too. It seems to be a prerequisite to not be able to speak fluently if you're Blue


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

teuchter said:


> I feel that this Cummings story is becoming a distraction from the insidious creep of this stupid word which is what we should actually be focusing on dealing with.


What a strange sense of priorities you have


----------



## Roadkill (May 28, 2020)

agricola said:


> That Kuenssberg decision is crazy - the BBC claim she was accurately reporting what a source said, but at no point has she ever acknowledged that the source was wrong about almost everything:
> 
> 
> 
> Cummings was very clear afterwards that he didn't stay with his parents, he wasn't ill when he went up there (though his wife was) and the parents did not help with childcare.




This thread looks like a plausible explanation of what happened, albeit one that goes out of its way to empathise with Kuenssberg:



_edit_ - he's done one of his periodic disappearing acts from Twitter so now showing as unavailable.  It was DAG again, arguing that Kuenssberg had probably tweeted in good faith from a source who, if not Cummings himself, was very close to him, but that his story had subsequently changed, which supports the contention that his statement a few days ago was reverse-engineered.


----------



## existentialist (May 28, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I don't see anything wrong with the post referenced. It is on topic.
> If anything it is more mild than many more established posters have made on this very thread.
> What is the justification for this thread ban?


Seems pretty obvious to me. He adds nothing to any debate he's part of, and his contributions are almost invariably half-arsed and deniable attempts to either merely disrupt debate, or to start sneaking alt-right bullshit into them. He's clever - or lucky - enough to be very careful about how he does this, in order that the more short-sighted and credulous don't see anything wrong with the poison he's oh-so-carefully spreading, but it doesn't take much of a step back to look at the overall pattern of his posts and see that he's a nasty piece of work.

I don't want to follow in your footsteps and criticise a modding decision...but I will say that I find it a remarkable example of tolerance that he has been allowed to remain on the boards so long.


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

Turns out lying badly was a key priority on the job description that Johnson wrote - are we absolutely sure 'Cunnings' only has the one kid ?


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> My mp said the only one criticising Cummings were 'left wing critics'


In a way - good. It shows how totally they are out of touch with public opinion


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

Although compared with them everyone's a left wing critic.


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Except Brian Harvey would make a more convincing witness.





DaveCinzano said:


> By ‘discredited sister’ do you mean in relation to the BIG PHARMA DEAL conspirosphere stuff?
> 
> Because the issue with that is that there is an Alice Cummings (no relation) who is a director of various private sector medical equipment/services companies, who was conflated by some with an Alice Cummings in the Durham area, and assumed to be Dom's sibling.
> 
> Which doesn't negate his actually having a sister (but not called Alice).


Yep, you got it right. The Alice Cummings who is a serial company director (incidentally, some of those companies being relatively innocuous) is zero relation to Cummings, whose sister is actually called Sarah


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> If Johnson isn't who is?


Most probably Cummings


----------



## Mogden (May 28, 2020)

Not sure this is the right thread but it's the most active. Smug little weasel.


----------



## Petcha (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Not sure this is the right thread but it's the most active. Smug little weasel.




Jesus H Christ. Is he hammered?


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> The difference with a centre manager is they mainly have operational oversight, PMs are supposed to operate at a strategic/leadership  level.


Agreed entirely, but the whole point about our current government is that he seems to be about a million miles from giving that.
That, plus the whole government seems so dysfunctional and downright rudderless


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

Streathamite said:


> Yep, you got it right. The Alice Cummings who is a serial company director (incidentally, some of those companies being relatively innocuous) is zero relation to Cummings, whose sister is actually called Sarah


I've just been Jezsplained!


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Not sure this is the right thread but it's the most active. Smug little weasel.



Not just smug, but notice the continuing all-pervasive pattern. The app clearly isn't ready/doesn't work/will never work, so they retrofit a story to say how you need the system in place first before you unleash the app. First I've heard of that. Sounds exceedingly unlikely. Stalinist revision of history yet again. It's what they do as a reflex.


----------



## kenny g (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> Not sure this is the right thread but it's the most active. Smug little weasel.




In previous decades people like him would have had that expression thrashed out of them on some suitable playing fields or by future foreign secretaries.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Jesus H Christ. Is he hammered?


At times like this I think there are definitely some _Old Boy networks_ we could all get behind


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Just heard someone on radio mention that any Serco track & tracer ringing anyone in Barnard Castle might get some contact details of a London resident!


----------



## Combustible (May 28, 2020)

If getting rid of Stephen Kinnock is the price for Cummings, then with a heavy heart it is sacrifice I for one would be willing to make.


----------



## Mogden (May 28, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Jesus H Christ. Is he hammered?


No it's a nervous laugh. Like when you do a PMSL at a funeral. Not an excuse for him clearly but it explains what it is. There's a lot of leaks in his movements too. Lots of head shaking, left to right.


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> No it's a nervous laugh. Like when you do a PMSL at a funeral. Not an excuse for him clearly but it explains what it is. There's a lot of leaks in his movements too. Lots of head shaking, left to right.



True, but a bit more than a nervous laugh, it's to hide his lying denial. A bit more like turning up late at a funeral and saying "what are you all here for? he's not dead. You've all come too early don't criticize me for coming too late."


----------



## scifisam (May 28, 2020)

What we all need is a health minister laughing while people die.


----------



## Petcha (May 28, 2020)

two sheds said:


> True, but a bit more than a nervous laugh, it's to hide his lying denial. A bit more like turning up late at a funeral and saying "what are you all here for? he's not dead. You've all come too early don't criticize me for coming too late."



It does look like he's finally totally lost it. tbf, it's a fucking stressful job he's got but still. Bonkers.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> He's got Tory tongue too. It seems to be a prerequisite to not be able to speak fluently if you're Blue



It's a relatively rare skill to be able to improvise a coherent set of lies. Tory natural selection might once have favoured this trait but it has become sidelined in favour of the most important characteristic; complete moral bankruptcy.

I suppose all the really effective psychopaths realised long ago that there's more money to be made in the private sector, with even less accountability. I don't know what makes these people choose politics instead, probably it's narcisssism but without the cold objectivity.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> No it's a nervous laugh. Like when you do a PMSL at a funeral. Not an excuse for him clearly but it explains what it is. There's a lot of leaks in his movements too. Lots of head shaking, left to right.



The true comedy genius of Matt Lucas' version of Johnson's announcement was the way he shook his head for positive statements, nodded for negative ones.


----------



## Mogden (May 28, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> I don't know what makes these people choose politics instead, probably it's narcisssism but without the cold objectivity.


Background I would guess. It's expected of them and they're trained for it from a young age.

There's been a haunting line in psychopaths this week including a CEO who has just been ousted from the venture capitalist company he works for.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 28, 2020)

hmm..


----------



## The39thStep (May 28, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I don't see anything wrong with the post referenced. It is on topic.
> If anything it is more mild than many more established posters have made on this very thread.
> What is the justification for this thread ban?



Sometimes this place reminds me off the old music hall where someone sections of the audience don't like is ceremonially yanked off stage with a hook. 
The comments he referenced  extend far beyond what ever the miniscule alt right have to say, they are stock comments in the desperate Clap for Cummings brigade lobby. They run aside a view that its Remainers that are behind the campaign to sack Cummimgs as Cummings ran one of the Leave campaigns, that Cummings house is under siege in the heart of Remain land, that  nobody would offer him assistance because he is a Leaver, that increasingly Conservatives find it hard to be conservative in London, All looney tunes stuff but all painting a picture of victim hood about the BBC, campaigning anti Brexit media, Cof E failing the people because they are anti Brexit ( which actually resulted in four clergy people receiving online death threats). There's been lists and examples of politicians and civil servants , not only from other parties but other parts of the world, breaking restrictions and apparently no action being taken. 

The fact that the polls, the 40 odd Tory MPs who are either critical or have called for Cummings resignation, the coverage in newspapers traditionally pro Tory obviously undermines the 'its all Remainers' nonsense. Its equally the case  that people using or querying the Kinnock case are not all linked to some Brexit at any cost lobby , its a fair comment to ask why others who have broken restrictions have not had the same coverage ( even if we know the answers).


----------



## The39thStep (May 28, 2020)

Streathamite said:


> Agreed entirely, but the whole point about our current government is that he seems to be about a million miles from giving that.
> That, plus the whole government seems so dysfunctional and downright rudderless


Yup they are as you describe in your last sentence , hence their desire to move on and concentrate on the bigger picture/better headlines.  The point I was trying to make was about roles in management/business structures of government . Amazed to find out btw that there are 100 special advisors  including the chief Brexit negotiator. Cumming shas a brief to oversee most of these advisors which might help to explain his role in filtering what is passed over to the PMs desk.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 28, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, the Oxford Mail journo's second question was about a doctor self-isolating who she contrasted with Cummings. Johnson was refering to the doctor when talking about Cummings, not the porter in her first question who died.
> 
> Why don't you watch it for yourself?


why don't you come back and answer the questions you've been asked?


----------



## Badgers (May 28, 2020)




----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Proving that the lying liars lied.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 28, 2020)




----------



## teuchter (May 28, 2020)

Actual story: they regard it as a "minor breach", not worthy of them taking any further action, and don't regard his trip to stay at his parents place a breach.


----------



## Mogden (May 28, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Everyone got a bit over excited yesterday didn't they? The government is not about to collapse and people will be bored of this story in a couple of days.


It's a couple of days later and guess what


----------



## teuchter (May 28, 2020)

Mogden said:


> It's a couple of days later and guess what


I'm monitoring the situation.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 28, 2020)

the look on cummings' face is due to his overhearing the copper describing the sort of search he'd like to conduct on the wretch


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 28, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Actual story: they regard it as a "minor breach", not worthy of them taking any further action, and don't regard his trip to stay at his parents place a breach.



Actually they do consider his trip to Barnard Castle AND his trip to his parents place as both being "minor breaches", just once they were there & self-isolating, there was no further breach.



> The force said it did not consider Mr Cummings had breached the regulations when self-isolating  at his father’s farm in Durham at the end of March *but that the trip to Durham did constitute a “minor breach”.*



Fact is, if he had been pulled over, he would likely have been issued a fine, and probably turned around, whilst putting the cops at risk, because both him & his wife were infected, then it would have been a serious matter.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 28, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Actually they do consider his trip to Barnard Castle AND his trip to his parents place as both being "minor breaches", just once they were there & self-isolating, there was no further breach.
> 
> 
> 
> Fact is, if he had been pulled over, he would likely have been issued a fine, and probably turned around, whilst putting the cops at risk, because both him & his wife were infected, then it would have been a serious matter.


so since it's been deemed to be against the law by the police, perhaps the ministers who declared he acted wholly legally might like to amend their comments and apologise profusely and publicly


----------



## Roadkill (May 28, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> so since it's been deemed to be against the law by the police, perhaps the ministers who declared he acted wholly legally might like to amend their comments and apologise profusely and publicly



And Suella Braverman would resign for presupposing the outcome of a criminal enquiry for political reasons.  I'll hold my breath until it happens.

<dies of asphyxia>


----------



## teuchter (May 28, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Actually they do consider his trip to Barnard Castle AND his trip to his parents place as both being "minor breaches", just once they were there & self-isolating, there was no further breach.
> 
> 
> 
> Fact is, if he had been pulled over, he would likely have been issued a fine, and probably turned around, whilst putting the cops at risk, because both him & his wife were infected, then it would have been a serious matter.


Where do they say that his trip to his parents' place was a breach?

All they have said is that the Barnard Castle trip "might have been a minor breach".




			
				Durham Police said:
			
		

> Durham Constabulary have examined the circumstances surrounding the journey to Barnard Castle (including ANPR, witness evidence and a review of Mr Cummings’ press conference on 25 May 2020) and have concluded that there might have been a minor breach of the Regulations that would have warranted police intervention. Durham Constabulary view this as minor because there was no apparent breach of social distancing.



You are getting over-excited again.


----------



## bimble (May 28, 2020)

How come driving to a holiday home with somebody with symptoms in the car is not a breach of the rules? Very surprising.
Eta oh they do say that was wrong, the travelling there, just once they were there there’s no evidence they misbehaved until her birthday.


----------



## Ax^ (May 28, 2020)

you think it was one rule for these cunts and another for the plebs


----------



## Raheem (May 28, 2020)

bimble said:


> How come driving to a holiday home with somebody with symptoms in the car is not a breach of the rules? Very surprising.


Usual whitewash sleight of hand. The investigation found no breach with regard to the trip to Durham but




			
				Durham fuzz said:
			
		

> We are concerned here with breaches of the regulations, not the general government guidance to ‘stay at home'.



Iow, looks suspiciously like the thing he's alleged to have done fell outside the remit of the investigation.


----------



## marshall (May 28, 2020)

I think this story is played out now, he ain't going anywhere. Until he wants to go. 

I really think Boris would be more than happy to jump, and would be fully prepared to if Cummings went. Boris strikes me as inherently lazy, and DC is prepared to do much of the work. Without him, Boris doesn't have the energy, interest or moral fibre to make a fist of it. He's the worst possible PM we could wish for in this situation.


----------



## Ax^ (May 28, 2020)

even Cummings statement on Sunday hinted at that he does not bother to waste the pm time whilst he is making decisions

so an unelected aid has more influnce in the running of the county

because the pm is lazy bastard


----------



## Kevbad the Bad (May 28, 2020)

marshall said:


> I think this story is played out now, he ain't going anywhere. Until he wants to go.
> 
> I really think Boris would be more than happy to jump, and would be fully prepared to if Cummings went. Boris strikes me as inherently lazy, and DC is prepared to do much of the work. Without him, Boris doesn't have the energy, interest or moral fibre to make a fist of it. He's the worst possible PM we could wish for in this situation.


But it won’t be ‘played out’ until all the media pundits, journalists, politicians and large sections of the general public think it is. Which is not any time soon.


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

marshall said:


> I think this story is played out now, he ain't going anywhere. Until he wants to go.
> 
> I really think Boris would be more than happy to jump, and would be fully prepared to if Cummings went. Boris strikes me as inherently lazy, and DC is prepared to do much of the work. Without him, Boris doesn't have the energy, interest or moral fibre to make a fist of it. He's the worst possible PM we could wish for in this situation.


If by 'played out now' you mean that he'll now be a constant drag on the vermin's polling all the time he stays in post to remind everyone of the psychopathic nature of the regime...yeah.


----------



## marshall (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> If by 'played out now' you mean that he'll now be a constant drag on the vermin's polling all the time he stays in post to remind everyone of the psychopathic nature of the regime...yeah.



Pretty much. But I don't think Boris is going to see out his full term, so maybe not too much longer.


----------



## Raheem (May 28, 2020)

marshall said:


> Pretty much. But I don't think Boris is going to see out his full term, so maybe not too much longer.


Wants to get Brexit done, so all depends.


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Wants to get Brexit done, so all depends.


The no-deal shitshow scenario coinciding with late second spike lockdown & conventional flu season looks like a tricky gig, tbh.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 28, 2020)

I got my generic ' wen understand your strong feelings ' but its time to move on email from my MP ( rtl to post)

I replied

Hello,

Please let Sir Paul know, this will not be brushed under the carpet and the nation will not be ready to move on or have any faith in the government until such time as correct measures are in place. I feel you have read the mood of the room, nay the nation entirely wrong as im sure will come to light.

I fear you really do not understand how strong the feelings of the nation are.

Regards


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> The no-deal shitshow scenario coinciding with late second spike lockdown & conventional flu season looks like a tricky gig, tbh.


In the ‘Difficult Follow-Up Album’ stakes, this is definitely swirling round the plug hole in a _Second Cummings_ kinda fashion

1.	Breaking Into Seven Databases But That Was Never Proven
2.	Driving North And South And North Then South Again
3.	Ten Different Stories Love Song
4.	Daybreak (Return To Coffin)
5.	Your Shit Will Shine
6.	Straight To The Gak
7.	Begging You (Not To Sack Me)
8.	Tightrope (Between Aloof Maverick & National Laughing Stock)
9.	Good Times Editorial (No Resignation Call Today)
10.	Tears (Of A Clown)
11.	How Do You Sleep Whilst Listening To Jordan Peterson Podcasts On Headphones All Night
12.	COVID Spreads
90.	Untitled (AKA Never Gonna Get Knighted)


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> In the ‘Difficult Follow-Up Album’ stakes, this is definitely swirling round the plug hole in a _Second Cummings_ kinda fashion
> 
> 1.    Breaking Into Seven Databases But That Was Never Proven
> 2.    Driving North And South And North Then South Again
> ...


Top quality


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Top quality


Not a phrase generally spotted in the same postcode as that LP


----------



## Raheem (May 28, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> In the ‘Difficult Follow-Up Album’ stakes, this is definitely swirling round the plug hole in a _Second Cummings_ kinda fashion
> 
> 1.	Breaking Into Seven Databases But That Was Never Proven
> 2.	Driving North And South And North Then South Again
> ...


Have a feeling that hidden track will be left off later pressings.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 28, 2020)

Amusing sideshow...









						Dominic Cummings' wife's lockdown article reported to regulator
					

AN article about lockdown by Dominic Cummings' wife has been reported to the press regulator.




					www.thenational.scot
				






> AN article about lockdown by Dominic Cummings' wife has been reported to the press regulator.
> 
> Mary Wakefield’s Spectator column, which described the period from March 30 to April 6, detailed the family's battle with coronavirus before they emerged from quarantine “into the almost comical uncertainty of London lockdown”.
> 
> ...





> *Wakefield started writing for the magazine 20 years ago when Boris Johnson was editor.*



Very cosy.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 28, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Amusing sideshow...
> 
> 
> 
> ...





> AN article about lockdown by Dominic Cummings' wife has been reported to the press regulator...
> 
> “Any game that involves lying is a good game.”



FTFH


----------



## quiet guy (May 28, 2020)

It's a miracle


----------



## DexterTCN (May 28, 2020)

It's an aside but...


----------



## Sprocket. (May 28, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> It's an aside but...



I wonder why it is that inbred aristos are fascinated with eugenics?


----------



## ska invita (May 28, 2020)

That well known legal judgement "might've done it". Great ruling. What a joke


----------



## kenny g (May 28, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Amusing sideshow...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sloppy seconds? Was Cummings the wing man for the BoJo?


----------



## little_legs (May 28, 2020)

marshall said:


> I think this story is played out now, he ain't going anywhere. Until he wants to go.
> 
> I really think Boris would be more than happy to jump, and would be fully prepared to if Cummings went. Boris strikes me as inherently lazy, and DC is prepared to do much of the work. Without him, Boris doesn't have the energy, interest or moral fibre to make a fist of it. He's the worst possible PM we could wish for in this situation.



This is is old but apt


----------



## Badgers (May 28, 2020)

In other news:



> Dear Badgers,
> 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to write to me about this. It is clear from the emails I have received that this has caused immense anger; I have communicated the full weight of feeling to the Prime Minister.
> ...


*

*


----------



## Orang Utan (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


> In other news:


total non answer - typical MP letter


----------



## DexterTCN (May 28, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I wonder why it is that inbred aristos are fascinated with eugenics?


Some Bene Gesserit shite, I guess.


----------



## kenny g (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


> In other news:


I like the charidee touch.


----------



## N_igma (May 28, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Actual story: they regard it as a "minor breach", not worthy of them taking any further action, and don't regard his trip to stay at his parents place a breach.



Been licking Tory boots long mate?


----------



## Supine (May 28, 2020)

I, err, dunno what to say if this is true


----------



## Humberto (May 28, 2020)

Piers Corbyn though. Can't pin the sins of the father-in-law on him surely.


----------



## bellaozzydog (May 28, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> hmm..




a Journey to Peterlee pandemic or not suggests a severe lack of judgement


----------



## agricola (May 28, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> He seems like a classy, not pimpy, truth-oriented kinda guy



Sorry if people have seen it already, but he had a pop at Peter Oborne on twitter today.  It did not go well:


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

Badgers said:


> In other news:


Here's mine. Will do a follow up tmrw sending Steve W pic ..

Thank you for your recent email.

Many people have written to me regarding Mr Dominic Cummings and his trip to Durham. I have, of course, passed on constituents’ concerns on this issue to the Prime Minister and the Chief Whip.

I fully understand the anger, upset and concerns that have been expressed on this issue during these very difficult and challenging times.

I also know the current restrictions have been very tough for all of us, including our families, friends, key workers and businesses. People have sacrificed a great deal to follow the guidance and stay at home as the country battles this virus. Many have also lost loved ones to COVID-19 and not been able to attend their funerals.

As you will be aware, Mr Cummings held a Press Conference on Sunday and explained his reasons for doing what he did.

It is now time to move on. We must not allow this to distract from the very serious global pandemic we are currently in the midst of, and protecting the health and safety of the British public is, and must always remain, our number one priority.

Yours sincerely

*Rt Hon Sir David Evennett MP*

_Member of Parliament for Bexleyheath and Crayford_


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 28, 2020)

phillm said:


> Next time you want to borrow a tenner I'll give you 10p, because they're both money and have "10" in their name. But I will fully expect my tenner back on pay-up time.


Really? If Marty1 ever asked me to lend a tenner I'd take the opportunity to smash his kneecaps and bite his nose off


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 28, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I don't see anything wrong with the post referenced. It is on topic.
> If anything it is more mild than many more established posters have made on this very thread.
> What is the justification for this thread ban?


Hes a cunt


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

I like all this 'time to move on' stuff. If I'm ever caught shoplifting I'll say "yes I did do it but I won't say sorry because I think I acted reasonably under the extenuating circumstances, and I think it's now time to move on".


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 28, 2020)

Why didn’t the cunt just say sorry?

An error of judgment, made under duress, four year old child and so on, on reflection I now see?
Would have all gone away within hours.

Do these people not have advisors on the payroll to sort this shit out???


----------



## two sheds (May 28, 2020)

Sorry would have meant admitting that he'd done something wrong though. I don't think the ego could allow it.


----------



## kenny g (May 28, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I like all this 'time to move on' stuff. If I'm ever caught shoplifting I'll say "yes I did do it but I won't say sorry because I think I acted reasonably under the extenuating circumstances, and I think it's now time to move on".


" I think that is a reasonable question to ask, and I know you may well have thought I didn't pay for it but in the circumstances you may wish to reconsider where that line of questioning takes us. I would fully intend to cooperate with you if the time were right. "


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Why didn’t the cunt just say sorry?
> 
> An error of judgment, made under duress, four year old child and so on, on reflection I now see?
> Would have all gone away within hours.
> ...


Political genius, pal.


----------



## weltweit (May 28, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Why didn’t the cunt just say sorry?
> 
> An error of judgment, made under duress, four year old child and so on, on reflection I now see?
> Would have all gone away within hours.


I wondered about that, he didn't accept that his actions could even have been misconstrued as breaking the letter of the rules, he didn't apologise for anything, not even wasting time or of being a distraction to the important work. 

Do you think it would all have gone away if he had apologised? I am not so sure. 



Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Do these people not have advisors on the payroll to sort this shit out???


----------



## ska invita (May 28, 2020)

two sheds said:


> I like all this 'time to move on' stuff. If I'm ever caught shoplifting I'll say "yes I did do it but I won't say sorry because I think I acted reasonably under the extenuating circumstances, and I think it's now time to move on".


I wouldn't worry, if the police caught you they'd probably reason you _might_ have done it, couldn't be sure, but it was probably quite minor anyway.


----------



## hash tag (May 28, 2020)

If only. 30 days inside...https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/isle-of-man-accused-authoritarian-lockdown-measures


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 28, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Do you think it would all have gone away if he had apologised? I am not so sure.



It probably was an error of judgement, made under
duress. We’ve all been there, especially the last two months. So yeah, I think it would have gone away, it wasn’t done for the pleasure purposes that the other two resigned for, an apology and promise to be more careful in future and we would have no choice but to move on. They have decided the drive-sixty-miles-to-test-eyesight route would be better. They are the strategic masters, so I guess they know what they are doing...


----------



## emanymton (May 28, 2020)

SpineyNorman said:


> Really? If Marty1 ever asked me to lend a tenner I'd take the opportunity to smash his kneecaps and bite his nose off


You'd put it in your mouth?


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 28, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I wonder why it is that inbred aristos are fascinated with eugenics?



It's a stupid person's idea of a great idea. Many of them probably think they're the first people to come up with it as well, or they think they've somehow come up with a non-nazi version that we'd actually really enjoy if we just gave it a chance.


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 28, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Why didn’t the cunt just say sorry?
> 
> An error of judgment, made under duress, four year old child and so on, on reflection I now see?
> Would have all gone away within hours.
> ...



Cummings is the advisor who sorts all this shit out. He is both hole and shovel.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 28, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Cummings is the advisor who sorts all this shit out. He is both hole and shovel.



The advisor needs an advisor.

I think we have found a way to kickstart the economy...


----------



## little_legs (May 28, 2020)




----------



## The39thStep (May 28, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> It's a stupid person's idea of a great idea. Many of them probably think they're the first people to come up with it as well, or they think they've somehow come up with a non-nazi version that we'd actually really enjoy if we just gave it a chance.


Eugenics has been around long before the Nazis , there were sections of socialists who were keen on it at one time .


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> The advisor needs an advisor.
> 
> I think we have found a way to kickstart the economy...


Outed as a Keynesian!


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 28, 2020)

little_legs said:


>



Was looking at that and thinking 'where's Harold?'. Ah, there he is. His Shipman series is top work.


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> It's an aside but...




Sometimes you feel that only a Romanoff solution will do the job for humankind.


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 28, 2020)

18 gallon tank , c 600  miles I suppose.


DexterTCN said:


> It's an aside but...





isn't his horse named Barak 'cos its half black and half white ?  srsly


----------



## teuchter (May 28, 2020)

N_igma said:


> Been licking Tory boots long mate?


Go on then, what is it?


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)




----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Funny how he never let on that the 'isolated cottage' on his parents' estate was actually a second home that he owned jointly with them.


----------



## Supine (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Funny how he never let on that the 'isolated cottage' on his parents' estate was actually a second home that he owned jointly with them.



He probably just forgot to mention it


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Funny how he never let on that the 'isolated cottage' on his parents' estate was actually a second home that he owned jointly with them.


It's the fact that he's claimed shhitloads of money in EU grants that boils my piss.


----------



## phillm (May 28, 2020)

Supine said:


> He probably just forgot to mention it


They think we are covidiots.


----------



## SpineyNorman (May 28, 2020)

emanymton said:


> You'd put it in your mouth?


It's ok I'll wear a mask


----------



## Wilf (May 28, 2020)

One of my personal favourites was when asked about being seen walking in the woods he said 'oh, no, those were just family owned woods, so they were private property'. For some reason that reminded me of Prince Paedo's 'oh, no, that was just a shooting party'.


----------



## Humberto (May 28, 2020)

They've not exactly been upfront by any stretch of the imagination. It just seems to be all for show and that they are showing their true colours during a crisis. i.e. self-serving greed while undermining what we their 'inferiors' have. Unnecessarily shit and greedy, certainly, but for them it has to be done or others will cash in and not them. Self-serving ideologies then come into play to reassure themselves. Ultimately, self-enrichment is seen as the only goal and the only thing of value, the only mark of esteem. Rules only matter insofar as they can be used towards this goal. Don't forget, £250,000 a year for a weekly newspaper column is, in his own words, 'chicken feed' to Boris Johnson.


----------



## tim (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Funny how he never let on that the 'isolated cottage' on his parents' estate was actually a second home that he owned jointly with them.



Fucking hell,  Svengalis ain't what they used to be, are they?


----------



## killer b (May 28, 2020)

Not sure you should be relying on an MI6 Walter Mitty twitter account for your killer blows guys. It doesn't make a difference if it's his second home, and his name being one of several on a house's deeds also doesnt necessarily mean it's his second home in the first place. Chasing after shadows there.


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Actual story: they regard it as a "minor breach", not worthy of them taking any further action, and don't regard his trip to stay at his parents place a breach.


Not quite: the longer journey went through so many counties before Durham they said it wasn't in their remit.
Buck dodging, basically


----------



## William of Walworth (May 28, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Funny how he never let on that the 'isolated cottage' on his parents' estate was actually a second home that he owned jointly with them.



Is your source the same as tim 's (post just above) or a different one?
I'm dubious about that story  .... haven't seen anything about the cottage and its ownership anywhere else than here, anyway.


----------



## killer b (May 28, 2020)

He is on the deeds of the house I think - I read about it the other day. It just doesn't make any difference to his legal position.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 28, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> 18 gallon tank , c 600  miles I suppose.
> 
> 
> 
> isn't his horse named Barak 'cos its half black and half white ?  srsly


Yes...someone asked earlier and a tweet was linked to but apparently...yes he does have that afaik.   And they're into pure bloodlines.

Normally...that would be the post of a lunatic, I suppose.   Strange times.   Clearer times


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

Supine said:


> I, err, dunno what to say if this is true



It is 100% true. Apparently this causes great merriment in His Sirness's social circle


----------



## Flavour (May 28, 2020)

nitpicking over these shit details nobody cares about = dwindling public interest in the story = long-term victory for bj and cum


----------



## DexterTCN (May 28, 2020)

Flavour said:


> nitpicking over these shit details nobody cares about = dwindling public interest in the story = long-term victory for bj and cum


No...at the time (today) when their message is MOVE ON! then we should take our time and look around the whole place


----------



## Streathamite (May 28, 2020)

kenny g said:


> " I think that is a reasonable question to ask, and I know you may well have thought I didn't pay for it but in the circumstances you may wish to reconsider where that line of questioning takes us. I would fully intend to cooperate with you if the time were right. "


You should consider a career at the Bar


----------



## brogdale (May 28, 2020)

Flavour said:


> nitpicking over these shit details nobody cares about = dwindling public interest in the story = long-term victory for bj and cum


They may be dwindling interest, but the anger and resentment will be etched into the collective consciousness of the electorate, particularly their older core demographic, for a long time. Big lose for the vermin.


----------



## killer b (May 28, 2020)

Flavour said:


> nitpicking over these shit details nobody cares about = dwindling public interest in the story = long-term victory for bj and cum


The story is going to die off this week whatever unless something new surfaces, this is just crank Twitter trying really hard to find something new. I don't think itll have any impact either way on public interest in it though


----------



## Streathamite (May 29, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I wondered about that, he didn't accept that his actions could even have been misconstrued as breaking the letter of the rules, he didn't apologise for anything, not even wasting time or of being a distraction to the important work.
> 
> Do you think it would all have gone away if he had apologised? I am not so sure


If he took it on the chin straightaway, apologised in full, cranked up the humility and contrition to the max, together with the tearjerker postscript about his kid -yes. In this horrible times, people make mistakes. The people who voted for Johnson would have bought that, and yes moved on.
Instead, they have handled it about as badly as is humanly possible.


----------



## Streathamite (May 29, 2020)

Flavour said:


> nitpicking over these shit details nobody cares about = dwindling public interest in the story = long-term victory for bj and cum


You're wrong. The anger and bad feeling caused by this will linger in the collective folk memory for a long time. This has really damaged Johnson


----------



## Streathamite (May 29, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Eugenics has been around long before the Nazis , there were sections of socialists who were keen on it at one time .


Pretty certain both GB Shaw and HG Wells were keen advocates once


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 29, 2020)

Streathamite said:


> Not quite: the longer journey went through so many counties before Durham they said it wasn't in their remit.
> Buck dodging, basically


Not quite: a buck is _passed_, not dodged. _Bullets_ are dodged. Although not very often. Happy to watch if King Dom decided to give it a go though, I know he's a man with supreme confidence in his own abilities.


----------



## gosub (May 29, 2020)

Streathamite said:


> You're wrong. The anger and bad feeling caused by this will linger in the collective folk memory for a long time. This has really damaged Johnson



He did his best to make it up to him, lent him the Rose Garden and let him dead air the news channels for half an hour, but yeah, he left Dominic Cummings to make his own way to Durham, the man, sick with a life threatening disease had to drive his wife and child half the length of the country...wot no helicopter?


----------



## two sheds (May 29, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Not quite: a buck is _passed_, not dodged. _Bullets_ are dodged. Although not very often. Happy to watch if King Dom decided to give it a go though, I know he's a man with supreme confidence in his own abilities.



Well .... 



> Poker became very popular in America during the second half of the 19th century. Players were highly suspicious of cheating or any form of bias and there's considerable folklore depicting gunslingers in shoot-outs based on accusations of dirty dealing. In order to avoid unfairness the deal changed hands during sessions. The person who was next in line to deal would be given a marker. This was often a knife, and knives often had handles made of buck's horn - hence the marker becoming known as a buck. When the dealer's turn was done he 'passed the buck'.











						'Pass the buck' - the meaning and origin of this phrase
					

The meaning and origin of the phrase 'Pass the buck'.




					www.phrases.org.uk
				




So if someone did actually cheat the dealer might well throw a knife at him when he'd be well advised to dodge the buck.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 29, 2020)

two sheds said:


> So if someone did actually cheat the dealer might well throw a knife at him when he'd be well advised to dodge the buck.



Only a coward, an American or a member of the toiling classes would endeavour to dodge a buck


----------



## Streathamite (May 29, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Not quite: a buck is _passed_, not dodged. _Bullets_ are dodged. Although not very often. Happy to watch if King Dom decided to give it a go though, I know he's a man with supreme confidence in his own abilities.


I'd buy a gallery ticket


----------



## chalkhorse (May 29, 2020)

gosub said:


> He did his best to make it up to him, lent him the Rose Garden and let him dead air the news channels for half an hour, but yeah, he left Dominic Cummings to make his own way to Durham, the man, sick with a life threatening disease had to drive his wife and child half the length of the country...wot no helicopter?


 
I'm sure TCJ would have lent him a helicopter or even a babysitter if only he'd asked. Or at least given him a pass. But he didn't ask did he. He didn't tell Johnson he was going. He says so in his statement. The boss was ill and busy and wouldn't notice had too much on his mind.

And funny how he gave as one reason for his journey his concern over childcare if they both got ill. Since it was completely unavailable anywhere in London to a man in his position. And funny how one of the reasons he wanted to leave Durham again was to seek childcare in London. He says so in his statement. 

A bit like the baying mob outside his home on 28 March (another reason given for the great escape) which didn't materialise until nearly a couple of months later. And of course there's no way a man in his position could ask for the police to disperse them and maybe keep a friendly eye on the gaff. Oh wait.

This row isn't going to go away. It's not about the great north road trip or about the discrepancies in his statement. It's about what they show us, yet again, about his utter contempt for the electorate, and his megalomania. This is a chilling analysis of the performative aspect of the rose garden show, from someone well familiar with appearing on stage:

snip


> Right from the start, the way the Cummings Show was presented signalled its true purpose. When the Q&A continued past 5 pm, as it was inevitably going to, the coronavirus update led by the Prime Minister had to be delayed. By being half an hour late for an already rescheduled appearance, Cummings had forced the Prime Minister to give way to him. A clearer display of passive-aggressive dominance is hard to imagine.
> 
> Then there was the interesting choice of location. The Rose Garden of no.10 Downing Street.  Dominic Cummings, an unelected bureaucrat, addressed the nation from the place where another person with the initials DC had announced the deal that would make him prime minister  - the person whose power was crushed by Vote Leave's victory in the 2016 referendum. Please don't tell me this was unintentional.
> 
> And there's the staging, too. Cummings sat at a table throughout. But the journalists asking questions had to stand. I found myself wondering if they should walk backwards as they left his presence. With the sound off, it all looked very much like an audience with royalty.


/snip
From Frances Coppola, professional singer and financial journalist. Worth reading the whole piece. The Cummings Show


----------



## NoXion (May 29, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Only a coward, an American or a member of the toiling classes would endeavour to dodge a buck



A gentleman takes it right into the eye.


----------



## Raheem (May 29, 2020)

Think the general opinion is that they should have thrown the buck at him.


----------



## Humberto (May 29, 2020)

that doesn't past mustard


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 29, 2020)

anyone else not feel like moving on this morning ?


----------



## fucthest8 (May 29, 2020)

God are you lot still going on about this? Just move on, there are far more important things to focus on, like, we can have visitors in our Gardens from Monday! Yay! Move on everyone just MOVE ON

Quick reminder that it's really easy to ram the email inbox of number 10 full of irate emails.


----------



## phillm (May 29, 2020)

Humberto said:


> that doesn't past mustard


too many chefs keep the pot stirring..


----------



## Roadkill (May 29, 2020)

Good column by Finn Redmond in the Irish Times today.



> But amid the outrage from the public and questions over the propriety of Maitlis’s intervention, we would do well to remind ourselves that little of this should come as a shock. Thanks to the unique design of Johnson’s government – which saw power centralised into the hands of very few in No 10 – Johnson has little choice but to lay himself on the line for Cummings. That Cummings is not so much an adviser to, but rather the brains, spirit, and character of, this government makes him unsurprisingly indispensable to an administration already failing to keep its head above water.
> 
> Though there may well already be a moral vacuum in No 10 right now, with Dominic Cummings gone there would be an ideological one too.


----------



## frogwoman (May 29, 2020)

In it together.


----------



## Sprocket. (May 29, 2020)




----------



## Pickman's model (May 29, 2020)

chalkhorse said:


> I'm sure TCJ would have lent him a helicopter or even a babysitter if only he'd asked. Or at least given him a pass. But he didn't ask did he. He didn't tell Johnson he was going. He says so in his statement. The boss was ill and busy and wouldn't notice had too much on his mind.
> 
> And funny how he gave as one reason for his journey his concern over childcare if they both got ill. Since it was completely unavailable anywhere in London to a man in his position. And funny how one of the reasons he wanted to leave Durham again was to seek childcare in London. He says so in his statement.
> 
> ...


Tbh the delay was caused by the difficulty finding a clean ironed shirt in no 10


----------



## Pickman's model (May 29, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Not quite: a buck is _passed_, not dodged. _Bullets_ are dodged. Although not very often. Happy to watch if King Dom decided to give it a go though, I know he's a man with supreme confidence in his own abilities.


Bucks are dodged on roads in Durham, it's a great test of one's eyesight and reactions


----------



## Mogden (May 29, 2020)

If I was the boss of a company and one of my employees went off on a jolly and said they were ill and then tried to cover up the fact with a whole raft of lies and frankly insane excuses I think I'd be well within my rights to have a good look into it. Who pays Dom's wage anyway? Taxpayers you say? Hmmmm.


----------



## frogwoman (May 29, 2020)




----------



## MrSki (May 29, 2020)




----------



## bimble (May 29, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Tbh the delay was caused by the difficulty finding a clean ironed shirt in no 10


It wasn’t even ironed properly, was ironed in parts but all crumpled up on the right, like maybe it had been stuffed in someone’s bag and rushed to number 10 because he’d shown up in a heavy metal tshirt or something and that’s why he was half an hour late because they were waiting on the hastily ironed white shirt. This partial crumple has been bothering me for days thanks for the opportunity to get it out.


----------



## ska invita (May 29, 2020)

half a story








						Dominic Cummings 'considering quitting in six months time'
					

A source said he plans to step back from politics now Brexit has been achieved.




					metro.co.uk
				





> A source, who reportedly knows him well, told the Daily Mail he plans to step back from politics now Brexit has been achieved. They said: ‘Dominic has not decided what to do. He will stay in his job if it seems worthwhile and [he] can improve things – otherwise he probably won’t.’ The Spectator magazine, where Mr Cummings used to work and where his wife is a commissioning editor, also reported that he could consider himself ‘largely redundant’ by Christmas if he has completed reforms of Whitehall.


----------



## phillm (May 29, 2020)

MrSki said:


>




No rest for the wicked.


----------



## Treacle Toes (May 29, 2020)

ska invita said:


> half a story
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Remember when he pretended to resign last year?









						Dominic Cummings resigned: Has Dominic Cummings resigned? Did he quit 3 weeks ago?
					

DOMINIC CUMMINGS has sent shockwaves across the world of British politics as news has emerged that he resigned as Boris Johnson's special adviser.




					www.express.co.uk


----------



## ska invita (May 29, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Remember when he pretended to resign last year?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


i dont remember tbh, and yeah, its more filler than a story...not much to read into it other than that he's slippery


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 29, 2020)

The Telegraph cartoon taking the piss out of DC.


----------



## killer b (May 29, 2020)

He didn't pretend to resign last year, he just stopped working for the government as a SPAD so he could work on the tory election campaign. There were similar stories in 2016 when various members of May's team 'resigned' too.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 29, 2020)

I heard earlier today that the home up north, although on his father's estate, actually belongs to cummings and is his second home.


----------



## strung out (May 29, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> I heard earlier today that the home up north, although on his father's estate, actually belongs to cummings and is his second home.


Well that changes EVERYTHING! nothing.


----------



## wtfftw (May 29, 2020)

What happens to inheritance tax if you're already on the deeds?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 29, 2020)

strung out said:


> Well that changes EVERYTHING! nothing.



And, has been discussed at length on this very thread.


----------



## Raheem (May 29, 2020)

wtfftw said:


> What happens to inheritance tax if you're already on the deeds?


My guess is that it's regarded as an artificial arrangement designed to avoid tax, and so you have pay anyway, but that there's a dispensation if you were just following your instincts.


----------



## kenny g (May 29, 2020)

wtfftw said:


> What happens to inheritance tax if you're already on the deeds?


Gets very complicated. As stated if it is not an artificial arrangement you may get away with it. As with most tax matters probably depends on how much is involved. If it is squillions you will be able to pay for advisors to argue the toss and bombard HMRC with a line they will take a cut off. It it is normal amounts it is not worth trying. Will probably be met with a laugh. Looking at the dump in Durham I reckon Cummings would probably have it coming once pops pops his cloggs.


----------



## kenny g (May 29, 2020)

But am sure Cummings would be willing to take the chance.


----------



## comrade spurski (May 29, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Ah, now you were after some misogyny earlier. Here it is. Paxman used to be lauded for having exactly all of those qualities.
> 
> He makes himself sound ridiculous, though. 'confrontational to the point of intimidation'?  Nobhead.



The joke of it is that these are the same fuckers that accuse others of being "snowflakes" ffs.
Their hypocrisy is truely fucking awesome tbh


----------



## Tankus (May 29, 2020)

Has he gone yet?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 29, 2020)

Tankus said:


> Has he gone yet?


What, up to his northern Kehlsteinhaus, or down to the London Führerbunker?


----------



## Chilli.s (May 29, 2020)

A million votes since tuesday.









						Sign the Petition
					

Dominic Cummings must be sacked




					www.change.org


----------



## kenny g (May 29, 2020)

Got a response from my completely useless Tory MP. Was remarkably humble to be honest. Got the sense she has been in tears reading the emails.


----------



## ska invita (May 29, 2020)

kenny g said:


> Got a response from my completely useless Tory MP. Was remarkably humble to be honest. Got the sense she has been in tears reading the emails.


awwwww....bless. amazed how tories dont cry themselves to sleep every night anyway tbh.


----------



## phillm (May 29, 2020)

Chilli.s said:


> A million votes since tuesday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The 6 million on Revoke Article 50 went well I seem to remember! The nation should be encouraged to take part in some boatymcboatface trolling through a petition. Like Cummings should be executed and his head stick on a gibbet by traitor's gate or some such like. And then get a million-plus for that.  Or him and Johnson should be stripped of clothes and paraded around the street on a tumbril.  As an anti-capital punishment sort of guy I could vote for the latter. If Frankie Boyle could kick it off I'm sure we would all get on board.


----------



## MrSki (May 29, 2020)

Durham's chief cunt is under investigation.


----------



## ska invita (May 29, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Durham's chief cunt is under investigation.



facing "the prospect" of an inquiry  - not quite the same thing as being investigated unfortunately


----------



## phillm (May 29, 2020)

Cumming's you cunt - dance monkey boy dance.


----------



## bimble (May 29, 2020)

finally got an email back from my mp:
"[blah blah]..Durham Police have investigated the matter and came to the conclusion they will not be investigating the matter further. *Whilst you personally may not be happy with their response, my view is that I now regard the matter closed *and will be focusing on the urgent casework my office are still receiving and getting our country and our communities through this global pandemic safely."


----------



## DexterTCN (May 29, 2020)

bimble said:


> finally got an email back from my mp:
> "[blah blah]..Durham Police have investigated the matter and came to the conclusion they will not be investigating the matter further. *Whilst you personally may not be happy with their response, my view is that I now regard the matter closed *and will be focusing on the urgent casework my office are still receiving and getting our country and our communities through this global pandemic safely."


So he's busy saving the world then, eh?   wanker


----------



## Sue (May 29, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> So he's busy saving the world then, eh?   wanker


Tory MP in wanker shocker!


----------



## bimble (May 29, 2020)

Unnecessarily rude I think. 'you personally may not be happy' could so easily have been 'i do understand the strength of feeling of so many of my constituents or whatever but nope. Taking the opportunity for performative loyalty in hope of career advancement is my guess.


----------



## Roadkill (May 29, 2020)

phillm said:


> The 6 million on Revoke Article 50 went well I seem to remember!



And that was an official gov.uk petition too, not a change.org one.

It is mildly encouraging that this has garnered a million votes when the parallel petition in his support has something like 25,000, though.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 29, 2020)

don't watch tv but I'm hearing that gogglebox has been pulled this week because of their cummings comments


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 29, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> don't watch tv but I'm hearing that gogglebox has been pulled this week because of their cummings comments


Just had a look and it's a repeat/highlights of the series.Christ!


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 29, 2020)




----------



## ska invita (May 29, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


>



where was this?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 29, 2020)




----------



## ruffneck23 (May 29, 2020)

ska invita said:


> where was this?


Have I got news for you , on iplayer now , it's quite lovely


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 29, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Have I got news for you , on iplayer now , it's quite lovely


Ooo. Have that in series link. And last leg.


----------



## bimble (May 30, 2020)

bimble said:


> Unnecessarily rude I think. 'you personally may not be happy' could so easily have been 'i do understand the strength of feeling of so many of my constituents or whatever but nope. Taking the opportunity for performative loyalty in hope of career advancement is my guess.


I woke up cross about this and have let him know that his choice of language there is rude and nonsensical. Got an auto-reply saying he can't respond to the issue any further unless i include my full address and phone number.


----------



## existentialist (May 30, 2020)

bimble said:


> I woke up cross about this and have let him know that his choice of language there is rude and nonsensical. Got an auto-reply saying he can't respond to the issue any further unless i include my full address and phone number.


Just reply to say "it's OK, you've said all I need to hear from you to know exactly where you stand".

Undertones of menace, like you're not going to vote for him next time.


----------



## bimble (May 30, 2020)

existentialist said:


> Just reply to say "it's OK, you've said all I need to hear from you to know exactly where you stand".
> 
> Undertones of menace, like you're not going to vote for him next time.


I didn’t want a reply anyway, had just wished him well with his career advancement.


----------



## MrSki (May 30, 2020)

Was it a cut & paste reply sent to MPs from Tory HQ?


----------



## Chilli.s (May 30, 2020)

When I look at the cummings holiday home on the farm that received all that eu money for farming subsidy. I just wonder if any of that money helped facilitate that huge radio mast in the field out back. Tidy income to be made out of leasing space to cell phones, tv, comms etc.


----------



## rekil (May 30, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Have I got news for you , on iplayer now , it's quite lovely


I don't suppose these tired smirking fucks displayed any sign of contrition over their instrumental role in the construction of the 'bojo' brand.


----------



## Mogden (May 30, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Have I got news for you , on iplayer now , it's quite lovely


Indeed. I suspect the actual filming would have quite easily filled a couple of hours and needed all sorts of legal clearances.


----------



## planetgeli (May 30, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Was it a cut & paste reply sent to Mps from Tory HQ?



Nice. Where's that from?

He's a former special adviser himself (to William Hague) so I'm guessing he's still dishing out advice to others in handling this.


----------



## MrSki (May 30, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Nice. Where's that from?
> 
> He's a former special adviser himself (to William Hague) so I'm guessing he's still dishing out advice to others in handling this.


Off twitter.


----------



## existentialist (May 30, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Off twitter.



I do love it when they're caught out in this kind of clodhopping ineptitude. So, not only can't they actually step aside from the Party Line, but they manage to get caught doing it via boilerplate emails sent out from On High. Fuck them all, with a big fistful of bramble twigs.


----------



## teqniq (May 30, 2020)

In relation to the above:


----------



## teqniq (May 30, 2020)

Amongst the various reasons speculated upon as to why Johnson wishes to hang on to Cummings this would seem one of the most likely:


----------



## wayward bob (May 30, 2020)

fucthest8 said:


> God are you lot still going on about this? Just move on, there are far more important things to focus on, like, we can have visitors in our Gardens from Monday! Yay! Move on everyone just MOVE ON



in cheery news this thread at least gives me an upbeat earworm


----------



## teqniq (May 30, 2020)

'Look! Over there!'









						Boris Johnson accused of launching broken test and trace system early to distract from Cummings scandal
					

Durham Police contradicted Downing Street’s claim Mr Cummings had not broken lockdown rules




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## MrSki (May 30, 2020)




----------



## ItWillNeverWork (May 30, 2020)

sim667 said:


> Dominic Cummings has been asked to answer questions to the Investigation into disinformation during the referendum, and has refused to do so.
> 
> A bit of background, cummings was the strategist for Vote Leave, and was the chap who involved Cambridge Analytica in their campaign. Thats important because its regarded that Cambridge analytica broke the law in the way that they harvested information. They harvested social media information by using those stupid facebook games that people play, and grant them access to their profiles, but not only do the grant them access to their own profiles, they grant them access to all the information on the profiles on their friends list, to the point they gather about 500 data points on each facebook profile they have access to, by abusing API's against the terms and conditions of facebook. Using those data points they targeted undecided votes with fake adverts to push them toward leave. The tooling they built to do this was also used in Trumps campaign and a number of times previously, in one example to stop young voters from a specific ethnic background from voting.
> 
> ...



What does “the tooling they built to do this” mean?


----------



## keybored (May 30, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Not quite: a buck is _passed_, not dodged. _Bullets_ are dodged. Although not very often. Happy to watch if King Dom decided to give it a go though, I know he's a man with supreme confidence in his own abilities.


Well you wouldn't normally say someone "feels like a million bullets", but...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 30, 2020)

Did anyone see the last question at the daily briefing, concerning Cummings? 

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, responded - 

“In my opinion the rules are clear and they have always been clear. In my opinion they are for the benefit of all. In my opinion they apply to all.”

- and he didn't look like a happy chappy, more balls than Whitty & Vallance.


----------



## Mogden (May 30, 2020)

I see what you mean. I missed it but found it quite quickly on Twitter.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 30, 2020)

And, Sky News keeps re-playing it & commenting on it, which makes me very happy.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (May 30, 2020)

I saw it, it was great


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 30, 2020)

I gave him a little whoop at the end  
The guy on sky news was grinning his head off.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 30, 2020)

This clip includes the question asked as well as his reply.  



Fucking hero.


----------



## Epona (May 30, 2020)

He's got balls that's for sure, good on him, I was cheering him on.  

I would say he's gone up in my estimation, but I already had a pretty good opinion of him throughout this (despite my initial thought when I first saw him on a daily briefing that he looked like he should have been cast in the disaster-movie role of grizzled general who wants to deploy the nukes at the earliest opportunity - I have since seen a photo of him smiling however!)


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 30, 2020)

The guy on BBC News, commenting on it, said. 'I am not sure if I am allowed to say this, but it was kick in the goolies, quite frankly, for Mr Cummings.'


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 30, 2020)

.


cupid_stunt said:


> The guy on BBC News, commenting on it, said. 'I am not sure if I am allowed to say this, but it was kick in the goolies, quite frankly, for Mr Cummings.'


Who was it cs?


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 30, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> The guy on BBC News, commenting on it, said. 'I am not sure if I am allowed to say this, but it was kick in the goolies, quite frankly, for Mr Cummings.'


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 30, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> .
> 
> Who was it cs?



You made me rewind it.   

It was Chris Mason, a political correspondent for BBC News.

Afterwards: 

Presenter: You're a brave man, Chris Mason, I am not sure that was in the style guide.

Mason: That'l be the last chat we ever have on the telly. [completely cracking-up]

Presenter: Maybe, its been nice knowing you Chris Mason. [laughing]


----------



## David Clapson (May 30, 2020)

Cummings eviscerated in the FT today: Subscribe to read | Financial Times


> * Dominic Cummings, the Nostradamus of north London, has done it again*  At least 1m people in Britain are estimated to have lost their jobs since March. Dominic Cummings is not one of them. That’s all you need to know about this week in British politics.
> 
> Or maybe it’s not. Maybe this week is one of those events that merit meticulous repeat viewing. We have seen Boris Johnson, the man who craved to lead the country, revealing that he can’t do the job without a chaperone. We have seen that chaperone, his chief adviser Mr Cummings, who has insulted the foresight of almost everyone else in politics, grubbily exaggerating his own superiority. Because the most amazing part of the Cummings saga is not his attempt to bankrupt opticians and car insurers with a new system of on-road eye tests. No, it is his attempt to mislead us all about his handling of coronavirus.
> 
> ...


----------



## two sheds (May 30, 2020)

Creative and incisive piece of writing there


----------



## ska invita (May 30, 2020)

David Clapson said:


> Cummings eviscerated in the FT today: Subscribe to read | Financial Times


FT=Remoaners who Still Dont Get It


----------



## weltweit (May 30, 2020)

Bored with this now. 

Cummings pissed me off, not just or because of what he did, but because he didn't let the remotest apology emerge from his lips in the rose garden. He feels he has nothing to apologise for, I beg to differ.

And if he had apologised, for misreading the public's understanding of the stay home rules, for sewing doubt in the public's understanding of the rules, or for bringing the government line into disrepute at a time when they needed above all things to be trusted. He likely would have still kept his job. 

Anyhow, I am bored with this now, except that I want to develop a wording to remember cummings for the future .. 

Could it be: 

Dominic 260 miles Cummings 
Dominic stay home except if you are special Cummings 
Dominic above the rules Cummings 
Dominic some animals are more equal Cummings 
Or just - What a Cunt Cummings 

?


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 30, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> You made me rewind it.
> 
> It was Chris Mason, a political correspondent for BBC News.
> 
> ...


Who was the newsreader ? 
Sounds like a mcoyism.( Too late in the day for him though)
Don't bother if you have to rewind


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 30, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Who was the newsreader ?
> Sounds like a mcoyism.( Too late in the day for him though)
> Don't bother if you have to rewind



I can't rewind it again, I wasn't recording it & I've switched channels, the Freesat box only allows you to pause & rewind the live channel you are actually watching.

But, no, it wasn't McCoy.


----------



## killer b (May 30, 2020)

Van Tam had better watch out for Telegraph journos going through his bins huh.


----------



## MickiQ (May 30, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> The guy on BBC News, commenting on it, said. 'I am not sure if I am allowed to say this, but it was kick in the goolies, quite frankly, for Mr Cummings.'


Sadly not an actual one


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 30, 2020)

Van-Tam was shit on basically everything else tbh so, eh.


----------



## Raheem (May 30, 2020)

The Van-Tam Menace.


----------



## AverageJoe (May 30, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> What does “the tooling they built to do this” mean?



The computer programs that they built to harvest the Facebook data


----------



## ItWillNeverWork (May 30, 2020)

AverageJoe said:


> The computer programs that they built to harvest the Facebook data



"The tooling used is so powerful it is classified as a weapon and has to be reported to numerous services such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ if deployed from the UK against another country, but because it was deployed from the UK against UK citizens, it didn't have to be."

Absolutely nothing makes sense about this story. A few questions.

"Powerful" according to what metric? 
"Classified as a weapon" by who? 
What do 'they' (whoeover 'they' are) define as a weapon? 
What is this strange system where private companies are able to attack foreign countries by getting permission from MI5?

Sorry, but this seems like utter bollocks written by someone who has no idea how software is written.


----------



## AverageJoe (May 30, 2020)

I have no idea, but if I could build software that could tell me everything about you, and then influence you by making adverts (real or fake) to influence your decision then its a weapon of sorts. 

It's just advertising but ramped up I guess


----------



## existentialist (May 30, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> Sorry, but this seems like utter bollocks written by someone who has no idea how software is written.


Which, TBF, is usually "chaotically". At least in my experience, though TBF I was usually the one writing the software


----------



## MrSki (May 31, 2020)

Not seen this verified but if true...


----------



## two sheds (May 31, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Not seen this verified but if true...




No doubt would just get retrospective permission if true. People in the know do it all the time  .


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 31, 2020)




----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> "The tooling used is so powerful it is classified as a weapon and has to be reported to numerous services such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ if deployed from the UK against another country, but because it was deployed from the UK against UK citizens, it didn't have to be."
> 
> Absolutely nothing makes sense about this story. A few questions.
> 
> ...



It’s utter bollocks, just his hype. If they could do what they claimed they wouldn’t have limited it to a very narrow Brexit victory, they would be the world’s biggest advertising gurus. But no, every time we go online we are instead subjected to ads for crap we looked at and dismissed yesterday.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 31, 2020)

so the other day a few pages back , i posted that I got a generic email from my MP, didnt post it though although did post my shitty reply.

Well I got a reply to that from a different aide, which is word for word the same email that I was replying to.

Thank you for your email regarding Dominic Cummings, Sir Paul has asked me to pass along his statement on this issue:
*Statement on Dominic Cummings*
Thank you for having taken the time to email and write to me on this issue. I can assure you that I very much understand the strong feelings this incident has created and have conveyed those feelings up through the appropriate channels. I hope you will agree it is very important to hear both sides of the story before passing judgement. Too often in politics people have been hounded and pressed into resigning on pretences that later turned out to be either trumped up or outright false. We have now heard from Mr Cummings directly.

When Mr Cummings says that he did what he did with a view towards protecting his four-year-old son, I believe him. He was clearly deeply concerned that, should he be struck down with COVID-19, there would be no one on hand to care for his child – his wife already having fallen sick. His actions are consistent with a parent who had those worries and I do not doubt his sincerity on that point.

With that said, there are other realities here which I cannot ignore. I know from the many conversations and from emails I have had with constituents over the last couple of months how much of a toll the lockdown has taken on all of us. Families have been split up for months on end, relatives and friends have died alone and been buried unmourned, businesses have gone under after being forced to close – and yes – parents have agonised over how to protect their children when the virus has already entered the household. As a parent and grandparent myself I am particularly aware of these dilemmas. Crucially though, despite the uniquely challenging nature of these situations, most of us, including my dispersed family and my team members, stuck strictly to the lockdown rules put in place by the Government, even when doing so came at great personal cost. With this collective sacrifice we have purchased a sharp decline in the number of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths. It is an effort of which we can all be justifiably proud.

Mr Cummings, however well-intentioned his motives may have been, declined to follow the commendable lead shown by so many of my constituents. He made clear mistakes both in terms of breaking the lockdown rules themselves, which I believe were perfectly clear, but also in the sense that he committed actions which he, as a senior member of the Downing Street apparatus, knew had the potential to undermine the Government’s public health message. Indeed, the unprecedented effort Ministers, civil servants and advisors have put in to dealing with this crisis is at this very moment being overshadowed and badly undermined by the mere fact that we are discussing this story.

Clearly Mr Cummings has made serious errors of judgement. However, it is also very much the case that he is not the only senior political figure to have demonstrably broken the lockdown rules – several Labour politicians and at least one SNP MP have been shown to have committed breaches of their own. I did not call for their sackings when this information came to light and I am not doing so in the case of Mr Cummings. I believe this is an even handed and fair stance. We are all ultimately capable of making mistakes, perhaps even more so when the wellbeing of our children is in question.



The Prime Minister has indicated that he values Mr Cumming’s services and so he will remain in post. I accept this position and will continue to support the Government as we work towards pushing the R factor down even further so that the nation can carefully move out of lockdown and our collective political efforts can move on to implementing the transformative manifesto commitments which the country backed so enthusiastically on 13th December 2019.

My reply:

Thank you for your cut and paste generic email and statement ( I received the same from Annie the other day)
It’s not good enough

Your whataboutery is pathetic, I agree that any MP who broke the rules should be held accountable, but Im not talking about them Im talking about an unelected advisor and your deflection is quite frankly disgusting.

This will not be let go, Boris Johnson and his senior cabinet will not be forgiven for this, it transcends political parties and Brexit.

This is the people of the land being spat in the face by the Conservative party.

You are coming down on the wrong side of history and it will never be forgotten.


----------



## Badgers (May 31, 2020)

Black Isle Media - Cummings spare cottage has no Planning or Council Tax
					

The "spare cottage" which Dominic Cummings claimed to stay at on his father's farm, has no planning permission nor pays any council tax.




					universalcreditsuffer.com
				




Not sure if true but would be pleasing if so.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

They are tied together, but is the Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson show over?
					

There was a fleeting moment last week when Boris Johnson’s team felt as if it had time-travelled to Theresa May’s government — when a prime minister’s every action set leadership rivals plotting. As




					www.thetimes.co.uk
				




There was a fleeting moment last week when Boris Johnson’s team felt as if it had time-travelled to Theresa May’s government — when a prime minister’s every action set leadership rivals plotting. As Johnson’s support for his senior aide Dominic Cummings — who had fled London during lockdown with his wife and child — caused the prime minister’s standing to plummet in the polls, word reached the whips that Jeremy Hunt, who lost the contest for Conservative leader last July, was phoning MPs.

“Hunt was calling around backbenchers asking what they thought,” a Tory adviser said. “He was saying, ‘I’m considering what I’m going to say.’ The perception from backbenchers was that this had leadership connotations. Hunt and others were using this to get in with people.”

Hunt says he is “done with” such ambitions, only spoke to members of the health select committee he chairs and points out that he publicly said Cummings should not resign.

In a WhatsApp message to her Blue Collar Conservatism group, the former cabinet minister Esther McVey — another leadership hopeful last year — was also counselling opinion. “I’m anxious to hear (in private) what people think about the Dominic Cummings situation and whether or not he needs to resign to protect the PM and the party,” she wrote, adding: “I would appreciate people not reply on here as it may leak.” In the time-honoured tradition, it then did so.

This weekend Johnson’s team is wondering not whether Cummings is going, but what the effects of his staying will be.

The affair was revealing: of the way Johnson’s top team does its business — with an unbridled aggression that can be self-defeating — and the reliance a highly centralised administration has on Cummings himself.

It also flushed out the degree to which a below-par Johnson is still leaning on others after his personal brush with the coronavirus. Yet the episode concealed just as much. The conventional wisdom has it that Johnson did not recognise what his aide had done wrong, was unconcerned by his behaviour and did not realise the depth of public disquiet about his support for Cummings.

Conversations with more than a dozen ministers, officials, aides and allies of the prime minister make clear that in every regard this is wrong. Johnson was personally furious and knew he was taking a huge risk.

The question now is whether this was a pragmatic act of self-preservation or the moment the prime minister forfeited public trust and sowed the seeds of his own destruction.

Cabinet ministers believe the “Domnishambles” was caused as much by the cover-up as the original offence. When Downing Street was contacted on May 22 by The Guardian and the Daily Mirror, which were set to reveal that Cummings had fled to his parents’ home in Durham at the height of the lockdown, Cummings’s instinct was to ignore the story.

“He refused to comment and banned anyone else from commenting,” said one source. “His attitude was that this was a non-story, it’s left-wing papers and they can go f*** themselves. It was a five-day lesson in crisis mismanagement.”

The following day Downing Street issued a statement saying Cummings had gone north when his wife fell ill with coronavirus symptoms because he needed help to care for their four-year-old son. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, was sent out to say that once in Durham, Cummings had remained locked down.

Behind the scenes, Mark Spencer, the chief whip, and Ben Gascoigne, Johnson’s personal aide, contacted cabinet ministers asking them to tweet their support. Those in Johnson’s Covid-19 “quad” did so. Of the others, one said: “Dom has never been interested in my view. Why would he care if I’m backing him now?”

Even Cummings’s fans say he has never bothered to woo MPs. Andrew Bridgen, who defended him on television last week, observed: “They say if you want a friend in politics, get a dog — well, Cummings would kick the dog as well.”

Those further down the ladder received messages in which stick was more prominent than carrot. “The whips were saying you will have no future unless you get out there and back him,” said one MP.

The whips had rivals, however, with enemies of Cummings accused of seeking to drum up support for MPs to break cover and say he should resign. Penny Mordaunt, a Cabinet Office minister, has been dubbed “Poison Pen” for telling her constituents there were “inconsistencies” in Cummings’s account. Helen Whately, the care minister, and Alicia Kearns, a newly elected MP, are also suspected of disloyalty.

When it emerged last weekend that Cummings had taken a day trip to Barnard Castle in Co Durham, the initial defence was in tatters. Johnson, friends say, was angry with his most important aide but, like Cummings, never felt he should go.

“He understood what Dom did was wrong — both the original offence and the comms [communications] that followed it,” said one ally.

A Whitehall source added: “His view was, ‘I am buggered if I am going to be forced into firing an aide,’ but that doesn’t mean he is well disposed towards Dom. He’s extremely pissed off with him because he scooted off [to Durham] without telling him. Boris himself didn’t choose to decamp to Chequers when he was sick, which he could have done.”

One who knows Johnson well said: “I think at the root of all this is libertarianism.” The source added: “He doesn’t actually believe in locking everyone down. He knows he needs to, but he understands why people might transgress and he can’t bring himself to criticise it.”

Johnson also shared with Cummings a key world view. “They’re not two peas in a pod but where they do meet is on the idea of apologies,” a Tory source said. “Boris has always been clear that he doesn’t ever say sorry.”

Last Sunday morning Johnson called in Cummings and made him give a full account of his movements. He and his closest aides, including Lee Cain, the communications director, held a crisis meeting and agreed that Johnson should try to draw a line under the affair. “The idea was that he would make clear that he was satisfied with Dom’s account and try to shut it down,” said one insider.

But after being pounded with questions at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Johnson had failed. “Boris took one for the team,” an official added. “After that press conference he came out and said that he had had his arse whipped live on national television and told Dom he would have to do the same.”

To make matters worse, several aides say Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, and Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, had refused to back him up publicly. “Whitty and Vallance refused to do the presser [press conference],” one ministerial aide said.

Ministers were also in revolt. “The cabinet moved in and said, ‘He has got to apologise, he has got to do something,’” a senior Tory said.

The decision that Cummings should make his own public appearance was confirmed at another crisis meeting on Monday morning. Cummings agreed, admitting the public reaction was worse than he had expected. “It has cut through,” he said.

But even Cummings’s allies could not persuade him to apologise. In the No 10 rose garden that afternoon, he said: “I don’t regret what I did.”

“He wouldn’t say sorry,” a source familiar with the discussions said. “The expectation in Downing Street was that the word ‘sorry’ would pass his lips for failing to clear things up earlier. But he wouldn’t do it and there was no one who could make him do it.”

Johnson was again in a foul mood, making clear his displeasure at having to do another press conference afterwards. “He was voicing what many people felt that we’ve all had a long couple of days,” said the source. As Johnson expressed regret for the “confusion and the anger and the pain that people feel” rather than the offence, a cabinet minister told a friend: “Why have we got the prime minister on television apologising for a special adviser. It’s insane.”

However, many ministers had concluded things had now gone too far for Johnson to ditch Cummings, “because it will all fall apart if he goes”, a senior Tory said. Priti Patel, the home secretary, was quickly in touch with the Metropolitan police commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, when a mob turned up outside Cummings’s north London home.

One of Cummings’s Vote Leave fraternity said: “We need him. We took three years to get the gang in there. We can’t throw that away now.” When one of his acolytes was asked what would happen if Cummings shot someone dead in the street, the reply came: “It would depend whether anyone saw him do it.”


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

Cummings is a little “chastened” by events but now appears unsackable. He sits in whatever meetings he pleases and is blamed by cabinet ministers for killing audiences with Johnson and filtering the flow of papers and information to the prime minister.

Growing in volume is the view that Johnson needs all the help he can get because he is still far from recovered from the virus. Those who watched his halting performance in front of the Commons liaison committee on Wednesday saw a man tired, irritable and struggling with detail.

“These stories about Boris being fed up with the job are all true,” a Whitehall source said. “He really isn’t very well. Boris is simply not operating as Boris.” Ministers say Johnson has been occasionally forgetful in meetings and was initially “unsighted” on aspects of the government’s quarantine policy.

The shock of the Cummings affair for MPs and ministers is that two populists who appeared to have an almost mystical understanding of the public mood seem to have misjudged voter fury at the “do as we say, not as we do” approach to lockdown. Some MPs received more than 1,500 emails of complaint. “I have never known anything that cuts through like this in my life,” a former No 10 aide said.
*
By Friday the atmosphere was so febrile MPs were sharing rumours in their WhatsApp groups that Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, had punched Cummings in a fight broken up by Michael Gove, a claim variously dismissed as “not true”, “complete invention” and “total bollocks” by senior figures.*

A veteran backbencher said: “The problem is that there are 109 new MPs who have not been under fire before. Steady in the ranks!”

Johnson will respond this week to the criticism that too many ministers have been excluded from key decisions by setting up a new Covid-19 war cabinet modelled on the two Brexit cabinet committees.

The quad of senior ministers — Gove, Raab, Matt Hancock and Rishi Sunak — will be bolstered by Alok Sharma, the business secretary, and Patel on the coronavirus strategy committee, also a response to criticism that there were no women at the top table. Gove will chair a second, “operations” committee, just as he does on preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

Most believe Cummings will at least remain long enough to ensure Britain does not seek an extension of the transition phase past December 31. But some Tories fear Johnson has been materially damaged by his defence of Cummings, coupled with lingering doubts about the government’s handling of the virus and the threat of a catastrophic recession.

“I feel like we are living through a prolonged Black Wednesday and we are now in the John Major premiership,” said one senior Tory. “The chances of Boris leading us into the next election have fallen massively.”

Perhaps Hunt and McVey should keep their phones on.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Black Isle Media - Cummings spare cottage has no Planning or Council Tax
> 
> 
> The "spare cottage" which Dominic Cummings claimed to stay at on his father's farm, has no planning permission nor pays any council tax.
> ...


Nice work from the researcher  - if it has been there over 4 years then he would get permitted lawful development and therefore retrospective planning I would have thought. Sadly. But maybe an uplift in the council tax.


----------



## tim (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> Van Tam had better watch out for Telegraph journos going through his bins huh.



And discover that his grand-dad was a  Vietnamese warlord who collaborated with the French authorities during the colonial period and was so brutal that at one stage he was gaoled by the South Vietnamese government.


----------



## isvicthere? (May 31, 2020)

All over my internet last night l got the strong impression that Britain was in the grip of widespread partying normally reserved for the end of a war. 

Firstly, is this a correct impression? And secondly, how much do people think Cummings's blatant piss-take and belief-beggaring "justification" are responsible?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 31, 2020)

isvicthere? said:


> And secondly, how much do people think Cummings's blatant piss-take and belief-beggaring "justification" are responsible?



There's some research here, although this was before the weekend, so it has probably got worst.



> In a survey of 1,201 people across the UK carried out by academics at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), the number of people who admitted they had behaved inconsistent with the government guidance because they did not agree with it increased from 4% to 9% over the space of the last week.











						Fewer people following lockdown guidance since Dominic Cummings story broke, finds national survey
					

Researchers at DMU polled people across the UK to explore



					www.dmu.ac.uk


----------



## gentlegreen (May 31, 2020)

isvicthere? said:


> All over my internet last night l got the strong impression that Britain was in the grip of widespread partying normally reserved for the end of a war.
> 
> Firstly, is this a correct impression? And secondly, how much do people think Cummings's blatant piss-take and belief-beggaring "justification" are responsible?


They had to helicopter at least one idiot out of Durdle Door yesterday - injured when cliff-diving...
My local park group on Facebook put out calls for litter-picking after yesterday's partying until late, but it was surprisingly tidy to my eye - mostly just overflowing bins - so I left what there was for the two who turned up ...


----------



## existentialist (May 31, 2020)

isvicthere? said:


> All over my internet last night l got the strong impression that Britain was in the grip of widespread partying normally reserved for the end of a war.
> 
> Firstly, is this a correct impression? And secondly, how much do people think Cummings's blatant piss-take and belief-beggaring "justification" are responsible?


I guess we'll never know, without going back and re-running the whole experiment without Cummings' bullshit . But I think most people would probably consider that it couldn't possibly have NOT had an effect on things, even if that effect was just to unleash a lot of already-existing pent-up rulebreaking.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

I think people flocking to beaches for the day have no fucking excuse no matter what a public figure has done.


----------



## two sheds (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> Cummings is a little “chastened” by events but now appears unsackable. He sits in whatever meetings he pleases and is blamed by cabinet ministers for killing audiences with Johnson and filtering the flow of papers and information to the prime minister.
> 
> Growing in volume is the view that Johnson needs all the help he can get because he is still far from recovered from the virus. Those who watched his halting performance in front of the Commons liaison committee on Wednesday saw a man tired, irritable and struggling with detail.
> 
> ...



Domnishambles


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Domnishambles


Lol @ Michael Gove breaking up a fight. It’s so absurd, I feel like it can’t be fiction.


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> I think people flocking to beaches for the day have no fucking excuse no matter what a public figure has done.


Why? Government advice is that it's ok to travel any distance to exercise, sunbathe etc as long as you maintain social distancing guidelines. Can't really blame people who've only been to their local park for two months for acting within government guidelines.


----------



## B.I.G (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> Why? Government advice is that it's ok to travel any distance to exercise, sunbathe etc as long as you maintain social distancing guidelines. Can't really blame people who've only been to their local park for two months for acting within government guidelines.



Because the government advice is dangerous and will result in a second wave and more deaths.


----------



## Sue (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> *By Friday the atmosphere was so febrile MPs were sharing rumours in their WhatsApp groups that Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, had punched Cummings in a fight broken up by Michael Gove, a claim variously dismissed as “not true”, “complete invention” and “total bollocks” by senior figures*



 I'd have paid good money to see that though if Michael Gove could break it up, suspect 'fight' is overegging it a bit.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

Went to Arundel yesterday, on the way home swung by Littlehampton to have a look, fucking mobbed, people swarming all over, no one social distancing, especially in the scrum of around 50 trying to get in to the chippy on the front...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

Raab is a black belt in karate, so would imagine he could deck both Cummings and Gove without breaking a sweat.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Went to Arundel yesterday, on the way home swung by Littlehampton to have a look, fucking mobbed, people swarming all over, no one social distancing, especially in the scrum of around 50 trying to get in to the chippy on the front...



Had I known, and if the pubs were open, we could have met up for drink.


----------



## Sue (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Raab is a black belt in karate, so would imagine he could deck both Cummings and Gove without breaking a sweat.


I suspect I could deck both Cummings and Gove without a breaking sweat. TBF, I suspect a strong breeze could deck both Cummings and Gove without breaking a sweat.

Raab obviously needs to up his game.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Had I known, and if the pubs were open, we could have met up for drink.



We did consider having a nose at Worthing too, but Littlehampton kind of freaked us out, we didn’t get out of the car, just drove home...


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Raab is a black belt in karate, so would imagine he could deck both Cummings and Gove without breaking a sweat.


My money would be on Raab and Gove getting a punching to boot. David Davies could probably take them all on.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> Why? Government advice is that it's ok to travel any distance to exercise, sunbathe etc as long as you maintain social distancing guidelines. Can't really blame people who've only been to their local park for two months for acting within government guidelines.


Why can't I blame them? I'm not going anywhere like this because the advice says _avoid crowds_. 

All these people aren't really socially distancing the hell out of this scene, are they? This is not better than being outside somewhere much less busy?


----------



## two sheds (May 31, 2020)

At least the ones who jumped off the rocks were social distancing


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

If there was a fight how do you do socially distanced  fighting ffs.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> We did consider having a nose at Worthing too, but Littlehampton kind of freaked us out, we didn’t get out of the car, just drove home...



TBF, even during normal times, Littlehampton freaks me out.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> Lol @ Michael Gove breaking up a fight. It’s so absurd, I feel like it can’t be fiction.


I imagine ‘Michael Gove breaking up a fight’ generally involves two people punching each other, only for Michael Gove to walk by, and the two people deciding it's probably better just to punch Michael Gove.


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Raab is a black belt in karate, so would imagine he could deck both Cummings and Gove without breaking a sweat.


Third Dan Prince Andrew


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey has been nice and no problems apart from no toilets.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

two sheds said:


> At least the ones who jumped off the rocks were social distancing




They jumped off the top, and all four are in a bad way. No shit...


----------



## Cerv (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> Why? Government advice is that it's ok to travel any distance to exercise, sunbathe etc *as long as you maintain social distancing guidelines*. Can't really blame people who've only been to their local park for two months for acting within government guidelines.


admittedly it'd be disappointing if you traveled all the way to the beach then saw that it was too full already to possibly maintain adherence to government guidance on social distancing & avoiding crowds. but that doesn't mean the caveat doesn't exist anymore. 
can blame them for not turning around and going elsewhere. or just home.


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Why can't I blame them? I'm not going anywhere like this because the advice says _avoid crowds_.
> 
> All these people aren't really socially distancing the hell out of this scene, are they? This is not better than being outside somewhere much less busy?
> 
> View attachment 215480



It's quite difficult to judge from this distance tbh, but there's probably around 2m between each group.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

Everyone on that beach has been told to self-isolate for 14 days. Totally avoidable.


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

On youtube there's videos of people jumping off that rock (and sometimes being severely injured) going back years, seems to be a proper maniac magnet...


----------



## maomao (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Why can't I blame them? I'm not going anywhere like this because the advice says _avoid crowds_.
> 
> All these people aren't really socially distancing the hell out of this scene, are they? This is not better than being outside somewhere much less busy?
> 
> View attachment 215480


There seem to be gaps between groups of people if you zoom in. Hard to judge distance because of the odd angle. And it's not exactly an enclosed space, is it. I'm worried about the buses filling up, and I worry about the kids supposedly going back tomorrow spreading it around but not particularly worried about a couple of hundred people who have been shut in for months enjoying a sunny beach. If they all started spitting at each other or an orgy broke out I might worry but they seem to be following current advice.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

The central falsehood in all this is that Cummings is a genius at divining public mood. He persuaded a lot of stupid people to believe stupid things - people who had never involved themselves in politics - and that was enough to give them a wafer-thin majority in the referendum. But coming up with this single wheeze doesn't translate to mainstream politics. In a curious way, he's the same as Jeremy Corbyn - effective when protesting against the status quo on a single issue - whipping up popular support for unhappy people - but hopeless when constructing a workable alternative. Ironic then that it was Corbyn who did as much as Cummings to get Johnson in.


----------



## gentlegreen (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> It's quite difficult to judge from this distance tbh, but there's probably around 2m between each group.


There are going to be bottlenecks though ... but the UV factor of 8, plus a breeze probably minimised risks ...

For myself I have always struggled with why people want to spend their time in such close proximity to others when doubtless there are other places - though Chesil beach is probably somewhat risky for swimming ...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

maomao said:


> There seem to be gaps between groups of people if you zoom in. Hard to judge distance because of the odd angle. And it's not exactly an enclosed space, is it. I'm worried about the buses filling up, and I worry about the kids supposedly going back tomorrow spreading it around but not particularly worried about a couple of hundred people who have been shut in for months enjoying a sunny beach. If they all started spitting at each other or an orgy broke out I might worry but they seem to be following current advice.



Once the air ambulances turned up there certainly wasn’t two meters between people...


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

gentlegreen said:


> There are going to be bottlenecks though ... but the UV factor of 8, plus a breeze probably minimised risks ...
> 
> For myself I have always struggled with why people want to spend their time in such close proximity to others when doubtless there are other places - though Chesil beach is probably somewhat risky for swimming ...


I guess when they set off they didn't imagine it'd be so crowded. I've been to the beach in the southwest on a sunny day, you always set off hopeful...


----------



## maomao (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Once the air ambulances turned up there certainly wasn’t two meters between people...


Well tbf that was the fault of four knobends and not the couple of hundred people on the beach who didn't jump off the rocks.


----------



## Badgers (May 31, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> They jumped off the top, and all four are in a bad way. No shit..


Good, hope they die  


S☼I said:


> Everyone on that beach has been told to self-isolate for 14 days. Totally avoidable.


Good


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

It's a bit weird that people who won't accept blanket anger at groups of people for, say, voting tory, are quite happy to direct their rage at some people who wanted to catch a bit of sun and go for a dip.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

Lengths people will go to defend idiots. Surely people have some responsibility for their actions.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> It's a bit weird that people who won't accept blanket anger at groups of people for, say, voting tory, are quite happy to direct their rage at some people who wanted to catch a bit of sun and go for a dip.



I’ve got shit loads of hate, plenty for everyone


----------



## Poot (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> It's a bit weird that people who won't accept blanket anger at groups of people for, say, voting tory, are quite happy to direct their rage at some people who wanted to catch a bit of sun and go for a dip.


It's the toilet situation. 

That is all.

_Boak_


----------



## gentlegreen (May 31, 2020)

I know I keep plugging the show, but Bondi Rescue is an eye-opener in terms of human behaviour (straight off the coach and into a well-signposted rip, fully-clothed and unable to float or swim) 

... But this beach had perfect swimming conditions and three idiots (and the ones encouraging them) still managed to cause carnage - with massive knock-on effects for many given the circumstances.


----------



## Badgers (May 31, 2020)




----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

How can this possibly be acceptable?


----------



## brogdale (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Lengths people will go to defend idiots. Surely people have some responsibility for their actions.


Have to say I find some of the last couple of pages uncomfortable reading. I really think it is understandable that folk want to get out to the beach etc. after the last months, especially in weather like this. Also worth remembering that not everyone is as 'switched on' to the news cycle etc as some of us on here may be? And, it has to be said that much of the state messaging has been less than clear.

What worries me about the (entirely understandable) tendency to judge the beach-goers is that Johnson deliberately fore-warned of his Monday changes to lockdown, pretty much ensuring that such scenes & reactions (?) would occur. It does help them to paint the second spike as the fault of the people.


----------



## Raheem (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Lengths people will go to defend idiots. Surely people have some responsibility for their actions.


Nothing false about that, but we let the government off the hook by focusing on ill-mannered pleasure-seeking furlough-scroungers. People have been told they can go to the seaside, so it's not really surprising that that's what they're doing.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

I'm well aware that the slippery bastards have consistently engineered avenues along which to channel blame away from themselves, I just find it a very frustrating situation, and I think the gen. public are being let off the hook by blaming the gov as well. It's too busy to properly maintain social distancing at the beach and the park, why can't people see that? My in-laws are coming round to sit in the back garden Tuesday and staying 2m away and bringing their own food. This stuff isn't over just because it's sunny and the government have said it's ok to sunbathe


----------



## keybored (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> I'm well aware that the slippery bastards have consistently engineered avenues along which to channel blame away from themselves, I just find it a very frustrating situation, and I think the gen. public are being let off the hook by blaming the gov as well. It's too busy to properly maintain social distancing at the beach and the park, why can't people see that? My in-laws are coming round to sit in the back garden Tuesday and staying 2m away and bringing their own food. This stuff isn't over just because it's sunny and the government have said it's ok to sunbathe



People won't know how busy it is till they get there and if they've just spent a long time in a hot car with excited kids going "are we there yet?" then it's difficult to blame them for not turning round and going home. 

Or for throwing themselves off a rock.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 31, 2020)

If only there was some choice in where to go


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> I'm well aware that the slippery bastards have consistently engineered avenues along which to channel blame away from themselves, I just find it a very frustrating situation, and I think the gen. public are being let off the hook by blaming the gov as well. It's too busy to properly maintain social distancing at the beach and the park, why can't people see that? My in-laws are coming round to sit in the back garden Tuesday and staying 2m away and bringing their own food. This stuff isn't over just because it's sunny and the government have said it's ok to sunbathe


Can't speak to beaches, but in parks, I don't agree. I've been in really quite busy parks where it is still totally possible to find yourself a spot. (And the foreshortening of zoom lenses in many photos of parks makes them look much more crowded than they really are.) Yes, you might pass by someone when walking around at less than two metres, but are you going to catch the virus just from walking past someone in a park or in the street? Has that ever been an issue really?

Plus, of course, not everybody has a garden.


----------



## not a trot (May 31, 2020)

At the moment I'm just happy sitting in the garden admiring the half finished patio.


----------



## tim (May 31, 2020)

keybored said:


> People won't know how busy it is till they get there and if they've just spent a long time in a hot car with excited kids going "are we there yet?" then it's difficult to blame them for not turning round and going home.
> 
> Or for throwing themselves off a rock.



Of course they knew what it was going to be like, most of them are photographers. They know that an idyllic cove surrounded by cliffs is a perfect location for beach crowd tabloid pictures. The only none media professionals there were the lemmings they paid to toss themselves off.


----------



## maomao (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> If only there was some choice in where to go


Well, it's beaches and parks or nothing cause all the pubs etc. are closed. Kids playparks in parks still taped off. I doubt the next two beaches along were much better.


----------



## Thora (May 31, 2020)

The PM literally said to people go wherever you like outside, spend as much time out as you like, didn't he even say he encouraged it?

We're too far from the beach to go but we've been to forest and park recently and it's been busy - because everyone's been stuck at home for weeks with their kids and there's no where else to go.

The main responsibility for this is the government's.


----------



## Badgers (May 31, 2020)

Thora said:


> The PM literally said to people go wherever you like outside, spend as much time out as you like, didn't he even say he encouraged it?
> 
> We're too far from the beach to go but we've been to forest and park recently and it's been busy - because everyone's been stuck at home for weeks with their kids and there's no where else to go.
> 
> The main responsibility for this is the government's.


I half agree. 

On the other hand our government are self serving liars and corrupt crooks. Anyone who is too stupid to realise that deserves to die.


----------



## gentlegreen (May 31, 2020)

I try to avoid shopping and spending much time in the park at weekends to leave room for those who are still working - though controlled exposure to other human beings is an important part of getting outside - pretty much how it was when I was working...


----------



## Raheem (May 31, 2020)

Badgers said:


> I half agree.
> 
> On the other hand our government are self serving liars and corrupt crooks. Anyone who is too stupid to realise that deserves to die.


That's quite a large section of the public, though, even if it's starting to shrink a little.


----------



## existentialist (May 31, 2020)

S☼I said:


> I'm well aware that the slippery bastards have consistently engineered avenues along which to channel blame away from themselves, I just find it a very frustrating situation, and I think the gen. public are being let off the hook by blaming the gov as well. It's too busy to properly maintain social distancing at the beach and the park, why can't people see that? My in-laws are coming round to sit in the back garden Tuesday and staying 2m away and bringing their own food. This stuff isn't over just because it's sunny and the government have said it's ok to sunbathe


If I thought that this government was actually competent enough to be operating in such a Machiavellian way, I might think that some insight has dawned, they realise they've screwed the pooch and invited a second wave, so are setting things up nicely so as to be able to blame the public rather than be blamed themselves.

But then..."never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence" - and it is very, very hard not to take the incompetence option when it's sitting there right in front of us, obscuring the view of all the other possibilities.


----------



## Struwwelpeter (May 31, 2020)

Badgers said:


> I half agree.
> 
> On the other hand our government are self serving liars and corrupt crooks. Anyone who is too stupid to realise that deserves to die.



The trouble with that approach is that they don't always die but even if they do, the live long enough to pass it on to others and increase the burden on healthcare.  Also, the government is full of people who "deserve to die", but all have survived so far, in spite of getting it.


----------



## NoXion (May 31, 2020)

It is _understandable_ why people would want to hit the beach at a time like this. But _understanding_ something is not the same thing as _excusing_ it. Yes, people are allowed out to sunbathe and exercise, but social distancing is still in effect, yes? You might not be able to help the crowds at the beach, but you can certainly still avoid contributing to the situation by turning around and going somewhere else.

And if you are the kind of moron who promises their kids a beach trip at a time like this, then you are a fucking idiot parent who deserves every minute of the resulting aggro. Unless of course you just go to a crowded beach anyway and fuck social distancing, in which case you're a fucking selfish cunt to boot.

Incidents like what happened at Durdle Door show what can go wrong even if social distancing is in the picture. All it took was a handful of fuckwits with a deathwish, to negate whatever precautions the rest of the beach-goers took, since they all ended up getting mashed together in big groups while the emergency services attended to the fucking idiots before carting them away.

Of course it should go without saying, that most people in this country aren't so fucking thick, that they think think it's a good idea to start stripping off and heading down a narrow path onto a crowded beach in the middle of a pandemic. There are some genuinely ambiguous situations brought about by this pandemic, but this beach bullshit ain't one of them.


----------



## Raheem (May 31, 2020)

NoXion said:


> It is _understandable_ why people would want to hit the beach at a time like this. But _understanding_ something is not the same thing as _excusing_ it.


But bemoaning it is also pointless. There was an effective way of preventing it, but now there isn't.


----------



## harpo (May 31, 2020)

keybored said:


> People won't know how busy it is till they get there and if they've just spent a long time in a hot car with excited kids going "are we there yet?" then it's difficult to blame them for not turning round and going home.
> 
> Or for throwing themselves off a rock.


Plus, if I remember, getting to that particular beach is quite an undertaking. It involves a fairly long walk from the carpark/bus stop, a lot of which is uphill.  To arrive and have to turn back and do the same walk without at least stopping for a breather would be dispiriting to say the least.


----------



## planetgeli (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> It's a bit weird that people who won't accept blanket anger at groups of people for, say, voting tory, are quite happy to direct their rage at some people who wanted to catch a bit of sun and go for a dip.



I don't think that Venn diagram looks like you think it does.


----------



## NoXion (May 31, 2020)

Raheem said:


> But bemoaning it is also pointless. There was an effective way of preventing it, but now there isn't.



It's no more or less pointless than moaning about anything else.  Otherwise we might as well delete half of this entire bloody forum.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 31, 2020)

NoXion said:


> It's no more or less pointless than moaning about anything else.  Otherwise we might as well delete half of this entire bloody forum.



Only half?


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

NoXion said:


> It is _understandable_ why people would want to hit the beach at a time like this. But _understanding_ something is not the same thing as _excusing_ it. Yes, people are allowed out to sunbathe and exercise, but social distancing is still in effect, yes? You might not be able to help the crowds at the beach, but you can certainly still avoid contributing to the situation by turning around and going somewhere else.
> 
> And if you are the kind of moron who promises their kids a beach trip at a time like this, then you are a fucking idiot parent who deserves every minute of the resulting aggro. Unless of course you just go to a crowded beach anyway and fuck social distancing, in which case you're a fucking selfish cunt to boot.
> 
> ...


With a bit of clean up Whitty should use that at the next briefing. 

DON'T BE A CUNT
AVOID CROWDS 
SAVE LIVES


----------



## gosub (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> If there was a fight how do you do socially distanced  fighting ffs.


Using your social distancing fighting stick aka rapier


----------



## planetgeli (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> If there was a fight how do you do socially distanced  fighting ffs.



Jousting. The only sport in history where the upper class (nobility) lined up to try and kill each other for the benefit of the peasants. Whole blood lines were known to be wiped out at times.

They really need to bring it back.


----------



## DexterTCN (May 31, 2020)

gosub said:


> Using your social distancing fighting stick aka rapier


Nope because to strike them you will only be one sword-length apart, not two.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Jousting. The only sport in history where the upper class (nobility) lined up to try and kill each other for the benefit of the peasants. Whole blood lines were known to be wiped out at times.
> 
> They really need to bring it back.


Start with Harry and William for the Crown and when one wins finish off the winner with a revolution.


----------



## Raheem (May 31, 2020)

They probably just have their manservants fight each other.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

DexterTCN said:


> Nope because to strike them you will only be one sword-length apart, not two.


Pikes then or an appropriate lengthed mace.


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> I don't think that Venn diagram looks like you think it does.


whatever - either way, I don't think there's any point in talking about the actions of large groups of people as individual moral failures - the guys who jumped off the rock, they're fucking dickheads and it's fair enough to call them dickheads. But thousands, hundreds of thousands of people packing out beaches and parks etc all over the country when they've been told it's ok to go? If that's a failure - and I'm not sure if it is, and neither are you until we get the receipts in a few weeks - then it's a political failure. 

Throwing up your hands and rolling your eyes at the fecklessness of the British public is, at it's heart, the same approach as that taken by the people who at the start of the pandemic thought that there's no way we'd observe a lockdown and advocated we should let it rip instead. They were wrong. The events of this weekend are a predictable result of the rule relaxations - so if it's 'breaking down' disastrously now then it's because they relaxed the rules too quickly. There were other options.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 31, 2020)

Jenny Harries has backed Jonathan Van Tam in what he said yesterday over Cummings.  



> Dr Harries said she “absolutely” agreed with her colleague deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam’s statement on Saturday that the rules are “for the benefit of all and apply to all”. She told today's Downing Street briefing: “I thought his exposure of what he felt was exactly right. “We usually say exactly the same things because we think in public health terms, and I think that’s right.
> 
> “And from my own perspective I can assure you that from a level of personal and professional integrity, I would always try and follow the rules as I know he does.
> 
> “The important thing is they are rules for all of us, and it’s really important as we go through into this next critical phase that we do follow them to the best of our abilities, *and even minimise if you like, the freedoms that are there to ensure* that we can very gently come out of the pandemic.



BIB - in other words stay well within the rules, not stretch them beyond what is believable, Cummings, you cunt. 









						Jenny Harries joins fellow experts with subtle condemnation of Dominic Cummings
					

Dr Harries said she “absolutely” agreed with her colleague deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam who made his views clear on Boris Johnson's most senior aide on Saturday afternoon




					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## planetgeli (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> whatever - either way, I don't think there's any point in talking about the actions of large groups of people as individual moral failures - the guys who jumped off the rock, they're fucking dickheads and it's fair enough to call them dickheads. But thousands, hundreds of thousands of people packing out beaches and parks etc all over the country *when they've been told it's ok to go*? If that's a failure - and I'm not sure if it is, and neither are you until we get the receipts in a few weeks - then it's a political failure.



Undoubtedly it's a political failure.

However, BIB, I'm still old-fashioned enough to believe people should exercise individual agency instead of (literally) tripping over themselves to follow government edicts.


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

Sure - and many people are exercising their individual agency to go to the beach. There was a question about this in the press conference this evening, and the dangers they talked about were sharing cutlery, sharing cars, being very close together - Harries said specifically 'we think if you're outdoors, there is a very, very low risk of transmission'. 

Maybe she's wrong - we'll find out in a few weeks. But expecting people to use their _individual agency_ to decide the advice of the public health authorities is wrong, and that they're reckless not to think the same as you is a bit mad tbh.


----------



## planetgeli (May 31, 2020)

killer b said:


> But expecting people to use their _individual agency_ to decide the advice of the public health authorities is wrong, and that they're reckless not to think the same as you is a bit mad tbh.



Then we'll agree to disagree. Though I'll do that without insulting your mental health.


----------



## killer b (May 31, 2020)

Give over.


----------



## Supine (May 31, 2020)

not a trot said:


> At the moment I'm just happy sitting in the garden admiring the half finished patio.



Still only half finished? Been busy?


----------



## Pickman's model (May 31, 2020)

Supine said:


> Still only half finished? Been busy?


He has to wait for the body before finishing it


----------



## Voley (May 31, 2020)

Beaches are still safe down here, I'm pleased to say. I think we've got away with it because we're just that bit _too_ far away for a day trip. For most people, anyhow. Newquay/Perranporth - different story I'd imagine.

Sennen/Gwynver have both had loads of room even on the Bank Holiday Monday. I'm trying Pedn Vounder tomorrow but I'm getting there early and seeing how the land lies. If it gets too crowded I'll be off.

Any further relaxing of the lockdown - ie you can stay overnight away from home - and I'll be avoiding them. The local press have been warning us about an Invasion Of The Killer Tourists for a while now but we've been lucky right at the end here so far. Once people can come and stay for a few days it might get worryingly busy out there.


----------



## existentialist (May 31, 2020)

I was down by the water here this afternoon, and...nothing. Deserted. A friend tells me Llansteffan is the same.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

Stay alert, control the virus, save lives” is an anagram of “Easily survives travel north to castle”.


----------



## brogdale (May 31, 2020)

Nottingham, twitter informs me:



Nicely done.


----------



## planetgeli (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> Stay alert, control the virus, save lives” is an anagram of “Easily survives travel north to castle”.



Who is credited with that? Astoundingly good.

Edit - Tim King, Telegraph crossword compiler. 
*Easily survives travel north to castle absurdly leads to broken rule (4,5,7,3,5,4,5)*


----------



## elbows (May 31, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> Jenny Harries has backed Jonathan Van Tam in what he said yesterday over Cummings.



Unlike Van-Tam, Harries has not escaped my criticisms in this pandemic. I hear she said other stupid things again today. But I'll give her some credit for this, and her and Van-Tams comments stand in contrast to the disgusting cop-out by Whitty the other day. Admittedly there are some reasons why the exact question asked of Whitty would have wound him up, but I still expected him to respond with something that underlined various public health concerns. Instead, all he was interested in making clear was how keen he was to avoid 'politics'.


----------



## Schmetterling (May 31, 2020)

Hmmm; see, I interpreted Whitty’s comment about not wanting to be drawn into politics the other day to be more of a statement aimed at Johnson. When he and the other chap left Downing Street before Cummings made his statement on Monday I considered that there may have been attempts at getting them to either appear with Cummings or to speak out in his support. This could, of course, be nothing but supposition.


----------



## elbows (May 31, 2020)

The sad thing is that I considered that the comments Van-Tam and Harries made were the sort of thing that people in those positions would be expected to say, without crossing the threshold of limitations imposed by their role. They are veiled criticisms that really just turn into an opportunity to underline some of their existing public health talking points. The sort of thing that often goes unnoticed, and its a sign of how little other criticism there has been from this direction that the press were able to highlight these comments by Van-Tam and Harries as if they were serious slapdowns against Cummings. For example a lot of the ministers who have defended Cummings actions would also still be prepared to use similar language about the lockdown rules being for everybody. Obviously the subtext matters and I am not saying that Van-Tam and Harries comments were meaningless, but they are both the least and the most I would expect from people in these sorts of roles.

I'd agree that its quite plausible that Vallance and Whitty refused to agree to put on the sort of performance Johnson wanted in one particular press conference, and did not participate in it for that reason. When they finally did appear some days later, I was sort of expecting something along the lines of what Van-Tam and Harries came out with, but that isnt what I got. I cannot tell you exactly what Whitty meant but I thought it was a cop-out and it was also an example of how Whitty gets when he is pissed off. He gets a bit arsey in a very Whitty way (understated but firm in places), I've seen him like this before, when Hunt was giving recent history a bashing in a committee which Whitty was getting a bit defensive in front of. I'm probably judging him a bit harshly because I know he is capable of conceding various things, sometimes in quite a timely manner, and taking opportunities to make good points. He hasnt done that for me during this Cummings shit, and I'm not pleased. But I dont rule out the possibility that more of these figures may now feel compelled to repeat the Van-Tam type line in the days ahead. Actually we seem to be reaching a stage where I think it would be helpful for at least one face of this pandemic to break ranks and stomp off in disgust at the way things are being handled in this phase, but I dont really expect it because generally you dont tend to get put in those sorts of roles if there is much risk you will behave in that way.


----------



## elbows (May 31, 2020)

I may as well stick the appropriate bit of video in here before concluding my rant.



I think the reason I was disgusted is that there was an opportunity there to point out that it was not a wholly political matter, there were very real public health messages involved, to do with peoples adherence to lockdown, sending the right messages etc. Vallance left an especially slimy trail with his comments at the very end of that clip but that hardly surprised me, I have disliked him from the first time I heard him speak at an early press conference.


----------



## elbows (May 31, 2020)

I mean, the politics they should avoid is party politics. But the politics of public health, of communication, of lockdowns etc, thats very much part of their role, even if people try to pretend otherwise. They abdicated responsibility on that front and hiding behind the notion of politics in general being some separate thing from them and their roles is pathetic.


----------



## BristolEcho (May 31, 2020)

elbows said:


> I mean, the politics they should avoid is party politics. But the politics of public health, of communication, of lockdowns etc, thats very much part of their role, even if people try to pretend otherwise. They abdicated responsibility on that front and hiding behind the notion of politics in general being some separate thing from them and their roles is pathetic.



Exactly. The ending of lockdown is affected by politics in itself. You can't really say you don't want to get involved in politics as it's involved with everything.


----------



## brogdale (May 31, 2020)

BristolEcho said:


> Exactly. The ending of lockdown is affected by politics in itself. You can't really say you don't want to get involved in politics as it's involved with everything.


or when you're taking the Queen's shilling partly on the basis of advising the politicians making the public health decisions.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

elbows said:


> I may as well stick the appropriate bit of video in here before concluding my rant.
> 
> 
> 
> I think the reason I was disgusted is that there was an opportunity there to point out that it was not a wholly political matter, there were very real public health messages involved, to do with peoples adherence to lockdown, sending the right messages etc. Vallance left an especially slimy trail with his comments at the very end of that clip but that hardly surprised me, I have disliked him from the first time I heard him speak at an early press conference.



They both earned their peerages right there.


----------



## elbows (May 31, 2020)

phillm said:


> They both earned their peerages right there.



Sir Patrick Vallance is already a knight bachelor. 

Whitty has probably earned some new puns along the lines of fuck whitty.


----------



## phillm (May 31, 2020)

elbows said:


> Sir Patrick Vallance is already a knight bachelor.
> 
> Whitty has probably earned some new puns along the lines of fuck whitty.



Had to look that up also known as the Royal Ordure of Wank. 









						Knight Bachelor - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Supine (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> I may as well stick the appropriate bit of video in here before concluding my rant.
> 
> 
> 
> I think the reason I was disgusted is that there was an opportunity there to point out that it was not a wholly political matter, there were very real public health messages involved, to do with peoples adherence to lockdown, sending the right messages etc. Vallance left an especially slimy trail with his comments at the very end of that clip but that hardly surprised me, I have disliked him from the first time I heard him speak at an early press conference.




I think you're out of order for turning on the UK scientists tbh (just imho). 

They have two really important jobs at the moment 1. Their day jobs - the science and 2. The politics - standing next to Boris or whoever. 

It's an amazingly difficult job I'd imagine. From what I can see the science is standing up well but the politicians are starting to fuck up by moving away from that and unlocking earlier than recommended. 

That's on Boris not the scientists.


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

I wasnt swayed by such appeals to believe in the wisdom of the authorities back when we were first sleepwalking into a disaster with this pandemic, so I'm hardly about to do so now am I? It was quite possibly you that caused me to rant about deference being dead, and that was months ago. Dont confuse me with someone who turned on UK scientists recently. My stance was always more complicated than that, but it certainly did not involve trusting everything to their hands from the very start.

This pandemic is a none too subtle guide as to some of the reasons why centralised authority, the sorts of roles and formats of decision making that are favoured in this country are shit. Top down bollocks. Laughable appeals to maintain faith in such things carry no credibility with me. Nor should they seem credible to anybody else from round these parts. Because this forum demonstrated quite well what is possible if a far broader approach is taken, one that values far wider and less formal forms of input. Even if absolutely all of my own posts during this pandemic never happened, other people on this very forum figured out the timing of our first epidemic wave with a far better degree of accuracy than SAGE managed. The publicly accessible sources of data gave a better picture of where we were relative to Italy than SAGE and their data sources managed. And so we were treated to the spectacle of people on this forum making accurate statements about how many days and weeks we were behind Italy, well before before Vallance and others came out with totally wrong estimates of their own. Estimates it took weeks to correct. We didnt have to wait for this to become distant history before being able to judge some of this stuff.


----------



## Humberto (Jun 1, 2020)

Sorry to be the one who interrupts, but this Cummings guy is a fucking loon. No one sane is that confident in their ability and 'predictions'. And I know it's elbows here doing the hard work and nailing down the facts as best as any of us, but the statistic is, whilst we point and frown at America, that Britain has _more per capita deaths than America_.









						COVID-19 deaths per capita by country | Statista
					

COVID deaths by country were highest in Czechia, topping a list that compares deaths per million in 201 countries worldwide.




					www.statista.com
				




I know it's more complex than that but I'm really pissed off with these grinning shitheads now.


----------



## Humberto (Jun 1, 2020)

Anyway, I might be wrong but that's what is worrying me.


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

Also, there is plenty of blame to go around, I'm not trying to stick it all one a few peoples shoulders. Vallance gave me plenty of reasons to complain from the start, I've not criticised Whitty very much till now but his comments the other day were not what I wanted or expected from him.

The SAGE minutes are not full minutes in that it is not really possible to identify the opinions of individuals from them. So they are limited in some ways that make it harder for me to unpick things. All the same, some things are apparent. Some limitations and failures of orthodox thoughts across a number of disciplies are occasionally on display. But what is most obvious from reading between the lines of the various documents once into the very difficult period in early March, is the extent to which they were completely hamstrung by failures of data collection, testing, etc. Within the confines of the system they were operating in, I doubt whether individuals at the top of their game could have necessarily done much better. I expect that any future inquiry will easily find that Public Health England was not fit for the purposes it was needed for in this pandemic. Its painful reading some of the earlier minutes, when SAGE realised that the new world after the u-turn needed all sorts of testing on a big scale and quickly, and how they thought they were actually going to get some of that from PHE. As time goes on, despite the highly sanitised nature of the minutes, it is possible to see the penny drop and the frustration set in. I expect there is plenty more frustration within SAGE these days too, as similar phenomenon will no doubt be happening again with regards things like the contact tracing system, and the ongoing reality of the testing.

So yeah, there are very definite limits to how much blame I am directing at any one person. There were all sorts of systemic issues and power, resources and responsibility was not genuinely spread around at all the different levels of society and government over many years leading up to this pandemic, and that isnt the fault of a Vallance or a Whitty. Still they are to extent products of the systems and priorities of this country over many decades, and I cannot say where the best place for them would have been if we'd had a sane, well spread system in the foundations of this countries government and public health institutions. I'd likely have valued their opinion, but as with all opinions including my own, I'd value it more when tested by various means including criticism without fear or favour.


----------



## xenon (Jun 1, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Have to say I find some of the last couple of pages uncomfortable reading. I really think it is understandable that folk want to get out to the beach etc. after the last months, especially in weather like this. Also worth remembering that not everyone is as 'switched on' to the news cycle etc as some of us on here may be? And, it has to be said that much of the state messaging has been less than clear.
> 
> What worries me about the (entirely understandable) tendency to judge the beach-goers is that Johnson deliberately fore-warned of his Monday changes to lockdown, pretty much ensuring that such scenes & reactions (?) would occur. It does help them to paint the second spike as the fault of the people.



Well I don't know about angry exactly but I'm  quite comfortable in calling them fuckwits. It's obvious the beaches would be crowded. The facilities aren't open. What did they think would happen, they'd each get a bit of quiet beach to themselves, could piss where they wanted, probably have a nice swim and if get into trouble, the RNLI, would rescue them with 2M poles.

And yeah, we've all been stuck in doors during this weather. I bet some of these twats have access to gardens though. They've got cars, which is more than many others. SO, nah, fuckem.


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

Humberto said:


> Sorry to be the one who interrupts, but this Cummings guy is a fucking loon. No one sane is that confident in their ability and 'predictions'. And I know it's elbows here doing the hard work and nailing down the facts as best as any of us, but the statistic is, whilst we point and frown at America, that Britain has _more per capita deaths than America_.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah I'm not big on pointing and frowning at the USA too much because its such a cliched European thing to do, there is a longstanding and all too often default sneering from on high stance. A stance for which many occasions where it seems quite appropriate do present themselves, but I try to resist at least a little bit all the same.

I've not been that keen to look at per capita figures for this pandemic yet. One of the reasons why is also probably a main reason why the UK stands out even amongst countries that have had a bad death toll from this pandemic. In many of those countries the story of their first epidemic waves has very much been a regional story. eg regions like Lombardy in Italy tend to dominate all sorts of pandemic stats there, and I could say the same about Madrid and a bunch of other regions and indeed certain cities and states in the USA.

Well, the UK picture is quite different, we managed to get epidemics all across the regions and four nations. Only the South West really sticks out as having suffered a notably different scale of things (less than other regions), although there are plenty of timing and curve shape differences between regions too. And much of the real stories of the epidemics would require us to zoom in another level or two.

The spread far and wide around the UK is not going to be the only reason our numbers suck so badly compared to most others. Theres a lot still to learn about this disease, and there are the various other government failings including some terrible timing fuckups which played their part. But I still think its important to point this aspect out, and it might make a difference to what happens in this country compared to others in future too.


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

Humberto said:


> And I know it's elbows here doing the hard work and nailing down the facts as best as any of us



It bothers me that others dont get more credit, just because I am especially persistent and gobby. People are going to get quite a rest from my pandemic thoughts in June (at least relative to normal, since even in June I wont be gone completely, especially if any shit hits the fan in new ways), and plenty of other people will keep everyone informed. Plus I have certain narrow fixations, often stemming from the fact I'm prepared to spend time reading really dull establishment documents, where the same themes pop up again and again. But this reminds me, there is one sort of respect which I pay to figures like Whitty. I give them my attention. I consider what they say and the output from the entities they operate within. Sometimes even this is more than they deserve, and it often gives birth to reasons to criticise or ridicule them, but its still a form of begrudging respect on my part.

Anyway sorry for the general pandemic talk that this angle has turned into on this Cummings thread. I'd rather be speaking more directly about Cummings, but we've ended up at the inevitable point where anger and ridicule about his behaviour has not gone away, but finding new aspects to the story with which to keep channeling this anger is becoming more tricky. The Van-Tam and Harries comments would barely have raised an eyebrow if there was other stuff still rumbling at high volume. I hope there is more to give the story direct front-page legs for some time to come but as I have no insider political info its impossible for me to predict. I will predict that this shit will haunt this regime for ever more, whatever happens next. As if they hadnt already managed more than enough pandemic failures to taint them for all eternity.


----------



## Humberto (Jun 1, 2020)

I reckon a couple of days break will do you good. I recommend Grand Theft Auto V.  I laugh but I can't switch off myself sometimes.


----------



## Humberto (Jun 1, 2020)

ignore Belgium bit it was some draft that I can't delete.


----------



## sim667 (Jun 1, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> What does “the tooling they built to do this” mean?


Software, API’s etc


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 1, 2020)

Opinion: How one lie too many stripped the UK government entirely of public trust
					

Despite efforts from the hard right to seed the idea that lying is consequence-free, it is now obvious that this could not be further from the truth




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## ItWillNeverWork (Jun 1, 2020)

sim667 said:


> Software, API’s etc



What is the name of the software? How does it function as a weapon? Who on earth has ever heard of software having to be registered with GCHQ before it can be deployed? 

Come on now, you have to see that the story is a load of baloney, right?


----------



## Supine (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> It bothers me that others dont get more credit, just because I am especially persistent and gobby. People are going to get quite a rest from my pandemic thoughts in June (at least relative to normal, since even in June I wont be gone completely, especially if any shit hits the fan in new ways), and plenty of other people will keep everyone informed. Plus I have certain narrow fixations, often stemming from the fact I'm prepared to spend time reading really dull establishment documents, where the same themes pop up again and again. But this reminds me, there is one sort of respect which I pay to figures like Whitty. I give them my attention. I consider what they say and the output from the entities they operate within. Sometimes even this is more than they deserve, and it often gives birth to reasons to criticise or ridicule them, but its still a form of begrudging respect on my part.
> 
> Anyway sorry for the general pandemic talk that this angle has turned into on this Cummings thread. I'd rather be speaking more directly about Cummings, but we've ended up at the inevitable point where anger and ridicule about his behaviour has not gone away, but finding new aspects to the story with which to keep channeling this anger is becoming more tricky. The Van-Tam and Harries comments would barely have raised an eyebrow if there was other stuff still rumbling at high volume. I hope there is more to give the story direct front-page legs for some time to come but as I have no insider political info its impossible for me to predict. I will predict that this shit will haunt this regime for ever more, whatever happens next. As if they hadnt already managed more than enough pandemic failures to taint them for all eternity.



I thought you was having some time off? Give that keyboard a rest fella.


----------



## redsquirrel (Jun 1, 2020)

Supine said:


> I think you're out of order for turning on the UK scientists tbh (just imho).
> 
> They have two really important jobs at the moment 1. Their day jobs - the science and 2. The politics - standing next to Boris or whoever.
> 
> ...


What do you think Vallance and Whitty do in "their day jobs"? It isn't science, or at least not the sort of politically neutral science you seem to think exists, they are helping the government form and disseminate policy - in what possible way is that not political. And if they are willing to be silent when policy opposes "the science" fuck them.

The idea that the Chief Scientist and Chief Medical Officer aren't political is as ludicrous as claiming that the Governor of the Bank of England is apolitical.


----------



## chalkhorse (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows, your posts are essential, greatly appreciated.


----------



## teuchter (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> I wasnt swayed by such appeals to believe in the wisdom of the authorities back when we were first sleepwalking into a disaster with this pandemic, so I'm hardly about to do so now am I? It was quite possibly you that caused me to rant about deference being dead, and that was months ago. Dont confuse me with someone who turned on UK scientists recently. My stance was always more complicated than that, but it certainly did not involve trusting everything to their hands from the very start.
> 
> This pandemic is a none too subtle guide as to some of the reasons why centralised authority, the sorts of roles and formats of decision making that are favoured in this country are shit. Top down bollocks. Laughable appeals to maintain faith in such things carry no credibility with me. Nor should they seem credible to anybody else from round these parts. Because this forum demonstrated quite well what is possible if a far broader approach is taken, one that values far wider and less formal forms of input. Even if absolutely all of my own posts during this pandemic never happened, other people on this very forum figured out the timing of our first epidemic wave with a far better degree of accuracy than SAGE managed. The publicly accessible sources of data gave a better picture of where we were relative to Italy than SAGE and their data sources managed. And so we were treated to the spectacle of people on this forum making accurate statements about how many days and weeks we were behind Italy, well before before Vallance and others came out with totally wrong estimates of their own. Estimates it took weeks to correct. We didnt have to wait for this to become distant history before being able to judge some of this stuff.


I'd be a bit cautious about the idea that people on here predicted things more accurately than the SAGE members - I'm sure you can go back through various threads and find early predictions that were right on the nose but you will also find loads of others that were way out. There will be a spread of opinion, and you can always cherry pick the 'correct' ones with hindsight. There will have been a spread of opinion on the SAGE committees too.


----------



## Supine (Jun 1, 2020)

teuchter said:


> I'd be a bit cautious about the idea that people on here predicted things more accurately than the SAGE members - I'm sure you can go back through various threads and find early predictions that were right on the nose but you will also find loads of others that were way out. There will be a spread of opinion, and you can always cherry pick the 'correct' ones with hindsight. There will have been a spread of opinion on the SAGE committees too.



Hindsight is a wonderful thing.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> Also, there is plenty of blame to go around, I'm not trying to stick it all one a few peoples shoulders. Vallance gave me plenty of reasons to complain from the start, I've not criticised Whitty very much till now but his comments the other day were not what I wanted or expected from him.
> 
> The SAGE minutes are not full minutes in that it is not really possible to identify the opinions of individuals from them. So they are limited in some ways that make it harder for me to unpick things. All the same, some things are apparent. Some limitations and failures of orthodox thoughts across a number of disciplies are occasionally on display. But what is most obvious from reading between the lines of the various documents once into the very difficult period in early March, is the extent to which they were completely hamstrung by failures of data collection, testing, etc. Within the confines of the system they were operating in, I doubt whether individuals at the top of their game could have necessarily done much better. I expect that any future inquiry will easily find that Public Health England was not fit for the purposes it was needed for in this pandemic. Its painful reading some of the earlier minutes, when SAGE realised that the new world after the u-turn needed all sorts of testing on a big scale and quickly, and how they thought they were actually going to get some of that from PHE. As time goes on, despite the highly sanitised nature of the minutes, it is possible to see the penny drop and the frustration set in. I expect there is plenty more frustration within SAGE these days too, as similar phenomenon will no doubt be happening again with regards things like the contact tracing system, and the ongoing reality of the testing.
> 
> So yeah, there are very definite limits to how much blame I am directing at any one person. There were all sorts of systemic issues and power, resources and responsibility was not genuinely spread around at all the different levels of society and government over many years leading up to this pandemic, and that isnt the fault of a Vallance or a Whitty. Still they are to extent products of the systems and priorities of this country over many decades, and I cannot say where the best place for them would have been if we'd had a sane, well spread system in the foundations of this countries government and public health institutions. I'd likely have valued their opinion, but as with all opinions including my own, I'd value it more when tested by various means including criticism without fear or favour.


The secrecy from the start about SAGE, not even telling us who was there let alone who said what, has stood out in stark contrast to the openness of many other European countries. This is not a war. There is no enemy from whom to withhold secrets. There is no excuse  for not making the whole of the discussion about what to do and how to do it public from the start. That's been massively damaging to government credibility, and given the centralised nature of the UK's response, no doubt has caused delays and confusion on the ground. How many lives it's cost –  the only metric that really matters – it's hard to say, but it won't be zero.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 1, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> The secrecy from the start about SAGE, not even telling us who was there let alone who said what, has stood out in stark contrast to the openness of many other European countries. This is not a war. There is no enemy from whom to withhold secrets. There is no excuse  for not making the whole of the discussion about what to do and how to do it public from the start. That's been massively damaging to government credibility, and given the centralised nature of the UK's response, no doubt has caused delays and confusion on the ground. How many lives it's cost –  the only metric that really matters – it's hard to say, but it won't be zero.


Yeh you'd have a great point if this was an aberration or if you went on to say there is too much secrecy in British government despite many years of FOI. There's no mention of the many pandemic plans available online and how they compare to the shitty c19 response in practice. And the centralised response is clearly fragmenting as devolved administrations start diverging. I expect discussions of mass deaths were at least in part responsible for some of the secrecy, but to my mind the greater damage isn't caused by the secrecy but by what we know of the attempt to politicise the advice by placing at least one non-scientist on the panel.


----------



## gentlegreen (Jun 1, 2020)

In terms of our experiences with queuing etc, and sometimes almost expecting to be hit by a doodlebug it actually *is* the nearest to a wartime experience for most of us - but as you say it actually needs to be dealt with in the most modern and open way.

It has only struck me since VE day came around that it played into Johnson's ridiculous Churchillian fantasy and also with us being under attack from this "alien" virus from outside (continuation of the Brexit fantasy)

The fact that Cummings has had to hurriedly attempt to hide his eugenicist leanings by hacking his blog is hopefully a good sign ...

.. though it seems to be lost on the electorate - along with Johnson's 3rd Feb (presumably via Cummings)  "take it on the chin / emerge sooner and beat everyone else economically" ... which might actually have worked if we'd locked-down earlier...


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 1, 2020)

gentlegreen said:


> In terms of our experiences with queuing etc, and sometimes almost expecting to be hit by a doodlebug it actually *is* the nearest to a wartime experience for most of us - but as you say it actually needs to be dealt with in the most modern and open way.
> 
> It has only struck me since VE day came around that it played into Johnson's ridiculous Churchillian fantasy and also with us being under attack from this "alien" virus from outside (continuation of the Brexit fantasy)
> 
> ...


If it was a wartime experience there'd have been banning of a range of songs being played on the radio as there was during eg the falklands and gulf wars


----------



## two sheds (Jun 1, 2020)

and posters going up with Careless Talk Costs Lives so we don't let the virus know how we plan to fight it 

mind you those would be about as much use as the ones we have now


----------



## MrSki (Jun 1, 2020)

Piers Morgan isn't going to let this go. Shame he was off last week but is trying to make up for it today.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Piers Morgan isn't going to let this go. Shame he was off last week but is trying to make up for it today.




Damn, forgot to tune in today. Thought he'd be coming in like a bat out of hell after a week off stewing over this shit


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Jun 1, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Piers Morgan isn't going to let this go. Shame he was off last week but is trying to make up for it today.



nice summary, tbf. It may be a good thing he was off last week - allows him to give fresh legs to the story this week.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Bit of a derail but I'm fascinated by the whole Piers Morgan thing. I don't actually know what people had against him in retrospect. He got sacked from the Mirror for publishing what turned out to be fake pictures of British troops abusing Iraqi prisoners but which he published for presumably genuine reasons, then sacked from CNN for spending half his primetime shows ranting against US gun legislation and the resultant mass killings, came back to the UK and has been laying into the Tories and brexiteers ever since. 

Can anyone put their finger on why he is so despised? I know the phone hacking whiff will always hang over him but tbh I don't really give much of a fuck about that, even if it is true. What's the actual issue?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Bit of a derail but I'm fascinated by the whole Piers Morgan thing. I don't actually know what people had against him in retrospect. He got sacked from the Mirror for publishing what turned out to be fake pictures of British troops abusing Iraqi prisoners but which he published for presumably genuine reasons, then sacked from CNN for spending half his primetime shows ranting against US gun legislation and the resultant mass killings, came back to the UK and has been laying into the Tories and brexiteers ever since.
> 
> Can anyone put their finger on why he is so despised? I know the phone hacking whiff will always hang over him but tbh I don't really give much of a fuck about that, even if it is true. What's the actual issue?


His opinions, his manner, his obnoxiousness and the things he says


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> His opinions, his manner, his obnoxiousness and the things he says



I asked you to put your finger on it. What opinions exactly? And what things he says?


----------



## Santino (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> His opinions, his manner, his obnoxiousness and the things he says


But apart from that, what?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> I asked you to put your finger on it. What opinions exactly? And what things he says?


His racist tirades against Meghan Markle for a start.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> His racist tirades against Meghan Markle for a start.



Really? Got a link?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Really? Got a link?


Find out for yourself. He’s got form saying controversial things to wind people up. There’s loads to choose from


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Find out for yourself. He’s got form saying controversial things to wind people up. There’s loads to choose from



Yes, just as I thought. No evidence - just vague assertions. 

He was Markle's friend I think? I agree he's a massive wind-up merchant, but then I guess I am too. But politics wise I don't see much to disagree with.


----------



## belboid (Jun 1, 2020)

he didn’t believe that fucking obviously faked photo was real, he just thought we were dumb enough too. Then there was the insider trading.  And then sucking up to Trump. And the phone hacking.  

shitty tabloid hack


----------



## Looby (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Bit of a derail but I'm fascinated by the whole Piers Morgan thing. I don't actually know what people had against him in retrospect. He got sacked from the Mirror for publishing what turned out to be fake pictures of British troops abusing Iraqi prisoners but which he published for presumably genuine reasons, then sacked from CNN for spending half his primetime shows ranting against US gun legislation and the resultant mass killings, came back to the UK and has been laying into the Tories and brexiteers ever since.
> 
> Can anyone put their finger on why he is so despised? I know the phone hacking whiff will always hang over him but tbh I don't really give much of a fuck about that, even if it is true. What's the actual issue?


You don’t give much of a fuck about journalists hacking the phones of grieving families and dead children?


----------



## belboid (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> He was Markle's friend I think?


Are you barking? He had to apologise for all the shit he gave her, the cheap family destroying..woman.  He’s a piece of shit.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Yes, just as I thought. No evidence - just vague assertions.
> 
> He was Markle's friend I think? I agree he's a massive wind-up merchant, but then I guess I am too. But politics wise I don't see much to disagree with.


There’s loads of evidence. You just have to google his name ffs. I’m not doing it for you


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

belboid said:


> Are you barking? He had to apologise for all the shit he gave her, the cheap family destroying..woman.  He’s a piece of shit.



Well, no. They were friends (I think!)









						Piers Morgan reveals unlikely friendship with Meghan Markle – and gives Prince Harry dating advice!
					

Piers Morgan has revealed that he is friends with Prince Harry's new girlfriend Meghan Markle – and has even given the Prince some dating advice!




					www.hellomagazine.com
				




(sorry for the shitty link)

I certainly don't believe for a moment he's a racist anyway.

Right, derail over. Sorry folks. I was discussing this with the other half last night that's all.


----------



## FiFi (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Bit of a derail but I'm fascinated by the whole Piers Morgan thing. I don't actually know what people had against him in retrospect. He got sacked from the Mirror for publishing what turned out to be fake pictures of British troops abusing Iraqi prisoners but which he published for presumably genuine reasons, then sacked from CNN for spending half his primetime shows ranting against US gun legislation and the resultant mass killings, came back to the UK and has been laying into the Tories and brexiteers ever since.
> 
> Can anyone put their finger on why he is so despised? I know the phone hacking whiff will always hang over him but tbh I don't really give much of a fuck about that, even if it is true. What's the actual issue?


The fact that this very morning he rudely cut off a female presenter who was making a good point about the negative reactions to peaceful black protest, to ask Lorraine Kelly which inane guests she was going to be interviewing later


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

FiFi said:


> The fact that this very morning he rudely cut off a female presenter who was making a good point about the negative reactions to peaceful black protest, to ask Lorraine Kelly which inane guests she was going to be interviewing later



Fair do's. Didn't see that. I know from experience though that presenters have producers in their ears telling them to wrap shit up to keep to schedules.


----------



## FiFi (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Fair do's. Didn't see that. I know from experience though that presenters have producers in their ears telling them to wrap shit up to keep to schedules.


Which is exactly why we never get a deeper undestanding of vital issues, just a load of relentless advetising of nonsense!


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Well, no. They were friends (I think!)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Denial of racism is racism and he does a lot of that


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

FiFi said:


> Which is exactly why we never get a deeper undestanding of vital issues, just a load of relentless advetising of nonsense!



ITV runs on a commercial model so unfortunately you have to put up with it. TBH the ads are often quite welcome after 15 minutes of Piers shouting


----------



## belboid (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Well, no. They were friends (I think!)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I might believe it if she’d written it rather than the man whose advantage it serves to pretend they’re friends.  And giving a black woman shit that wasn’t given to a white woman doing pretty much the same things, what’s that if not racist?


----------



## philosophical (Jun 1, 2020)

Morgan was nasty towards Ariana Grande following the Manchester atrocity.
Isn't he a friend of Trump too?


----------



## frogwoman (Jun 1, 2020)

Writing Dominic Cummings fan fiction lol, it's very cathartic. This is one of the last things I wrote

Sitting at my computer, I opened Boris's emails and noticed that there were 200 all on the same subject, and more were arriving every few minutes. Usually I just deleted them, they just said things like 'important' and 'urgent' and I just turned off. When I was an adviser to Michael Gove's education department, I learned that if it is said to be urgent it probably isnt, a very important rule of politics.

I had a text and for a surprise, it was from the man himself.

'Hi Dom, I'm with Matt and Boris. I've got 3 grams of Peruvian white here. Are you coming?'

I got up from the computer, my shirt experiment would have to come to an end so I picked up a new one from the wardrobe. As I got ready and checked myself in the mirror I remembered that it was my wife's birthday next month. I would have to organise something for it and was not sure I could leave it to the last minute. Maybe we would go to Durham again.

I walked out of the door, one phone in each pocket and two in my holdall, which made me feel like a renegade hacker, and went to meet the boys. Govey always has the best drugs.

'Sorry darling,' I wrote to Mary. 'I've got to meet the prime minister, Michael Gove and Matt Hancock urgently.'

'OK, darling, is it about Brexit?' came the reply.

'It's about that new coronavirus everyone is talking about,' I replied on WhatsApp, thoughts of SARS-COV-2 occupying my mind. It was the only thing I could think about. 'We need to go through the pandemic preparations and make sure everything is in order. I don't think this is the Big One but you never know.'

'OK,' Mary replied. 'By the way, the little one's asking about going to a castle.'

I would like to go to a castle too, I thought as I approached Govey's flat and rang the buzzer. Boris was annoying when he was on coke, but he was easy to handle, if he acted up I'd swiftly put him in place. Matt Hancock was like a psychopathic puppy at times, it was funny to watch.

'It's Dom,' I said, and the door opened, I walked to the lift and pressed the button for the third floor. The interior of the building was a little down market for my taste but Gove had invested in this flat purely for the purpose of having somewhere to sample South America's most sought-after export when the pressures of state became too much.


----------



## MrSki (Jun 1, 2020)

Whatever Morgan's past & I am certainly not a fan & think he is a cunt but he has been the only presenter to actually hold this shambles of a government to account over the last six weeks or so. Calling out the lies. I am amazed that I actually agree with some of his recent spoutings.


----------



## tommers (Jun 1, 2020)

I dont give a fuck what he does now really, the phone hacking thing was enough for him not to get another chance. Absolutely despicable. Awful.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jun 1, 2020)

he's a boorish amoral cunt and I'm reminding you all of these posts when he shits the bed in future, which he will, because thats who he is


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

A grubby little opportunist who is only challenging the government cos he knows it’ll make him more popular


----------



## two sheds (Jun 1, 2020)

Mirror editor 'bought £67,000 of shares before they were tipped'
					

Piers Morgan, former Daily Mirror editor, used his wife's savings account to fund part of a £67,000 investment in computer company Viglen a day before the shares were tipped by the paper's City Slickers column, a court was told yesterday.




					www.theguardian.com
				




He was cleared of course, so move along nothing to see here.


----------



## phillm (Jun 1, 2020)




----------



## killer b (Jun 1, 2020)

good to see at least some primary school kids are keeping busy while the schools are closed


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

teuchter said:


> I'd be a bit cautious about the idea that people on here predicted things more accurately than the SAGE members - I'm sure you can go back through various threads and find early predictions that were right on the nose but you will also find loads of others that were way out. There will be a spread of opinion, and you can always cherry pick the 'correct' ones with hindsight. There will have been a spread of opinion on the SAGE committees too.



I continually go back and re-read stuff from the key period in question.

I do not suggest that any perfect and complete pictures of the future were presented here. But on the key question of timing at a crucial stage, large chunks of this country got the right idea about the sense of immediacy in a way the government and SAGE utterly failed to.

I was cautious and balanced at the time. I did not immediately reject the 'we are 4 weeks behind Italy', I was skeptical about the claim and I repeatedly questioned it without declaring that they were most certainly wrong. But others on this forum and elsewhere already figured out that the reality was that we were 2 weeks behind Italy. It was not that hard to get that right. SAGE likely got it wrong because the UK data collection systems were ill prepared for this pandemic, and the modelling was imperfect. Someone probably made a trivial mistake somewhere in there, and the collective wisdom of SAGE did not spot it and correct it in a timely manner. It did not take them all that long to figure out that they got it wrong, but the consequences were still a disaster for the timing of the UK response. And there was still the tedious process of them trying to save some face and make a series of corrections to their initial timing prediction instead of just accepting the obvious reality in one go. And they were so bloody late at getting round to estimating these things in the first place, it really is painful to see how far behind the curve they were for so long.

March 10th: SAGE 14 minutes: Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, 10 March 2020



> The UK is considered to be 4-5 weeks behind Italy but on a similar curve (6-8 weeks behind if interventions are applied).



March 13th. The first correction, with some detail about why they were wrong before: SAGE 15 minutes: Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, 13 March 2020



> Owing to a 5-7 day lag in data provision for modelling, SAGE now believes there are more cases in the UK than SAGE previously expected at this point, and we may therefore be further ahead on the epidemic curve, but the UK remains on broadly the same epidemic trajectory and time to peak.



March 16th: SAGE 16 minutes: Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, 16 March 2020



> On the basis of accumulating data, including on NHS critical care capacity, the advice from SAGE has changed regarding the speed of implementation of additional interventions.



March 18th: SAGE 17 minutes: Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, 18 March 2020



> Based on limited available evidence, SAGE considers that the UK is 2 to 4 weeks behind Italy in terms of the epidemic curve. The consensus is that growth of the UK epidemic is tracking at the same rate as in other countries.



This was an avoidable tragedy, it was quite avoidable even without the various massive benefits of hindsight. The picture I have of this period is still incomplete, eg the exact combination of data & modelling failures that caused them to get it so wrong, when people without access to the same data or models were able to figure it out more effectively.

It is still my intention to take a nice break in June, and I do not intend to convince everyone of this case I am making. And I am biased against small, closed groups of experts having too much of a monopoly over things. Collective wisdom requires a different political setup and a much broader array of participants, and a greater willingness to make rapid corrections, challenge assumptions, challenge the confines of the orthodox approach. I will not go on about this further right now, I just have a few other issues to comment on in a few other threads and then I get my break, and everyone gets a break from me


----------



## two sheds (Jun 1, 2020)

killer b said:


> good to see at least some primary school kids are keeping busy while the schools are closed



Yes, I go back next week though


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> A grubby little opportunist who is only challenging the government cos he knows it’ll make him more popular



As I said, repeatedly, and objectively, as someone who has never paid the man much attention. Where's the proof? He was never found guilty of phone hacking and from what I can tell from your request to google his racism there's no evidence of such, quite to the contrary. He seems to call racism out. And as for Trump, Trump unfollowed him months ago after an immensely critical and scathing article he wrote about his friend's pathetic response to Covoid and its impact on the BAME community.

Anyways, it was an innocent question. As I genuinely can't see the answer. Don't worry, my other half is equally as scathing of him but when questioned on it couldn't actually say why. I think it's just his manner. Because if you look at his policies he's pretty much on the same wavelength as many of the people on here from what I can see.

Provide examples of his racism please.


----------



## killer b (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> He was never found guilty of phone hacking


he wrote about it in his autobiography. it's one of the ways the method they used came to public notice.


----------



## tommers (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Provide examples of his racism please.


LOL.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

killer b said:


> he wrote about it in his autobiography. it's one of the ways the method they used came to public notice.



Fair  enough. I didn't know that!


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

tommers said:


> LOL.



?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Not sure why you’re expecting other people to do your legwork


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

tommers said:


> LOL.



Drums fingers....


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Not sure why you’re expecting other people to do your legwork



I looked. I could only find examples of him calling out racists. Do you know how forums work?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> I looked. I could only find examples of him calling out racists. Do you know how forums work?


I’ve been here a long time and have no  interest in enlightening you


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> I’ve been here a long time and have no  interest in enlightening you



LOL


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

If you’d googled him, you would have seen his encounters with Lisa Nandy and Afua Hirsch


----------



## killer b (Jun 1, 2020)

The thing is, there's probably no examples of Morgan being explicitly, openly racist, only examples of him pushing a racist agenda, furthering the cause of racists. That stuff is a lot more subtle and arguable, and tbh no-one is very interested in arguing the toss about whether something is racist or not with you, today.


----------



## cupid_stunt (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> LOL



There's plenty of threads on here about him, go read them, and pick one to take the off-topic conversation to.









						Search results for query: piers morgan
					






					www.urban75.net


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

killer b said:


> The thing is, there's probably no examples of Morgan being explicitly, openly racist, only examples of him pushing a racist agenda, furthering the cause of racists. That stuff is a lot more subtle and arguable, and tbh no-one is very interested in arguing the toss about whether something is racist or not with you, today.



Agreed. I did already apologise for the derail.


----------



## teuchter (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> I continually go back and re-read stuff from the key period in question.
> 
> I do not suggest that any perfect and complete pictures of the future were presented here. But on the key question of timing at a crucial stage, large chunks of this country got the right idea about the sense of immediacy in a way the government and SAGE utterly failed to.
> 
> ...


Well it would be interesting to pinpoint exactly when the "two weeks" thing (backed up by decent evidence) first appeared either on here or on other social media. I remember it popping up as a thing on facebook too, that people were sharing. The first time, I looked at it, and thought yeah, the numbers do look rather similar but they are still very small numbers so we should be cautious. Then I remember it reappearing a couple (?) of days later, where the case that we were following a very similar trajectory, but with a two week lag, had become pretty convincing. I assume that something similar was going on in the minds of the SAGE people - but there would be a lag between the first of them seeing the first suggestions, being cautious at first, seeing fruther info, discussing it with others at the next meeting, and then making the decision that the evidence was strong enough that they change their officially expressed position.

It might well be that they were significantly slower than the 'hive mind' to cotton on - it's certainly an interesting question. However - I think it's quite plausible that if you replaced the SAGE committees with the best informed posters on here, then a similar amount of time would have passed before the two weeks assumption became the official one.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

cupid_stunt said:


> There's plenty of threads on here about him, go read them, and pick one to take the off-topic conversation to.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks. Most of those threads appear to be highlighting him actually taking down racist fuckwits and gun nuts which is quite hilarious


----------



## belboid (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Thanks. Most of those threads appear to be highlighting him actually taking down racist fuckwits and gun nuts which is quite hilarious


fuck knows why you are doing this, you cant really be this daft, can you?  two seconds googling:









						ITV's Good Morning Britain warned by Ofcom over Piers Morgan's 'racist' comments
					

Ofcom has issued a warning to ITV after an incident involving 'offensive and racist' comments made by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.




					www.worcesternews.co.uk
				











						Lisa Nandy clashes with Piers Morgan over Meghan racism claims
					

Labour leadership hopeful asks ‘how on earth’ presenter would know about suffering prejudice




					www.theguardian.com
				











						Piers Morgan SLAMMED as racist after insensitive Muhammad Ali comments
					

Piers Morgan SLAMMED on Twitter for being racist after he tweeted insensitive Muhammad Ali comments. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend got involved in the argument.




					closeronline.co.uk
				




plus all the ones where he is being deliberately 'provocative' to wind black people up








						Piers Morgan just sunk to a new low, and Twitter can't take it any more
					

What are you DOING, Piers?




					mashable.com
				











						Rio Ferdinand has perfect response to Piers Morgan's take on Raheem Sterling abuse | SportsJOE.ie
					

Rio Ferdinand has perfect response to Piers Morgan's take on Raheem Sterling abuse




					www.sportsjoe.ie


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

teuchter said:


> Well it would be interesting to pinpoint exactly when the "two weeks" thing (backed up by decent evidence) first appeared either on here or on other social media. I remember it popping up as a thing on facebook too, that people were sharing. The first time, I looked at it, and thought yeah, the numbers do look rather similar but they are still very small numbers so we should be cautious. Then I remember it reappearing a couple (?) of days later, where the case that we were following a very similar trajectory, but with a two week lag, had become pretty convincing. I assume that something similar was going on in the minds of the SAGE people - but there would be a lag between the first of them seeing the first suggestions, being cautious at first, seeing fruther info, discussing it with others at the next meeting, and then making the decision that the evidence was strong enough that they change their officially expressed position.
> 
> It might well be that they were significantly slower than the 'hive mind' to cotton on - it's certainly an interesting question. However - I think it's quite plausible that if you replaced the SAGE committees with the best informed posters on here, then a similar amount of time would have passed before the two weeks assumption became the official one.



They should have been able to figure it out for themselves, even if they didnt have the time or inclination to see what other people were saying.

The nature of the situation meant that nobody had really brilliant data and evidence, so everyone had to operate with less solid info than they would have liked. But being aware of the quality of data and models and the resulting low levels of confidence in the results is an important part of doing a good job with this stuff. Whether people from here and elsewhere woudl have done a better job would have come down to how much blind faith was placed in the UK data & modelling, and whether the time was taken to see if the modelling results were a good fit with the other, simpler forms of data analysis. Something went wrong in this regard, perhaps there was bias towards the timing they would have liked and against the more alarming but accurate predictions.

As for social media, media articles etc, I dont know the precise origins of this stuff. I can find sporadic references to it by March 4th on twitter, eg:



By March 9th I can see something more substantial, with a graph:



As for U75, the first I remember clearly of it was when someone incorrectly attributed a statement that we were 11 days behind Italy to me. In fact it was Fez909 who did all that work. Here is a post from March 6th where they discuss the detail:

           #3,001        

There are caveats because much uncertainty was inevitable. The precautionary approach would be to go with the worst-case timing predictions of the time, and we have seen the consequences of that not happening.


----------



## scifisam (Jun 1, 2020)

belboid said:


> fuck knows why you are doing this, you cant really be this daft, can you?  two seconds googling:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Good list. 

Also, how can phone hacking not be enough to dislike the guy? He was cleared in court but only because of really strict rules (and those laws protect ordinary people too). But he wrote about phone hacking in his own biography, talked to people about phone hacking, and he was the editor while a lot of it went on, so the buck stopped with him. It also fitted with his general aggressive tactics as editor. There really isn't any doubt that he did it.

That aggression is really useful at the moment because for some reason he's decided to go after the government. And he's more plausible because he is a right-wing Tory who often says stupid mildly offensive things rather than a wet woolly liberal. He's very useful at the moment. Doesn't mean he wasn't an arsehole in the past and probably will be again in the future.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 1, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> No, the Oxford Mail journo's second question was about a doctor self-isolating who she contrasted with Cummings. Johnson was refering to the doctor when talking about Cummings, not the porter in her first question who died.
> 
> Why don't you watch it for yourself?


i ask again: why don't you come back and answer the questions you've been asked on this thread?


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

Supine said:


> I thought you was having some time off? Give that keyboard a rest fella.



Its that sort of comment that tempts me not to take a break at all, but I still will.

Its not just me being off in my own world of ranting you know.....



> Far more troubling to those who care about the role of scientific advice during the coronavirus crisis was the servile response from those two scientists. The comments I have received from other scientists confirm my fear that this dismal performance has not merely destroyed faith in Whitty and Vallance and threatened the government’s ability to manage this excruciatingly tricky stage of the pandemic. It has probably damaged the public image of science itself.





> The chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, did not speak out when asked about the Dominic Cummings affair, compromising urgent public health messaging. This makes their positions untenable.











						The silence of the chief scientists is worrying and deeply political
					

The chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, did not speak out when asked about the Dominic Cummings affair, compromising urgent public health messaging. This makes their positions untenable.




					www.newstatesman.com


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 1, 2020)

have we had this yet ?








						Government fails to distance Dominic Cummings from sex discrimination case
					

Boris Johnson aide could be personally liable in tribunal case brought by sacked adviser




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Supine (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> Its that sort of comment that tempts me not to take a break at all



I don't know how you managed to take offence at my comment, it wasn't meant in a bad way. Post or don't post, whatever.


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

Supine said:


> I don't know how you managed to take offence at my comment, it wasn't meant in a bad way. Post or don't post, whatever.



I can be excessively prickly at times, a good reason in itself for me to take a nice break from all these words.

Still time for one more story that was unimpressed by Whitty and Vallance:









						Euan McColm: Taint of Cummings spreads from cabinet to its scientists
					

I wonder what they dreamed of when they started out in politics, the Matt Hancocks and the Rishi Sunaks. I wonder how they imagined their careers might play out and what great things they might achieve.




					www.scotsman.com
				






> It is not just politicians who have disgraced themselves in defence of the Prime Minister’s aide. The UK government’s most senior scientific officers should consider their positions after their behaviour during Thursday’s daily press briefing.
> 
> Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Patrick Vallance appeared alongside the PM but were prevented by Johnson from answering a question about the Cummings scandal. It would be unfair to drag these men into what was a political row. Whitty later confirmed he and Vallance had no desire to get involved in politics.
> At that moment, Whitty involved himself and Vallance in politics. It is the political narrative of Downing Street that the Cummings scandal is about politics. Others can see that as the smokescreen it is.
> ...


----------



## brogdale (Jun 1, 2020)

DotCommunist said:


> he's a boorish amoral cunt and I'm reminding you all of these posts when he shits the bed in future, which he will, because thats who he is


In endorsing this 100%, it's also possible to enjoy the discomfort he is presently causing the vermin 👍


----------



## steveo87 (Jun 1, 2020)

belboid said:


> fuck knows why you are doing this, you cant really be this daft, can you?  two seconds googling:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


AND HE BANNED ME FROM TWITTER!

(for calling him a cunt, which is factually correct.)


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

steveo87 said:


> AND HE BANNED ME FROM TWITTER!
> 
> (for calling him a cunt, which is factually correct.)


You mean he blocked you?


----------



## phillm (Jun 1, 2020)

It was all just a matter of bad luck and timing for Dom.

Going over the SAGE minutes from 23rd March and noted that the London NHS ICU capacity was expected to be exceeded within 10 days
Mary Wakefield becomes unwell, and the rest we know. The Cummings family flee London in their oil-tanker fuel tank Range Rover.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Jun 1, 2020)

Enough already on Morgan. He's a total cunt, but one who is serving a very useful service at the moment by calling the govt to account on mainstream tv. That's all. We don't need to endorse anything else by him.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> You mean he blocked you?


This is Piers Viglen we're talking about - if we're in the general neighbourhood of 50% accuracy then we're cruising


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> This is Piers Viglen we're talking about - if we're in the general neighbourhood of 50% accuracy then we're cruising


What eh pardon


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 1, 2020)

Sorry, a simple tip of the keyboard


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 1, 2020)

Did I say ‘a simple tip’? I mean 67,000 slips.


----------



## steveo87 (Jun 1, 2020)

Nah got banned.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

steveo87 said:


> Nah got banned.


Twitter did that then. He’s not that powerful!


----------



## steveo87 (Jun 1, 2020)

My god.....


----------



## DexterTCN (Jun 1, 2020)

steveo87 said:


> Nah got banned.


Not for calling him a cunt you didn't.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jun 1, 2020)

That's a 12 or 24 hour lockdown, max.


----------



## tim (Jun 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> A grubby little opportunist who is only challenging the government cos he knows it’ll make him more popular



Enough about Petcha, tell us about Piers Morgan.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jun 1, 2020)

How about not?


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Oh jesus, just come back to this thread. My sincere, and I mean that, apologies for raising Piers fucking Morgan. He's not really crossed my radar before this so I did a little research, found he actually shared quite a few of my opinions, had a discussion with my partner over dinner, who shares most of your views and thought I'd discuss with it you. Please. Stop.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

tim said:


> Enough about Petcha, tell us about Piers Morgan.



tim. you're a cunt.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Oh, and tim. You're a fucking cunt.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Oh, and tim. You're a fucking cunt.



Wait.... tim. you're a fucking motherfucking cunt.


----------



## Petcha (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Wait.... tim. you're a fucking motherfucking cunt.



Sorry tim, that was out of order. I'm sure you're a perfectly lovely little chap with a lot to offer the community. Which is why I've not even noticed you since I've been here x


belboid said:


> fuck knows why you are doing this, you cant really be this daft, can you?  two seconds googling:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I hate to raise the 'some of my best friends are black' line of defence. But er, some of his are. According to my limited research on google he counts Ian Wright, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, fuck even the late Nelson Mandela amongst close friends. I'm finished with this debate now as a) it's derailing a thread about someone we can surely all agree is an actual cunt and b) I can't be arsed.


----------



## editor (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Wait.... tim. you're a fucking motherfucking cunt.


And you're a fucking motherfucking banned from this thread cunt with a fucking motherfucking cunty warning.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jun 1, 2020)




----------



## Zapp Brannigan (Jun 1, 2020)

Now that's diplomacy.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jun 1, 2020)

Puddy_Tat said:


>


----------



## DexterTCN (Jun 1, 2020)

editor said:


> And you're a fucking motherfucking banned from this thread cunt with a fucking motherfucking cunty warning.


That's absolutely ridiculous.


----------



## planetgeli (Jun 1, 2020)

It is getting to something when you can't call someone a cunt on Urban.


----------



## teuchter (Jun 1, 2020)

This is getting really stupid now.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Jun 1, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> It is getting to something when you can't call someone a cunt on Urban.


After they've just slagged you off as well. 

It has all got rather _interventionist_ recently.


----------



## Tankus (Jun 1, 2020)

has he gone  yet ?


----------



## editor (Jun 1, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> It is getting to something when you can't call someone a cunt on Urban.


Once is usually  fine, but three 'cunty' posts in a row, each one becoming more insulting than the previous one really isn't acceptable in a current news thread.

The FAQ covers it: 



> Over the top swearing, endless personal attacks and needlessly disruptive conduct is not permitted


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

Getting back to timing and realisation of the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.  My wife and I are 72 and both have compromised immune systems (earlier chemo).  Watching things unfold in the early days, we made the decision to go into full lockdown ....... on 3rd March.  I cannot honestly put my finger on a specific reason why, but total distrust of Bojo will have been a primary reason.  I have no direct experience in risk assessment or epidemiology, but something tipped the balance for me.  Anyone else had the premonition as early as that?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> Getting back to timing and realisation of the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.  My wife and I are 72 and both have compromised immune systems (earlier chemo).  Watching things unfold in the early days, we made the decision to go into full lockdown ....... on 3rd March.  I cannot honestly put my finger on a specific reason why, but total distrust of Bojo will have been a primary reason.  I have no direct experience in risk assessment or epidemiology, but something tipped the balance for me.  Anyone else had the premonition as early as that?



My mother in law, 79 this Thursday has not left her house or garden since mid-February. She has dodgy lungs and is very unfit, she was not sent the text or anything, just saw that it was wiping out old, unfit people, especially those with less than decent lungs.


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

Neither of us have received the letter and, speaking by phone on another matter to our GP two weeks ago, he expressed surprise.  There appears to have been no procedure except a vague edict from on high that promised further detail that never came.


----------



## campanula (Jun 1, 2020)

Has it been forgotten that Cummings was not just breaking lockdown...he was carrying infection in the form of a symptomatic partner. I don't really have that much ire about the actual travelling...just blithely spreading disease!
What a cunt that man is...well both of them in fact.


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

Luckily, we have lovely local friends who do a weekly shop for us, and we only leave the house into our fenced garden, since 3rd March.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jun 1, 2020)

we are still allowed to call dominic cummings a cunt, though, aren't we?


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

Cummings passed our road end - we are 3 miles from Barnard Castle.


----------



## killer b (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> Neither of us have received the letter and, speaking by phone on another matter to our GP two weeks ago, he expressed surprise.  There appears to have been no procedure except a vague edict from on high that promised further detail that never came.


The GPs were responsible for issuing a lot of the letters, to those who weren't in the 100% no question at-risk groups - it seems to have been rolled out imperfectly though - My partner is shielding and was only sent the letter after her GP called her to check she was doing alright and she asked the GP about it...


----------



## brogdale (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> Getting back to timing and realisation of the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.  My wife and I are 72 and both have compromised immune systems (earlier chemo).  Watching things unfold in the early days, we made the decision to go into full lockdown ....... on 3rd March.  I cannot honestly put my finger on a specific reason why, but total distrust of Bojo will have been a primary reason.  I have no direct experience in risk assessment or epidemiology, but something tipped the balance for me.  Anyone else had the premonition as early as that?


Can't beat that...something like the 23rd for myself & Mrs B (brittle asthma)...but remember at the time having similar views of complete distrust when they said everything was OK and feel the same now. Fucked if we're changing our ways until there's shit loads more evidence of this thing being beat.


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

Apparently, as our chemo was over a year before all this, any correspondence from oncology was buried!


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> Cummings passed our road end - we are 3 miles from Barnard Castle.



presumably it would have been acceptable to throw tomatoes, so long as you did so from a distance of more than 2 metres?


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

Puddy_Tat said:


> presumably it would have been acceptable to throw tomatoes, so long as you did so from a distance of more than 2 metres?


They aren't ripe enough yet but, if I had known, a few turnips would have come in handy.  ;-)


----------



## elbows (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> Getting back to timing and realisation of the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.  My wife and I are 72 and both have compromised immune systems (earlier chemo).  Watching things unfold in the early days, we made the decision to go into full lockdown ....... on 3rd March.  I cannot honestly put my finger on a specific reason why, but total distrust of Bojo will have been a primary reason.  I have no direct experience in risk assessment or epidemiology, but something tipped the balance for me.  Anyone else had the premonition as early as that?



You may be interested to hear that 3rd March was also the first time Johnson actually bothered to attend a cobra meeting about the pandemic. I think he also gave a briefing where he went on about shaking peoples hands at a hospital.  We were a couple of days away from hearing an announcement of the first death, but a few hospital coronavirus patient deaths actually happened on the 3rd. 

I congratulate you on your timing. There was a lot of news and other clues by that point but many people didnt manage to respond appropriately to them quickly enough. I sometimes get too much credit on this forum for warning people, when actually a lot of the time I was trying to be reasonable and measured and I was describing what would happen and what the government would try to do, rather than what we should have been doing ideally. I suppose I did tip people off that what was happening in Italy was big bad news with implications, around Feb 22nd, and within days the news had far more of horrific note to report from Italy. So the mood in general had changed by late February.


----------



## existentialist (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> Getting back to timing and realisation of the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.  My wife and I are 72 and both have compromised immune systems (earlier chemo).  Watching things unfold in the early days, we made the decision to go into full lockdown ....... on 3rd March.  I cannot honestly put my finger on a specific reason why, but total distrust of Bojo will have been a primary reason.  I have no direct experience in risk assessment or epidemiology, but something tipped the balance for me.  Anyone else had the premonition as early as that?


Not quite as fast as you, but I closed our surgery office down on (I think) 12th. Two days later, one of the GPs contracted Covid-19, and the whole place had to be shut down and deep-cleaned. I don't believe it has opened since


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

elbows said:


> You may be interested to hear that 3rd March was also the first time Johnson actually bothered to attend a cobra meeting about the pandemic. I think he also gave a briefing where he went on about shaking peoples hands at a hospital.  We were a couple of days away from hearing an announcement of the first death, but a few hospital coronavirus patient deaths actually happened on the 3rd.
> 
> I congratulate you on your timing. There was a lot of news and other clues by that point but many people didnt manage to respond appropriately to them quickly enough. I sometimes get too much credit on this forum for warning people, when actually a lot of the time I was trying to be reasonable and measured and I was describing what would happen and what the government would try to do, rather than what we should have been doing ideally. I suppose I did tip people off that what was happening in Italy was big bad news with implications, around Feb 22nd, and within days the news had far more of horrific note to report from Italy. So the mood in general had changed by late February.


Maybe i reacted to the 'shaking hands with patients'.  The same day, a component supplier of mine in north west Italy emailed to say he was ceasing shipments until their pandemic was over.  I just read my emails for the date in question.


----------



## stavros (Jun 1, 2020)

Has anyone done a spoof optician's board outside his London home yet?


----------



## camallison (Jun 1, 2020)

stavros said:


> Has anyone done a spoof optician's board outside his London home yet?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 1, 2020)

camallison said:


> They aren't ripe enough yet but, if I had known, a few turnips would have come in handy.  ;-)


You can always get tinned


----------



## xenon (Jun 1, 2020)

Petcha said:


> Oh jesus, just come back to this thread. My sincere, and I mean that, apologies for raising Piers fucking Morgan. He's not really crossed my radar before this so I did a little research, found he actually shared quite a few of my opinions, had a discussion with my partner over dinner, who shares most of your views and thought I'd discuss with it you. Please. Stop.



yeah but what about piers Viglan eh?


----------



## 2hats (Jun 1, 2020)

campanula said:


> Has it been forgotten that Cummings was not just breaking lockdown...he was carrying infection in the form of a symptomatic partner. I don't really have that much ire about the actual travelling...just blithely spreading disease!
> What a cunt that man is...well both of them in fact.


Worse still: he, by his own admission, fell ill the next day. That put him, knowingly, in the pre-symptomatic phase whilst both running back to and from Downing St, and then driving up to Durham, which research then and since (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2008457) points to typically being a period with high viral shedding/infectivity. Something anyone sitting in on SAGE meetings would have realised.


----------



## MrSki (Jun 1, 2020)

A interesting tweet that sums it up.

hope the source of this tweet is acceptable.


----------



## two sheds (Jun 2, 2020)

Government fails to distance Dominic Cummings from sex discrimination case
					

Boris Johnson aide could be personally liable in tribunal case brought by sacked adviser




					www.theguardian.com
				




Could be made liable for part of any damages award. 

I'm sure he can afford it.


----------



## equationgirl (Jun 2, 2020)

camallison said:


> Getting back to timing and realisation of the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.  My wife and I are 72 and both have compromised immune systems (earlier chemo).  Watching things unfold in the early days, we made the decision to go into full lockdown ....... on 3rd March.  I cannot honestly put my finger on a specific reason why, but total distrust of Bojo will have been a primary reason.  I have no direct experience in risk assessment or epidemiology, but something tipped the balance for me.  Anyone else had the premonition as early as that?


I went into isolation on the 13th of March, which was about ten days before the official start of lockdown in Scotland.


----------



## camallison (Jun 2, 2020)

elbows said:


> You may be interested to hear that 3rd March was also the first time Johnson actually bothered to attend a cobra meeting about the pandemic. I think he also gave a briefing where he went on about shaking peoples hands at a hospital.  We were a couple of days away from hearing an announcement of the first death, but a few hospital coronavirus patient deaths actually happened on the 3rd.
> 
> I congratulate you on your timing. There was a lot of news and other clues by that point but many people didnt manage to respond appropriately to them quickly enough. I sometimes get too much credit on this forum for warning people, when actually a lot of the time I was trying to be reasonable and measured and I was describing what would happen and what the government would try to do, rather than what we should have been doing ideally. I suppose I did tip people off that what was happening in Italy was big bad news with implications, around Feb 22nd, and within days the news had far more of horrific note to report from Italy. So the mood in general had changed by late February.


Are we from the same gene pool?


----------



## two sheds (Jun 2, 2020)

camallison said:


> Are we from the same gene pool?



?


----------



## Roadkill (Jun 2, 2020)

Ooh look, another government contract involving sensitive data awarded without scrutiny or competitive tender to a firm linked to Cummings. This is neither more nor less than corruption.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 2, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Ooh look, another government contract involving sensitive data awarded without scrutiny or competitive tender to a firm linked to Cummings. This is neither more nor less than corruption.


how would they get round the ' Data Protection Act '?

I get that social media is out there, but credit ratings ?


----------



## Roadkill (Jun 2, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> how would they get round the ' Data Protection Act '?
> 
> I get that social media is out here, but credit ratings ?



I've no idea, but legality hasn't much mattered to Cummings in the past...


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 2, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I've no idea, but legality hasn't much mattered to Cummings in the past...


That crossed my mind when i was typing the post..


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jun 2, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> how would they get round the ' Data Protection Act '?
> 
> I get that social media is out there, but credit ratings ?



I'd say the very existence of credit ratings is proof that legal protections for personal data are ineffective.


----------



## camallison (Jun 2, 2020)

two sheds said:


> ?


We both seem to have a 'feeling' that forewarns us both of an impending event.  Hence my somewhat cryptic comment.  Apologies for being a little obtuse.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 2, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Ooh look, another government contract involving sensitive data awarded without scrutiny or competitive tender to a firm linked to Cummings. This is neither more nor less than corruption.


Check the terms and conditions for mentions of ferries or pizzas


----------



## camallison (Jun 2, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> how would they get round the ' Data Protection Act '?
> 
> I get that social media is out there, but credit ratings ?


Utility bills and/or credit report can be used for proof of address, as the latter is for large transactions, and is usually an extract from the electoral roll that the ratings firm has on a person's profile.  I have had credit card companies question transactions not long after I moved house even though they had been informed of the address change.  Contact tracing needs some form of trusted main address confirmation to check that second homers don't try to game the system.


----------



## campanula (Jun 2, 2020)

camallison - just wanted to say welcome. Urban can be abrasive, sweary and VERY opinionated...but is also a caring, erudite, witty and supportive sanctuary. I was going to add tolerant to that list...but have to conclude that we have zero tolerance for racism, homophobia and snivelling Tory bigots.  Do stay - quite apart from political discussions, there is a trove of useful knowledge and a willingness to share, right across the boards.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 2, 2020)

campanula said:


> camallison - just wanted to say welcome. Urban can be abrasive, sweary and VERY opinionated...but is also a caring, erudite, witty and supportive sanctuary. I was going to add tolerant to that list...but have to conclude that we have zero tolerance for racism, homophobia and snivelling Tory bigots.  Do stay - quite apart from political discussions, there is a trove of useful knowledge and a willingness to share, right across the boards.


Tbh we don't have tolerance for even non-snivelling tories


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 2, 2020)

camallison said:


> Contact tracing needs some form of trusted government for it to work




Fixed for you.

Thanks for the original answer though


----------



## Vironment (Jun 2, 2020)

How do you know when contacted by track and trace service they are genuine callers and not imposters ?
If they were trained by Cummings, Johnson and Hancock, they will lie and refuse to answer any questions you have....the call might be made from Durham !!!


----------



## camallison (Jun 2, 2020)

campanula said:


> camallison - just wanted to say welcome. Urban can be abrasive, sweary and VERY opinionated...but is also a caring, erudite, witty and supportive sanctuary. I was going to add tolerant to that list...but have to conclude that we have zero tolerance for racism, homophobia and snivelling Tory bigots.  Do stay - quite apart from political discussions, there is a trove of useful knowledge and a willingness to share, right across the boards.


I do have over 7 decades of experience to be able to cope, but a somewhat hazy recollection of the first decade and a bit.  Thank you for the welcome.


----------



## A380 (Jun 2, 2020)

A380 said:


> Ordered my commemorative mug.
> 
> View attachment 214872
> 
> ...





It’s arrived!


----------



## equationgirl (Jun 2, 2020)

A380 said:


> View attachment 215829
> 
> It’s arrived!


Brilliant!


----------



## Smangus (Jun 2, 2020)

A380 said:


> View attachment 215829
> 
> It’s arrived!


 Want!!


----------



## Artaxerxes (Jun 2, 2020)

A380 said:


> View attachment 215829
> 
> It’s arrived!



Very tempting for a work mug. 

I'm technically a civil servant but I think work would appreciate it when I go back in.


----------



## stavros (Jun 2, 2020)

camallison said:


> We both seem to have a 'feeling' that forewarns us both of an impending event.



It's a talent shared by others.


----------



## sim667 (Jun 2, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> What is the name of the software? How does it function as a weapon? Who on earth has ever heard of software having to be registered with GCHQ before it can be deployed?
> 
> Come on now, you have to see that the story is a load of baloney, right?


It’s a load of baloney because you’ve never heard of it?

The following statement was made by Brittany  Kaiser to the culture committee



> I have had those concerns in the past because when I joined the company—I didn’t remember this, but upon reflection—I found documents from Nigel Oakes, the co-founder of the SCL Group, who was in charge of our defence division, stating that the target audience analysis methodology, TAA, used to be export controlled by the British Government. That would mean that the methodology was considered a weapon—weapons grade communications tactics—which means that we had to tell the British Government if that was going to be deployed in another country outside the United Kingdom. I understand that designation was removed in 2015.”


I’m sorry if you don’t understand the principle of the statement, or the notion that a software engineered methodology doesn’t necessarily have a name and can’t be bought because it’s software for in house use by a company only, very much like the software I used to work in which was used for data migrations between databases didn’t have a name and was only used by the company I worked for. But please don’t dismiss things as “baloney” because you don’t understand it, it’s childish and adds nothing. In future please go and read about what you’re responding to first, before dismissing it with bluster because it doesn’t agree with your sensibilities, I don’t really care about your opinion on whether you think it’s made up, the information is readily and widely available and are a matter of public record.


----------



## fucthest8 (Jun 2, 2020)

fucthest8 said:


> Quick reminder that it's really easy to ram the email inbox of number 10 full of irate emails.



and again


----------



## teqniq (Jun 2, 2020)

I'll be surprised if anything comes of it but stil...









						Dominic Cummings: Council investigates Durham lockdown 'cottage' planning permission complaints
					

COUNCIL planners are investigating allegations that the property where Dominic Cummings stayed during his lockdown trip to County Durham does not…




					www.thenorthernecho.co.uk


----------



## brogdale (Jun 2, 2020)

teqniq said:


> I'll be surprised if anything comes of it but stil...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If it causes any upset, annoyance or anxiety for the owners...then the complaints will have served some purpose.


----------



## camallison (Jun 2, 2020)

News coming in ...... Two centrally run committees to shape UK's COVID-19 approach in shake-up: Telegraph - Metro US


----------



## scifisam (Jun 2, 2020)

The HIGNFY ep is now up on Iplayer and it's a pretty good summary of everything we've been saying, plus a couple of good funny lines and points we haven't brought up. Worth a watch. Always fun to see Hislop angry, too.

Janet Street Porter was annoying but that just made it seem more like a real conversation.


----------



## ItWillNeverWork (Jun 3, 2020)

sim667 said:


> It’s a load of baloney because you’ve never heard of it?
> 
> The following statement was made by Brittany  Kaiser to the culture committee
> 
> ...



Oh get over yourself. How about answering my questions instead of lecturing me like some condescending headteacher?


----------



## William of Walworth (Jun 3, 2020)

A380 said:


> View attachment 215829
> 
> It’s arrived!



The above's a brilliant thing , but I think people *properly* have to know the story of the slogan to avoid seeing that cup as an anti-Civil Service thing  rather than an anti-Dominic Cummings/anti-Boris Johnson thing .... 

I'm a v. poorly paid (albeit with good terms and conditions  ) CS who's a PCS member and a Tory Government, erm, 'critic' 

I'll do my best not to twist the truth when I do go back though ....


----------



## brogdale (Jun 3, 2020)

> British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is aiming to take “direct control” of the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in a Downing Street shake-up, the Telegraph reported late on Tuesday.



Which kind of begs an obvious question.....


----------



## Lurdan (Jun 3, 2020)

brogdale said:


> > British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is aiming to take “direct control” of the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in a Downing Street shake-up, the Telegraph reported late on Tuesday.
> 
> 
> Which kind of begs an obvious question.....



Reuters and Politics Home picking the story up.


> The move will see two centrally run committees, covering strategy and operational delivery, shaping the British government’s approach to the outbreak (Reuters)


Guess those deckchairs won't rearrange themselves.


> The shake-up could also weaken the influence of the prime minister’s top adviser, Dominic Cummings, whose long road trip at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown provoked outrage across Britain, The Telegraph reported.(Reuters)


Out of sight out of mind presumably.


----------



## brogdale (Jun 3, 2020)

Lurdan said:


> Reuters and Politics Home picking the story up.
> 
> Guess those deckchairs won't rearrange themselves.
> 
> Out of sight out of mind presumably.


Yeah right...


----------



## A380 (Jun 3, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> The above's a brilliant thing , but I think people *properly* have to know the story of the slogan to avoid seeing that cup as an anti-Civil Service thing  rather than an anti-Dominic Cummings/anti-Boris Johnson thing ....
> 
> I'm a v. poorly paid (albeit with good terms and conditions  ) CS who's a PCS member and a Tory Government, erm, 'critic'
> 
> I'll do my best not to twist the truth when I do go back though ....


I think most on here would do, how it’s a quote originally thrown at we ( me to) Civil Servants as part of the Goerbelsek plot by this clique to destroy any opposition to their wet dreams. But was thrown back in their faces by someone who saw an opportunity and took it.


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

Now Bojo claims to be 'in direct control', this is probably apt ......


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

Can't see Cummings though, or is he down at the Job Centre signing on?


----------



## Dom Traynor (Jun 3, 2020)

camallison said:


> Can't see Cummings though, or is he down at the Job Centre signing on?


He's not an MP


----------



## two sheds (Jun 3, 2020)

Dom Traynor said:


> He's not an MP



You normally see him hiding behind Johnson with his hand pulling the strings.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 3, 2020)

From now on, let Cummings be known as Otto Von Jizzmark








						Of course it's safe to ease lockdown – Matt Hancock is just fixing our alert system | Marina Hyde
					

Right now, Britain is about as biosecure as the health secretary is convincing. But some people really want an Ikea side table, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Roadkill (Jun 3, 2020)

scifisam said:


> The HIGNFY ep is now up on Iplayer and it's a pretty good summary of everything we've been saying, plus a couple of good funny lines and points we haven't brought up. Worth a watch. Always fun to see Hislop angry, too.



It was quite good, but I can't get over the fact that HIGNFY gave BJ a fair bit of help in building his brand, what with his many guest presenter appearances and so on.


----------



## ska invita (Jun 3, 2020)

[/QUOTE]


belboid said:


> fuck knows why you are doing this, you cant really be this daft, can you?


Petchas on the troll list, this is not the first time
Note join date


----------



## existentialist (Jun 3, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It was quite good, but I can't get over the fact that HIGNFY gave BJ a fair bit of help in building his brand, what with his many guest presenter appearances and so on.


I wonder if some of the talent's ire was about that - I would imagine that the likes of Hislop would have seen the parachuting of Johnson into these media-friendly appearances for precisely what it was, and resented it at the time. Now he's got some well-cooled revenge he's been able to dish out.


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

Dom Traynor said:


> He's not an MP


Yes, but Bojo needs his stage prompt.


----------



## belboid (Jun 3, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Note join date


Aah, well spotted.


----------



## Supine (Jun 3, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> It was quite good, but I can't get over the fact that HIGNFY gave BJ a fair bit of help in building his brand, what with his many guest presenter appearances and so on.



They can't possibly have imagined he was PM material. Which he obviously isn't!


----------



## Roadkill (Jun 3, 2020)

Supine said:


> They can't possibly have imagined he was PM material. Which he obviously isn't!



Maybe they didn't imagine he was capable of being PM (which he isn't, of course), but they couldn't have failed to spot his ambitions and they must surely have realised that giving him a platform like that was helping him to further them.


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

Anybody seen Dom this week?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 3, 2020)

camallison said:


> Anybody seen Dom this week?


He's been getting himself implied in further scandals, this time over sexual discrimination


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 3, 2020)

Just googled him for more recent news and two things astonished me - Google describe him as a political leader and he is 48 years old. Fucking hell. I would say he must have had a tough paper round but after seeing Pater on telly last week, I think not. Must be all that swan meat, chateaux margaux and caviar


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Just googled him for more recent news and two things astonished me - Google describe him as a political leader and he is 48 years old. Fucking hell. I would say he must have had a tough paper round but after seeing Pater on telly last week, I think not. Must be all that swan meat, chateaux margaux and caviar


'Political leader'?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 3, 2020)

camallison said:


> 'Political leader'?


well quite


----------



## two sheds (Jun 3, 2020)

Is Johnson described as 'Ventriloquist's Dummy'?


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Is Johnson described as 'Ventriloquist's Dummy'?


He must be.  Asking Boris to fire Cummings is like asking Emu to fire Rod hull, and we know where Rod's hand is!


----------



## Supine (Jun 3, 2020)

camallison said:


> 'Political leader'?



He's effectively prime minister so I'd say it's accurate


----------



## Raheem (Jun 3, 2020)

Effectively can't be the right word, surely?


----------



## gosub (Jun 3, 2020)

camallison said:


> He must be.  Asking Boris to fire Cummings is like asking Emu to fire Rod hull, and we know where Rod's hand is!



TbF It is probably time emu moved on or did they bury him with Rod Hull who died ages ago


----------



## Supine (Jun 3, 2020)

Raheem said:


> Effectively can't be the right word, surely?



I didn't say he was an effective prime minister. That's a whole different ball game.


----------



## camallison (Jun 3, 2020)

gosub said:


> TbF It is probably time emu moved on or did they bury him with Rod Hull who died ages ago


It's my age, memory failing.  1999 wasn't it?


----------



## gosub (Jun 3, 2020)

camallison said:


> It's my age, memory failing.  1999 wasn't it?



Had to look it up, yep.  All I remember was he was trying to fix a telly Ariel.


----------



## tim (Jun 3, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Is Johnson described as 'Ventriloquist's Dummy'?




I fear the actual relationship is a tad more complex, more along the lines of this



Michael Redgrave even has that air of Johnsonian confused distraction and inadequacy and whilst the dummy might have more sartorial elegance than Cummings, they share their controlling cruelty, and elements of their physiognomy


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 3, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Just googled him for more recent news and two things astonished me - Google describe him as a political leader and he is 48 years old. Fucking hell. I would say he must have had a tough paper round but after seeing Pater on telly last week, I think not. Must be all that swan meat, chateaux margaux and caviar


Always astonishing, the state of them most enthusiastic for ideas of eugenics.


----------



## A380 (Jun 4, 2020)

gosub said:


> TbF It is probably time emu moved on or did they bury him with Rod Hull who died ages ago



The funeral service was average. But the reception was amazing! 


(I know, but he’d have found it funny...)


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 4, 2020)

A380 said:


> The funeral service was average. But the reception was amazing!
> 
> 
> (I know, but he’d have found it funny...)


Well it would have been if he'd got round to fixing the aerial before a little gust came along and he farted himself off the roof


----------



## sim667 (Jun 4, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> Oh get over yourself. How about answering my questions instead of lecturing me like some condescending headteacher?


You claimed it was baloney. The statement provided to the committee shows otherwise, that statement comes from someone involved with the organisation who knew the legal boundaries.

Asking me if I knew it was “baloney” was the Key question, which you were incorrect on. I’ve already answered the other question about it having a name, and the definition of “tooling” but you won’t accept the answer because you don’t want to accept the answer and I have no intention of wasting my time trying to explain it to someone who doesn’t care about the discussion, credibility or other people’s understanding and just wants to pick arguments online. If you feel I’ve lectured you like a condescending headmaster you’re free road feel that way, because quite frankly I don’t give a fuck.


----------



## camallison (Jun 4, 2020)

Response to Bojo and Cummings actions.  Full version  https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/369/bmj.m2102.full.pdf


----------



## teqniq (Jun 4, 2020)

Unrolled thread from Marc Owen Jones on the #ScumMedia hashtag which started off life with the Cummings scandal and has since branched out into, amongst other things, general racism. His findings may come as no surprise:









						Thread by @marcowenjones: [Thread] Good morning everyone! Another important attack on media in the UK (and the world). The coverage of #DominicCummings may have subsi…
					

Thread by @marcowenjones: [Thread] Good morning everyone! Another important attack on media in the UK (and the world). The coverage of #Dominay have subsided, but attacks of journalists using the "media scum" and "scum media" hashtags have not let up. He…




					threadreaderapp.com


----------



## teqniq (Jun 4, 2020)

Story just not going away:









						Doctor quits NHS over Dominic Cummings' refusal to resign
					

Exclusive: Dr Dominic Pimenta fears behaviour of PM’s adviser could help trigger second wave of Covid-19




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## ItWillNeverWork (Jun 5, 2020)

sim667 said:


> You claimed it was baloney. The statement provided to the committee shows otherwise, that statement comes from someone involved with the organisation who knew the legal boundaries.
> 
> Asking me if I knew it was “baloney” was the Key question, which you were incorrect on. I’ve already answered the other question about it having a name, and the definition of “tooling” but you won’t accept the answer because you don’t want to accept the answer and I have no intention of wasting my time trying to explain it to someone who doesn’t care about the discussion, credibility or other people’s understanding and just wants to pick arguments online. If you feel I’ve lectured you like a condescending headmaster you’re free road feel that way, because quite frankly I don’t give a fuck.



I'm still right. It's baloney.


----------



## MrSki (Jun 5, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Not seen this verified but if true...



So it has taken five days for the Mirror to pick this up?


----------



## camallison (Jun 5, 2020)

Front cover for Cummings.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 5, 2020)

camallison said:


> Front cover for Cummings.View attachment 216127


Too well dressed to be cummings


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 5, 2020)

MrSki said:


> So it has taken five days for the Mirror to pick this up?



Yeh I agree, it is remarkably quick for them


----------



## sim667 (Jun 5, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> I'm still right. It's baloney.


It's alright dude, we get it you love both Dom and cognitive dissonance.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 5, 2020)

How the master of political strategy could have played it:









						Coronavirus: Isle of Wight MP admits lockdown 'barbecue' visit
					

Tory Bob Seely says he did not know other people would be present when he visited a journalist.



					www.bbc.co.uk
				







			
				some tory cunt said:
			
		

> "When I arrived, I saw another couple of people there, which I was not expecting. I thought about leaving, but felt that was perhaps over-reacting.
> 
> "I apologise because, on balance, I called this wrong. It would have better to have spoken to this person without any others nearby."



Potential scandal killed.


----------



## pseudonarcissus (Jun 5, 2020)

Can a passing mod adjust the title to "The *Sir *Dominic Cummins Thread", parts of twitter seem to have altered us the the New Year's honours


----------



## equationgirl (Jun 6, 2020)

pseudonarcissus said:


> Can a passing mod adjust the title to "The *Sir *Dominic Cummins Thread", parts of twitter seem to have altered us the the New Year's honours


It's the Queen's birthday Honours list, not the New Year list, and if he accepts it there will be more outrage, tightly so. It would be seen as a reward when he should be sanctioned.


----------



## William of Walworth (Jun 6, 2020)

pseudonarcissus said:
			
		

> Can a passing mod adjust the title to "The *Sir *Dominic Cummins Thread", parts of twitter seem to have altered us the the *New Year's honours*





equationgirl said:


> It's the Queen's birthday Honours list, not the New Year list, and *if he accepts it* there will be more outrage, tightly so. It would be seen as a reward when he should be sanctioned.



Fuck knows what the above is all about, but I assume (or at least hope!) that it's pisstaking nonsense-gossip?


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jun 6, 2020)

Coronavirus: 'Die-in' outside Dominic Cummings's house over COVID-19 response
Not going away .


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 6, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Not going away .



Finally taking heed of ‘STAY AT HOME’ is he?

Talk about late to the party


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jun 6, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Finally taking heed of ‘STAY AT HOME’ is he?
> 
> Talk about late to the party


? Sorry, bit cryptic. Don't get the roll eyes.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 6, 2020)

Cummings has properly stitched up Tory MP Bob Seely here. 

The pissed up deputy editor of _The Spectator_ Freddy Gray (who also edits the US edition) summoned him for a socially distanced discussion (at an Isle of Wight property owned by his mother-in-law he has been staying in) about the track-and-trace app, but when Seely turns up he discovers there's a barbecue in full swing, complete with ruddy-cheeked ‘bad boy’ Brexit Party chairman (and non-IoW resident) Richard Tice and his commentista partner Isabel Oakeshott (principal residence: London) as well as various members of the Gray extended family.



> Tice said: “I have followed the prime minister’s advice to wash my hands, stay alert, maintain social distancing and test my eyesight when appropriate.”





> Oakeshott said: “I work on the Isle of Wight all year round. It is where I go to write. I have stayed alert, washed my hands regularly and, as always, enjoyed my time on this paradise isle. Now and again I’ve also tested my eyesight, which seems to be in good order. Along with the rest of the nation, I am delighted at the recent decriminalisation of barbecues.”











						Tory MP attended lockdown barbecue with journalists
					

Bob Seely was at gathering when guidance said you could only meet one other person




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## teqniq (Jun 6, 2020)

Here is your daily dose of corruption:


----------



## two sheds (Jun 6, 2020)

It might help if Labour said that <if they ever get elected> they'll insist on imprisonment for anyone misusing personal information.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 6, 2020)

two sheds said:


> It might help if Labour said that <if they ever get elected> they'll insist on imprisonment for anyone misusing personal information.


I think ProleDem data death squads would have more traction.

Of course it could be problematic, drawing up the lists


----------



## MickiQ (Jun 6, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Coronavirus: 'Die-in' outside Dominic Cummings's house over COVID-19 response
> Not going away .


 I think Dominic "Mr Magoo" Cummings is safe for now at the cost of a great deal of BoZo's personal and political capital. However he has always been an arrogant sod and this will no doubt increase his own sense of self worth thus increasing the odds of him making a further foopah.


----------



## equationgirl (Jun 6, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> Fuck knows what the above is all about, but I assume (or at least hope!) that it's pisstaking nonsense-gossip?


From various newspapers.


----------



## Badgers (Jun 6, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> Fuck knows what the above is all about, but I assume (or at least hope!) that it's pisstaking nonsense-gossip?


You honestly think that? With this disgraced government and our self serving royals?


----------



## scifisam (Jun 6, 2020)

Badgers said:


> You honestly think that? With this disgraced government and our self serving royals?



Who knows, they might be that brazen, but the birthday honours won't be announced till the autumn, so it's just rumours.


----------



## William of Walworth (Jun 6, 2020)

About this 'Sir' Dominic Cummings (previous page) thing :




			
				William of Walworth said:
			
		

> Fuck knows what the above is all about, but I assume (or at least hope!) that it's pisstaking nonsense-gossip?





equationgirl said:


> From various newspapers.






			
				Badgers said:
			
		

> You honestly think that? With this disgraced government and our self serving royals?



Just seen these responses  -- is there any link? 

I fully/easily believe that Boris Johnson/this Government are utterly incompetent and rubbish, no surprises there  

But to even _think _about knighting Cummings, especially now or Autumn, , is *completely* on another level of shit, surely


----------



## William of Walworth (Jun 6, 2020)

scifisam said:


> Who knows, they might be that brazen, but the birthday honours won't be announced till the autumn, so it's just rumours.



Absolutely. I still *very* strongly suspect these rumours will turn out to be bollocks!


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 6, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> Absolutely. I still *very* strongly suspect these rumours will turn out to be bollocks!


You'll not believe what happened next


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 6, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> About this 'Sir' Dominic Cummings (previous page) thing :
> 
> 
> 
> ...


We are on another level of shit, the never before seen Johnson level


----------



## Sprocket. (Jun 6, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> Absolutely. I still *very* strongly suspect these rumours will turn out to be bollocks!


I hope it’s true, stir the shit as much as possible.


----------



## Badgers (Jun 6, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> You'll not believe what happened next


His dog (based in the Cayman Islands) gets an NHS contract worth £4bn and is knighted for services to canine wellbeing?


----------



## brogdale (Jun 6, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> I hope it’s true, stir the shit as much as possible.


Almost worth starting a petition for him to get a K


----------



## Sprocket. (Jun 6, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> You'll not believe what happened next


The queen slips and severs Cummings jugular?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 6, 2020)

Badgers said:


> His dog (based in the Cayman Islands) gets an NHS contract worth £4bn and is knighted for services to canine wellbeing?


It's the Bahamas but otherwise correct.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 6, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> The queen slips and severs Cummings jugular?


Be worth it to see the smirk on hrh's face


----------



## ItWillNeverWork (Jun 7, 2020)

sim667 said:


> It's alright dude, we get it you love both Dom and cognitive dissonance.



I’ve been thinking about how I approached this conversation and I’ve come to the conclusion I’ve been rather obnoxious and dismissive. I’ like to apologise for that.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 7, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> It's the Queen's birthday Honours list, not the New Year list, and if he accepts it there will be more outrage, tightly so. It would be seen as a reward when he should be sanctioned.


Yeh he'd have to be on the dole first before he could be sanctioned


----------



## equationgirl (Jun 7, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> Yeh he'd have to be on the dole first before he could be sanctioned


I meant sanctioned in the wider sense of the word, rather than the DWP specific way. Obviously.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 7, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> I meant sanctioned in the wider sense of the word, rather than the DWP specific way. Obviously.


It was a joke. Obviously.


----------



## phillm (Jun 7, 2020)

gosub said:


> TbF It is probably time emu moved on or did they bury him with Rod Hull who died ages ago


Thankfully when Rod climbed on the roof so he could watch the footie better Emu (they can't fly) stayed firmly on the ground. He lives on and now he won't get off my fucKing keyboard. OI EMU NO !









						Interview: Toby Hull
					

Interview: When Toby Hull was a child, Emu - the most unpleasant puppet of all time - made his dad, Rod, rich and famous yet ultimately dissatisfied. So why on earth is Toby following in his father's footsteps?




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jun 7, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> We are on another level of shit, the never before seen Johnson level



Gavin Barwell was responsible for the Grenfell Tower catastrophe and he got sent to the fucking house of lords. All bets are off as far as basic political tact is concerned.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 7, 2020)

SpookyFrank said:


> Gavin Barwell was responsible for the Grenfell Tower catastrophe and he got sent to the fucking house of lords. All bets are off as far as basic political tact is concerned.


 they have no tact, political or otherwise, just as they have no nous


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jun 7, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> they have no tact, political or otherwise, just as they have no nous



The system no longer requires it of them.


----------



## sim667 (Jun 7, 2020)

ItWillNeverWork said:


> I’ve been thinking about how I approached this conversation and I’ve come to the conclusion I’ve been rather obnoxious and dismissive. I’ like to apologise for that.


No worries
Can I recommend watching a documentary called the great hack and investigating some of the stuff laid out in there


----------



## ItWillNeverWork (Jun 7, 2020)

sim667 said:


> No worries
> Can I recommend watching a documentary called the great hack and investigating some of the stuff laid out in there



Will check it out this evening. Thanks being tolerant with me. I'm a grumpy old fuck sometimes.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 7, 2020)

Well, at least we can put all this behind us and draw a line under this whole affair now that the police inquiry has been conclu- hold on...

Nope, everybody back to the start, we're having another crack!









						Dominic Cummings: call for new investigation into Durham trip
					

Lawyers say Durham police investigation was flawed and consider private prosecution




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## editor (Jun 8, 2020)

I'm sure this is absolute bollocks/old news/something everyone knows/tosh but I've been assured by someone I know that this account has something to do with Cummings.  Seems improbable, but I thought I'd ask anyway.



			https://twitter.com/MrMasonMills


----------



## keybored (Jun 8, 2020)

sim667 said:


> No worries
> Can I recommend watching a documentary called the great hack and investigating some of the stuff laid out in there


A lot of that documentary is sensationalist bollocks though and I don't blame ItWillNeverWork for being incredulous about the whole thing, grumpy old fuck though he may be. I'd advise watching it with a bucket of heavily salted popcorn.


----------



## stavros (Jun 8, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Well, at least we can put all this behind us and draw a line under this whole affair now that the police inquiry has been conclu- hold on...
> 
> Nope, everybody back to the start, we're having another crack!
> 
> ...



Private Eye reckons that the lockdown breaches can't be followed up retrospectively, but that poor driving can be. Whether the confession of testing his eyesight with a 60 mile round trip is sufficient we shall see.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jun 8, 2020)

stavros said:


> Private Eye reckons that the lockdown breaches can't be followed up retrospectively, but that poor driving can be. Whether the confession of testing his eyesight with a 60 mile round trip is sufficient we shall see.


He's probably got a brief like massingbird off Blackadder.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 9, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> He's probably got a brief like massingbird off Blackadder.
> View attachment 216727


I've found someone else who could do with representation from Massingbird:



> ...Wolfe, wearing body armor and a law enforcement duty belt and carrying a baton was trying to get into the store...
> 
> ...Store employees said WOLFE had been working as a security guard at the store but was fired earlier that day over social media posts about stealing items from the Third Precinct...
> 
> ...













						Charges: Ex-Menards security guard stole police gear amid Minneapolis Third Precinct fire
					

A 23-year-old St. Paul, Minnesota man has been federally charged with aiding and abetting arson at the Minneapolis Police Department's Third Precinct amid the riots.




					www.fox9.com


----------



## Badgers (Jun 9, 2020)




----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 9, 2020)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 216760


1. Where the fuck have you been ?
2. What am I expected to think of you if you cant even be bothered to sort your hair out for your 1 appearance a week?
3. Just fuck off you lying , racist wanker


----------



## Badgers (Jun 9, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> 1. Where the fuck have you been ?
> 2. What am I expected to think of you if you cant even be bothered to sort your hair out for your 1 appearance a week?
> 3. Just fuck off you lying , racist wanker


You talking to me or Disgraced Prime Minister Johnson?


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jun 9, 2020)

Badgers said:


> You talking to me or Disgraced Prime Minister Johnson?


Ah Badgers, I think and hope you would never make me so angry


----------



## Badgers (Jun 9, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Ah Badgers, I think and hope you would never make me so angry


Hold on to that thought


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 9, 2020)

ruffneck23 said:


> Ah Badgers, I think and hope you would never make me so angry


The day is yet young


----------



## Badgers (Jun 9, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> The day is yet young


----------



## Badgers (Jun 10, 2020)




----------



## MrSki (Jun 10, 2020)

Not sure if this is our own Clair De Lune but a good well documented article by Lloyd Hardy


----------



## teqniq (Jun 10, 2020)

Cummings Durham-stay family estate had planning breaches
					

The council said an investigation into whether the property was registered for council tax was ongoing.



					www.bbc.co.uk
				





Fairly predicably



> However, Durham County Council said no action would be taken as the breaches were "historic" because they happened outside the time limit for enforcement....



but



> An investigation into whether the property was correctly registered for council tax is continuing....


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 10, 2020)

teqniq said:


> Cummings Durham-stay family estate had planning breaches
> 
> 
> The council said an investigation into whether the property was registered for council tax was ongoing.
> ...


Has somebody told Take Down Your Castle Twat?


----------



## Gasmantell (Jun 10, 2020)

Council investigation concludes Cummings' property DID breach planning laws
					

A COUNCIL investigation has concluded there were historic breaches of planning and building control regulations at Dominic Cummings’ lockdown…




					www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
				




they also own another property not far away,  Farewell Hall Farm, DH1 3SX, about half a mile up the road from North Lodge. It is a much larger settlement. In 2010, Neil Cummings obtained planning permission to convert redundant farm buildings at Farewell Hall into 4 dwelling houses. There are now six properties at Farewell Hall registered for council tax, all in band F.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 10, 2020)

Gasmantell said:


> planning permission to convert redundant farm buildings at Farewell Hall into 4 dwelling houses. There are now six properties at Farewell Hall registered for council tax, all in band F.


Excellent first post, willkommen & bienvenue


----------



## phillm (Jun 11, 2020)

Gasmantell said:


> Council investigation concludes Cummings' property DID breach planning laws
> 
> 
> A COUNCIL investigation has concluded there were historic breaches of planning and building control regulations at Dominic Cummings’ lockdown…
> ...


Here's the guy that broke the initial story and ferreted out to do the follow-up. 









						Black Isle Media - Cummings Durham Home Visted by Council Planners
					

Durham County Council visted and found planning breaches at Dominc Cummings Durham cottage as well as it not being registered for council tax




					universalcreditsuffer.com


----------



## teqniq (Jun 15, 2020)

Heh.









						Nazir Afzal joins legal fight for new inquiry into Dominic Cummings
					

Ex-regional chief prosecutor urges CPS to pursue case after PM’s aide breached lockdown




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Gasmantell (Jun 15, 2020)

phillm said:


> Here's the guy that broke the initial story and ferreted out to do the follow-up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My mate, who lives nr Durham and wishes to remain anonymous, did some research too (some of which I quoted with his permish.) and he passed it to Alex of Black Isle Media.  
Please consider supporting Alex.


----------



## quiet guy (Jun 15, 2020)




----------



## Badgers (Jun 17, 2020)

agricola said:


> Darren Grimes


----------



## two sheds (Jun 17, 2020)

Lets hope it's nothing trivial


----------



## Roadkill (Jun 17, 2020)

Badgers said:


>




Hmm, interesting.  That's a lot of deleted tweets, and reading the thread it looks to be Grimes himself deleting them.  I wonder what's afoot.


----------



## Raheem (Jun 17, 2020)

Whatever it is, let's hope it implicates someone who anyone gives a shit about.


----------



## teqniq (Jun 17, 2020)

I've always thought 'Grimes' to be a somewhat apposite surname for someone with lamentable political leanings.


----------



## killer b (Jun 17, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Hmm, interesting.  That's a lot of deleted tweets, and reading the thread it looks to be Grimes himself deleting them.  I wonder what's afoot.


He probably periodically deletes old tweets, lots of people do - I would if I were him.


----------



## two sheds (Jun 17, 2020)

teqniq said:


> I've always thought 'Grimes' to be a somewhat apposite surname for someone with lamentable political leanings.



Yes, very Dickensian.


----------



## Badgers (Jun 17, 2020)

killer b said:


> He probably periodically deletes old tweets, lots of people do - I would if I were him.


Not just him deleting. Other political cunts deleting retweets and likes etc.


----------



## teqniq (Jun 17, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Not just him deleting. Other political cunts deleting retweets and likes etc.


This explains better than I could what's actually hapening:



Link to thread


----------



## killer b (Jun 17, 2020)

Yeah, it's one of the weaknesses of that deleted by mps thing, and IIRC something that's caught people out before.


----------



## Sue (Jun 17, 2020)

Who's Darren Grimes? I feel like I've missed something here...


----------



## maomao (Jun 17, 2020)

Sue said:


> Who's Darren Grimes? I feel like I've missed something here...


Elon Musk's wife I think.


----------



## Sue (Jun 17, 2020)

maomao said:


> Elon Musk's wife I think.


Thanks. And what've they got to do with Dominic Cummings? Don't understand.


----------



## killer b (Jun 17, 2020)

he's a guy who was prosecuted for funnelling cash for the brexit campaign to get around finance restrictions, who's recently launched a career as a tedious right wing talking head after mysteriously parting ways with his most recent employer the Institute of Economic Affair (I assume he was sacked)


----------



## Sue (Jun 17, 2020)

Okay thanks. So basically someone i don't really care about...


----------



## two sheds (Jun 17, 2020)

killer b said:


> he's a guy who was prosecuted for funnelling cash for the brexit campaign to get around finance restrictions, who's recently launched a career as a tedious right wing talking head after mysteriously parting ways with his most recent employer the Institute of Economic Affair (I assume he was sacked)



succinct


----------



## Cerv (Jun 17, 2020)

Grimes won his case against the Electoral Commission by convincing the judge to accept that he hadn't intended to deceive by filling out the form incorrectly but had been confused by it. In short by his own admission, he's not too bright.

Somehow he has launched this into a career as a media commentator that expects anyone to listen to his wisdom.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 17, 2020)

Sue said:


> Who's Darren Grimes? I feel like I've missed something here...


I refer the Rt Hon Member to my previous statement of 1st June:



> That's the useful idiot who provided the conduit for dodgy undeclared coordinated funding of Cambridge Analytica-linked data guerillas AggregateIQ through his ‘youth Brexit’ front BeLeave in concert with Vote Leave and others. He's heading towards his thirties


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 17, 2020)

Sue said:


> Okay thanks. So basically someone i don't really care about...


TBF you get the impression his own mother doesn't feel too much more positive about him herself


----------



## killer b (Jun 17, 2020)

Cerv said:


> Grimes won his case against the Electoral Commission by convincing the judge to accept that he hadn't intended to decide by filling out the form incorrectly but had been confused by it. In short by his own admission, he's not too bright.
> 
> Somehow he has launched this into a career as a media commentator that expects anyone to listen to his wisdom.


it is mysterious that yet another alumnus of the various right wing think tanks based out of 55 and 57 Tufton Street should find themselves on the speed dial of the BBC current affairs programme bookers.


----------



## Cerv (Jun 17, 2020)

you quoted that seconds before I fixed the autocorrect screw up


----------



## teqniq (Jun 24, 2020)

£40,000 + so far









						Citizens demand the prosecution of Dominic Cummings
					

We are a group of concerned citizens, families of COVID victims, COVID survivors, doctors and nurses and scientists from around the UK, working with leading law firm Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors.




					www.crowdjustice.com


----------



## stavros (Jun 24, 2020)

Labour shouldn't allow this to die.


----------



## teqniq (Jun 28, 2020)

teqniq said:


> £40,000 + so far
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There appears to be another crowdfunder. I'm not sure that this is a good idea as it would surely be better to fund just one?









						Exploring the Prosecution of Mr Dominic Cummings, organised by Mahsa Taliefar
					

Please help fund legal advice concerning the prospective prosecution … Mahsa Taliefar needs your support for Exploring the Prosecution of Mr Dominic Cummings




					uk.gofundme.com


----------



## phillm (Jun 28, 2020)

stavros said:


> Labour shouldn't allow this to die.


They've got a top QC who should do pro-bono as well.


----------



## NoXion (Jun 28, 2020)

phillm said:


> They've got a top QC who should do pro-bono as well.



Bet he won't.


----------



## teqniq (Jun 29, 2020)

Three crodwdfunders:









						Investigate Dominic Cummings
					

I am a London resident who has fully complied with the requirements of the lockdown at all times.




					www.crowdjustice.com


----------



## Badgers (Jun 29, 2020)

teqniq said:


> There appears to be another crowdfunder. I'm not sure that this is a good idea as it would surely be better to fund just one?


Suppose it is more focus and exposure for the awful cover up


----------



## stavros (Jun 29, 2020)

It seems even their friends in the press are implying that Cummings is in charge, re. Mark Sedwill.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 29, 2020)

stavros said:


> It seems even their friends in the press are implying that Cummings is in charge, re. Mark Sedwill.



Could write 1000 words, have this instead...


----------



## stavros (Jun 29, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Could write 1000 words, have this instead...
> 
> View attachment 220132



Cummings, stood alongside his biggest fan.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 29, 2020)

Was Boris’ first time entering Downing St as PM. Just look at the clothes and body language of Cummings. No fucking way is he going over flouting lockdown...


----------



## BCBlues (Jun 29, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Could write 1000 words, have this instead...
> 
> View attachment 220132



Cummings looks like the last peice on a Draughts board, when you hide up the corner and keep moving side to side until your opponent finally forces you out to get beaten.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 29, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Could write 1000 words, have this instead...
> 
> View attachment 220132


(((ColdWarSteve)))


----------



## stavros (Jul 2, 2020)




----------



## quiet guy (Jul 2, 2020)

It's missing the forehead tattoo - TWAT


----------



## Dogsauce (Jul 3, 2020)

quiet guy said:


> It's missing the forehead tattoo - TWAT



You’ve reminded me of a frequent guest at a place I lived in a couple of decades ago, who after waking up from a heavy night and a kip on the sofa was staring at his face in the mirror going ‘Tawt? What does tawt mean?’


----------



## stavros (Jul 3, 2020)

This might've been posted earlier, but what the hell...


----------



## existentialist (Jul 3, 2020)

stavros said:


> This might've been posted earlier, but what the hell...


You're a bit late to the party. There's only Malibu and Martini left, and all the Doritos have gone.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 3, 2020)

existentialist said:


> You're a bit late to the party. There's only Malibu and Martini left, and all the Doritos have gone.


Yeah, there's only twiglets left.


----------



## MrSki (Jul 3, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Yeah, there's only twiglets left.


I like twiglets.   & they are less likely to have other people's piss on them.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 3, 2020)

MrSki said:


> I like twiglets.


Then finish those fucking things


----------



## MrSki (Jul 3, 2020)

equationgirl said:


> Then finish those fucking things


I have always found it is Quavers that are left but saying that it is a long time ago since I went to a party where there were nibbles so might be a bit out of touch.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 3, 2020)

MrSki said:


> I have always found it is Quavers that are left but saying that it is a long time ago since I went to a party where there were nibbles so might be a bit out of touch.


I hear that.


----------



## MrSki (Jul 7, 2020)

This says it all. Mark Francois threatens a general with the force of Cummings.


----------



## newbie (Jul 7, 2020)

I got the impression the rightwing turd hated the other rightwing turd








						MP demands Dominic Cummings publicly apologises for 'upset he has caused'
					

Another Essex MP has criticised Dominic Cummings for his 260 mile trip to Durham.




					www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk


----------



## keybored (Jul 7, 2020)

MrSki said:


> This says it all. Mark Francois threatens a general with the force of Cummings.



Like that sneering little bully at school who could only afford to be gobby because he was mates with some psychopath in the year above.


----------



## MrSki (Jul 7, 2020)




----------



## Steel Icarus (Jul 7, 2020)

Cummings will sort you out

Why is everyone scared/assumes anyone us scared of him?


----------



## Raheem (Jul 8, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Cummings will sort you out
> 
> Why is everyone scared/assumes anyone us scared of him?


Because he can do anything he likes.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jul 8, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Cummings will sort you out
> 
> Why is everyone scared/assumes anyone us scared of him?


He has the ability, the moral compass and the impunity to do whatever he pleases. Not someone you'd want to fuck with.


----------



## tim (Jul 8, 2020)

teqniq said:


> I've always thought 'Grimes' to be a somewhat apposite surname for someone with lamentable political leanings.


Yes, but he does regret ever having been an active Liberal Democrat.


----------



## Roadkill (Jul 8, 2020)

Apparently Cummings is to tour military sites. Presumably he doesn't have any of the usual security clearances and wouldn't stand a hope of getting them in normal times.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 8, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Apparently Cummings is to tour military sites. Presumably he doesn't have any of the usual security clearances and wouldn't stand a hope of getting them in normal times.


here's hoping they get him up close and personal with an anti-personnel mine


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 8, 2020)

MrSki said:


> This says it all. Mark Francois threatens a general with the force of Cummings.



tbh there aren't that many elected dictators


----------



## Roadkill (Jul 8, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> here's hoping they get him up close and personal with an anti-personnel mine



Or a dose of whatever they cook up at Porton Down.


----------



## MrSki (Jul 8, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> tbh there aren't that many elected dictators


Hitler?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 8, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Hitler?


appointed chancellor by hindenburg


----------



## Raheem (Jul 8, 2020)

Will Young


----------



## belboid (Jul 8, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> tbh there aren't that many elected dictators


Lord Hailsham famously disagreed.


----------



## Poi E (Jul 9, 2020)

Cummings to drop in on Britain's most secret defence installations
					

Boris Johnson's adviser will tour some of Britain's most highly classified national security sites as part of his plan to shake up the military.




					www.smh.com.au
				




Sydney Morning Herald and The Age were leaked documents, not the British press. British press had to report on the SMH report.

Classic example of British bad luck with thinking-they advertise the security clearance on the swipe card:

_"In January, Cummings was photographed wearing a yellow-band pass showing that he had achieved a mid-level form of security clearance instead of the developed vetting or DV classification given to most top aides once they are subjected to background checks.

However, photographs taken in recent months, show his pass now sports a green band, suggesting he has finally been granted DV clearance allowing him to view top-secret files without supervision."_

Along with losing the plans to MI6, including all security systems, it's clear that the best education in Britain really has raised a bunch of incredibly stupid fuckwits.


----------



## MrSki (Jul 9, 2020)




----------



## stavros (Jul 9, 2020)

MrSki said:


>



If anyone has a photo of him topless riding a horse, just don't.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 9, 2020)

stavros said:


> If anyone has a photo of him topless riding a horse, just don't.


Shudder....boak.


----------



## Ground Elder (Jul 9, 2020)




----------



## teqniq (Jul 10, 2020)




----------



## tim (Jul 10, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Or a dose of whatever they cook up at Porton Down.


They can't. They used it all up on the Skripals.


----------



## Humberto (Jul 10, 2020)

So we are thinking this guy is, to all intents and purposes, actually running the show? Is this someone with any accountability or suitability in terms of character? I mean, if you are elected to be Prime Minister then you can be 'advised' by practically anyone you want, but when that person is given so much trust and has proven themselves untrustworthy and is apparently corrupt then I find that very unsettling given the problems the nation faces. It reflects very poorly on the calibre of those elected to do it and is hardly transparent governance.


----------



## Poi E (Jul 11, 2020)

He is a minister without portfolio, and will soon purge senior military officers to bring them into line with the future needs of the British state to conduct large-scale violence against its citizens. Transparent governance is a nice phrase but meaningless given the majority of the largest ethnic group repeatedly vote for this shit.






						A Very British Coup? Former Royal Navy Trident Submarine Commander Assesses – Byline Times
					

Dr Andrew Corbett, of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, delves into evidence that the Government is actively undermining British democracy




					bylinetimes.com


----------



## Humberto (Jul 11, 2020)

Poi E said:


> He is a minister without portfolio, and will soon purge senior military officers to bring them into line with the future needs of the British state to conduct large-scale violence against its citizens. Transparent governance is a nice phrase but meaningless given the majority of the largest ethnic group repeatedly vote for this shit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes perhaps it is, though trusting everything to Cummings' secret master plan isn't it.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 11, 2020)

Another crowdfunder, this time looking into corruption:









						Just how does public money end up in the pockets of Cummings' friends?
					

Good Law Project brings litigation to protect the public interest.




					www.crowdjustice.com


----------



## stavros (Jul 11, 2020)

Humberto said:


> So we are thinking this guy is, to all intents and purposes, actually running the show? Is this someone with any accountability or suitability in terms of character? I mean, if you are elected to be Prime Minister then you can be 'advised' by practically anyone you want, but when that person is given so much trust and has proven themselves untrustworthy and is apparently corrupt then I find that very unsettling given the problems the nation faces. It reflects very poorly on the calibre of those elected to do it and is hardly transparent governance.



There was piece in the Graun the other day which painted the picture that the decision-making circle consists of two and a half people: Gove, Cummings and Johnson. Everyone else is window dressing.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jul 11, 2020)

stavros said:


> There was piece in the Graun the other day which painted the picture that the decision-making circle consists of two and a half people: Gove, Cummings and Johnson. Everyone else is window dressing.


It's almost like a parallel America, which raises the question, who is Trump's Cummings


----------



## stavros (Jul 11, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> It's almost like a parallel America, which raises the question, who is Trump's Cummings



I guess one of the major differences between Trump and Johnson is that Trump is from outside the party system. Indeed, he's a former donor to Hilary Clinton's state campaign.

Maybe there's more synthesis between him and Cummings, as the supposed outsider, smashing the system from within.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 12, 2020)

* holds nose *









						Revealed: Dominic Cummings firm paid Vote Leave's AI firm £260,000
					

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser declines to explain reason for payments to Faculty




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jul 12, 2020)

teqniq said:


> * holds nose *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Move along. Nothing to see here.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jul 12, 2020)

Did you see what's written on the lanyard around the cunt's neck?


----------



## two sheds (Jul 12, 2020)

All others we monitor?


----------



## teqniq (Jul 12, 2020)

No, I hadn't, someone else has noticed too:


----------



## tim (Jul 12, 2020)

Poi E said:


> He is a minister without portfolio, and will soon purge senior military officers to bring them into line with the future needs of the British state to conduct large-scale violence against its citizens. Transparent governance is a nice phrase but meaningless given the majority of the largest ethnic group repeatedly vote for this shit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Your specific claims do not match with what is said in the article. It's written by a former Trident Commander but does't claim either that the military command will be purged or that the British army is going to be sent out to shoot us. Can give us a link that backs up your claim?

More specifically:

Could you explain more specifically what the future needs of the British state are?
Do you also have a statistically reliable demographic breakdown showing what shit the "majority of the largest ethnic group", presumably knowingly, vote repeatedly for?
Could you also explain who this "largest ethnic group" are?
What are the parameters for inclusion or exclusion from this group?
Would the large scale violence you know will happen exclude this group?
If so, how will it be done?


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 12, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> Did you see what's written on the lanyard around the cunt's neck?


Indeed


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 12, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> It would be entirely appropriate that the training manual would contain innumerable errors, contradictory guidance and outdated, misunderstood data that let to a botched first attempt


A worthy successor to the clumsy Jack Ketch who eventually executed the Duke of Monmouth


----------



## Poi E (Jul 12, 2020)

tim said:


> Your specific claims do not match with what is said in the article. It's written by a former Trident Commander but does't claim either that the military command will be purged or that the British army is going to be sent out to shoot us. Can give us a link that backs up your claim?
> 
> More specifically:
> 
> ...



Working in ex-Yugoslavia. This place is heading towards disaster.

Nothing to see here. No nationalism at all. All just a few bad apples. I get it.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jul 12, 2020)




----------



## tim (Jul 12, 2020)

Poi E said:


> Working in ex-Yugoslavia. This place is heading towards disaster.
> 
> Nothing to see here. No nationalism at all. All just a few bad apples. I get it.



A fair amount of nationalism, but there's nothing new in that and nothing particularly unique about it. I can't think of any country that I've lived in that is much different on that score, if anything worse than here. We have an incompetent and divided government. Cummings and his cunning schemes being part of that. 

What I don't see is the conspiranoid scenario that you are pushing. It's bad enough trying to cope with the reality as it is .

If things are as you say they are, expose my stupid complacency by making a coherent argument. If you can draw realistic parallels with ex-Yugoslavia, it would be all the more compelling.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 24, 2020)

Interesting e-mail from Good Law Project (my bold):



> On 11 July, *we issued judicial review proceedings against Michael Gove for awarding an £840,000 contract to long-time associates of his and Mr Cummings'. *You can read the documents relating to that claim here.
> 
> In those proceedings we said that Mr Gove had broken the law in bypassing the normal procurement rules, rules that exist to ensure fair competition and to guard against croney-ism. We also said that Mr Cummings and/or Mr Gove had acted with apparent bias, just as had his cabinet colleague Mr Jenrick.
> 
> ...


----------



## stavros (Jul 24, 2020)

> * it makes no attempt, none at all, to defend the lawfulness of Mr Gove and/or Mr Cummings' actions...
> 
> The experienced public law solicitors we instruct have never seen its like before from central Government. *



Really? They obviously haven't seen a cabinet minister interview in the last year.


----------



## BCBlues (Jul 26, 2020)

The freak gets everywhere. Hes in goal for Chelsea today


----------



## existentialist (Jul 26, 2020)

BCBlues said:


> View attachment 223777
> 
> The freak gets everywhere. Hes in goal for Chelsea today


Hope his eyesight is up to it.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 26, 2020)

existentialist said:


> Hope his eyesight is up to it.


Probably choke


----------



## Badgers (Jul 27, 2020)

> Dear Badgers,
> 
> On 11 July, we issued judicial review proceedings against Michael Gove for awarding an £840,000 contract to long-time associates of his and Mr Cummings'. You can read the documents relating to that claim here.
> 
> ...


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jul 27, 2020)

Badgers said:


> But it makes no attempt, none at all, to defend the lawfulness of Mr Gove and/or Mr Cummings' actions. We, the letter seems to suggest, do not need to explain ourselves; we are above the law.


That's exactly the way they see themselves, and they probably are.


----------



## Badgers (Jul 30, 2020)

Cummings trips damaged UK lockdown unity, study suggests
					

Scandal over adviser’s journey to Durham broke trust in lockdown measures and politicians, report says




					www.theguardian.com
				






> The study notes: “The perception that the prime minister’s adviser, Dominic Cummings, had broken lockdown rules was a highly salient issue that appeared to damage trust in politicians.”
> 
> Participants in the research grew “noticeably angrier” about politicians after the revelations, although it also served to create fresh consensus. “It was not, however, as divisive an incident as might be thought. Most people, irrespective of their political views, appeared to disapprove of Cummings’ action.”


----------



## brogdale (Jul 30, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Cummings trips damaged UK lockdown unity, study suggests
> 
> 
> Scandal over adviser’s journey to Durham broke trust in lockdown measures and politicians, report says
> ...


That's some grade A cuntery to achieve focus-group consensus of disapproval.


----------



## Chilli.s (Jul 30, 2020)

Everyone knows he undermined the whole lockdown strategy and procedure. The garden performance just rubbed a load of fuck you salt into it.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 30, 2020)

“It was not, however, as divisive an incident as might be thought. Most people, irrespective of their political views, appeared to disapprove of Cummings’ action.”        

not at all divisive, every fucker hates him


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jul 30, 2020)

Not everyone apparently.


----------



## gosub (Jul 30, 2020)

two sheds said:


> “It was not, however, as divisive an incident as might be thought. Most people, irrespective of their political views, appeared to disapprove of Cummings’ action.”
> 
> not at all divisive, every fucker hates him



Which, given where we sort of were at the time,makes what he did slighty more understandable


----------



## stavros (Jul 30, 2020)

Jonathan Freedland on Cummings' plans for reforming Whitehall.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 30, 2020)

brogdale said:


> That's some grade A cuntery to achieve focus-group consensus of disapproval.


It's a bit like when urban vigorously agrees unanimously on a thread. Doesn't often happen, but it's usually some high grade cuntery that does it.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 30, 2020)

Larry


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 30, 2020)

S☼I said:


> Cummings will sort you out
> 
> Why is everyone scared/assumes anyone us scared of him?


I'd say because he has too much power, zero accountability and there are practically no circumstances in which Johnson won't have his back .
That, and his governmentalo style is of a quasi-maoist human wrecking ball who believes the best thing you can do with most of the machinery of government is to smash it to pieces as comp-letely and as quickly as is humanly possible


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 30, 2020)

Poi E said:


> He is a minister without portfolio, and will soon purge senior military officers to bring them into line with the future needs of the British state to conduct large-scale violence against its citizens. Transparent governance is a nice phrase but meaningless given the majority of the largest ethnic group repeatedly vote for this shit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thast article (and the attachments it leads to) is both fascinating and terrifying


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 31, 2020)

Poi E said:


> He is a minister without portfolio, and will soon purge senior military officers to bring them into line with the future needs of the British state to conduct large-scale violence against its citizens. Transparent governance is a nice phrase but meaningless given the majority of the largest ethnic group repeatedly vote for this shit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In truth, it's a lot more about class, social conaservatism and brexit fever than it is to do with ethnicity.
That article you put up is fascinating, btw, ditto the pages it links to. Also quite chilling.


----------



## Yossarian (Jul 31, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Not everyone apparently.
> 
> View attachment 224280



It'd be a shame to waste such fine penmanship, think I might have opted for erasing everything between "Cummings" and the second "is" instead of just scrawling "CUNT" over it, which would have been my first instinct.


----------



## Streathamite (Jul 31, 2020)

stavros said:


> I guess one of the major differences between Trump and Johnson is that Trump is from outside the party system. Indeed, he's a former donor to Hilary Clinton's state campaign.
> 
> Maybe there's more synthesis between him and Cummings, as the supposed outsider, smashing the system from within.


I think you've nailed it. _Trump_ is Trump's cummings, with the hapless circle around him - jared, Ivanka, Pompeo, Barr, McEmany, Donald Jr, Mnuxchin, Esper etc - are Johnson and his cabinet.
Trump is much, much more hands-on and in control than Johnson. Which is fucking scary.


----------



## Roadkill (Jul 31, 2020)

stavros said:


> Jonathan Freedland on Cummings' plans for reforming Whitehall.



It's a good thing that the likes of Freedland have picked up on this, but people like Carole Cadwalladr and David Hencke have been on it for months, despite sometimes being dismissed as borderline conspiracy loons and 'mad cat lady' (ugh), including by some who should know better.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Jul 31, 2020)

Jim'll Paint It does his thing:


> Please could you paint Dominic Cummings sat naked and bloody holding his own eyes (Event Horizon style) upon a throne of eyes at Barnard Castle, accompanied by various eye themed characters such as Mike Wazowski, Krumm, Alpha Centauri, the Harryhausen cyclops and that lad from Pans Labyrinth etc.





Spoiler: Mildly icky


----------



## quiet guy (Jul 31, 2020)

The beanie hat is a nice touch.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 31, 2020)

Jim is very talented, if slightly disturbed...


----------



## ska invita (Jul 31, 2020)

Lord Camomile said:


> Jim'll Paint It does his thing:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


whats the purple one with red lips - its ringing a claymation bell - i cant place it


----------



## Ground Elder (Jul 31, 2020)

ska invita said:


> whats the purple one with red lips - its ringing a claymation bell - i cant place it


----------



## ska invita (Jul 31, 2020)

Ground Elder said:


> View attachment 224537


Trap Door! What a class show! Im not sure its that though - I cant find a picture online that matches it?


----------



## ska invita (Jul 31, 2020)

yes!!


----------



## William of Walworth (Jul 31, 2020)

Too much laid back  pisstaking and humour about Cummings in this thread lately   

So for _actual history_ :

Last Saturday, Andy Beckett  compared Cummings to Thatcher's chief policy advisor, John Hoskyns :




			
				Guardian headline said:
			
		

> *This is the man in No 10 who inspired Cummings – and he didn't last long*
> 
> *John Hoskyns, Margaret Thatcher’s head of policy, also wanted to shake up Whitehall. He left, disappointed and frustrated*






			
				Conclusion said:
			
		

> Will something similar happen with Cummings? His approach to reforming government seems more hurried and haphazard than Hoskyns’ – perhaps a sign of a more impatient age. But he also has more power, and that may keep him in Downing Street longer.
> Yet his dominance is really a sign of current Conservatism’s underlying weakness. The Johnson government, unlike Thatcher’s, doesn’t contain many able politicians or fresh thinkers. Conservatism is no longer the rising movement it was in the 80s.
> At some point, the irresistible force of Cummings will meet an immovable object: the widespread scepticism, among voters as much as civil servants, that Britain needs yet more disruptive rightwing government. There may be fireworks, or the frustration of his plans may be quieter. But it’s unlikely he’ll leave Downing Street a contented man.



Worth a full read!


----------



## stavros (Aug 1, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> Too much laid back  pisstaking and humour about Cummings in this thread lately
> 
> So for _actual history_ :
> 
> ...



I'm not precisely sure what it would take to disrupt the ingrained system of governance we have in the UK, but I doubt that Cummings is it.


----------



## elbows (Aug 5, 2020)

I wonder if the current tory cunts will enjoy their spitting image equivalents as much as some of Thatcher & Co apparently revelled in their puppets.









						Boris Johnson: Spitting Image puppet unveiled ahead of relaunch
					

The TV programme, famous for its mockery of politicians, is set to be relaunched this autumn.



					www.bbc.co.uk


----------



## stavros (Aug 5, 2020)

elbows said:


> I wonder if the current tory cunts will enjoy their spitting image equivalents as much as some of Thatcher & Co apparently revelled in their puppets.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I fear that, given how he's fashioned his public persona over the past thirty years, I suspect whatever they do to Johnson will further embed the appeal he has to too many people.


----------



## two sheds (Aug 5, 2020)

Yes a lot of people I think revel in his cuntishness


----------



## Badgers (Aug 6, 2020)

Couple who claim they saw Dominic Cummings on second trip complain to watchdog
					

EXCLUSIVE: Number 10 are under pressure to produce the evidence Dominic Cummings did not make a second lockdown trip after new witnesses make claims



					www.mirror.co.uk


----------



## Badgers (Aug 6, 2020)




----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 6, 2020)

Badgers said:


>



Fortunately Cummings won't need to travel to Barnard castle to be hanged as there are lampposts on Whitehall which can bear his weight.


----------



## quiet guy (Aug 6, 2020)

There's always Tower Bridge


----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 6, 2020)

quiet guy said:


> There's always Tower Bridge


And space enough there for even so inflated an ego as Johnson's


----------



## agricola (Aug 6, 2020)

Badgers said:


>




TBF I think Crerar et al are taking the wrong path there, demanding the evidence that No.10 has. - I am sure they (No.10) can prove that a phone was in London during the 19th of April and say it was Cummings' phone.   

The ANPR of all the family vehicles during that time would be a much better thing to ask about, because we have already been given a list of his movements to check it against.


----------



## Schmetterling (Aug 6, 2020)

I could be wrong but I do believe/hope the press has a lot more evidence but that they are playing the long game and allowing him, in his arrogance, to tie himself up in lies. 
Letting him think he is getting away with it and then, boom, hitting him with the next indiscretion/breaking of the rules evidence they have - over and over - seems much more satisfying.


----------



## Dogsauce (Aug 7, 2020)

It’s a weak weapon now though, the furore has passed and everyone knows he’s a cunt, doesn’t really do any more harm. They’ll laugh it off whatever is proven or otherwise.


----------



## elbows (Aug 7, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> It’s a weak weapon now though, the furore has passed and everyone knows he’s a cunt, doesn’t really do any more harm. They’ll laugh it off whatever is proven or otherwise.



Yeah. It hasnt stopped the Mirror from putting the story mentioned earlier on their front page, but I dont expect it to go anywhere really.


----------



## William of Walworth (Aug 8, 2020)

Guardian version of the same story is here 
(I think the Mirror and Guardian continue to collaborate on this particular story).


----------



## weltweit (Aug 8, 2020)

Did Cummings state that he only made one trip? If he did state that but actually made two he could risk punishment because of a lie to the public. 

If he didn't state that he only made one trip, two trips four it wouldn't really matter, he already stated that he didn't think one trip was outside the guidelines so two would also be within them according to him. 

I don't see his number plate being scanned - that would be a wakeup call for personal freedoms, but the cell information for his mobile phone would clearly indicate where in the country he was on pretty much any day.


----------



## Sue (Aug 8, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Did Cummings state that he only made one trip? If he did state that but actually made two he could risk punishment because of a lie to the public.


Seriously, risk punishment for lying to the public? 😆


----------



## philosophical (Aug 8, 2020)

As far as Boris Johncuntson is concerned Cummings could star in a three hour long TV special of kicking kittens in the face and still keep his job.


----------



## existentialist (Aug 8, 2020)

weltweit said:


> Did Cummings state that he only made one trip? If he did state that but actually made two he could risk punishment because of a lie to the public.


The only reason that this is still a story is because Cummings insisted that he'd made only the one trip, but various witnesses claim to have seen him Up North on a separate occasion.



weltweit said:


> I don't see his number plate being scanned - that would be a wakeup call for personal freedoms, but the cell information for his mobile phone would clearly indicate where in the country he was on pretty much any day.


Er, ANPR is fairly routinely used in the UK in all kinds of situations: I think you may have overslept on the personal freedoms front . Not to mention that cell information from a mobile would be a far more fine-grained infringement of anyone's freedoms, so your reassuredness re ANPR vs mobile tracking is slightly counter-intuitive


----------



## NoXion (Aug 8, 2020)

philosophical said:


> As far as Boris Johncuntson is concerned Cummings could star in a three hour long TV special of kicking kittens in the face and still keep his job.



I honestly don't understand how that makes Johnson look anything else but weak. Unable to do the job of PM without his Magic Eugenicist Cunt hanging around and working his shitwizardry.


----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2020)

NoXion said:


> I honestly don't understand how that makes Johnson look anything else but weak. Unable to do the job of PM without his Magic Eugenicist Cunt hanging around and working his shitwizardry.


I don't see how bj could do any worse without the wretched cummings.


----------



## Raheem (Aug 8, 2020)

It's a condition of employment, though, innit? Nothing he can do.


----------



## Spandex (Aug 8, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I don't see how bj could do any worse without the wretched cummings.


Depends how you define doing worse. On the measure Johnson cares about he's doing just fine. To have these polling figures after fucking up the country and killing tens of thousands of people someone is doing something right for him 

*General election voting intention polls*

PollsterConLabLDGrnBXPCon leadFieldworkYouGov42%
_(-1)_36%
_(+1)_8%
_(+2)_-%
_(-)_-%
_(-)_6%4-5/8Survation44%
_(+2)_35%
_(-1)_8%
_(nc)_5%
_(nc)_0%
_(-1)_9%31-3/8Ipsos MORI45%
_(+2)_37%
_(-1)_6%
_(-4)_5%
_(+2)_1%
_(+1)_8%30-4/8Opinium41%
_(-1)_38%
_(nc)_6%
_(nc)_4%
_(nc)_0%
_(nc)_3%30-31/7Redfield &
Wilton43%
_(-1)_38%
_(+2)_7%
_(-1)_4%
_(-1)_–5%29/7Savanta ComRes43%
_(+3)_37%
_(+1)_6%
_(-3)_2%
_(-1)_2%
_(-1)_6%17-19/7Kantar45%
_(+2)_35%
_(nc)_9%
_(+1)_2%
_(-2)_2%
_(nc)_10%9-13/7Deltapoll44%
_(+3)_38%
_(nc)_


----------



## Streathamite (Aug 8, 2020)

NoXion said:


> I honestly don't understand how that makes Johnson look anything else but weak. Unable to do the job of PM without his Magic Eugenicist Cunt hanging around and working his shitwizardry.


I think the issue is, to his base - which december 2019 revealed to be actually quite large - it won't matter that much. A raised eyegorw, and that's it.
Having said that, if this does rumble on and on, and coincids with a truly shitty autumn and winter, then opinions may chnage.


----------



## Badgers (Aug 17, 2020)

__





						Dominic Cummings urged to release data to disprove claim of second lockdown trip | Dominic Cummings | The Guardian
					

Ex-regional chief prosecutor calls on PM’s chief aide to reveal mobile phone and vehicle tracking information




					amp.theguardian.com


----------



## Badgers (Aug 18, 2020)

Time to move on...


----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 18, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Time to move on...



Oh dear


----------



## DaveCinzano (Aug 18, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Time to move on...



Yes, if pressure from _The New European_ can't reach Cummings' conscience then nothing will


----------



## Roadkill (Aug 19, 2020)

Ian Birrell has been back over Cummings' deeply tedious blog and come up with some choice quotations.  Thread:



Superforecaster and strategic genius my arse.


----------



## existentialist (Aug 19, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Time to move on...



That's OK - the more he refuses to provide the information, the more people are going to assume it's because he has something to hide - nice to see a standard bit of Home Secretarying bouncing back on him.

The damage is already done - if this information exonerated him from the second trip, I think we can be fairly certain that it's be all over the news faster than a Corbyn smear story. I suspect the only reason it's not is because he knows it will cast him as even more of a liar.


----------



## existentialist (Aug 19, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Yes, if pressure from _The New European_ can't reach *Cummings' conscience* then nothing will


Now _there's _two words you don't often see in juxtaposition


----------



## gosub (Aug 19, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Yes, if pressure from _The New European_ can't reach Cummings' conscience then nothing will


That time I didn't push Mr Campbelll in the canal, better understanding of clearances now


----------



## gosub (Aug 26, 2020)

Dominic Cummings will be back at work on Monday, having recouped from an operation he had during the summer that he didn't have last year apparently


----------



## Wilf (Aug 26, 2020)

gosub said:


> Dominic Cummings will be back at work on Monday, having recouped from an operation he had during the summer that he didn't have last year apparently







__





						County Durham and Darlington - University Hospital of North Durham
					

Opened in 2001, this major acute hospital provides services to a population of more than 250,000 in County Durham. It has 591 beds, and hosts specialist services in dermatology and plastic surgery which also treats patients from Sunderland,...



					www.cddft.nhs.uk


----------



## gosub (Aug 26, 2020)

Wilf said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...


As much as his medical stuff is his ownaffair, I fucking hope its not that - the world went a bit strange when Paul McCartney walked across Abbey Road without wearing shoes, can you imagine what it would be like if Mr Cummings comes back from summer looking different.  If it is, at least pre warn Benedict Cummerbatch


----------



## two sheds (Aug 26, 2020)

Wilf said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



More likely Durham Eye Hospital.


----------



## killer b (Aug 26, 2020)

remember there being some chatter about Cummings delaying a major operation last summer - Peston talks about it here: The truth about Dominic Cummings | ITV News


_Cummings had to make a proper sacrifice to take the job; Johnson talked him into cancelling a surgical procedure, serious enough to warrant general anesthetic, which had been scheduled for three days later, when Johnson formally became PM.

He promised his wife, the journalist Mary Wakefield, that he would reschedule the operation for the week following 31 October and only after the op would he then discuss with Johnson what - if any - his future role in government would be._


----------



## two sheds (Aug 26, 2020)

That's really quite noble of him, putting off his operation so he could fuck the country up.


----------



## Roadkill (Aug 26, 2020)

So I was wrong.  I'd concluded the 'procedure' was just a story put about before the last election to reassure those worried by his reputation that he'd be gone soon.


----------



## Streathamite (Aug 26, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I don't see how bj could do any worse without the wretched cummings.


He'll give it a bloody good try


----------



## elbows (Sep 2, 2020)




----------



## brogdale (Sep 2, 2020)

In least surprising news story of the day...another one of Cummings' _weirdos/misfits _outs themselves as a psychopathic cunt.

__


----------



## frogwoman (Sep 2, 2020)

No way, I'm shocked. Shocked.


----------



## brogdale (Sep 2, 2020)

The other (known) departure being the eugenicist racist Sabisky:


----------



## frogwoman (Sep 2, 2020)

'Viewed as'


----------



## brogdale (Sep 2, 2020)

frogwoman said:


> 'Viewed as'


Yep; how Guardian.


----------



## Teaboy (Sep 2, 2020)

That one's not even a historic facebook timelime thing.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Sep 2, 2020)

brogdale said:


> In least surprising news story of the day...another one of Cummings' _weirdos/misfits _outs themselves as a psychopathic cunt.
> 
> _View attachment 228882_


Sacked for falsely declaring himself a weirdo/misfit on his job application form. Turns out he's just your common or garden Tory.


----------



## brogdale (Sep 2, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> Sacked for falsely declaring himself a weirdo/misfit on his job application form. Turns out he's just your common or garden Tory.


innit?


----------



## Streathamite (Sep 2, 2020)

brogdale said:


> In least surprising news story of the day...another one of Cummings' _weirdos/misfits _outs themselves as a psychopathic cunt.
> 
> _View attachment 228882_


Absolutely zero surprise.
If your whole approach to government is Maoist creative disruption, this is an inevitable by-blow


----------



## Pickman's model (Sep 2, 2020)

brogdale said:


> In least surprising news story of the day...another one of Cummings' _weirdos/misfits _outs themselves as a psychopathic cunt.
> 
> _View attachment 228882_


I'm surprised he didn't demand artillery


----------



## agricola (Sep 2, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I'm surprised he didn't demand artillery



Given how the weirdos operate, they probably did consider it but then remembered Winston was a Liberal when he did that.


----------



## Pickman's model (Sep 16, 2020)

once again the police decide which crimes to investigate and which to turn a blind eye to








						Dominic Cummings: Met refuses to look into reports of second Durham trip
					

Force declines to examine lockdown allegations, saying it will not investigate Covid breaches retrospectively




					www.theguardian.com
				



i see the police are effectively refusing to investigate covid issues, being as you can't investigate something that hasn't happened yet


----------



## brogdale (Sep 16, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> once again the police decide which crimes to investigate and which to turn a blind eye to
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's almost as though they're not the sons of the workers, but the bosses' dogs.


----------



## Pickman's model (Sep 16, 2020)

brogdale said:


> It's almost as though they're not the sons of the workers, but the bosses' dogs.


i saw something the other day about conservatives believing there were two sorts of people, the 'us' who make but are not subject to the law, and the 'them' who do not make the law but are subject to it. in a surprisingly well-written guardian piece i think


----------



## MickiQ (Sep 16, 2020)

TBH I'm with Plod on this, there's clearly no photos or video of him there or it would have surfaced by now and the word of three people who don't actually know him saying they saw him months ago isn't worth anything. 
It is actually a very trivial accusation that seems a lot worse because a) he's a government advisor and b) an objectionable cunt but at the end of the day it really isn't worth the effort for the very low possibility of a small fine.
The one outcome everyone might actually want, IE BoZo firing his ass is just not going to happen.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Sep 17, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> I'm surprised he didn't demand artillery



Or "billiard balls filled with acid" a la detective_boy.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Sep 17, 2020)

Pickman's model said:


> once again the police decide which crimes to investigate and which to turn a blind eye to
> 
> 
> 
> ...



TBF, the Commissioner of the Met has reason to not like the idea of raking up the past...


----------



## Pickman's model (Sep 18, 2020)

ViolentPanda said:


> TBF, the Commissioner of the Met has reason to not like the idea of raking up the past...


She's too feeble to dig it up


----------



## elbows (Sep 18, 2020)




----------



## Saul Goodman (Sep 18, 2020)

elbows said:


> View attachment 230804
> View attachment 230805


You know things are bad when your USP is that you're 'cheaper than the sun'.


----------



## Sue (Sep 18, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> You know things are bad when your USP is that you're 'cheaper than the sun'.


It is also a lot more fun tbf.


----------



## krtek a houby (Sep 18, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> You know things are bad when your USP is that you're 'cheaper than the sun'.


 
Obscure Primal Scream B side


----------



## two sheds (Sep 18, 2020)

features fewer hamsters though


----------



## Streathamite (Sep 18, 2020)

elbows said:


> View attachment 230804
> View attachment 230805


Remarkable how mercilessly the Tories have piled into the Tory government over the past few months


----------



## maomao (Sep 18, 2020)

Streathamite said:


> Remarkable how mercilessly the Tories have piled into the Tory government over the past few months


The Star has never had a party allegiance. It's just stupid rather than officially right wing.


----------



## Streathamite (Sep 18, 2020)

maomao said:


> The Star has never had a party allegiance. It's just stupid rather than officially right wing.


yeah fair enough


----------



## Calamity1971 (Oct 13, 2020)

What a surprise!  
Dominic Cummings' £30k unpaid council tax bill 'written off'


----------



## Chilli.s (Oct 13, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> What a surprise!
> Dominic Cummings' £30k unpaid council tax bill 'written off'


What.The. Fuck.

No planning permission, no council tax.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Oct 13, 2020)

Chilli.s said:


> What.The. Fuck.
> 
> No planning permission, no council tax.


I'm fuming, my mate got his house repossessed and was charged 250 quid while it sat empty. Ended up in a shit hole of a place and got a ccj slapped on him. Fuck Durham council.


----------



## Raheem (Oct 13, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> What a surprise!
> Dominic Cummings' £30k unpaid council tax bill 'written off'


No Tier 3 for Durham, then.


----------



## MrSki (Oct 13, 2020)

When they say one rule for them they fucking mean it. Would he get let off if he shot someone?


----------



## MrSki (Oct 13, 2020)

This really pisses me off. When I lived in tottenham & was claiming HB at first I got full council tax rebate but then a 25% bill was introduced which I could not pay & went to court over it. Three years later I got bailiff letters & had to pay about £600 for about £150 outstanding. The rest was court fees. This cunt gets it all written off? Bang out of order.


----------



## equationgirl (Oct 13, 2020)

Yeah, this is well out of order. He should pay. How come he gets let off when people are made to suffer over a few hundreds of pounds or less?

Cunts.


----------



## MrSki (Oct 13, 2020)

So sad. My blood pressure!!


----------



## MrSki (Oct 13, 2020)




----------



## brogdale (Oct 15, 2020)

Good effort, tbf..


----------



## Zapp Brannigan (Oct 15, 2020)

For the Daily Star that's a pretty decent effort at holding Cummings and government to account, in a simplistic fashion.

The effect is somewhat lessened by sharing front page space with "Ghost Fiancé Ditched" though.


----------



## MrSki (Oct 15, 2020)

The best thing about it is that it will be seen in newsagents & supermarkets by those that blinker themselves by relying on the BBC for their news which as far as I can tell has failed to report it.


----------



## Idris2002 (Oct 15, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> You know things are bad when your USP is that you're 'cheaper than the sun'.


I love that when the Irish edition of the Star has something like "Irish Heroes" in it, the UK edition will have something like "Irish bastards".


----------



## Sue (Oct 15, 2020)

Idris2002 said:


> I love that when the Irish edition of the Star has something like "Irish Heroes" in it, the UK edition will have something like "Irish bastards".


Same with the Sun/Scottish Sun saying completely contradictory things.


----------



## MrSki (Oct 20, 2020)

Let's hope this comes to fruition.








						Dominic Cummings to be ‘forced’ to pay backdated council tax
					

Durham County Council boss Simon Henig has asked senior officers to find a way to force Dominic Cummings to pay tens of thousands of pounds of…




					www.heraldscotland.com
				




Still think there should be a criminal case here.


----------



## teqniq (Oct 30, 2020)

Will the CPS and the OB step up to the plate? Probably not, but one can only but hope.









						Dossier alleges Cummings may have perverted course of justice in account of lockdown trip
					

Former prosecutor sends file to police and CPS accusing PM’s aide of multiple alleged offences




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## quiet guy (Oct 30, 2020)

At present all the swivel eyed loons can do no wrong. It's going to take a big shift to get this one convicted.


----------



## NoXion (Nov 1, 2020)

Cummings thinks the future of warfare is all cyber:









						UK army plans to scrap tanks in favour of cyber warfare tech
					

<p>The British army is thinking about scrapping its greying fleet of 227 Challenger 2 tanks in a push to modernise its arsenal for the dystopian future of warfare, according to a report from the Times




					tech.newstatesman.com
				




Not sure how cybershit will actually be useful without real force projection and boots on the ground.


----------



## Pickman's model (Nov 1, 2020)

NoXion said:


> Cummings thinks the future of warfare is all cyber:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Didn't we discuss this in August?


----------



## Septimus Rufiji (Nov 1, 2020)

Ah, this is why they wanted Fatima to re-train.


----------



## teqniq (Nov 1, 2020)




----------



## maomao (Nov 1, 2020)

NoXion said:


> Cummings thinks the future of warfare is all cyber:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If everyone has drone bombers they'll have to bring in drone fighters too. I'm not sure where that escalation stops.


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 1, 2020)

maomao said:


> If everyone has drone bombers they'll have to bring in drone fighters too. I'm not sure where that escalation stops.


Very Philip K Dick


----------



## quiet guy (Nov 1, 2020)

They'll be using lasers to combat the bomber drones


----------



## maomao (Nov 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> Very Philip K Dick


But there's no drugs or time travel and none of the characters are avatars for my dead twin.


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 1, 2020)

maomao said:


> But there's no drugs or time travel and none of the characters are avatars for my dead twin.


I was thinking specifically of Vulcan’s Hammer, which is one of his pulp pure sci-fi novels before he went all weird


----------



## maomao (Nov 1, 2020)

Orang Utan said:


> I was thinking specifically of Vulcan’s Hammer, which is one of his pulp pure sci-fi novels before he went all weird


I just read the synopsis and it still seems very Dick. I hadn't read it and don't think it was listed as his earliest SF novel in the lists at the back of his books thirty years ago but it is on Wikipedia now. I'll give it a go.


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 1, 2020)

maomao said:


> I just read the synopsis and it still seems very Dick. I hadn't read it and don't think it was listed as his earliest SF novel in the lists at the back of his books thirty years ago but it does on Wikipedia now. I'll give it a go.


It’s not very good!


----------



## Pickman's model (Nov 1, 2020)

teqniq said:


> View attachment 236909


Surely there'll be a second wave


----------



## teqniq (Nov 3, 2020)

Legal challenge over Cummings' 'lockdown breach' is thrown out


----------



## tim (Nov 11, 2020)

Cummings may be going if Twitter is to be believed. 



Let's keep hoping!


----------



## killer b (Nov 11, 2020)

_Narrator: he was not going_


----------



## agricola (Nov 11, 2020)

tim said:


> Cummings may be going if Twitter is to be believed.
> 
> 
> 
> Let's keep hoping!




I especially like this context and speculation-free analysis:



((((No.10 source))))


----------



## two sheds (Nov 11, 2020)

> However it [Cain's promotion to Johnson's Chief of Staff] provoked an immediate backlash with Mr Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds reportedly opposed to the move.


 PM’s director of communications Lee Cain resigns after power struggle

oooooo pleeeeeeeeeeeeease let it be that


----------



## 2hats (Nov 11, 2020)




----------



## Artaxerxes (Nov 11, 2020)

It's the twentieth occasion when Cummings was due to leave forever.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Nov 11, 2020)




----------



## killer b (Nov 11, 2020)

We all need a hobby, but imagine if it was _pretending to be a cat on twitter for likes._


----------



## mx wcfc (Nov 11, 2020)

tim said:


> Cummings may be going if Twitter is to be believed.
> 
> 
> 
> Let's keep hoping!



Dominic Cummings?  Solidarity with someone else?   🤣  🤣  🤣


----------



## Saul Goodman (Nov 11, 2020)

tim said:


> Cummings may be going if Twitter is to be believed.
> 
> 
> 
> Let's keep hoping!



Don't hold your breath.


----------



## Treacle Toes (Nov 11, 2020)

Cummings is behind the rumour he might be going IMO. 
They're using Carrie as a decoy over the Lee Cain resignation.
His father in law linked to dodgy contracts and whatnot this week. No more than dead cats as per usual.


----------



## mx wcfc (Nov 11, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> Cummings is behind the rumour he might be going IMO.
> They're using Carrie as a decoy over the Lee Cain resignation.
> His father in law linked to dodgy contracts and whatnot this week. No more than dead cats as per usual.


quelle surprise.


----------



## Artaxerxes (Nov 11, 2020)

killer b said:


> We all need a hobby, but imagine if it was _pretending to be a cat on twitter for likes._



Still better than 90% of actual journalists on there.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Nov 11, 2020)

Rutita1 said:


> They're using Carrie as a decoy over the Lee Cain resignation.



can't be bothered to go looking for it now, but one comment on tweeter along the lines of when someone who's prepared to co-habit with boris johnson thinks someone is a twunt, they must be quite an outstanding twunt...


----------



## DaveCinzano (Nov 11, 2020)

Well, this is awkward


----------



## elbows (Nov 11, 2020)




----------



## BCBlues (Nov 11, 2020)

Even Starmer asked a few awkward questions about where all this Covid money is going today, maybe the nets closing and Dom the superforecaster can see the impending court cases. Added to the ever nearing car crash called Brexit then I wouldnt be surprised to see Cummings legging it out of Downing St again. Hes lined his mates pockets so its job done and back to the castle.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 11, 2020)

just caught the back end of Peston and tweet saying, there's a massive bust up in number10, Dominic Cummings threatening to leave and taking people with him. God 🙏 I hope so.
Didn't catch who the tweet was off


----------



## elbows (Nov 11, 2020)

DaveCinzano said:


> Well, this is awkward
> 
> View attachment 238467



Well that was part of the previous chapter of this particular saga, which then led to this sort of thing earlier, before the latest developments came out:


----------



## elbows (Nov 12, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> just caught the back end of Peston and tweet saying, there's a massive bust up in number10, Dominic Cummings threatening to leave and taking people with him. God 🙏 I hope so.
> Didn't catch who the tweet was off



Story is progressing on from even that late development now:


----------



## gosub (Nov 12, 2020)

I'm confident all the deckchairs will be tidy by morning


----------



## DaveCinzano (Nov 12, 2020)

elbows said:


> Well that was part of the previous chapter of this particular saga, which then led to this sort of thing earlier, before the latest developments came out:



The awkwardness is that it was in PR Week's emailer, which they sent out after all the prep school rumbling .


----------



## Raheem (Nov 12, 2020)

It's good job we've got Laura K and Robert P to make it clear this is all about office politics and schoolyard jealousies. With everyone around Johnson being on the brink of resigning a week before the next Brexit D-day, people might jump to conclusions otherwise.


----------



## bimble (Nov 12, 2020)

No idea what the rats in a bag are up to but it would be pleasing if Cummings flounced off after Johnson made such an enormous tit of himself in the effort to keep him .


----------



## maomao (Nov 12, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> just caught the back end of Peston and tweet saying, there's a massive bust up in number10, Dominic Cummings threatening to leave and taking people with him. God 🙏 I hope so.
> Didn't catch who the tweet was off


I'm only really excited about this if 'taking people with him' refers to some sort of murder/suicide bid.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Nov 12, 2020)




----------



## platinumsage (Nov 12, 2020)

Detailed gossip here:









						POLITICO London Playbook: How Vote Leave lost control — Mark of Cain — Cult of Dom
					

What's driving the day in Westminster. Politics and policymaking in the UK capital, by Alex Wickham.




					www.politico.eu


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 12, 2020)

Dominic Cummings to leave role as PM's chief adviser by end of the year


----------



## Sue (Nov 12, 2020)

So I've kinda missed this whole thing. Someone threw their toys out the pram and resigned. Dominic Cummins didn't resign. What was the story about?


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 12, 2020)

He said last year he was going, but looking at the shitbags face going into number 10 , he ain't happy


----------



## two sheds (Nov 12, 2020)

let's hope for the christmas stocking book expose there's just time


----------



## elbows (Nov 12, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Dominic Cummings to leave role as PM's chief adviser by end of the year



BBC has it too









						Dominic Cummings to leave Downing Street by Christmas
					

The PM's chief adviser dismisses resignation rumours but says he has plans to move on.



					www.bbc.co.uk


----------



## DaveCinzano (Nov 12, 2020)

elbows said:


> BBC has it too
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's what they were saying about the war in 1914


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 12, 2020)

Sue said:


> So I've kinda missed this whole thing. Someone threw their toys out the pram and resigned. Dominic Cummins didn't resign. What was the story about?


Power struggle, his Bezzie Lee Cain resigned (communication dude) cos Carrie Symonds didn't want him in a new post, So dom has took his ball back.
Lee Cain was also unhappy about Allegra Strattons post apparently.
I think that's about the gist of it. Too busy laughing and shouting at Carole Malone on press preview.


----------



## ska invita (Nov 12, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> looking at the shitbags face going into number 10 , he ain't happy


its an emotion he seems incapable of tbf




__





						dominic cummings face - Google Search
					





					www.google.com


----------



## Teaboy (Nov 12, 2020)

Oh good.  Just as Brexit negotiations are heading towards an abyss and the virus is spiralling out of control. What a mess.


----------



## Sue (Nov 12, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Power struggle, his Bezzie Lee Cain resigned (communication dude) cos Carrie Symonds didn't want him in a new post, So dom has took his ball back.
> Lee Cain was also unhappy about Allegra Strattons post apparently.
> I think that's about the gist of it. Too busy laughing and shouting at Carole Malone on press preview.


What's Johnson's GF got to do with the price of cheese? Are they not at least meant to pretend it's nothing to do with her?


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 12, 2020)

ska invita said:


> its an emotion he seems incapable of tbf
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He does smug quite well. But, yeh, no happy ones there.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 13, 2020)

Sue said:


> What's Johnson's GF got to do with the price of cheese? Are they not at least meant to pretend it's nothing to do with her?


I know. I had to Google what she does (political activist and conservationist ) I think he takes advice off her cos he actually has no idea what he's doing.


----------



## hipipol (Nov 13, 2020)

At least the rate of "catchy" phrases to gee us up to follow  "guidelines" may slow up. Otherwise I suspect little change in the classic whim based nonsense from the priapic Bunter impersonator any time soon


----------



## bimble (Nov 13, 2020)

he's gone by christmas! (apparently)








						Dominic Cummings to leave Downing Street by Christmas
					

The PM's chief adviser dismisses resignation rumours but says he has plans to move on.



					www.bbc.co.uk
				



Good job Johnson went to such ridiculous lengths to keep him after the mad i was just testing my eyesight interview.


----------



## platinumsage (Nov 13, 2020)

Seems it was the leak that did it in the end


----------



## Badgers (Nov 13, 2020)

Rats leaving sunk ships or something


----------



## krtek a houby (Nov 13, 2020)

PotUS and PM Cummings both out. What a wonderful seasonal gift to all


----------



## bimble (Nov 13, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Seems it was the leak that did it in the end



idk, that story is nice (for Johnson) but doesn't fit so well with any of his past behaviour, much easier to picture cummings saying fuck you i'm off that Johnson sacking him.


----------



## bimble (Nov 13, 2020)

Reminder that he did say, in that mad job advert, that he was planning to make himself "largely redundant' within a year, that was published on his blog on the 2nd January. So i don't think this gone by christmas is much of a sacking, and shouldn't be allowed to make Johnson look in any way more competent or in control of anything at all.


----------



## Steel Icarus (Nov 13, 2020)

It's just a shame this shit simply doesn't matter to millions of people


----------



## bimble (Nov 13, 2020)

S☼I said:


> It's just a shame this shit simply doesn't matter to millions of people


This will, everybody knows this is the massive liar who the PM couldn’t do without. If Johnson gets to pretend he found a backbone and banished him it will help him claw back some respect, maybe.


----------



## maomao (Nov 13, 2020)

I can't see this making much difference tbh and certainly not a positive one. Remember one of the accusations is that it was Cummings and Cain that leaked in order to force us into lockdown. So presumably without them we'd all still be eating out to help out while the bodies pile up.


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

In which Laura Kuenssberg finally admits she's getting things direct from Cummings:



I suspect the ructions in No.10 are connected with Brexit.  It really is decision time now whether to accept a deal with Brussels or go for the full 'no deal.'  AFAIK Cummings favours the latter, but it's become a lot less palatable in the wake of the US Election, and there do seem to be others urging a deal, or perhaps a last-ditch attempt to extend transition.


----------



## weltweit (Nov 13, 2020)

I won't believe it until he has actually left.


----------



## sleaterkinney (Nov 13, 2020)

Getting out before have to deal with Brexit.


----------



## Badgers (Nov 13, 2020)

sleaterkinney said:


> Getting out before have to deal with Brexit.


He will just deal with the profits from Covid-19 and Brexit. The poor lamb.


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

sleaterkinney said:


> Getting out before have to deal with Brexit.



I'm not so sure about that.  Cummings is pretty open about wanting to reshape the machinery of state along the lines of his technocratic vision of the future, and the disruption caused by Brexit - not to mention freedom from EU rules - is/was an opportunity for him to do that, and yet he's barely started.  This seems an odd time for him to walk away of his own accord.  Assuming the stories are accurate, of course, and not some sort of dead cat.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

As is usual, there's a CWS for that...


----------



## Pickman's model (Nov 13, 2020)

Badgers said:


> He will just deal with the profits from Covid-19 and Brexit. The poor lamb.


Spending more time with his money


----------



## Pickman's model (Nov 13, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I won't believe it until he has actually left.


I won't believe it until there's a stake through his heart


----------



## sleaterkinney (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I'm not so sure about that.  Cummings is pretty open about wanting to reshape the machinery of state along the lines of his technocratic vision of the future, and the disruption caused by Brexit - not to mention freedom from EU rules - is/was an opportunity for him to do that, and yet he's barely started.  This seems an odd time for him to walk away of his own accord.  Assuming the stories are accurate, of course, and not some sort of dead cat.


Maybe he found writing long blog posts a bit easier than actually governing. 
We have the worst Covid stats in Europe, despite his super-forecasters and weirdos.
Or maybe a crap deal with the EU is in the offing?


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

sleaterkinney said:


> Maybe he found writing long blog posts a bit easier than actually governing.
> We have the worst Covid stats in Europe, despite his super-forecasters and weirdos.
> Or maybe a crap deal with the EU is in the offing?



Tbf the fact he's proved himself to be spectacularly shit at governing might well have something to do with it.  Certainly that and his open contempt for MPs have turned a large part of the Tory party against him, and that looks to be a factor in his sudden demise.  I don't think he's the humility or self-awareness to realise how badly he's fucked up and go of his own accord.

As for the EU deal, it'll certainly be crap, but Cummings has at times been an advocate for no deal at all, and now it's decision time.  I can't help thinking that's played some role in provoking the current civil war in No.10, though quite how isn't clear.


----------



## The39thStep (Nov 13, 2020)

Couple of things that strike me with Cain going and Cummings potentially going . Firstly the Head of the Policy Unit is ex RCP whether she is next in line or not I dunno. Secondly some of the reported kick back against Cain and Cummings is that they are not Tories but ‘activists and strategists’ and the need to have ‘real’ Tories in their positions. I’m not sure how much they contributed to the Northern seats being won or the vision of ‘the People's Govt’ however ‘real’ Tories aren’t going to be able maintain or really capitalise on the W/class Tory vote .


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Rather than the excess, excess deaths that followed from the attitudinal damage done by his Durham lies (& the Johnson excusing)...Murdoch's rag sees his legacy as "care" _about working class communities.   _


----------



## ska invita (Nov 13, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> Couple of things that strike me with Cain going and Cummings potentially going . Firstly the Head of the Policy Unit is ex RCP whether she is next in line or not I dunno. Secondly some of the reported kick back against Cain and Cummings is that they are not Tories but ‘activists and strategists’ and the need to have ‘real’ Tories in their positions. I’m not sure how much they contributed to the Northern seats being won or the vision of ‘the People's Govt’ however ‘real’ Tories aren’t going to be able maintain or really capitalise on the W/class Tory vote .


True...thats the narrative....though up to now tub thumping about Brexit is all you can really say he's done to contribute to northern seats being won. That and boosting the tourist income of Barnard Castle


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Of course, who's following and who's doing the farting has at times seemed an open question...


----------



## ska invita (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Of course, who's following and who's doing the farting has at times seemed an open question...



a much richer vocabulary was going on when everyone was waking up and drinking ale for breakfast


----------



## killer b (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Of course, who's following and who's doing the farting has at times seemed an open question...



the british news media are doing the catching, for sure.


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

ska invita said:


> a much richer vocabulary was going on when everyone was waking up and drinking ale for breakfast



Not only verbally.  I love the eighteenth-century satirists, and perhaps especially James Gillray.  Given current events this gem of his from 1793 seems quite apt:


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Ah:


----------



## The39thStep (Nov 13, 2020)

ska invita said:


> True...thats the narrative....though up to now tub thumping about Brexit is all you can really say he's done to contribute to northern seats being won. That and boosting the tourist income of Barnard Castle


I know that the Policy Unit led by the ex RCP woman but reporting to him have come out with several strategies re the Northern Seats and the economy . The Northern Tory grouping lobby seems to have been promoted from that . Not saying Cummings has been the author but the policy unit he runs have been a major catalyst .


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Ah:



It all seems pretty obvious to me.   

Various bits of the media are now transparently obvious mouthpieces of government advisor propaganda and just about nothing else. Do they know they're being used like this? It's hard to believe that they don't. Well-paid mouthpieces, I guess.


----------



## ska invita (Nov 13, 2020)

The39thStep said:


> I know that the Policy Unit led by the ex RCP woman but reporting to him have come out with several strategies re the Northern Seats and the economy . The Northern Tory grouping lobby seems to have been promoted from that . Not saying Cummings has been the author but the policy unit he runs have been a major catalyst .


Has any of this (whatever it is) actually happened though?


----------



## killer b (Nov 13, 2020)

The commentary on this today is really weird - everyone's talking like he's confirmed he's definitely going this year, when all he did was give Kuenssberg a really vague and not at all definite hint that he might be going last night. Have I missed something more concrete today?


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> It all seems pretty obvious to me.
> 
> Various bits of the media are now transparently obvious mouthpieces of government advisor propaganda and just about nothing else. Do they know they're being used like this? It's hard to believe that they don't. Well-paid mouthpieces, I guess.



Oh aye, Kuenssberg has basically functioned as Bluetooth speakers for Cummings for the last couple of years at least.  She's not daft: she must know exactly what she's doing.

Not quite sure what you mean seems obvious, though?


----------



## The39thStep (Nov 13, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Has any of this (whatever it is) actually happened though?


The Northern Tory grouping has started and lobbied Johnson over some flesh on the bones of his spending promised for the North. One of the unexpected features was the Tory MPs in Greater Manchester temporarily backing the GM line on Tier3 although they seem to have settled more on a ‘we support the GM position but Burnhams ego is the stumbling block’ line. Aside from that very little and a convenient opportunity for municipal Labour leaders to plug the north south divide . However at some point if the Tories are relying on anything else aside from Starmer failing to win back Labour votes , they are going to have to at least throw some cash or have a more serious strategy. If it’s the latter then hallo policy unit and a potential uneasyness  from the traditional Tory MP in the south ?


----------



## platinumsage (Nov 13, 2020)

Is he leaving or is he just trolling the reporters?


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Is he leaving or is he just trolling the reporters?



He knew he'd get exactly that sort of tweet from the "journalists"


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Peston's another Bluetooth speaker for him, so I wouldn't read anything whatsoever into this.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

But now Cummings actual PA (Kuennsberg) has formally announced that Elvis has, indeed, left the building (for the last time).


----------



## Espresso (Nov 13, 2020)

He's going through the most photographed front door in the country in time for the teatime news. I think we can safely assume he's doing it for the lolz.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Hooray!

The vermin will be nicer now.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Here endeth the thread.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Oh...but, hang on....


----------



## Teaboy (Nov 13, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Is he leaving or is he just trolling the reporters?




Probably just stealing shit.  He's pretty obviously a guy who will take anything that's not nailed down.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> Not only verbally.  I love the eighteenth-century satirists, and perhaps especially James Gillray.  Given current events this gem of his from 1793 seems quite apt:


As good a grasp of geography as Johnson


----------



## ska invita (Nov 13, 2020)

They just couldn't handle _the vision_


----------



## gosub (Nov 13, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Is he leaving or is he just trolling the reporters?




Um, they just spent a fortune in the summer creating a control centre at 70 Whitehall, which is supposed to be where he works.....


----------



## Badgers (Nov 13, 2020)

Probably got something in cyber


----------



## Sprocket. (Nov 13, 2020)

Oh, what a shame. How long before dead leg Johnson follows him?


----------



## killer b (Nov 13, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Oh, what a shame. How long before dead leg Johnson follows him?


three years, maybe a few more


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Graun now reporting Cummings is going with immediate effect, so perhaps I was being unfair to Peston.

I suppose now we find out how important to the whole operation Cummings actually was...


----------



## Badgers (Nov 13, 2020)

Sprocket. said:


> Oh, what a shame. How long before dead leg Johnson follows him?


He will claim a new dawn, do a load more stupid shit and then go in January once Brexit is in motion.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Nov 13, 2020)

Isn’t this just Bozo getting ready to take a rogering from the EU after Biden reminded him of his commitments in Ireland..?


----------



## not-bono-ever (Nov 13, 2020)

Awful lot of uncharacteristic bottle from Johnson if he has given him the arse and collar grip  escort to the exit. So who actually told him to fuck off ?


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Isn’t this just Bozo getting ready to take a rogering from the EU after Biden reminded him of his commitments in Ireland..?


It is.


----------



## not a trot (Nov 13, 2020)

brogdale said:


> But now Cummings actual PA (Kuennsberg) has formally announced that Elvis has, indeed, left the building (for the last time).



Fucked off to stay at Heartbreak Hotel.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Nov 13, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Isn’t this just Bozo getting ready to take a rogering from the EU after Biden reminded him of his commitments in Ireland..?


That's how I read it, yes. Which is why I said it seemed obvious that this was nothing to do with leaks over Covid.


----------



## mx wcfc (Nov 13, 2020)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Isn’t this just Bozo getting ready to take a rogering from the EU after Biden reminded him of his commitments in Ireland..?


It could well be Cummings finding an exit route before the post Brexit collapse, so he doesn't have to deal with the shitstorm he created.  Johnson will wait till spring to quit.


----------



## not a trot (Nov 13, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> Awful lot of uncharacteristic bottle from Johnson if he has given him the arse and collar grip  escort to the exit. So who actually told him to fuck off ?



Larry the Cat.


----------



## Sprocket. (Nov 13, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> Awful lot of uncharacteristic bottle from Johnson if he has given him the arse and collar grip  escort to the exit. So who actually told him to fuck off ?



I think the term in Westminster circles is called being Malcolm Tuckered.


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Badgers said:


> He will claim a new dawn, do a load more stupid shit and then go in January once Brexit is in motion.



I don't think he'll survive the fallout from Brexit.  Even if there's a deal it's going to be disruptive, and if not it could be chaos for a while.  I suspect one or two people - Rishi Sunak for one - are thinking they'll let him act as human shield for that and then defenestrate him afterwards.  I give him until the spring.

The person I'm starting to wonder about is Michael Gove, who seems to be keeping a fairly low profile.  Cummings was his protege at education and then henchman in the leave campaign, and I assume they're still pretty close, so what's his role in all this?   Might chucking Cummings out even be Johnson trying to undermine Gove?


----------



## Artaxerxes (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I don't think he'll survive the fallout from Brexit.  Even if there's a deal it's going to be disruptive, and if not it could be chaos for a while.  I suspect one or two people - Rishi Sunak for one - are thinking they'll let him act as human shield for that and then defenestrate him afterwards.  I give him until the spring.
> 
> The person I'm starting to wonder about is Michael Gove, who seems to be keeping a fairly low profile.  Cummings was his protege at education and then henchman in the leave campaign, and I assume they're still pretty close, so what's his role in all this?   Might chucking Cummings out even be Johnson trying to undermine Gove?




I think we've not seen the last of Dom so he'll be back to help Boris next year or we'll see him working with Gove when the knives come out for Boris.


----------



## eatmorecheese (Nov 13, 2020)

So off the pseudy, spoddy little fake scientist goes. I wonder if he had an algorithm for this outcome?


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> I don't think he'll survive the fallout from Brexit.  Even if there's a deal it's going to be disruptive, and if not it could be chaos for a while.  I suspect one or two people - Rishi Sunak for one - are thinking they'll let him act as human shield for that and then defenestrate him afterwards.  I give him until the spring.
> 
> The person I'm starting to wonder about is Michael Gove, who seems to be keeping a fairly low profile.  Cummings was his protege at education and then henchman in the leave campaign, and I assume they're still pretty close, so what's his role in all this?   Might chucking Cummings out even be Johnson trying to undermine Gove?


I can't see Gove ever getting the top job. He's capable in a way that very few of his current colleagues are, and he's ruthless. But he's just so fundamentally dislikeable.


----------



## Argonia (Nov 13, 2020)

Hurrah!


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Artaxerxes said:


> I think we've not seen the last of Dom so he'll be back to help Boris next year or we'll see him working with Gove when the knives come out for Boris.



By the sounds of things him and Johnson have had quite the bust-up and I can't see Cummings being the kind to forgive and forget, but I reckon your second hypothesis might be spot on...


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

littlebabyjesus said:


> I can't see Gove ever getting the top job. He's capable in a way that very few of his current colleagues are, and he's ruthless. But he's just so fundamentally dislikeable.



I know what you mean, and tbh I've never been able to decide if he wants it or not.  Power behind the throne seems to be his preferred position, much like Cummings.  I'm sure he's scheming something but far from convinced that 'something' is to become PM himself.  But if he's not after it for himself, then who?  e2a - and for them to do what with it?


----------



## Artaxerxes (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> By the sounds of things him and Johnson have had quite the bust-up and I can't see Cummings being the kind to forgive and forget, but I reckon your second hypothesis might be spot on...



I'm a bit doubtful of how deep the bust up is tbh, theres a lot of arse slinging from journalists but its all behind close doors.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

FT hack finds suitable quote from _The Prince..._


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

Artaxerxes said:


> I'm a bit doubtful of how deep the bust up is tbh, theres a lot of arse slinging from journalists but its all behind close doors.



Difficult to be certain of anything with this lot, isn't it?! 

However, if it was something stage-managed I'd have expected it to get out through their usual friendly journos, but the news seemed completely uncontrolled this time, and even journalists they presumably hate like Pippa Crerar were tweeting about it all at once.  That makes me think it's genuine.


----------



## agricola (Nov 13, 2020)

brogdale said:


> FT hack finds suitable quote from _The Prince..._
> 
> View attachment 238681



Sejanus would have been a better example to give, especially as he was once played by Patrick Stewart and worked on behalf of a ruler known for his utter moral degeneracy.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Tory MP twitter output is practically paralysed waiting for the 'correct' line to put out!


----------



## BCBlues (Nov 13, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> Probably just stealing shit.  He's pretty obviously a guy who will take anything that's not nailed down.



Box looked a bit heavy.
I reckon Johnson's head is in there along with a few staplers and photocopy paper


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

This is a fair point:



OTOH 'the optics' could just be Cummings throwing as public a strop as he can.


----------



## bimble (Nov 13, 2020)

Same point, slightly angrier:


----------



## agricola (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This is a fair point:
> 
> 
> 
> OTOH 'the optics' could just be Cummings throwing as public a strop as he can.




he's like Tirpitz in that respect


----------



## Artaxerxes (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This is a fair point:
> 
> 
> 
> OTOH 'the optics' could just be Cummings throwing as public a strop as he can.




Yeah, the box is full of books or something he’s nabbed off a cupboard. It’s all managed.

The only genuine moment of Dom I can remember is him doing a runner out the door after bojo got covid


----------



## Ax^ (Nov 13, 2020)

haha

so it appears Boris is spooked enough by trump not winning to show him the door

Good


*sips a beer



slightly worried we may have pob as a PM by Feb


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Turns out that the vermin couldn't organise a slaughter in an abattoir...


----------



## chilango (Nov 13, 2020)

It's all probably part of some cunning backstabbing plan by Gove, right?


----------



## eatmorecheese (Nov 13, 2020)

I love the smell of a Tory clusterfuck in the evening


----------



## planetgeli (Nov 13, 2020)

killer b said:


> The commentary on this today is really weird - everyone's talking like he's confirmed he's definitely going this year, when all he did was give Kuenssberg a really vague and not at all definite hint that he might be going last night. Have I missed something more concrete today?



Perhaps


----------



## planetgeli (Nov 13, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Turns out that the vermin couldn't organise a slaughter in an abattoir...




Making them work their 4 week notice. Cute. Cummings will probably go off sick with eye problems.


----------



## cupid_stunt (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> This is a fair point:
> 
> OTOH 'the optics' could just be Cummings throwing as public a strop as he can.



I am sure he'll be off this weekend to Barnard Castle to get his optics checked.


----------



## killer b (Nov 13, 2020)

planetgeli said:


> Perhaps


I hadn't missed it when I posted that though, cause it hadn't happened by then.

Mind you even now there seems to be multiple versions of what's happening flying around. Might just wait til monday and see what's what then.


----------



## PD58 (Nov 13, 2020)

I wonder how much influence Symonds has over Bojo - is she the one in the background driving this?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Nov 13, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Turns out that the vermin couldn't organise a slaughter in an abattoir...




This is a Brexit based joke btw.


----------



## Raheem (Nov 13, 2020)

PD58 said:


> I wonder how much influence Symonds has over Bojo - is she the one in the background driving this?


None of it is about personality clashes or Carrie Symonds. It's just about people whose careers depend on being adored by the Tory right washing their hands of the impending Brexit humiliation they are responsible for.


----------



## tommers (Nov 13, 2020)

He didn't leave when he got caught breaking the rules and had to make a ridiculous speech on telly to "the nation". What is it we're supposed to believe? His mate got sacked or something? Jimmy fucking Hill.


----------



## gosub (Nov 13, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Turns out that the vermin couldn't organise a slaughter in an abattoir...



 Leave means LEAVE


----------



## Raheem (Nov 13, 2020)

tommers said:


> He didn't leave when he got caught breaking the rules and had to make a ridiculous speech on telly to "the nation". What is it we're supposed to believe? His mate got sacked or something? Jimmy fucking Hill.


It's that his mate didn't get promoted. Oh and also Allegra fancies Rishi, or something.


----------



## Ax^ (Nov 13, 2020)

hmm sorry trying not to laugh but have had sky news on mute  whilst watching Netflix's

finally watch the report from outside no 10


had to stop and check it was not J Pie


----------



## Calamity1971 (Nov 13, 2020)

BCBlues said:


> I reckon Johnson's head is in there along with a few staplers and photocopy paper


Boris Johnsons soul


----------



## Artaxerxes (Nov 13, 2020)

PD58 said:


> I wonder how much influence Symonds has over Bojo - is she the one in the background driving this?



She's an ambitious woman with knowledge of the conservative party and it's mechanisms so she's already more use then Boris.


----------



## MrSki (Nov 13, 2020)




----------



## Ax^ (Nov 13, 2020)

Calamity1971 said:


> Boris Johnsons soul
> View attachment 238698



Sold it to lizard people before he became a member of the bullingdon club


----------



## MrSki (Nov 13, 2020)

Should be an inquiry to every contract awarded under Cummings in No.10. He is corrupt as fuck & should be banged up.


----------



## MrSki (Nov 13, 2020)

His passport should be removed whilst the investigation takes place to stop him returning to Russia to escape justice.


----------



## Badgers (Nov 13, 2020)

MrSki said:


> Should be an inquiry to every contract awarded under Cummings in No.10. He is corrupt as fuck & should be banged up.


Banged up is the least they should face.


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

brogdale said:


> Turns out that the vermin couldn't organise a slaughter in an abattoir...




Sebastian Payne now reporting it's gardening leave:


----------



## Ax^ (Nov 13, 2020)

gardening leave is he going to work for trump or stammer?

bet it goes on for months

its the golden handshake the people should be fucked off about


----------



## chilango (Nov 13, 2020)

I miss the days when Tory scandals were more likely to be about golden showers rather than golden handshakes.

 #makesleazegreatagain


----------



## andysays (Nov 13, 2020)

So, the question every headline writer will be asking, is Cummings going?


----------



## chilango (Nov 13, 2020)

chilango said:


> I miss the days when Tory scandals were more likely to be about golden showers rather than golden handshakes.
> 
> #makesleazegreatagain



You know, like the good old days when you'd get by-elections caused by bizarre wanking accidents.


----------



## Roadkill (Nov 13, 2020)

andysays said:


> So, the question every headline writer will be asking, is Cummings going?



They'll be spending their Friday evenings thinking up double entendres they can get past the editor, glad that it's happening now rather than in normal times, when they'd knock off and go to the pub.


----------



## chilango (Nov 13, 2020)

Roadkill said:


> They'll be spending their Friday evenings thinking up double entendres they can get past the editor, glad that it's happening now rather than in normal times, when they'd knock one off and go to the pub.



ffy


----------



## cupid_stunt (Nov 13, 2020)

Ax^ said:


> gardening leave...



I hear the grounds of Barnard Castle needs a bit of tidying up ATM.


----------



## Schmetterling (Nov 13, 2020)




----------



## ska invita (Nov 13, 2020)

chilango said:


> You know, like the good old days when you'd get by-elections caused by bizarre wanking accidents.


still at least we've got this bizarre wanker accident


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Nov 13, 2020)

Fail presenting this as Carrie getting through to TCJ that the let them eat cake attitude of Cummings is all super if you deliver the goods, but when you fail on Brexit which will cause massive agg and you fail on Covid which has so far cost 50,000 lives, time for the too-dim-for-science prick to do the Frank.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Nov 13, 2020)




----------



## Lord Camomile (Nov 13, 2020)

As has already been suggested, feels at least somewhat stage managed, but in times like these we must take smiles where we can.


----------



## Dogsauce (Nov 13, 2020)

Has anyone seen the cat since he left? That box is about the right kind of size. Probably too small for Johnson’s ninth child so assume they are safe.


----------



## Raheem (Nov 13, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Has anyone seen the cat since he left? That box is about the right kind of size. Probably too small for Johnson’s ninth child so assume they are safe.


Could be Johnson's head, like in The Night Porter or Seven.


----------



## elbows (Nov 13, 2020)

chilango said:


> You know, like the good old days when you'd get by-elections caused by bizarre wanking accidents.



Theres a pandemic edition where Hancock said that a front door is better than any gimp mask, and some misheard a directive as wank from home if you can.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Nov 13, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Has anyone seen the cat since he left? That box is about the right kind of size. Probably too small for Johnson’s ninth child so assume they are safe.


----------



## strung out (Nov 13, 2020)

The most left wing newspaper in Britain does it again:


----------



## MrSki (Nov 13, 2020)




----------



## Lurdan (Nov 13, 2020)

Entertainng FT story (archived here)


> Mr Johnson held a 45-minute meeting with Mr Cummings and Mr Cain on Friday to discuss their “general behaviour” this week, according to individuals with knowledge of the conversation. In tense exchanges, Mr Johnson accused his aides of briefing against him and his partner Carrie Symonds and criticised them for destabilising the government in the midst of tense Brexit negotiations. Mr Johnson showed the aides text messages that had been forwarded to Ms Symonds, who opposed Mr Cain’s appointment as chief of staff, to show they had briefed against her. He told them to get out and never return.



Both Cummings' chums and his enemies are briefing that he will have his 'revenge'. Possibly through a really mean blog post.


> A colleague of Mr Cummings said: “It’s not Dom’s style just to quietly drift away.” (...) Mr Johnson’s remaining team inside Number 10 is braced for Mr Cummings’ revenge. (...)  “I’m told there is a blog coming. Spads [special advisers] are preparing about how to respond,” said one official. “It’s really the last days of Rome in here.”


etc etc etc

ROFL.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (Nov 13, 2020)

strung out said:


> The most left wing newspaper in Britain does it again:
> 
> View attachment 238726


It's no longer more fun than the Sun. 

But it does now love animals.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 13, 2020)

Lurdan said:


> Entertainng FT story (archived here)
> 
> 
> Both Cummings' chums and his enemies are briefing that he will have his 'revenge'. Possibly through a really mean blog post.
> ...


With both parties offering such radically differing accounts of the denouement, it messes with the head a bit to realise that one side might be telling the truth


----------



## two sheds (Nov 14, 2020)

MrSki said:


>




I like the guy who closes the door on him quite abruptly  "off you go then"


----------



## tim (Nov 14, 2020)

Puddy_Tat said:


> View attachment 238721




This is what happens to those with Bismarckian ambitions


----------



## Badgers (Nov 14, 2020)

Johnson tells Cummings to leave Downing St immediately
					

Fears in Number 10 that PM’s former aide and Brexit architect will turn against him




					amp.ft.com


----------



## MrSki (Nov 14, 2020)

From what I have read he hasn't had his security pass removed though.


----------



## Badgers (Nov 14, 2020)

MrSki said:


> From what I have read he hasn't had his security pass removed though.


Probably has a few extras anyway.


----------



## tommers (Nov 14, 2020)

So he didn't get kicked out for screwing up the whole coronavirus response, but he did for being nasty to Carrie? 


Hahaha, fucking amazing.


----------



## maomao (Nov 14, 2020)

When did it become acceptable for Prime Ministers' partners or spouses to be involved in running the country?

They'll be getting the violinist in next.


----------



## teqniq (Nov 14, 2020)

And herin lies the problem:


----------



## platinumsage (Nov 14, 2020)

maomao said:


> When did it become acceptable for Prime Ministers' partners or spouses to be involved in running the country?



Since there were Prime Ministers. e.g. Catherine Gladstone had complete control of her husband's diary and used to censor his incoming correspondence, to the annoyance of cabinet ministers and the queen: Petticoat Power: The Political Influence of Mrs. Gladstone on JSTOR


----------



## A380 (Nov 14, 2020)

platinumsage said:


> Since there were Prime Ministers. e.g. Catherine Gladstone had complete control of her husband's diary and used to censor his incoming correspondance, to the annoynace of cabinet ministers and the queen: Petticoat Power: The Political Influence of Mrs. Gladstone on JSTOR



I was just about to suggest  Catherine Shorter

 (Later Lady Walpole)


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

teqniq said:


> And herin lies the problem:



the papers today are running it as fact, without even an "according to sources" , "an unnamed source says"

who knows

the shadow of brexit & biden looms large though
The Times has this


> Among those who are expected to leave is Oliver Lewis, Lord Frost’s de-facto deputy as chief Brexit negotiator and a key ally of Mr Cummings. His position was described as untenable. Lord Frost himself is understood to have sought reassurances from the prime minister that he still backed his strategy before deciding to stay on. Others under threat include several Downing Street strategists and a number of advisers placed by Mr Cummings across Whitehall.
> “There will be a huge clearout,” one government critic of Mr Johnson’s former adviser said. “A lot of people were there only because of their relationship with Dom” but had ended up in “relatively senior roles” and their jobs would “obviously be pointless”.


how can a chief Brexit negotiators position be untenable  with so little time left before the deadline?


----------



## brogdale (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> how can a chief Brexit negotiators position be untenable  with so little time left before the deadline?


Because of the successful Dem voter registration campaign in Pennsylvania.


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

Heres a thought, perhaps:  core old-school tie establishment forces within the Tories have carried out a coup against the relatively revolutionary reforming forces of Cummings and his accolades, in a direct parallel to the successive anti-Corbyn coups within Labour.

Cummings and Corbyn are mirror images of attempts to break the limits of two-party state orthodoxy from within the system, and both attempts have been successfully snubbed out by small c conservatives within them.

(...though Corbyn-ism has a popular base, so isn't done yet, whereas Cumming-ism doesn't)

??


----------



## brogdale (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> Heres a thought, perhaps:  core old-school tie establishment forces within the Tories have carried out a coup against the relatively revolutionary reforming forces of Cummings and his accolades, in a direct parallel to the successive anti-Corbyn coups within Labour.
> 
> Cummings and Corbyn are mirror images of attempts to break the limits of two-party state orthodoxy from within the system, and both attempts have been successfully snubbed out by small c conservatives within them.
> 
> ...


Certainly looks like a (re) assertion of the Parliamentary party in both cases, but the crucial difference between advisors & leadership team is obvious. Johnson's cabinet remains a cohort of those prepared to swear allegiance to the one true vision.


----------



## Spandex (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> how can a chief Brexit negotiators position be untenable  with so little time left before the deadline?


Because he's part of the Vote Leave boys club and it looks like they're getting the boot at the minute.

As I understand it Johnson owes a great deal of his success to the Vote Leave group: Cummings, Cain, Lewis et al. Their Trumpish disregard for the establishment, use of alternative facts, their success with Brexit - they were a big part of getting Johnson into No 10. Once in power Johnson rewarded them with positions of power around him.

Now he seems to have tired of them both personally and strategically. They've been acting like Johnson reports to them rather than the other way around, their blokey ways have pissed off women around Johnson - not just Simmonds, but new Press Secretary Allegra Stratton and others as well, most Tory MPs loath them, their PR-social media voodoo and ways with redefining reality have hit a brick wall against Covid and with Trump embarrassing himself as he exits office both their approach and ties with the Trump administration will not go down well with the incoming Biden government. A couple of things seem to have been the final straw: the leak about the new lockdown, which was initially blamed on Hancock is increasingly looking like it was them; and then trying to bounce Cain into the Chief of Staff role, which has prompted this clear out of the whole bunch of them.

Is that about right?


----------



## Badgers (Nov 14, 2020)

This is the best I have seen so far...


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

Spandex said:


> Because he's part of the Vote Leave boys club and it looks like they're getting the boot at the minute.


I get that but this is the end game -  theres a deadline on the 19th November  According to this if the details of a deal aren't announced on the 19th its No Deal preparation time. I appreciate deadlines have been moved again and again, but the notion its time for a reshuffle of the negotiations team seems ridiculous.

Anyhow, that Times bit is as vague as everything else out there


----------



## brogdale (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> I get that but this is the end game -  theres a deadline on the 19th November  According to this if the details of a deal aren't announced on the 19th its No Deal preparation time. I appreciate deadlines have been moved again and again, but the notion its time for a reshuffle of the negotiations team seems ridiculous.
> 
> Anyhow, that Times bit is as vague as everything else out there


Biden told Johnson in that phone call the other day.


----------



## Spandex (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> I get that but this is the end game -  theres a deadline on the 19th November  According to this if the details of a deal aren't announced on the 19th its No Deal preparation time. I appreciate deadlines have been moved again and again, but the notion its time for a reshuffle of the negotiations team seems ridiculous.


If the Vote Leave people in the negotiating team are wedded to no deal, or at least no deal the EU will accept, and Biden's administration would be deeply unhappy with a no deal, and the deadline a few days away, now might be the perfect time for Johnson to have a reshuffle.


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

Spandex said:


> If the Vote Leave people in the negotiating team are wedded to no deal, or at least no deal the EU will accept, and Biden's administration would be deeply unhappy with a no deal, and the deadline a few days away, now might be the perfect time for Johnson to have a reshuffle.


if this is really whats happening (cant be certain it is) then that's hilarious

I'd expect they had a Biden fall back position, not a Shit Fire Everyone position


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> I'd expect they had a Biden fall back position, not a Shit Fire Everyone position



You are far too fucking generous.


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

Spandex said:


> Biden's administration would be deeply unhappy with a no deal


BTW Im not sure its No Deal that Biden is against, its specifically this bullshit the Tories are trying with the Irish border (i.e. not implementing it and telling the EU if they want a border its their problem) - this is an issue whether its a deal or no deal (unless the deal includes a customs union, which it won't) .


Bahnhof Strasse said:


> You are far too fucking generous.


They need some new superforescasters then


----------



## Yossarian (Nov 14, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Banged up is the least they should face.



I don't know how many died because Cummings flouted coronavirus restrictions and got away with it, making people think that strictly following the rules is for mugs, but it's probably in the thousands if not tens of thousands - if it was up to me, I'd throw him down a well and chuck Peter Sutcliffe's COVID-infected corpse down to keep him company.


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

Yossarian said:


> I don't know how many died because Cummings flouted coronavirus restrictions and got away with it, making people think that strictly following the rules is for mugs, but it's probably in the thousands if not tens of thousands - if it was up to me, I'd throw him down a well and chuck Peter Sutcliffe's COVID-infected corpse down to keep him company.


Yeah the only thing he really seems to have achieved is encouraged herd immunity from the start and then personally fucked up social cohesion over Covid rules.


----------



## brogdale (Nov 14, 2020)

Yossarian said:


> I don't know how many died because Cummings flouted coronavirus restrictions and got away with it, making people think that strictly following the rules is for mugs, but it's probably in the thousands if not tens of thousands - if it was up to me, I'd throw him down a well and chuck Peter Sutcliffe's COVID-infected corpse down to keep him company.


You just know that Cummings would have been foursquare behind all the anti-lockdown "cure more damaging than the disease" stuff whilst simultaneously arguing that the economic dislocation from the one true Brexit was a 'price worth paying'.


----------



## two sheds (Nov 14, 2020)

ska invita said:


> BTW Im not sure its No Deal that Biden is against, its specifically this bullshit the Tories are trying with the Irish border (i.e. not implementing it and telling the EU if they want a border its their problem) - this is an issue whether its a deal or no deal (unless the deal includes a customs union, which it won't) .
> 
> Need some new superforescasters then



EU just needs to establish some refugee centres just south of the border Johnson'll soon set up guarded border posts then.


----------



## agricola (Nov 14, 2020)

It may or may not be a coincidence, but David Rose in today's _Mail_ has really put the boot in to the response to the pandemic generally and "Operation Moonshot" specifically.  I won't link to it, but here is a summary:



> The Daily Mail today unearths a recurring pattern where experts' advice is ignored, and vast sums are thrown at untried 'solutions' when apparently cheaper, better ones were at hand. Our investigation shows:
> 
> Key figures in the Government's new laboratories – the Lighthouse Network – starved established NHS labs of resources, say health department sources.
> Many of accountant Deloitte's management consultants – brought in at huge expense to deliver the Government's new testing network rather than to use existing NHS labs – had no healthcare experience, and instead had backgrounds in fields such as printing banknotes.
> ...


----------



## teqniq (Nov 14, 2020)

'Our investigation' Good Law Project, more like. Good that it's getting publicity though.


----------



## hash tag (Nov 14, 2020)

Dogsauce said:


> Has anyone seen the cat since he left? That box is about the right kind of size. Probably too small for Johnson’s ninth child so assume they are safe.


Cummings clears up after Johnson....it be Carrie Symonds head in the box


----------



## ska invita (Nov 14, 2020)

Sacked for calling Carrie Symonds ‘Princess Nut Nuts’  Another great day for UK politics


----------



## T & P (Nov 14, 2020)




----------



## Supine (Nov 14, 2020)

Based on no insider knowledge or expert opinion I think Dom going is a signal that the UK is about to make a deal. It'll piss off fishermen and many others but it'll happen.


----------



## pseudonarcissus (Nov 14, 2020)

This is worth a read, it’s by that bloke that wanted to kip on your sofa


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Nov 14, 2020)

pseudonarcissus said:


> This is worth a read, it’s by that bloke that wanted to kip on your sofa



did they used to call him a loafer?


----------



## teqniq (Nov 15, 2020)

No, _really?_ I'm shocked, shocked I tell you:









						Boris Johnson ‘in good health’ as number of Tory MPs self-isolating after No 10 meeting grows
					

Follow the latest updates from Westminster




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## two sheds (Nov 17, 2020)

Will Dominic Cummings seek revenge?
					

The abrupt exit of the prime minister’s chief adviser has prompted a flurry of speculation about what comes next for the former Vote Leave supremo. Sean O’Grady considers whether this is indeed the end of the story – or whether Mr Cummings will be back




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## Pickman's model (Nov 17, 2020)

two sheds said:


> Will Dominic Cummings seek revenge?
> 
> 
> The abrupt exit of the prime minister’s chief adviser has prompted a flurry of speculation about what comes next for the former Vote Leave supremo. Sean O’Grady considers whether this is indeed the end of the story – or whether Mr Cummings will be back
> ...


i think dc would be more likely to put dogshit in someone's baseball mitts


----------



## two sheds (Dec 5, 2020)

Oh dear









						New evidence on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown trip to be examined by Durham Police
					

First time the force has spoken about case since May




					www.independent.co.uk
				






> Specifically, the documents are understood to allege that Mr Cummings perverted the course of justice with misleading statements about journeys he made to Durham and Barnard Castle in March and April.
> 
> They accuse Boris Johnson’s former chief aide and his wife Mary Wakefield of committing multiple breaches of coronavirus regulations by leaving their primary house in London and driving some 270 miles without a reasonable excuse – while both had Covid-19.



and



> A survey commissioned by Channel Four suggests the Conservatives would now lose the majority of northern seats they gained at the 2019 election – with many respondents suggesting the actions of Mr Cummings would be one of the reasons why they will probably vote Labour next time round.





they'll no doubt have forgotten it by time of next election though.


----------



## teqniq (Dec 5, 2020)

It's kind of good but also smells a bit of 'now that he's sufficiently distanced from Johnson, it's ok to hang him out to dry'.


----------



## two sheds (Dec 5, 2020)

Yes I wondered that - let's hope that's how he sees it too.


----------



## gosub (Dec 5, 2020)

teqniq said:


> It's kind of good but also smells a bit of 'now that he's sufficiently distanced from Johnson, it's ok to hang him out to dry'.



If Mr Afzal is happy with the timeframe it took, no reason for anyone else not to be


----------



## brogdale (Dec 15, 2020)

Just to cheer us up:


----------



## teqniq (Dec 31, 2020)

Obfuscation and delay, SOP:









						Thread by @OGMurphy1 on Thread Reader App
					

Thread by @OGMurphy1: UPDATE: The Cabinet Office has responded to my FOI and revealed it *does* hold information on whether Dominic Cummings’s post-Barnard Castle press conference was funded by the taxpayer. Howeve...…




					threadreaderapp.com


----------



## teqniq (Dec 31, 2020)

In other Cummings related news, Cummings attempts to throw Johnson under a bus re: Covid:


----------



## Badgers (Jan 1, 2021)




----------



## magneze (Jan 1, 2021)

I'm probably missing something. Later on in the thread there's a statement "this is where it gets interesting" but it doesn't appear to. 🤷‍♂️


----------



## teqniq (Jan 7, 2021)

Lawyer calling for Dominic Cummings investigation forced to move after attacks on home


----------



## Raheem (Jan 8, 2021)

teqniq said:


> Lawyer calling for Dominic Cummings investigation forced to move after attacks on home


Isn't that the exact thing that Cummings claimed forced him to go to Durham?


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jan 8, 2021)

Raheem said:


> Isn't that the exact thing that Cummings claimed forced him to go to Durham?


No


----------



## Smangus (Jan 8, 2021)

Raheem said:


> Isn't that the exact thing that Cummings claimed forced him to go to Durham?



An eyetest?


----------



## hegley (Jan 8, 2021)

Raheem said:


> Isn't that the exact thing that Cummings claimed forced him to go to Durham?





DaveCinzano said:


> No


From the transcript of his press conference in the Rose Garden:

_For years, I have warned of the dangers of pandemics. Last year I wrote about the possible threat of coronaviruses and the urgent need for planning. The truth is, that I had argued for lockdown. I did not oppose it. But these stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home. I was subject to threats of violence. People came to my house shouting threats. There were posts on social media, encouraging attacks. There were many media reports on TV showing pictures of my house. 
I was also worried that given the severity of this emergency, this situation would get worse. And I was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and off into the night while I worked in No.10. I thought the best thing to do in all the circumstances was to drive to an isolated cottage on my father's farm._


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jan 8, 2021)

What he describes, in one small section at his self-serving press conference, is not "the exact thing", no.


----------



## brogdale (Feb 15, 2021)

Latest unsurprising stuff in the Guardian...





> Dominic Cummings was instrumental in the process of awarding a government contract without tender to a company run by his “friends”, according to court documents that raise questions about whether the Cabinet Office may have misled the public.
> 
> The documents reveal the central role the prime minister’s former chief adviser played in the awarding of the contract to Public First, a research company owned and run by two of his longstanding associates.



Bent bastard.


----------



## teqniq (Feb 15, 2021)

'May have misled' yeah sure.


----------



## stavros (Feb 15, 2021)

teqniq said:


> 'May have misled' yeah sure.



They should've asked Cummings for directions.


----------



## teqniq (Feb 15, 2021)

Make of this what you will:


----------



## belboid (Feb 15, 2021)

teqniq said:


> Make of this what you will:



I did 'like' this bit in that article:
_
Former Labour MP Natascha Engel, who is now a partner at Public First, defended the firm's involvement._


----------



## teqniq (Feb 15, 2021)

Well, yes haha. It makes no reference to Gove's involvement either.


----------



## teqniq (Feb 16, 2021)

The 'I don't remember' defence doing a bit of heavy lifting here:


----------



## teqniq (Feb 16, 2021)

Another group of people that Cummings has pissed off:





__





						News - ESOMAR
					

- ESOMAR




					www.esomar.org
				






> ESOMAR condemns uncorroborated allegations made by Mr. Dominic Cummings
> 
> *16 February 2021*
> 
> ...


----------



## teqniq (Feb 16, 2021)

Concerning the above, I got the article via a tweet from Jolyon Maugham here:



Hmmm he deleted the following tweet but see below for the gist of it

And the following tweet is rather telling. People are quite possibly to afraid to give evidence in court against the government in case it prejudices any possibility of future contracts with them.


----------



## two sheds (Feb 16, 2021)

Cummings calling anyone not "competent, honest and reliable" is laughable.


----------



## Badgers (Mar 5, 2021)

The dirty protest 





__





						Cummings to break silence in new evidence session - Boris ex-aide to expose No10 workings
					





					www.msn.com


----------



## ska invita (Mar 17, 2021)

haha what a backstabber!


----------



## stavros (Mar 17, 2021)

We know how the government can test their ability to have a "very hard look"...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Mar 17, 2021)

stavros said:


> We know how the government can test their ability to have a "very hard look"...



Gonna need a bigger car park up at Barnard Castle.


----------



## elbows (Mar 17, 2021)

For him the failings he wants attention drawn to, and the way he frames them, are a seamless fit for his agenda regarding the civil service.


----------



## teqniq (Mar 17, 2021)

Anyone who thinks that Cummings is no longer involved in running stuff has taken their eye off the ball:


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Mar 18, 2021)

teqniq said:


> Anyone who thinks that Cummings is no longer involved in running stuff has taken their eye off the ball:





Presumably he's not doing this out of the goodness of his cold heart? So, a: who's paying the cunt? b: who's giving him access to Westminster/asking his opinion? c: Can't we just throw him down a well?


----------



## stavros (Apr 1, 2021)

Alas there will not be a statue erected in his honour in Barnard Castle; just the Telegraph having a bit of laugh on 1 April.

I don't suppose there's anything stopping anyone doing a pop-up version. Two fans created one of Alan Partridge outside Norwich City Council's offices, before the humourless council wonks took it down.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 1, 2021)

stavros said:


> I don't suppose there's anything stopping anyone doing a pop-up version. Two fans created one of Alan Partridge outside Norwich City Council's offices, before the humourless council wonks took it down.



TYPICAL BLOODY COUNCIL 

“And with the time fast approaching six-oh-five in the post meridian - oooh reminds me of Fish...”
“...fish?”
“Fish, yes Tim, FISH. Bloody nice guy - we're opening the lines and asking, ‘What's the best type of “counselling”: elected local representation, fixing mad people’...”
“I really don't think you can say that, Alan...”
“Okay, ‘mental people’...”
“Alan...”
“‘MENTALLY UNWELL PEOPLE’, happy now? - ‘or livestock auctioneers?’”
“Alan?”
“...”
“...’
“...‘Cow'n'selling’. COUNSELLING.”
“Right.”
“It's now six minutes past six and six seconds...”
“The time of the beast...”
“...and here's Michael Jackson with ‘Rockin' Robin’...”


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 23, 2021)

Five Dimensional Chess - Blogger's Edition









						Statement regarding No10 claims today
					

The Prime Minister’s new Director of Communications Jack Doyle, at the PM’s request, has made a number of false accusations to the media.  1. Re Dyson. I do have some WhatsApp messages between…




					dominiccummings.com
				




🤣


----------



## elbows (Apr 23, 2021)

Indeed. He has some nerve to talk about pandemic conduct but since this government fucked the pandemic response up I do hope this shit helps expose more detail.









						Dominic Cummings launches attack on Boris Johnson's integrity
					

Boris Johnson's one-time closest ally makes a string of explosive allegations about the PM's conduct.



					www.bbc.co.uk
				






> Mr Cummings writes on his blog: "I was not directly or indirectly a/the source for the BBC/Kuenssberg story on the PM/Dyson texts."
> 
> He adds: "I am happy to meet with the cabinet secretary and for him to search my phone for Dyson messages. "
> 
> ...


----------



## agricola (Apr 23, 2021)

elbows said:


> Indeed. He has some nerve to talk about pandemic conduct but since this government fucked the pandemic response up I do hope this shit helps expose more detail.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



these Corbynite holdouts get everywhere


----------



## David Clapson (Apr 23, 2021)

It's all kicking off! From the FT, one hour ago: Subscribe to read | Financial Times

Cummings accuses Johnson of ‘possibly illegal’ acts in broadside against PM 
Former adviser takes aim at Johnson with string of damaging allegations 



> Dominic Cummings has accused Boris Johnson of “possibly illegal” behaviour by “secretly” using Tory donors to pay for the renovation of his flat at Number 11 Downing Street, in an extraordinary broadside from the prime minister’s former top adviser. In a blog published on Friday evening, Cummings — who quit Number 10 in December — claimed that he had refused to help organise the payments. “The PM stopped speaking to me about this matter in 2020 as I told him I thought his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal and almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations if conducted in the way he intended,” he wrote. “My knowledge about them is therefore limited.” Number 10 has repeatedly refused to deny that the cost of the project — thought to be up to £200,000 — was funded by the Conservative party and Tory donors. The work on the renovation has been overseen by Carrie Symonds, the prime minister’s fiancé. Previous prime ministers have received about £30,000 apiece to spend on decorating the flat to their own liking. Cummings also claimed on his blog that Johnson sought to abandon an inquiry into a leak last autumn about plans for a new Covid lockdown when its findings suggested Henry Newman, now one of Johnson’s advisers, may have been the source. “The PM was very upset about this,” Cummings wrote. “He said to me afterwards, if Newman is confirmed as the leaker then I will have to fire him, and this will cause me very serious problems with Carrie as they’re best friends . . .[pause] perhaps we could get the cabinet secretary to stop the leak inquiry?” Cummings claimed that he told Johnson that this would be “mad” and unethical given that the prime minister had ordered the inquiry and authorised the cabinet secretary to use “more invasive” methods than usual. “I told him that he could not possibly cancel an inquiry about a leak that affected millions of people, just because it might implicate his girlfriend’s friends,” he wrote. “It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves,” he added. Cummings also used the blog to deny being the source of Johnson’s leaked text communications with industrialist Sir James Dyson, which were reported by the BBC earlier this week. The former adviser responded after three newspapers claimed on Friday morning that the prime minister was angry and disappointed with him for being the apparent source of the leak. “I was not directly or indirectly a/the source for the BBC/Kuenssberg story on the PM/Dyson texts,” Cummings wrote on his blog. More to come . . .


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 23, 2021)

David Clapson said:


> It's all kicking off! From the FT, one hour ago: Subscribe to read | Financial Times
> 
> Cummings accuses Johnson of ‘possibly illegal’ acts in broadside against PM
> Former adviser takes aim at Johnson with string of damaging allegations


Err, the _FT_ story is just summarising Cummings' own blog post, which is linked to above


----------



## David Clapson (Apr 23, 2021)

Yes, but the fact that the FT has run it makes it more damaging. The Guardian has it too, but then you'd expect them to be anti-Johnson. The FT is pretty balanced. The fairest and most reputable quality paper in the UK these days. 









						‘Mad and totally unethical’: Dominic Cummings hits out at Boris Johnson
					

Former chief aide alleges PM tried to quash a leak inquiry as it implicated an ally




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## two sheds (Apr 23, 2021)

Johnson MUST REPLY 

with as much dirt as he can throw 

slanging match between them was always on the cards


----------



## stavros (Apr 23, 2021)

Shit doesn't stick to Johnson, especially if it's thrown by someone with optical difficulties.


----------



## Ted Striker (Apr 23, 2021)

Capable yet isolated Dom, vs the Incompetent Boris with an army of media mouthpieces....It _might_ get interesting, no?


----------



## MrSki (Apr 23, 2021)

Isn't just Cummings trying to get his mate Gove the top seat?


----------



## eatmorecheese (Apr 23, 2021)

Christ this is dismal. Why am I minded of an A-Team style improvised ballistics delivery system flinging dead cats around?


----------



## teuchter (Apr 23, 2021)

eatmorecheese said:


> Christ this is dismal. Why am I minded of an A-Team style improvised ballistics delivery system flinging dead cats around?


I too have seen better commentary on other discussion boards.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 23, 2021)

eatmorecheese said:


> Christ this is dismal. Why am I minded of an A-Team style improvised ballistics delivery system flinging dead cats around?


Not so much Thunderdome as Plonkershed


----------



## Treacle Toes (Apr 23, 2021)

eatmorecheese said:


> Christ this is dismal. Why am I minded of an A-Team style improvised ballistics delivery system flinging dead cats around?



Yeah, I don't believe any of it. Pretending Cumface and Knobson are no longer friends is about distraction from the evil shit they are all still up to, together.


----------



## Raheem (Apr 23, 2021)

Nah, I don't think they're still in cahoots. But Dom's cock is on the block over Covid contracts, which really is threatening to be an enormous scandal. Think he's trying to muddy the waters by establishing an enmity between him and everyone else. So that _of course _they would want to make him into a scapegoat.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 24, 2021)




----------



## Badgers (Apr 24, 2021)




----------



## Sue (Apr 24, 2021)

Cummings accusing someone else (Johnson) of being 'totally unethical'  and saying:

'It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves.'

That's some brassneck. Where's my popcorn..?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Apr 24, 2021)

Unethical, useless, bullshitting toerag, etc. Does Cumstain not have any fresh revelations for us?


----------



## Sue (Apr 24, 2021)

teuchter said:


> I too have seen better commentary on other discussion boards.


Seriously teuchter, what's with the constant snideyness? You sound like a disgruntled teenager.


----------



## Sue (Apr 24, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Unethical, useless, bullshitting toerag, etc. Does Cumstain not have any fresh revelations for us?


Given he's such a weasel, my expectations are pretty high.


----------



## rubbershoes (Apr 24, 2021)

Sue said:


> Seriously teuchter, what's with the constant snideyness? You sound like a disgruntled teenager.



I think he's just constipated


----------



## MickiQ (Apr 24, 2021)

This seems to be a bit of a non story to me, Cummings (hardly the most trustworthy of individuals) is basically saying that BoZo suggested some dodgy things that he didn't actually do.
It definitely gives the impression of sour grapes and shit stirring purely out of spite.
BoZo does give off a sleazebag vibe and I think that has got a lot of people hoping that the next revelation is the one that finishes him.
Not going to be this though


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Apr 24, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> This seems to be a bit of a non story to me, Cummings (hardly the most trustworthy of individuals) is basically saying that BoZo suggested some dodgy things that he didn't actually do.
> It definitely gives the impression of sour grapes and shit stirring purely out of spite.



"cunt calls cunt a cunt" is the headline that this story really needs...


----------



## brogdale (Apr 24, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> "cunt calls cunt a cunt" is the headline that this story really needs...


Or, if we really want to go for it...the cunts' cunt calls the First Cunt of the Cuntery a cunt; the cunt.


----------



## two sheds (Apr 24, 2021)

stavros said:


> Shit doesn't stick to Johnson, especially if it's thrown by someone with optical difficulties.


or sticky hands


----------



## elbows (Apr 24, 2021)

Badgers said:


> View attachment 264636



Does this mean we should check whether he was secretly working with Jo Swinson to execute his revenge plot against the squirrels?


----------



## teqniq (Apr 24, 2021)

Some people on Twitter are acting all 'shocked' at the 'revelations'. I am singularly unsurprised by them, particularly as this is easily the most corrupt government in recent times. More pertinent questions would be why? And why now? Leadership bid incoming?


----------



## elbows (Apr 24, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> This seems to be a bit of a non story to me, Cummings (hardly the most trustworthy of individuals) is basically saying that BoZo suggested some dodgy things that he didn't actually do.
> It definitely gives the impression of sour grapes and shit stirring purely out of spite.
> BoZo does give off a sleazebag vibe and I think that has got a lot of people hoping that the next revelation is the one that finishes him.
> Not going to be this though



They do hate specific details though, specfiics are always a threat even if a general impression of sleaze etc is already commonplace.

Not that I like to predict what mud will stick and what wont. But even those with a reputation for mud not being able to stick to them cannot bank on that phenomenon continuing.


----------



## two sheds (Apr 24, 2021)

As people have said I can't see dyson being a killer blow - the more the pressed and they show just those specific emails, then when other emails are demanded he can say "well you demanded the dyson emails and there was nothing. We're not helping you with your fishing expeditions any more. We've done nothing wrong" and "I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous reply".


----------



## elbows (Apr 24, 2021)

The Dyson stuff just adds a few more drips to the lobbying sleaze picture. The flat refurbishment stuff stubbornly refuses to go away, and the stuff about squashing a leak inquiry because it pointed to a person Johnson didnt want implicated might go somewhere, I cant tell yet. Hopefully there is more to come.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 24, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Or, if we really want to go for it...the cunts' cunt calls the First Cunt of the Cuntery a cunt; the cunt.


Cunt leaks the story to a cunt...


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 24, 2021)

Heading for acuntocalypse


----------



## teqniq (Apr 24, 2021)

Couple of plausible 'whys':


----------



## killer b (Apr 24, 2021)

I always discount any explanation which finishes with a request for retweets tbh


----------



## teqniq (Apr 24, 2021)

Heh, fair comment I suppose but she, and Every doctor (who took the government to court along with the Good Law Project over the PPE scandal) are doing good stuff nevertheless.


----------



## agricola (Apr 24, 2021)

teqniq said:


> Couple of plausible 'whys':




The second one seems more reasonable, though then again the whole sleaze aspect might itself be a decoy for the reality that is them repeatedly making decisions based on their own political and social beliefs knowing that they'd kill people.   

Of course people dying as the result of their decisions isn't unknown, but if its true that they were just going to wear a hundred thousand dead in order to keep everything open (and it is properly investigated) then its hard to see how prison does not end up as a destination.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Apr 24, 2021)

rubbershoes said:


> I think he's just constipated


Far from it, evidently.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 24, 2021)

He has the manner and grace of a man who has already been standing waiting in A&E for three and a half hours, whose bow-legged introduction to the reception clerk may have included the phrases “an accident” and “somehow slipped and fell onto it”, of course he's a bit tetchy.


----------



## stavros (Apr 24, 2021)

eatmorecheese said:


> Christ this is dismal. Why am I minded of an A-Team style improvised ballistics delivery system flinging dead cats around?



You're way off the mark; the A-Team were convicted for a crime they _didn't_ commit.


----------



## Sue (Apr 24, 2021)

stavros said:


> You're way off the mark; the A-Team were convicted for a crime they _didn't_ commit.


Yes, someone obviously wasn't paying attention.


----------



## Dogsauce (Apr 25, 2021)

It’s going to be amusing watching all the guardian/Twitterati types hang off every bad word cummings has to say about Johnson, him suddenly becoming an honourable oracle of truth and not a creepy eugenicist cunt.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Apr 25, 2021)




----------



## teqniq (Apr 25, 2021)

Are the wheels coming off? Maybe...









						Guerrilla warfare: Johnson steels himself for final assault from Cummings
					

Even Boris Johnson’s closest allies have compared the prime minister to one of Shakespeare’s most tragic heroes: King Lear. After arguably one of his toughest w




					www.thetimes.co.uk
				






Spoiler: article



Even Boris Johnson’s closest allies have compared the prime minister to one of Shakespeare’s most tragic heroes: King Lear. After arguably one of his toughest weeks in Downing Street, Johnson suffered his greatest betrayal when his once loyal lieutenant, Dominic Cummings, eviscerated him in a 1,000-word blog post.

Those close to Johnson fear the treachery of his former chief adviser, accused of “systematic leaking”, has pushed the prime minister over the edge. Just like Lear, the PM has been driven half mad.

In his post, Cummings denied Johnson’s claims that he leaked details of the second lockdown and the prime minister’s texts with the billionaire Brexiteer Sir James Dyson.

According to friends, Cummings had one aim in posting the missive: to pre-empt a stitch-up by the “establishment” that could land him in prison — an outcome he has privately feared since details emerged of irregular spending during the Brexit referendum.


However, its toxic effect has been to destabilise the prime minister and the government. Aides are only too conscious that Cummings has nothing to lose and believe he has enough “kompromat” to “destroy” Johnson when he gives evidence on Covid-19 to MPs on May 26.

They are especially concerned about emails in which the prime minister is allegedly dismissive about the potential death toll from Covid — or quoted as being so. Others believe Cummings has embarrassing details of his links to Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, and Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai.
In contrast, Johnson feels he has only one secret weapon: Cummings’s failure to deny that he leaked his texts with bin Salman over the proposed takeover of Newcastle United football club, which never went ahead. “He was waving round that omission like it was the big reveal,” said a source who spoke to him last week. “Otherwise, I think that’s all he has.”


For months, Johnson had been enjoying his most stable spell in government, thanks to the successful vaccine rollout. Now a combination of Cummings, leaks and sleaze allegations threaten to engulf him.
One Downing Street insider said: “After the departure of his closest aides last year, the prime minister has become increasingly isolated and paranoid. He has become known in some circles as the King Lear prime minister and we all know how that ended up.”



Last week after days of leaks, including the publication of private text messages between the prime minister and Dyson more than a year ago, Johnson finally “snapped”.
“It was like death by a thousand cuts,” said one Downing Street aide. “But the Dyson leak was the last straw.”
In particular, Johnson has been concerned by the disclosure of details about the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat amid claims it was circuitously funded by a Tory donor.
The Electoral Commission is investigating. By Friday, the Cabinet Office had confirmed in a statement to parliament that Johnson would foot a residual bill of £58,000 himself. He has already used up the improvements allowance of £30,000 to which all new prime ministers are entitled for “structural work”. The parliamentary move and decision to pay was clearly designed to draw a line under the matter.
“When stories about the flat first started emerging Boris was really ranting and raving about,” said one insider. “He was clearly very rattled by it.” Another source added: “He would often have what I would describe as a Lear-ish moment and rampaging around Downing Street demanding to know who was briefing against him.” Last month, after the latest story on the redecoration of No 10, Johnson explicitly forbade aides in his leadership team from even speaking to Cummings.
A person who spoke to Johnson last week said the prime minister was “convinced” that his former chief adviser had declared war on him from the moment he left Downing Street in November.
Carrie Symonds, the PM’s fiancée, is understood to have played a pivotal role in the ousting of Cummings and had been encouraging Johnson to take action.
On Thursday, the PM decided to finger Cummings for the leaks. It is suggested he may have briefed newspaper editors himself. It was a co-ordinated hit with the story appearing in three newspapers. The Daily Mail, which has been the outlet for most of the leaks, was left out.
Few aides in No 10 now believe Johnson made the right decision in launching the attack on Cummings, prompting Friday’s incendiary riposte. It is understood that he overruled advisers who warned him that the move was “suicidal”.
Some blame the recent departure of so many once-trusted aides for the PM’s “error in judgement”. He is without many of the people who stood by him throughout his first year and a half in office. Cummings, once loyal, is gone. So too is Lee Cain, once described as Johnson’s right-hand-man. The PM has told friends that Cain has repeatedly tried to contact him but that he has ignored his texts.
Allegra Stratton has been elbowed out as press secretary by male aides and is now spokeswoman for the Cop26 climate change conference. Her planned regular live TV briefings have been scrapped.
Lord Udny-Lister, who has advised Johnson since his days as London mayor from 2008 onwards, has quit amid the lobbying scandal and is expected to join the private sector.


No 10 aides are keen to contain the row with just days to go until the local elections. A Conservative Party Central Office source said: “There has not been an impact on polling as of yet but you never know when the mood can change.”
The churn at No 10 is said to have left Johnson “vulnerable” and at the mercy of two relatively inexperienced operators: Simon Case, the 42-year-old cabinet secretary, and Dan Rosenfield, 44, his chief of staff. Neither man is deemed to have much political nous or Cummings’s “willingness to get down in the mud and fight”.
For months, Rosenfield has helped stabilise the No 10 operation and inject an apolitical professionalism in the building. But he is also seen by some as naive.
For instance, he was accused of imperilling his own job and the government’s credibility after welcoming Ed Woodward, the chief executive of Manchester United, to No 10 ten days ago and appearing to offer support for the controversial European Super League.
Sources claim Rosenfield’s conversations with Woodward emboldened the English clubs to back the scheme, heralding the biggest crisis in the game for decades. No 10 insists, however, that the Super League proposals were not discussed at the meeting, which was convened to discuss the safe return of fans and Covid passports for games. Sources accept that Woodward may have briefly met Johnson and left with the wrong impression that he was in favour of the proposal. Indeed within hours of the Super League plan being revealed, Johnson publicly opposed it.
Case is the subject of anger after quickly announcing a review into officials moonlighting in private sector jobs. His approach is seen to have made Udny-Lister’s job untenable, with Johnson’s consigliere having stayed on the payroll of two property firms while at No 10.
Johnson knows that Case is in shark-infested waters. On Monday the cabinet secretary will give evidence to MPs where he will no doubt be questioned about Cummings. One incendiary claim is that, after learning that it could implicate Henry Newman, a friend of Symonds, Johnson sought to shut down a previous inquiry into who leaked details of Britain’s second lockdown.
Allies of Newman furiously denied Cummings’s suggestion that he was the “chatty rat”. They added that the leak inquiry was still active and dismissed Cummings’s claim that he and Cain had been exonerated.
Despite his public displays of bravado, Cummings has long been haunted by a fear that he could end up in prison: either over irregular spending during the Brexit referendum or his conduct in government. Allies believe this prompted his “nuclear” reaction — in effect, an attempt to get on the front foot and publicise evidence of his innocence. But opponents believe Cummings may be right to fear sanctions.
They claim that MI5 has concluded that one person sent a WhatsApp message from the cabinet room just before 6pm on the day after the meeting last autumn where the new curbs in England were discussed. Six people were present: Johnson, Cummings, Cain, another political aide and two senior officials.
According to this account, Cummings was aggravated by Johnson’s indecision and felt he had not been firing on all cylinders since his illness. He therefore decided to leak the news to bounce Johnson into it. MI5, it is claimed, has established that one person in the room had two SIM cards linked to them. That person, sources insist, was Cummings.
Last night, a government official said: “The investigation is still live and it would be wrong to think we have landed on any one individual or, for that matter, completely exonerated anyone.”
The question for Johnson is what the unpredictable Cummings will do next. “This falling out was never going to end well,” conceded one source.


----------



## xenon (Apr 25, 2021)

Nothing's gonna happen of course but it's quite fun to watch.

Quite a lot of the electorate still like Johnson despite or because of his bullshit.

He may go by this time next year but it will be painted as spending time with family, has delivered Brexit, vaccine program, let the man have some peace now you whining remainers and lefties.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Apr 25, 2021)

xenon said:


> He may go by this time next year but it will be painted as spending time with family


Any one in particular?


----------



## two sheds (Apr 25, 2021)




----------



## MickiQ (Apr 25, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> View attachment 264889


Concisely put


----------



## SpookyFrank (Apr 25, 2021)

It's all phoney war stuff isn't it? Johnson and Cummings must have enough shit on each other to make sure that both of them die in prison, but for obvious reasons neither wants to go that far.


----------



## A380 (Apr 25, 2021)

At least three times in today’s Sunday Times they report ‘the prime minister himself is belived to have personally briefed newspaper editors’ which is about as close as they get to revealing sources. What’s DePfeffel done behind the scenes to piss off Fleet Street so much?


----------



## stavros (Apr 25, 2021)

A380 said:


> At least three times in today’s Sunday Times they report ‘the prime minister himself is belived to have personally briefed newspaper editors’ which is about as close as they get to revealing sources. What’s DePfeffel done behind the scenes to puss off Fleet Street so much?



Spending decades writing unfabricated drivel, being sacked once for it, but nonetheless becoming one of the highest paid columnists in the country before becoming PM. It rather demeans the industry if that's what gets you ahead.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 26, 2021)

More sleaze


----------



## maomao (Apr 26, 2021)

Badgers said:


> More sleaze
> 
> View attachment 265007


Great minds. I chuckled at that too.


----------



## marty21 (Apr 26, 2021)

I for one am stunned * that the appointment of Cummings turned out so badly 


*not stunned.


----------



## Wilf (Apr 26, 2021)

Sur Kieth should be asking johnson and cummings to take a lie detector test over the piles of bodies thing. Though, hang on, that's not going to work. Johnson is a pathological liar and cummings doesn't have a pulse.


----------



## krtek a houby (Apr 26, 2021)

Wilf said:


> Sur Kieth should be asking johnson and cummings to take a lie detector test over the piles of bodies thing. Though, hang on, that's not going to work. Johnson is a pathological liar and cummings doesn't have a pulse.



Am sure Keith will be forensic about it


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Apr 26, 2021)

One of them is telling lies about the piles of bodies thing

If Cummings lies at the inquiry he could face prison, so if Johnson maintains that he is truthful in that he didn't say it he should be asked if he will instruct the police to act should Cummings repeat the claim in a committee...


----------



## Sue (Apr 26, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> One of them is telling lies about the piles of bodies thing*
> 
> If Cummings lies at the inquiry he could face prison, so if Johnson maintains that he is truthful in that he didn't say it he should be asked if he will instruct the police to act should Cummings repeat the claim in a committee...


🍿


----------



## Ted Striker (Apr 26, 2021)

The "Piles of Bodies..." thing is a bit of a zinger, because it's so specific. Specificity matters. Imagery matters. David Mellor will be immortal because of the Chelsea strip detail.

OTOH...It doesn't seem that far gone from the "dead in a ditch" comment about extending the Brexit deadline. It's fairly harmless Boris hyperbole, ironically, with the greatest actual political/media weight.

That said, I'm still  at all of this. All of the shots have plausible 'get outs' that may just exhaust the probing.

Dyson cronyism was an effort to maximise ventilators - which isn't the most Trumpian re-framing required to defend it. 

And even when out-and-out bad shit is revealed (e.g. Jenrick and the Desmond tax dodge), the answer is "80-seat majority mate, you can all go fuck yourselves". Or Liz Truss tells us the money came from Boris's bank account (i.e. and not the donor directly...FFS)

Will Gove and his slug army be our saviour at de-Johnstoning ourselves? Can he be the right's Gordon Brown (infinitely capable of executing, though just doesn't jive with the general public).


----------



## dessiato (Apr 26, 2021)

xenon said:


> Nothing's gonna happen of course but it's quite fun to watch.
> 
> Quite a lot of the electorate still like Johnson despite or because of his bullshit.
> 
> He may go by this time next year but it will be painted as spending time with family, has delivered Brexit, vaccine program, let the man have some peace now you whining remainers and lefties.


I was chatting with a friend who said that he still supported Johnson even though he recognises that Johnson is a liar, a cheat, and a misogynist.


----------



## Pickman's model (Apr 26, 2021)

dessiato said:


> I was chatting with a friend who said that he still supported Johnson even though he recognises that Johnson is a liar, a cheat, and a misogynist.


yeh, liars, cheats and misogynists need all the support they can get.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 26, 2021)

dessiato said:


> I was chatting with a friend who said that he still supported Johnson even though he recognises that Johnson is a liar, a cheat, and a misogynist.


'friend'


----------



## ska invita (Apr 26, 2021)

Badgers said:


> More sleaze
> 
> View attachment 265007


----------



## xenon (Apr 26, 2021)

dessiato said:


> I was chatting with a friend who said that he still supported Johnson even though he recognises that Johnson is a liar, a cheat, and a misogynist.



I'll guess, he voted for brexit, is generally a tory voter and hates Corbyn .


----------



## MickiQ (Apr 26, 2021)

The pile of bodies thing is another mountain out of a molehill, even if he actually said it and the only evidence is the word of that well-known champion of truth, fairness and equity Blind Dominic, it's pure hyperbole. It's something he said at a meeting not official govt policy.
Hell I hate the fucker and would love to see the back of him but even I think people demanding answers over that are just making themselves look desperate for something to pin on him.
Blind Dominic is clearly bearing a massive grudge (good) but there also seems to be too many people trying to discredit BoZo over trivial things and it just won't work.
He is popular and trying to pin petty things on him is just going to backfire on those doing it without affecting him at all.
The thing is though is that he is the ultimate egotistical schoolboy twat, convinced of his own innate superiority, leave him be and sooner or later he will do something so serious that even from within his own party (the only opinions that currently matter) the pressure will get to the point where he has to resign but all these petty attempts to bring him down in the meantime are probably going to bore people and increase his chances of getting away with something more serious.


----------



## ska invita (Apr 26, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> The pile of bodies thing is another mountain out of a molehill, even if he actually said it and the only evidence is the word of that well-known champion of truth, fairness and equity Blind Dominic, it's pure hyperbole. It's something he said at a meeting not official govt policy.
> 
> Hell I hate the fucker and would love to see the back of him but even I think people demanding answers over that are just making themselves look desperate for something to pin on him.
> 
> ...



It's not petty, its life or death serious


----------



## Wilf (Apr 26, 2021)

Ted Striker said:


> The "Piles of Bodies..." thing is a bit of a zinger, because it's so specific. Specificity matters. Imagery matters. David Mellor will be immortal because of the Chelsea strip detail.
> 
> OTOH...It doesn't seem that far gone from the "dead in a ditch" comment about extending the Brexit deadline. It's fairly harmless Boris hyperbole, ironically, with the greatest actual political/media weight.
> 
> ...


Yep, all of this.  And just to add, the absence of a functioning opposition increases the chances johnson will get away with all of this.  I hate going on about 'narratives', but in politics that what opposition parties are about building. A genuine story about corrupt governments, but amped up into a political 'discourse' (dammit, another bingo card hit).  They need a rock solid political take that johnson's lot are dishonest crooks, that means every further example slots into  a ready made groove.  You also need a complete bastard to deliver that line (Blair + Alistair Campbell managed it of course).  Starmer's just a failed flag shagger.

Edit: sorry, _forensic besuited_ failed flag shagger.


----------



## MrSki (Apr 26, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> The pile of bodies thing is another mountain out of a molehill, even if he actually said it and the only evidence is the word of that well-known champion of truth, fairness and equity Blind Dominic, it's pure hyperbole. It's something he said at a meeting not official govt policy.
> Hell I hate the fucker and would love to see the back of him but even I think people demanding answers over that are just making themselves look desperate for something to pin on him.
> Blind Dominic is clearly bearing a massive grudge (good) but there also seems to be too many people trying to discredit BoZo over trivial things and it just won't work.
> He is popular and trying to pin petty things on him is just going to backfire on those doing it without affecting him at all.
> The thing is though is that he is the ultimate egotistical schoolboy twat, convinced of his own innate superiority, leave him be and sooner or later he will do something so serious that even from within his own party (the only opinions that currently matter) the pressure will get to the point where he has to resign but all these petty attempts to bring him down in the meantime are probably going to bore people and increase his chances of getting away with something more serious.


Well the BBC are running the story now so maybe there is a recording?


----------



## krtek a houby (Apr 26, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> The pile of bodies thing is another mountain out of a molehill



Badly phrased


----------



## dessiato (Apr 26, 2021)

xenon said:


> I'll guess, he voted for brexit, is generally a tory voter and hates Corbyn .


He voted remain, but is a Tory voter. He lives in Surrey.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Apr 26, 2021)

MrSki said:


> Well the BBC are running the story now so maybe there is a recording?




'Bodies could pile high' is quite different from the original 'I'd rather bodies piled high than lock down again' though isn't it. 

I'd guess he did say something along those lines but although it's not a great look he'll be able to shrug it off as a discussion about risks rather than something as blunt as originally reported.


----------



## MickiQ (Apr 26, 2021)

ska invita said:


> It's not petty, its life or death serious


It's a remark he made in a meeting, no matter how tasteless or offensive anyone found it, it's still just something he said in a meeting. Unless he then added OK this is policy let's do this then it isn't something that will stick or be used against him


krtek a houby said:


> Badly phrased


Actually yes you're right, it does come across as that doesn't it?


----------



## elbows (Apr 26, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> The pile of bodies thing is another mountain out of a molehill, even if he actually said it and the only evidence is the word of that well-known champion of truth, fairness and equity Blind Dominic, it's pure hyperbole. It's something he said at a meeting not official govt policy.



The reason other media are now running that story it is that there are multiple sources.

For example this is how Peston describes the matter:



> To be clear, Downing Street has issued a straight denial that the Prime Minister ranted in that extreme way about how there would never be a third lockdown (which, of course, there has been). That said, I am told he shouted it in his study just after he agreed to the second lockdown 'in a rage'. The doors to the Cabinet room and outer office were allegedly open and supposedly a number of people heard. I am bothering to repeat this assertion about what the Prime Minister said because two eyewitnesses – or perhaps I should say 'ear witnesses' – have corroborated the Daily Mail's account to me. Also these sources insist they did not brief the Mail, so that suggests there are three sources.











						The truth about Boris's 'bodies pile high in their thousands' comment
					

There is an incredible amount of hysteria and noise being generated by the conflict between Boris Johnson and his former chief aide, Dominic Cummings. So maybe it is useful for me to share what I know about three big claims: 1) The charge that Prime Minister did say he would rather see ‘bodies...




					www.spectator.co.uk
				




I am not very happy with the way the BBC are trying to describe the quote at the moment, they've tried to take much of the sting out of it via the word 'could'.


----------



## gosub (Apr 26, 2021)

xenon said:


> I'll guess, he voted for brexit, is generally a tory voter and hates Corbyn .



 Whats Corbyn got to do with anything ?


----------



## Santino (Apr 26, 2021)

It would be even worse if, by his action or inaction, somehow thousands of people had actually died.


----------



## killer b (Apr 26, 2021)

I was voicing my surprise to my brother last night about why, when the government engages in open grift on a daily basis, it's who pays for the redecoration of the Prime Minister's official residence that looks like it has the best chance of doing some actual damage. He thinks it's because it's relatable (I suppose this is one of the reasons the expenses scandal was so damaging too) - that the intricacies of healthcare procurement are not something many people have much of a handle on, but we all know about redecorating.

I was wondering if the Carrie Symonds angle might also be part of it's popularity - there has been a strong narrative of _Symonds is a controlling scheming bitch_ emerging over the last year or so, and this story feeds directly into that...


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Apr 26, 2021)

gosub said:


> Whats Corbyn got to do with anything ?



whatever it is, it's corbyn's fault...


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Apr 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> I was voicing my surprise to my brother last night about why, when the government engages in open grift on a daily basis, it's who pays for the redecoration of the Prime Minister's official residence that looks like it has the best chance of doing some actual damage. He thinks it's because it's relatable (I suppose this is one of the reasons the expenses scandal was so damaging too) - that the intricacies of healthcare procurement are not something many people have much of a handle on, but we all know about redecorating.



It's hard to argue that you needed to throw procedure out of the window to get things done in an emergency when that thing involves some nice new wallpaper and Farrow and Ball paint isn't it. Even for the biggest apologist out there there's no public benefit angle to be spun there.


----------



## gosub (Apr 26, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> whatever it is, it's corbyn's fault...


Only people I hear referencing Corbyn in the last year have been leftists


----------



## Santino (Apr 26, 2021)

gosub said:


> Only people I hear referencing Corbyn in the last year have been leftists


I wouldn't call Starmer a leftist.


----------



## stavros (Apr 26, 2021)

Ted Striker said:


> Or Liz Truss tells us the money came from Boris's bank account (i.e. and not the donor directly...FFS)



"That money was just resting in my account."


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Apr 26, 2021)

gosub said:


> Only people I hear referencing Corbyn in the last year have been leftists



i'm sure i've seen one or two centrists saying that the reason the labour party is so far behind in the polls (still) is corbyn's fault


----------



## Pickman's model (Apr 26, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> i'm sure i've seen one or two centrists saying that the reason the labour party is so far behind in the polls (still) is corbyn's fault


Yes it is

He should never have appointed keir starmer to the shadow cabinet, making it harder for him to be elected leader


----------



## elbows (Apr 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> I am not very happy with the way the BBC are trying to describe the quote at the moment, they've tried to take much of the sting out of it via the word 'could'.



They dumped that 'could' softening when it came to the main TV news broadcast where the story got headline billing. 

The BBC coverage of Johnson at the moment is starting to resemble the sort of spectacle we get when they smell blood.


----------



## SpineyNorman (Apr 26, 2021)

And for most of the pandemic the only defence you get from Tories for their woeful mismanagement has been 'Corbyn would have been worse'

I get what gosub means though - if you discount everyone else then the only people who mention Corbyn are on the left.

Anyone who uses the term leftist should be shot in the face.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Apr 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> The BBC coverage of Johnson at the moment is starting to resemble the sort of spectacle we get when they smell blood.



Or they know all too well their long history of doing everything in their power to make Prime Minister Boris Johnson happen and are now hastily trying to establish some open water so they don't get dragged down with him.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Apr 26, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> Yes it is
> 
> He should never have appointed keir starmer to the shadow cabinet, making it harder for him to be elected leader



No but unlike Starmer the poor old fool actually believed in party unity.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Apr 26, 2021)

*Did Saudi prince text the PM about Newcastle United takeover?*

They're just making these up now surely


----------



## existentialist (Apr 26, 2021)

SpookyFrank said:


> *Did Saudi prince text the PM about Newcastle United takeover?*
> 
> They're just making these up now surely


Someone will invent a Random Sleaze Question Headline generator.


----------



## Humberto (Apr 26, 2021)

Nice to see the Tories on the back foot for a change. Given the treatment of Labour leaders past by the Tory establishment, Labour ought to make hay with it. They are too nice and too timid too often. I expect deflection/misdirection would be the government's response. Nevertheless Labour are shit if they can't damage the Tories over this and make some advances.


----------



## BCBlues (Apr 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> They dumped that 'could' softening when it came to the main TV news broadcast where the story got headline billing.
> 
> The BBC coverage of Johnson at the moment is starting to resemble the sort of spectacle we get when they smell blood.



The pics of Johnson that are being used have shifted from Bob The Builder sorting things out to that of a man who's lies after lies are catching up on him. From a local rag...


----------



## gosub (Apr 26, 2021)

SpineyNorman said:


> And for most of the pandemic the only defence you get from Tories for their woeful mismanagement has been 'Corbyn would have been worse'
> 
> I get what gosub means though - if you discount everyone else then the only people who mention Corbyn are on the left.
> 
> Anyone who uses the term leftist should be shot in the face.



Didn't see much 'you think this bad just imagine what it would be like under Corbyn,' Thank fuck. Sounds  like you've been communicating with the equivalent of the Trump supporters that banged on about Hilary Clinton for 3 years.
Did have a fair few FB friends shouting out how it would been better under Corbyn......




Given the amount of energy jumping to  a parallel universe would take, seems a waste. Get a defib to John Smith instead.


----------



## teuchter (Apr 26, 2021)

The piles of bodies thing, whatever was actually said, will only really outrage those who already hate BJ. I don't see it's going to change the minds of people who think he's doing an ok or good job. They'll just think it's Boris being Boris. It's just like when everyone got excited that the Barnard Castle thing was going to topple the government and then it didn't.


----------



## Humberto (Apr 26, 2021)

teuchter said:


> The piles of bodies thing, whatever was actually said, will only really outrage those who already hate BJ. I don't see it's going to change the minds of people who think he's doing an ok or good job. They'll just think it's Boris being Boris. It's just like when everyone got excited that the Barnard Castle thing was going to topple the government and then it didn't.



Yeah I share your pessimism, but the whole gamut: corruption, lies, incompetence etc is a massive target right now. Possibly.


----------



## gosub (Apr 26, 2021)

teuchter said:


> The piles of bodies thing, whatever was actually said, will only really outrage those who already hate BJ. I don't see it's going to change the minds of people who think he's doing an ok or good job. They'll just think it's Boris being Boris. It's just like when everyone got excited that the Barnard Castle thing was going to topple the government and then it didn't.



Didn't think Politics: rocks in the pool was far off.

 Cummings giving evidence to Joint Committee into Covid response next month, should be interesting.  I do think Barnard's Castle did  massive damage to the government
though.


----------



## killer b (Apr 26, 2021)

Barnard Castle did a huge amount of damage - it saw Labour actually looking in contention in the polls literally a month or so after the government were regularly on 5% +- but they have an 80 seat majority. Did anyone actually think the government was going to fall over it? Does anyone think the government will fall over this?


----------



## gosub (Apr 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> Barnard Castle did a huge amount of damage - it saw Labour actually looking in contention in the polls literally a month or so after the government were regularly on 5% +- but they have an 80 seat majority. Did anyone actually think the government was going to fall over it? Does anyone think the government will fall over this?


Its all cumulative.  Personally no, I didn't think the government would fall last Spring, but I think Cummings had less faith (hence the trip).


----------



## stdP (Apr 27, 2021)

I wasn't quite sure whether I should put this in the monster twat thread, but with DC increasingly slipping from the public consciousness I thought this monster twat thread deserved a wee bump.









						‘Strategic lies’: deliberate untruths used as a political tactic – new study
					

A lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its trousers on.




					theconversation.com
				




Probably nothing in there the urban commenterati haven't already mentioned or aren't aware of already but an interesting read nonetheless.


----------



## teqniq (May 23, 2021)

Compare and contrast:









						To govern is to blog | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine
					

Is he still going? At the time of writing, Dominic Cummings was six days into a Twitter thread about the government’s handling of Covid. It’s presumably a warm-up for his appearance before Parliament…




					thecritic.co.uk
				




Cummings is indeed holding forth on Twitter on how things could have been different re: Covid if only there had been competent people in charge. Wednesday may prove to be interesting.

I tried posting the text of the times article but it's too long I'm afraid. It's essentially a puff piece.






						The Times & The Sunday Times
					

News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times




					www.thetimes.co.uk


----------



## gosub (May 23, 2021)

teqniq said:


> Compare and contrast:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 He was one of the people in charge. Is he saying it only went to pot after he caught covid and dragged his infectous self to Durham or is he coming clean that a First in Ancient and Modern History doesn't necessarily bring competence to a public health crisis


----------



## stavros (May 23, 2021)

teqniq said:


> things could have been different re: Covid if only there had been competent people in charge. [/URL]



The blind leading the blind?


----------



## elbows (May 25, 2021)




----------



## elbows (May 25, 2021)

I like it when shits damage eachother, and obviously I have an obsession with pandemic detail. But I need him to have more revelations to shout about in parliament than those he's been talking about on twitter recently. Because although there is some new detail such as figures for how many deaths their original plan was thought to lead to by the government themselves, he hasnt really said anything that adds significantly to the pandemic government picture of March 2020 that we could already ascertain at the time or shortly thereafter.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

So, why did he splurge the 'dirt' all over twitter before the actual gig?


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> I like it when shits damage eachother, and obviously I have an obsession with pandemic detail. But I need him to have more revelations to shout about in parliament than those he's been talking about on twitter recently. Because although there is some new detail such as figures for how many deaths their original plan was thought to lead to by the government themselves, he hasnt really said anything that adds significantly to the pandemic government picture of March 2020 that we could already ascertain at the time or shortly thereafter.




Yep, this won't damage Johnson at all in the eyes of those who support him. And if Johnson was making these choices and they were so fucking terrible, what was Cumface doing, seeing as he was Johnson's #1 strategic advisor...


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

What time's he on then? Could be good for a laugh though I won't get my hopes up.


----------



## MrSki (May 26, 2021)

maomao said:


> What time's he on then? Could be good for a laugh though I won't get my hopes up.


Started at half nine.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

MrSki said:


> Started at half nine.


Didn't know parliament started that early.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

People who are lying blink a lot.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> People who are lying blink a lot.


His are going like a fucking jackhammer.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

He's stopped himself talking in the past tense and corrected to the present twice while talking about his job in government.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2021)

He clearly feels that all the accounts of gross incompetence at the time were just not believable until he backs them up. Now that Honest Dom gives his version there'll be a groundswell of demonstrations against Johnson, and his days are immediately numbered


----------



## glitch hiker (May 26, 2021)

He's like a really lame Vic and Bob character.

Can't see anything positive for us cummings out of this


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> People who are lying blink a lot.


----------



## neonwilderness (May 26, 2021)

"Did you or did you not advise that pubs and restaurants should be shut? Yes or no."


----------



## MrSki (May 26, 2021)

I liked the quote from the deputy cabinet secretary coming into the room 'We're fucked'


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

Oooh, he doesn't like that nice Mr Handcock much...


----------



## LDC (May 26, 2021)

PM told to say it's like chicken pox... FFS.

I have to say I think the fall-out from this is going to be interesting.


----------



## Smangus (May 26, 2021)




----------



## Raheem (May 26, 2021)

MrSki said:


> I liked the quote from the deputy cabinet secretary coming into the room 'We're fucked'


----------



## LDC (May 26, 2021)

It's like 'The Office' mixed with 'Threads'. Brain storming on a whiteboard. No fucking clue. Panic. No plan. Crisis.


----------



## LDC (May 26, 2021)

FFS, if even half of what he says is true the people in charge are so incompetent it's quite frightening. That it's all some massive efficient conspiracy to control us would almost be welcome, at least that would mean they're competent at something!

They need putting up against the wall and shooting, but they'd probably get lost on the way there.


----------



## Supine (May 26, 2021)

This Dom interview is a gold mine. And lol at the bbc apologising for him saying fucking.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

Turns out that some of the politicians were lying to each other!


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2021)

BBC apologising for Cummings saying ‘fucked’.
Like that’s the biggest problem about this hearing.


----------



## spitfire (May 26, 2021)

I've got loads of work to do but fuck me. Stabby stabby. Right in the front.

"He says Matt Hancock should have been fired for at least 20 things, “including lying to everybody in multiple occasions in meeting after meeting in the cabinet room and publicly”.

He says the cabinet secretary also told the PM Hancock should be fired, as did other senior people."


----------



## MickiQ (May 26, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Yep, this won't damage Johnson at all in the eyes of those who support him. And if Johnson was making these choices and they were so fucking terrible, what was Cumface doing, seeing as he was Johnson's #1 strategic advisor...


In a startling revelation today, the British people were shocked to discover their Prime Minister is an idiot and doesn't really know what he's doing


----------



## teqniq (May 26, 2021)

Thanks for the updates folks


----------



## neonwilderness (May 26, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Oooh, he doesn't like that nice Mr Handcock much...


He's seems to be a fan of Sunak though


----------



## not-bono-ever (May 26, 2021)

I’m quite enjoying this. I don’t think he’s really lying a huge amount either. Seriously


----------



## Sue (May 26, 2021)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> It's like 'The Office' mixed with 'Threads'. Brain storming on a whiteboard. No fucking clue. Panic. No plan. Crisis.


Still at least it wasn't about anything important...


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2021)

They cut away for Hillsborough news at a crucial point.
Who is pulling whose strings?


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

Clark skewered him about leaking and Cummings moves the attention to Kuennsberg


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Egomaniac gets revenge
Winder what the fallout will be. Three days of headlines then "Look over there!"


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

Proper uncomfortable wriggling now.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Forgive me, I've been working and playing hard lately and don't know what this is about. Who's asked Cummings to do this, what's it all about?


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2021)

So one establishment view was the sturdy Brits had nothing to learn from the Oriental approach.
Racist cunts.
Try telling the bereaved families that China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore got it wrong, but this corrupt establishment got it right.
Oh and those in charge are ‘deeply’ sorry about about deaths.
I am fucking sick about the constant use of ‘deeply’ by these hypocrites.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

Kuennsberg has stopped live tweeting for a bit.


----------



## MrSki (May 26, 2021)

philosophical said:


> They cut away for Hillsborough news at a crucial point.
> Who is pulling whose strings?


Watch on the Parliament Channel 232


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

I don't get it. Wasn't the fact Johnson missed several COBRA meetings common knowledge?


----------



## steeplejack (May 26, 2021)

Expect lots of mad plans to be announced in the next few days, re-introducing grizzly bears to the Western Highlands and Snowdonia, Boris personally piloting a midget submarine to clear the WW2 munitions dump that is holding up his Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge / tunnel / fluorescent hovercraft, an electric-powered Spitfire to be re-introduced to RAF fighter squadrons within the next decade, as a result of a James Dyson blue skies thinking commission, British history to be taught in all primary schools by an open-source hologram of Charles Hawtrey, etc

will be full deflect deflect deflect and a torrential downpour of dead felines


----------



## DotCommunist (May 26, 2021)

did he just reference the fucking spiderman meme


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2021)

LynnDoyleCooper said:


> PM told to say it's like chicken pox... FFS.
> 
> I have to say I think the fall-out from this is going to be interesting.


will make zero difference to polling i expect - Tories are teflon at the moment, no meaningful opposition and support based on identity rather than substance - plus these Tories are brazen about shrugging everything off


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

Recommends a dictator.

Okay....


----------



## gosub (May 26, 2021)

two sheds said:


> He clearly feels that all the accounts of gross incompetence at the time were just not believable until he backs them up. Now that Honest Dom gives his version there'll be a groundswell of demonstrations against Johnson, and his days are immediately numbered


Too much of a scattergun but he's got it in for Hancock and Johnson chance it'll just be closing rank. 

There must be some really pissed off people at University of Camridge


----------



## steeplejack (May 26, 2021)

They'll close ranks. Resignation is now as historical as the typing pool and the tail gunner.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Quite an interesting weirdo to listen to, I think. Used "gerrymander" rather than "jury-rigged", though. Not as smart as he thinks he is. I guess it makes you feel smart working with this cabinet


----------



## philosophical (May 26, 2021)

MrSki said:


> Watch on the Parliament Channel 232


I am half an hour behind and don’t want to miss anything.


----------



## steeplejack (May 26, 2021)

S☼I said:


> Quite an interesting weirdo to listen to, I think. Used "gerrmander" rather than "jury-rigged", though. Not as smart as he thinks he is. I guess it makes you feel smart working with this cabinet



He's an intellectual parvenu. Not much inherited intellectual wealth and lots of ideas nicked off other people, garnished with a load of public school front.


----------



## krink (May 26, 2021)

more than ever I'm convinced we should shoot them all


----------



## krink (May 26, 2021)

Didn't take long did it! 😂


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 26, 2021)

Supine said:


> This Dom interview is a gold mine. And lol at the bbc apologising for him saying fucking.



I'd rather they apologised for creating Boris Johnson in the first place.


----------



## Supine (May 26, 2021)

SpookyFrank said:


> I'd rather they apologised for creating Boris Johnson in the first place.



Well Dom said the whole system of how leaders get into position is fucked. “Just look at it, what kind of system would result in an election between Johnson and Corbin. The system is broken!” I paraphrase but that’s what he thinks. Stab stab stab.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

Supine said:


> Well Dom said the whole system of how leaders get into position is fucked. “Just look at it, what kind of system would result in an election between Johnson and Corbin. The system is broken!” I paraphrase but that’s what he thinks. Stab stab stab.



Save lives, fire Hancock is quite the stabby theme today too.


----------



## Supine (May 26, 2021)

Hancock is full of stab wounds!


----------



## steveo87 (May 26, 2021)

Can you stab slime?


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

Its been rather surreal listening to him today and reading his tweets in recent days. Because lets face it, he is like a mutant right-wing version of me (or I am a mutant left-wing version of him), at least when it comes to all things pandemic and establishment/orthodox failure. Plus I am an outsider and he was an insider.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

And my skin crawls when he talks about who count in his book as being brilliant, ethical people.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> And my skin crawls


It's difficult to take any real pleasure in anything he says because of this.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

I wouldnt trust him and his mates with my data, thats for sure. The sinister face of the database.

Ooh he just mentioned sewage testing, he is welcome to that data and may contribute to it


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

I'm just waiting, almost certainly stupidly, for some horrific revelation that might actually dent Johnson a bit.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2021)

if all these accusations of lying came from anybody else apart from the country's most renowned liar maybe they'd actually hurt his targets.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

S☼I said:


> I'm just waiting, almost certainly stupidly, for some horrific revelation that might actually dent Johnson a bit.



Its hard to predict what stuff can scupper people like Johnson. Serial 'winners' like him and Trump are described as bulletproof and people to whom mud wont stick, right up until the moment when that suddenly isnt true. Their special shield rarely lasts forever, but its hard to predict the exact conditions that will bring about its ultimate failure.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2021)

bimble said:


> if all these accusations of lying came from anybody else apart from the country's most renowned liar maybe they'd actually hurt his targets.


jeffrey archer, formerly britain's foremost liar, has been utterly eclipsed by johnson


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> Its hard to predict what stuff can scupper people like Johnson. Serial 'winners' like him and Trump, are described as bulletproof and people to whom mud wont stick, right up until the moment when that suddenly isnt true. Their special shield rarely lasts forever, but its hard to predict te exact conditions that will bring about its ultimate failure.


if someone's bulletproof then use a different weapon


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

Yeah, it's difficult to put your finger on exactly why the last thing that seriously damaged the Johnson government - Cummings' own sojourn to Barnard Castle - hit home when numerous other outrages did nothing


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

lol he just said contract tracing instead of contact tracing.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

He said it again.


----------



## two sheds (May 26, 2021)

Sure he's not referring to 'follow the money'?


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

And now he has stabbed Hancock with a nuclear missile over false assurances that people would be tested before being sent back to care homes.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Wowsers.


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> He said it again.


I think he's actually quite nervous, he's been less articulate than you'd expect throughout.


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2021)

If you come within Bluetooth range of Matt Cummings you might end up with a PPE contact


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

Johnson as the mayor from Jaws just came up again. Border controls lol.

Did the mayor from Jaws wear flip-flops?


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2021)

I've only dipped into cummings revenge mission evidence but it's not looking too desperate for Johnson.  Shows him as a dishonest, lazy bumbler but, y'know...  Sets hancock up as the sacrifice if they need one in the next few months, but I doubt that they will. In the end this is about an 80 seat majority, kieth and a world without 'standards' in public life. Even one where tens of thousands died needlessly.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

maomao said:


> I think he's actually quite nervous, he's been less articulate than you'd expect throughout.



I've seen him speak in public before, so his level of articulation was not unexpected to me. I'm a nerd and I dont use the term as an insult, but Cummings is not a full classic nerd, he is part nerd, part well I dont know what, I'll let others fill in that bit.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Pretty damning stuff, but not much that hasn't been figured out or discussed on here at length


----------



## BillRiver (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> I've seen him speak in public before, so his level of articulation was not unexpected to me. I'm a nerd and I dont use the term as an insult, but Cummings is not a full classic nerd, he is part nerd, part well I dont know what, I'll let others fill in that bit.



Eugenicist?


----------



## maomao (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> I've seen him speak in public before, so his level of articulation was not unexpected to me. I'm a nerd and I dont use the term as an insult, but Cummings is not a full classic nerd, he is part nerd, part well I dont know what, I'll let others fill in that bit.


Cunt.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

"He says he told the PM he wasn't prepared to work with Matt Hancock any more but the PM admitted he was more frightened of Cummings having the power to make changes than taking the action he wanted."

Thanks BBC, that's not what Cummings said now is it?


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2021)

hancock has that kieth like look of terrified desperation when he's pressed in an interview. There is at least that to look forward to.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Wilf said:


> hancock has that kieth like look of terrified desperation when he's pressed in an interview. There is at least that to look forward to.


Two weeks time


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

S☼I said:


> "He says he told the PM he wasn't prepared to work with Matt Hancock any more but the PM admitted he was more frightened of Cummings having the power to make changes than taking the action he wanted."
> 
> Thanks BBC, that's not what Cummings said now is it?



Yeah they have airbrushed the 'chaos' stuff out of that. And Johnsons ability to harness the chaos to reinforce his own power.


----------



## Sue (May 26, 2021)

maomao said:


> Cunt.


That'll do .


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2021)

S☼I said:


> Two weeks time


kieth looks like he's close to tears in interviews. hancock just looks smaller and more irrelevant when piers morgan shouts at him. Obviously not gavin williamson level irrelevance, that's the gold standard of snivelling incompetence. It's just hancock has been allowed to play out his vapid pointlessness in a matter of life and death.  It's like putting the offspring of a wet fart and the vacuum of space in charge of running the armed forces in a world war.


----------



## neonwilderness (May 26, 2021)




----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2021)

> You’re right, I am more frightened of you having the power to stop the chaos around than the chaos. Chaos is not bad. Chaos means that everyone has to look to me to see who’s in charge.



Not for the first time, Ian Kershaw comes to mind

_Working towards the Fuhrer_


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2021)

So he's actually a _hero_. As Barnard Castle proves.

I see now.


----------



## neonwilderness (May 26, 2021)

He's still talking shite. Surely if he was so ill and was only worried about security he'd have gone with the alternative and just moved his family into government accommodation?


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Interesting ol' Dom has said twice now that Spaghetti Head "almost died" when the reporting of his COVID infection was that of bravely shrugging it off with a giggle and a wave (and some pretty heavy oxygen infusions)


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

really? My memory of it was that the reporting (eventually) was that he almost died?


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2021)

S☼I said:


> Interesting ol' Dom has said twice now that Spaghetti Head "almost died" when the reporting of his COVID infection was that of bravely shrugging it off with a giggle and a wave (and some pretty heavy oxygen infusions)


And some strepsils


----------



## neonwilderness (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> really? My memory of it was that the reporting (eventually) was that he almost died?


He was fine once he'd been for his eye test, apparently


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> really? My memory of it was that the reporting (eventually) was that he almost died?


Maybe. I don't remember the "eventually" bit, only that at the time it was not reported as being very serious, being in the ICU was _precautionary_, etc


----------



## Ted Striker (May 26, 2021)

Hunt finally asks the Q on having his kid in the car for the eye test drive. Revenge for the earlier digs from DC on the state of the health dept.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

S☼I said:


> Maybe. I don't remember the "eventually" bit, only that at the time it was not reported as being very serious, being in the ICU was _precautionary_, etc


that was the official line, but lots of the reporting questioned it.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Yes Zarah


----------



## krink (May 26, 2021)

my wifi seems dodgy (which is insane since I've had both covid5G jabs) can someone confirm where we're up to? Is he currently talking about chicken pox?


----------



## WWWeed (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> Its hard to predict what stuff can scupper people like Johnson. Serial 'winners' like him and Trump are described as bulletproof and people to whom mud wont stick, right up until the moment when that suddenly isnt true. Their special shield rarely lasts forever, but its hard to predict the exact conditions that will bring about its ultimate failure.


I think it's a bit like when a dam fails. Starts of with a few cracks and leaks that ultimately lead to complete structural collapse. We are definitely seeing the initial cracks get bigger. I'm just not sure if it applies to Boris or the Tories in general (hopefully it's both!)


----------



## Dogsauce (May 26, 2021)

Tbh we’ve already had ‘let the bodies pile up’ and his approval has continued to rise. There’s pretty much nothing that can dent him, particularly with a tame media and even tamer opposition.


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2021)

Problem is he's telling porkies all the way through, even about stuff that doesn't really matter. So he would have made masks compulsory at the start. Really? How come he wasn't wearing a mask at Barnard Castle when he knew he was infected, then?


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2021)

WWWeed said:


> I think it's a bit like when a dam fails. Starts of with a few cracks and leaks that ultimately lead to complete structural collapse. We are definitely seeing the initial cracks get bigger. I'm just not sure if it applies to Boris or the Tories in general (hopefully it's both!)


cummings has just said 'tens of thousands died unnecessarily'.  That should be pretty significant and 'normally' you'd expect a process whereby that would be taken up by other parties, anti-johnson tories, the media and the rest, to the point where it becomes _something_, a 'moment', certainly the death knell for johnson as party leader (even if didn't end up actually leaving no. 10 for 18 months).  You might be right in terms of 'cracks', I fucking hope so, even though it won't change the regime itself.  I'm just not sure how it plays out and who the key players will be in terms of playing it out.  Cheap digs aside, kieth isn't the one to link this issue up with the long term suffering of working class communities.


----------



## spitfire (May 26, 2021)

All this is going to take the sting out of the enquiry somewhat isn't it? Everyone will be, "oh yeah we know all that already." Assuming he's telling the truth...


----------



## Wilf (May 26, 2021)

I've only dipped in and out of this, but weren't we expecting more killer evidence from cummings - tapes, texts etc?  He has submitted some docs to the committee I think, but it's all a bit short on smoking guns.  Either leaving it in reserve or he's a bullshitter.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

spitfire said:


> All this is going to take the sting out of the enquiry somewhat isn't it? Everyone will be, "oh yeah we know all that already." Assuming he's telling the truth...



I've said we knew this already on a number of occasions when Cummings started tweeting about the pandemic. This is not the start of that phenomenon in terms of peoples existing understanding of this pandemic and the failed government response to it.

So your point is not wrong, and can be combined with a wider point as to the extent to which many people had already moved on from the early stages of the pandemic.

However we do seem to have a system where the establishment and people with power still really fear specific details coming out. They may be confident that they can stand firm against general criticisms, and bluff and bluster their way through difficult moments, but specifics carry an additional threat.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

Wilf said:


> I've only dipped in and out of this, but weren't we expecting more killer evidence from cummings - tapes, texts etc?  He has submitted some docs to the committee I think, but it's all a bit short on smoking guns.  Either leaving it in reserve or he's a bullshitter.



I wasnt expecting that sort of thing today.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

littlebabyjesus said:


> Problem is he's telling porkies all the way through, even about stuff that doesn't really matter. So he would have made masks compulsory at the start. Really? How come he wasn't wearing a mask at Barnard Castle when he knew he was infected, then?




if only he had, he wouldn't have been spotted and saved himself that unpleasantness...


----------



## Pickman's model (May 26, 2021)

Wilf said:


> I've only dipped in and out of this, but weren't we expecting more killer evidence from cummings - tapes, texts etc?  He has submitted some docs to the committee I think, but it's all a bit short on smoking guns.  Either leaving it in reserve or he's a bullshitter.


what's being covered up while the hacks are covering this shower of shite?


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> I wasnt expecting that sort of thing today.



Not quite what I should have said - I wasnt expecting much of that sort of thing today. Because he had already put some scraps on twitter and it didnt look like he had a large collection of formal evidence smoking guns. Plus the initial focus was always going to be on his oral evidence today.


----------



## Smangus (May 26, 2021)

He'll probably produce it when the gvt starts rubbishing his claims. That's what I'd do.

eta- if he has it.

eeta-the shifty cunt.


----------



## agricola (May 26, 2021)

Smangus said:


> He'll probably produce it when the gvt starts rubbishing his claims. That's what I'd do.
> 
> eta- if he has it.
> 
> eeta-the shifty cunt.



hope he projects them on the side of Barnard Castle when he releases them


----------



## neonwilderness (May 26, 2021)

agricola said:


> hope he projects them on the side of Barnard Castle when he releases them


Led By Donkeys could probably help with that


----------



## Teaboy (May 26, 2021)

I'm not watching the live feed but I've just read that he blamed that rose garden press conference shit show on him not releasing all the information and only partially explaining.

What was really apparent about the whole event was that he was telling obvious lies and was terrible at them.  He now appears to be saying he's had more time to think of better lies.  All this shit is why it will be easy for Johnson and the rest to brush off the other stuff Cummings has said.


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

This SHOULD be huge tbh, that Johnson just ignored the advice on the "circuit-breaker" lockdown in September and just decided _by himself_ to not lock down without consulting anyone, not MPs, not the Cabinet, not SAGE, nobody.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (May 26, 2021)




----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

On to "the Prime Minister's girlfriend" now...


----------



## littlebabyjesus (May 26, 2021)

Teaboy said:


> I'm not watching the live feed but I've just read that he blamed that rose garden press conference shit show on him not releasing all the information and only partially explaining.
> 
> What was really apparent about the whole event was that he was telling obvious lies and was terrible at them.  He now appears to be saying he's had more time to think of better lies.  All this shit is why it will be easy for Johnson and the rest to brush off the other stuff Cummings has said.


This is the problem. I don't doubt that most of what he's saying about Johnson is true. But he's also got an agenda here to make himself out as the hero of the story, and to do that he has to lie. It may need corroboration from someone with an iota of credibility.


----------



## Epico (May 26, 2021)

...


----------



## agricola (May 26, 2021)

Paul Bristow will go far in this government


----------



## Lurdan (May 26, 2021)

This arrived in the post. (So was on it's way before he began).


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

^^^^first class


----------



## Storm Fox (May 26, 2021)

Lurdan said:


> This arrived in the post. (So was on it's way before he began).


And the sad but true caption at the bottom.


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

Team Murdoch winning here.


----------



## chilango (May 26, 2021)

...so what?

What is anybody going to _do_ with all this?

The media will do it's usual breathless reporting of whatever they're told.

The Labour Party will continue to plummet in the polls. Not that if matters 'cos a General Election us years away and we've no way of forcing one...and even if we could there's almost no route to a majority for Labour anymore.

Nobody is batting an eyelid because _everyone already knows_ that the Government are murdering public school bastards. It's not a shock anymore.

All we're left with is spectacle.


(Edit to add: I'm not hopeless about the potential for change btw. I just don't think it will come via anything like this)


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2021)

chilango said:


> ...so what?
> 
> What is anybody going to _do_ with all this?
> 
> ...



IIRC bereaved families have been talking about taking the government to court over Covid handling - some of this might help their case ?? I havent watched or read what he's said but I get the
gist
ETA: legal challenges to government seem to be the new way to get any accountability
I think its interesting that Tories have noticed and are planning a defence mechanism, as in this paper








						War on Woke: Conservative Cultural Campaigning
					

Oh, certainly not disputing that it's mad.




					www.urban75.net


----------



## Johnny Doe (May 26, 2021)

BCBlues said:


> The pics of Johnson that are being used have shifted from Bob The Builder sorting things out to that of a man who's lies after lies are catching up on him. From a local rag...
> View attachment 265152


Once they go full Ron, we'll know he's toast


----------



## glitch hiker (May 26, 2021)

brogdale said:


> On to "the Prime Minister's girlfriend" now...


sneak peek of Boris' wedding vows


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

ska invita said:


> IIRC bereaved families have been talking about taking the government to court over Covid handling - some of this might help their case ?? I havent watched or read what he's said but I get the
> gist
> ETA: legal challenges to government seem to be the new way to get any accountability
> I think its interesting that Tories have noticed and are planning a defence mechanism, as in this paper
> ...




Corporate manslaughter was mentioned to Cummings earlier.


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Corporate manslaughter was mentioned to Cummings earlier.


by whom?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 26, 2021)




----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

chilango said:


> Nobody is batting an eyelid because _everyone already knows_ that the Government are murdering public school bastards. It's not a shock anymore.


I'm not sure if this is true - I think it's more that most people aren't very interested in politics, and it's only when there's really big stories that properly cut through that it starts to effect people's voting intentions

I just posted this bit of yougov analysis in the polling thread and I think it illustrates the issue pretty well









						Tory sleaze stories only affected voting intention among highly engaged voters | YouGov
					

Conservative lead remains unchanged amongst those not following politics so closely




					yougov.co.uk


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> I'm not sure if this is true - I think it's more that most people aren't very interested in politics, and it's only when there's really big stories that properly cut through that it starts to effect people's voting intentions
> 
> I just posted this bit of yougov analysis in the polling thread and I think it illustrates the issue pretty well
> 
> ...


in which case this _might _cut through


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

ska invita said:


> in which case this _might _cut through


sure, although some might point to Cummings' personal polling which shows only 15% of the country trust what he has to say. Personally I'm not totally sure that matters - if the message rings true, the messenger might not be relevant. But we'll see.


----------



## PD58 (May 26, 2021)

This may have been said, but it is worth repeating, can you imagine the newspapers tomorrow if this had been the chief adviser to a Labour PM - so it should be an issue and will be intereting to see how the right-wing rags report this.


----------



## pseudonarcissus (May 26, 2021)

Smangus said:


> He'll probably produce it when the gvt starts rubbishing his claims. That's what I'd do.
> 
> eta- if he has it.
> 
> eeta-the shifty cunt.


but what sort of person would hire a shifty cunt like Cummins?

(I don't think you need to answer that)


----------



## Serge Forward (May 26, 2021)

ruffneck23 said:


>



I always thought the origin was the Ink Spots song Whispering Grass.


----------



## pseudonarcissus (May 26, 2021)

One aspect that doesn't seem to attract much attention, what exactly were the spies at MI6 doing? If contagious diseases were a recognised risk, why the hell didn't we have a few tame Chinese doctors giving a heads up? it probably would only cost an Oxbridge place for their kids.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 26, 2021)

ska invita said:


> by whom?











						Matt Hancock should have been sacked for lying, says Dominic Cummings
					

Former No 10 aide accuses health secretary of ‘criminal’ behaviour, in string of incendiary allegations




					www.theguardian.com
				






> He singled out Hancock, saying he should have been fired for “at least 15 to 20 things – including lying to everybody on multiple occasions”. He said he had suggested this to the prime minister, as did the then cabinet secretary, Mark Sedwill.
> 
> Asked whether that meant some decision-makers should be worried about facing corporate manslaughter charges, Cummings said there was “no doubt at all that many senior people performed far, far disastrously below the standards which the country expects” – and that Hancock was “one of those people”.



Cummings replied that he didn't know about the law in relation to that, or some such.


----------



## Edie (May 26, 2021)

Oh wow Cummings is stabbing Johnson in the back as we speak. Beautiful.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

I think this counts as the front tbf


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

Few digs in the side ribs when the opening arises too.


----------



## Edie (May 26, 2021)

Boris Johnson ‘like an out of control shopping trolley’ says Cummings  Haha he’s blatantly been thinking of saying that for months every time he takes a shit or has five minutes gazing out the window to himself.


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

What was the story about her dog Carrie what's her name is supposed to have fumed about?


----------



## ska invita (May 26, 2021)

is this still going on live? he started at 9am didnt he? thats a lot of dirt


----------



## Edie (May 26, 2021)

He’s really fucking going for Hancock too. More blood. Destroy each other.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

JimW said:


> What was the story about her dog Carrie what's her name is supposed to have fumed about?


I have a vague recollection of them adopting a rescue dog last spring, but I don't remember the stories being anything but jolly fluff pieces


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

chilango said:


> ...so what?
> 
> What is anybody going to _do_ with all this?
> 
> ...





killer b said:


> I have a vague recollection of them adopting a rescue dog last spring, but I don't remember the stories being anything but jolly fluff pieces


Wasn't the story that they got rid of the thing?


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> I have a vague recollection of them adopting a rescue dog last spring, but I don't remember the stories being anything but jolly fluff pieces


That rings a bell now you say it. Sure whatever it is will get spelled out in due course; wonder if she'll ride out his more serious allegations?


----------



## brogdale (May 26, 2021)

This was it...


----------



## Steel Icarus (May 26, 2021)

Finished around an hour ago


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

JimW said:


> wonder if she'll ride out his more serious allegations?


she doesn't have to does she - she's just his fiance, she doesn't have a formal position in government.


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> she doesn't have to does she - she's just his fiance, she doesn't have a formal position in government.


Is she not still some Tory party strategist? Thought it might mean a lower profile.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

JimW said:


> Is she not still some Tory party strategist? Thought it might mean a lower profile.


not for a few years. 

TBH while I'm sure Symonds is a shit, I reckon most of the Carrie Symonds discourse is the standard misogyny that many wives of powerful men get.


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> not for a few years.
> 
> TBH while I'm sure Symonds is a shit, I reckon most of the Carrie Symonds discourse is the standard misogyny that many wives of powerful men get.


Get you point but isn't his thrust more to show Johnson as weak and led?


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

JimW said:


> Get you point but isn't his thrust more to show Johnson as weak and led?


sure - everyone loves the controlling bitch girlfriend misogynist trope, so it's an easy way of demonstrating someone is weak and led.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

let's be honest, if Dominic Cummings was your partner's most senior advisor, you'd have done your best to persuade them to ditch him too. You don't have to be a controlling bitch to spot he's a right cunt.


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> let's be honest, if Dominic Cummings was your partner's most senior advisor, you'd have done your best to persuade them to ditch him too. You don't have to be a controlling bitch to spot he's a right cunt.


He probably blogged about just such a scenario back in 2007.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

also Boris Johnson is exactly the kind of prick who would roll his eyes and blame decisions he's made himself on the wife


----------



## DJWrongspeed (May 26, 2021)

It's the qwerk of the pandemic, select committees and his sacking that created this situation for him remember.
He has a history of slagging off everyone he's been employed by. There's no loyalty.

I loved it when he said , in reference to "the bodies" quote that the BBC reported it correctly !


----------



## DJWrongspeed (May 26, 2021)

PD58 said:


> This may have been said, but it is worth repeating, can you imagine the newspapers tomorrow if this had been the chief adviser to a Labour PM - so it should be an issue and will be intereting to see how the right-wing rags report this.


Absolutely, it will fascinating to see the response.

Here's the Mail onslaught


----------



## JimW (May 26, 2021)

Can't access too many UK news portals here but it's all over Sky at the minute and pretty much all the headlines are his accusations. Still limited impact though I suppose.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2021)

Who convened this circus anyway ? What is the context - the official enquiry into the fuckup is not until 2029 or something so what is this, did Cummings just say I have some dirt please can i be live on tv all day long?


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

bimble said:


> Who convened this circus anyway ? What is the context - the official enquiry into the fuckup is not until 2029 or something so what is this, did Cummings just say I have some dirt please can i be live on tv all day long?


there's a joint health/science committee thing going on, they called him to appear


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

pseudonarcissus said:


> One aspect that doesn't seem to attract much attention, what exactly were the spies at MI6 doing? If contagious diseases were a recognised risk, why the hell didn't we have a few tame Chinese doctors giving a heads up? it probably would only cost an Oxbridge place for their kids.



There are a few aspects to this but I'll just deal with one now:

If you look at the period of time that was wasted because we didnt know about the outbreak and its details, it was rather short compared to the period of time that was wasted after the alarm bells had already been rung via both WHO channels and other surveillance/analysis systems.


----------



## bimble (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> there's a joint health/science committee thing going on, they called him to appear


That sounds extremely dull. Is it civil servants rather than politicians who called him to appear then ?
 Do find it a bit reassuring (even if nothing happens as a result) that this happened at all tbh, live streamed total attack on the PM all day long.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> there's a joint health/science committee thing going on, they called him to appear



And those committees often seem to be far more useful than much of the other Westminster business. Although it does vary by subject, by chair and by the quality of the questions. They tend to become a circus when the media shows intent interest with a short attention span, eg David Kelly and the 'chaff' remark directed his way.


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

bimble said:


> That sounds extremely dull. Is it civil servants rather than politicians who called him to appear then ?
> Do find it a bit reassuring (even if nothing happens as a result) that this happened at all tbh, live streamed total attack on the PM all day long.


No, its a committee of MPs


----------



## DaveCinzano (May 26, 2021)

JimW said:


> He probably blogged about just such a scenario back in 2007.


Don't worry, he's on the case, just needs to give the DeLorean a decent run up first


----------



## equationgirl (May 26, 2021)

steveo87 said:


> Can you stab slime?


You can certainly try.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> There are a few aspects to this but I'll just deal with one now:
> 
> If you look at the period of time that was wasted because we didnt know about the outbreak and its details, it was rather short compared to the period of time that was wasted after the alarm bells had already been rung via both WHO channels and other surveillance/analysis systems.



Bah now I feel the need to tediously expand on this so as not to mislead.

I cant say exactly what date China authorities realised there was a problem, a range is possible. Can say that WHO etc knew of problem by end of 2019, and didnt sit on it, basic info was made public. There were further delays well into January in regards the important details and China trying to obfuscate some aspects. And there were delays to WHO declaring a public health emergency of international concern, and then later WHO didnt exactly declare pandemic in a timely manner. But many of those latter alarms werent necessary to start the UK machinery swinging into gear. eg first NERVTAG meeting on the subject was 13th January 2020 so I'd start the UK time wasted clock then. UK government realised their plan A was fucked by evening of 13th March, so 2 months later!


----------



## killer b (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> And those committees often seem to be far more useful than much of the other Westminster business. Although it does vary by subject, by chair and by the quality of the questions. They tend to become a circus when the media shows intent interest with a short attention span, eg David Kelly and the 'chaff' remark directed his way.


it feels like this is the first one of any real interest since the 2019 election - is this because the televised / livestreamed committee hearing only really became an event under less substantial majorities and there's less opportunities for interesting things to happen in them now, or just because there's been a year off from them really being able to happen?


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2021)

killer b said:


> it feels like this is the first one of any real interest since the 2019 election - is this because the televised / livestreamed committee hearing only really became an event under less substantial majorities and there's less opportunities for interesting things to happen in them now, or just because there's been a year off from them really being able to happen?



I dont know because opinions differs on what counts as interesting. If I had a spare parallel lifetime then I would probably watch them all.

There have been quite a lot of interesting ones relating to the pandemic for quite some time now. They were even more draining to watch when nearly everyone was appearing via videoconferencing, but I did find time in 2020 to watch some of them. I recall one where Whitty got a bit shirty and there was plenty of defensiveness and mild throwing under the bus of others (although nothing like what Cummings had to offer on that front today). And those also suffered from distractions such as the weird feelings I get watching Hunt actually making some sense and asking probing questions.


----------



## Ax^ (May 26, 2021)

hmm watching the highlights i'm wonder how much that Paint tester backdrop cost the court


----------



## pseudonarcissus (May 26, 2021)

1. no criticism of Rishi, the next prime minister?
2. the Hillsborough trial collapse makes clear that if there is a public inquiry, anyone in authority can alter evidence to their hearts' content.


----------



## Lord Camomile (May 26, 2021)

DaveCinzano said:


> Don't worry, he's on the case, just needs to give the DeLorean a decent run up first


Are you suggesting a quick run to Barnard Castle?

#lowhangingfruit


----------



## pseudonarcissus (May 26, 2021)

Lord Camomile said:


> Are you suggesting a quick run to Barnard Castle?
> 
> #lowhangingfruit


you have to test your hindsight somewhere


----------



## MrSki (May 26, 2021)




----------



## Epona (May 26, 2021)

elbows said:


> Bah now I feel the need to tediously expand on this so as not to mislead.
> 
> I cant say exactly what date China authorities realised there was a problem, a range is possible. Can say that WHO etc knew of problem by end of 2019, and didnt sit on it, basic info was made public. There were further delays well into January in regards the important details and China trying to obfuscate some aspects. And there were delays to WHO declaring a public health emergency of international concern, and then later WHO didnt exactly declare pandemic in a timely manner. But many of those latter alarms werent necessary to start the UK machinery swinging into gear. eg first NERVTAG meeting on the subject was 13th January 2020 so I'd start the UK time wasted clock then. UK government realised their plan A was fucked by evening of 13th March, so 2 months later!



There have been failures on a global scale since right early on, it is easy to lose track of that in terms of more recent failures.  The entire thing has not been handled particularly well tbh


----------



## Epona (May 26, 2021)

Why the fuck is Cummings trying to come out of this like some sort of hero though?  He's an unelected career politician fuckwit who is trying to re-write history to make himself look a bit better.  We all know he is a complete shitbag who made grevious errors of judgement throughout, and him trying to paint himself as some sort of "voice of reason" while the govt charged on and ignored him is just ridiculous.  Verging on narcissistic IMO.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

I dont think its a straightforward attempt to come out of it as a hero, since at times he was willing to include himself on the list of people who were not fit to be in charge of the pandemic response.

A fair chunk of pandemic failure that he described wa entirely compatible with his longstanding attitude towards the existing structures of government, and his agenda about how things should be done. Todays performance was a giddy mix of that and more personal stuff to do with specific people he thinks are shit at their jobs, and/or that he has fallen out with at various stages. Not very subtle, especially when contrasted with what he said about those he is full of praise for, or at least doesnt see fit to include in the blame game.

I will obviously never see him as a hero, but if he actually wants to achieve some near-term good with his revelations, in terms of preventing pandemic death, his criticisms need to be carried forwards by all sorts of other people and commentators and applied to Johnsons decision making in the coming period as the government responds to the Indian variant and whaever size wave the variant and the relaxation of measures creates.

My brain is falling out right now beause I decided to reread the many pages of the UK pandemic thread that covered the period of early March through to 24th March. Very many people on this forum had a very good idea of what was going on all the way through that crucial period, but I wore myself out reading it and wont go through it all again now. But along the way there were no shortage of media articles that demonstrated that the government were briefing heavily on the herd immunity approach, especially just before that plan died. And the lag between when Cummings said the u-turn happened, and us figuring it out and/or the media reporting it was quite short at the time, often only hours or a few days.


----------



## Epona (May 27, 2021)

elbows said:


> I dont think its a straightforward attempt to come out of it as a hero, since at times he was willing to include himself on the list of people who were not fit to be in charge of the pandemic response.
> 
> A fair chunk of pandemic failure that he described wa entirely compatible with his longstanding attitude towards the existing structures of government, and his agenda about how things should be done. Todays performance was a giddy mix of that and more personal stuff to do with specific people he thinks are shit at their jobs, and/or that he has fallen out with at various stages. Not very subtle, especially when contrasted with what he said about those he is full of praise for, or at least doesnt see fit to include in the blame game.
> 
> ...



I remember seeing a very early briefing with Hancock describing how they were going to do intermittent lockdowns to ensure that people got infected for herd immunity but to manage it in waves so the NHS didn't get overwhelmed.  I don't have proof, but I swear I did not imagine this.  I have a very good memory for certain things and did not imagine it early on.  There were graphs about how many seriously ill people the NHS could cope with at any one time and everything (and the approach was never about preventing people getting ill, just how many needing intensive care/ventilators/oxygen could be coped with at any particular time so it didn't overwhelm the NHS)


----------



## Calamity1971 (May 27, 2021)

Epona said:


> I remember seeing a very early briefing with Hancock describing how they were going to do intermittent lockdowns to ensure that people got infected for herd immunity but to manage it in waves so the NHS didn't get overwhelmed.  I don't have proof, but I swear I did not imagine this.  I have a very good memory for certain things and did not imagine that.  There were graphs about how many seriously ill people the NHS could cope with at any one time and everything (and the approach was never about stopping people getting ill, just how many needing intensive care/ventilators/oxygen could be coped with at any particular time so it didn't overwhelm the NHS)


I remember Johnson saying they were going to 'turn it on and off like a tap' for herd immunity. Can't find that clip or wording anywhere?


----------



## Epona (May 27, 2021)

Calamity1971 said:


> I remember Johnson saying they were going to 'turn it on and off like a tap' for herd immunity. Can't find that clip or wording anywhere?



That is what I remember too from those early briefings.  I am glad that someone else recalls that sort of wording too.


----------



## oryx (May 27, 2021)

Calamity1971 said:


> I remember Johnson saying they were going to 'turn it on and off like a tap' for herd immunity. Can't find that clip or wording anywhere?


Yes, I definitely remember that phrase being used - think I heard him on the radio saying it.


----------



## Sue (May 27, 2021)

Serge Forward said:


> I always thought the origin was the Ink Spots song Whispering Grass.


I was thinking Don Estelle.


----------



## Serge Forward (May 27, 2021)

Sue said:


> I was thinking Don Estelle.


And Windsor Davies...

Oh dear, how sad, never mind


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2021)

I remember Boris saying they were going to let it scythe through ypopulation so we gained herd immunity, which had a corresponding estimate of 250,000 dead. 

It perhaps would have been helpful if Dom had spoken up loudly at the time they were sharpening the scythes, rather than after 127,000 died due to government incompetence and neglect.


----------



## scalyboy (May 27, 2021)

Epona said:


> Why the fuck is Cummings trying to come out of this like some sort of hero though?  He's an unelected career politician fuckwit who is trying to re-write history to make himself look a bit better.  We all know he is a complete shitbag who made grevious errors of judgement throughout, and him trying to paint himself as some sort of "voice of reason" while the govt charged on and ignored him is just ridiculous.  Verging on narcissistic IMO.


Yes, that’s why I fear this won’t damage de Pfeffel - the messenger, DC, is regarded by many as a weird sociopath. So that when he laments the tens of thousands of needless deaths, it doesn’t carry much weight - there’s a feeling of ‘but why would he care, he’s a sociopath’ - so it then becomes simply a matter of point-scoring and dilutes the gravity of the message, even if what he’s saying is in large part true.

Plus, let’s face it, de Pfeffel could be caught on CCTV doing a shit in HM the Queen’s handbag and still lead in the polls


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

scalyboy said:


> de Pfeffel could be caught on CCTV doing a shit in HM the Queen’s handbag and still lead in the polls


He'd get my vote for that.


----------



## Knotted (May 27, 2021)

ska invita said:


> will make zero difference to polling i expect - Tories are teflon at the moment, no meaningful opposition and support based on identity rather than substance - plus these Tories are brazen about shrugging everything off



I admire the dogged pessimism, but I'm really not so sure. This stuff is so huge it will cut through and we're not out of it yet either. I can't see Boris surviving until the next election.

Not that I think Labour are in any shape to take advantage of it or anything.


----------



## dessiato (May 27, 2021)

I think this is too big. People will be overwhelmed by the information and choose to ignore all, or most, of it. As a result the few of us who don't will be thought of as being shit stirring. Johnson will continue as he always has, with no significant enough stains on his character to stop his support.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (May 27, 2021)

He’s had nearly a year to come up with a better story about the Durham trip and the best he can do is some old fanny about a gang outside his house threatening to kill everyone inside, lolz.


----------



## LDC (May 27, 2021)

Calamity1971 said:


> I remember Johnson saying they were going to 'turn it on and off like a tap' for herd immunity. Can't find that clip or wording anywhere?



I think you're getting two things slightly mixed up. He talked about managing waves in briefings and did use that 'on and off' phrase, but my recall was that is was about managing the 'peaks' for NHS capacity, rather than to develop herd immunity. The herd immunity stuff was mentioned a bit early on, but not in any of the main briefings or press coverage by Johnson or Hancock iirc.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

It won't have any effect at all. There is no mechanism by which it could have an effect and however amusing it was to watch a disgruntled ex-employee and renowned liar coating off his old boss, that's all it was. It will barely dent the opinion polls and the Tories won't be getting rid of their most popular leader since Thatcher anytime soon.

Hancock might have a hard time, which could be amusing to watch, but he certainly won't be sacked as a result of what Cummings said. And however bad Hancock is nor should he be. Hung from a lamppost by bereaved relatives certainly but sacked as the result of gossip at a parliamentary commitee? No thanks.


----------



## William of Walworth (May 27, 2021)

maomao said:


> It won't have any effect at all. There is no mechanism by which it could have an effect and however amusing it was to watch a disgruntled ex-employee and renowned liar coating off his old boss, that's all it was. It will barely dent the opinion polls and the Tories won't be getting rid of their most popular leader since Thatcher anytime soon.
> 
> Hancock might have a hard time, which could be amusing to watch, but he certainly won't be sacked as a result of what Cummings said. And however bad Hancock is nor should he be. Hung from a lamppost by bereaved relatives certainly* but sacked as the result of gossip at a parliamentary commitee?* No thanks.


I agree with your post generally (  ) but I think "gossip" is the wrong word to use about this.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

I avoided this thread yesterday, when I was watching much of it, because I kept having to pause the coverage due to various interruptions, so I was well behind others & didn't want any spoilers, but it was certainly entertaining to watch, just a shame the witness lacks any real credibility. 

We all know what a complete liar he is, but I am not sure that applies to the vast majority of the general public, however, they will remember the Barnard Castle/Rose Garden events, which will introduce doubt in minds over his credibility. And, it would have helped if he had actually resigned much earlier & spoken out straight away, rather than hanging in until he was basically sacked, which also introduces more doubts over his motivation and agenda. 

A lot of what he said we know to be true, a lot was stuff we suspected was true, and he seems to have confirmed that, but OTHO there's no doubt in my mind that there was elements of spin and out right lies in the mix too, which makes it earlier for Johnson, Hancock & co to defend themselves.

I doubt that most of us would question much of what he said about Johnson as being true, we know he's incompetent and a bumbling twat, so I did enjoy Cummings saying he was like a 'shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other', that is 100% believable. 

As is what he said about the chaos in number 10, and Johnson retorting that 'chaos isn't that bad' because it 'means everyone has to look to me to see who is in charge'.

What we need is someone else, with real credibility, stepping up to the mark and backing up most of what he said, then there would be a chance of the shit sticking to Johnson in the minds of the public, and possibly pushing the Tory party to move against him. He's leader and PM not because the party membership & MPs thinks he's any good, he's only in that position because they saw him as the most electable, once his electability disappears, so does he, in plenty time to replace him before the next GE.

Sadly, I expect all we're going to get is some uncomfortable headlines, TV interviews & questions in parliament over the coming days, which they will ride out, until the media & public get bored with it.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

William of Walworth said:


> I agree with your post generally (  ) but I think "gossip" is the wrong word to use about this.


casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

Entertaining front page from the comic known as the Daily Star - 

'Dominic "Knobo" Cummings confirms what we've been saying for 14 months - this mob don't have a Scooby.'


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

cupid_stunt said:


> I avoided this thread yesterday, when I was watching much of it, because I kept having to pause the coverage due to various interruptions, so I was well behind others & didn't want any spoilers, but it was certainly entertaining to watch, just a shame the witness lacks any real credibility.
> 
> We all know what a complete liar he is, but I am not sure that applies to the vast majority of the general public, however, they will remember the Barnard Castle/Rose Garden events, which will introduce doubt in minds over his credibility. And, it would have helped if he had actually resigned much earlier & spoken out straight away, rather than hanging in until he was basically sacked, which also introduces more doubts over his motivation and agenda.
> 
> ...




Angela Rayner on the today programme sounded like she'd been given three things to say and amazingly remembered all of them. But she was right that it doesn't matter if Cummings is right or wrong, what he's said demands investigation.

As for how long it's in the public mind, in 2009 the Ian Tomlinson killing was featured prominently in the media for more than a month after his death. This is much more serious and if the government continue as they've started with jenrick on the toady programme this won't go away


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> Angela Rayner on the today programme sounded like she'd been given three things to say and amazingly remembered all of them. But she was right that it doesn't matter if Cummings is right or wrong, what he's said demands investigation.
> 
> As for how long it's in the public mind, in 2009 the Ian Tomlinson killing was featured prominently in the media for more than a month after his death. This is much more serious and if the government continue as they've started with jenrick on the toady programme this won't go away



Yes, but no, but yes, a public enquiry is coming, blah, blah, bloody blah.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

cupid_stunt said:


> Yes, but no, but yes, a public enquiry is coming, blah, blah, bloody blah.


That's a more coherent reply than I was expecting


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2021)

bereaved families suing is the only thing i can imagine making an impact - and the hearing would be wrapped up relatively quickly compared to an enquiry.  a public enquiry might for once be useful in that it would help create a better state response to the next pandemic, but it wont result in any political change of course


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2021)

With Cummings claiming that Hancock's lies resulted in the involuntary state euthanasia of tens of thousands of care home residents, the Shadow Health Secretary's first utterance on Peston last night was to emphasise that he was not calling for Hancock to resign.


----------



## Artaxerxes (May 27, 2021)

Saw this last night and not going to lie its just circling in my head and I'll never not find it funny.


----------



## Artaxerxes (May 27, 2021)

cupid_stunt said:


> I avoided this thread yesterday, when I was watching much of it, because I kept having to pause the coverage due to various interruptions, so I was well behind others & didn't want any spoilers, but it was certainly entertaining to watch, just a shame the witness lacks any real credibility.
> 
> We all know what a complete liar he is, but I am not sure that applies to the vast majority of the general public, however, they will remember the Barnard Castle/Rose Garden events, which will introduce doubt in minds over his credibility. And, it would have helped if he had actually resigned much earlier & spoken out straight away, rather than hanging in until he was basically sacked, which also introduces more doubts over his motivation and agenda.
> 
> ...



The fact he's more or less given Sunak and Gove a free pass is clearly spin, even if its unconscious bias on his part that "those pair think like me"


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2021)

Artaxerxes said:


> Saw this last night and not going to lie its just circling in my head and I'll never not find it funny.



Listen carefully _"...and...saying lies..."  _


----------



## Smokeandsteam (May 27, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> As for how long it's in the public mind, in 2009 the Ian Tomlinson killing was featured prominently in the media for more than a month after his death. This is much more serious and if the government continue as they've started with jenrick on the toady programme this won't go away



Spot on. Cummings performance won’t bring Johnson down, but it’s confirmed and added to a narrative that isn’t going away. As the understandable relief about the vaccine and life ‘returning to normal’ subsides the longer term consequences for the economy and health will sharpen. For starters there are 150,000 people who lost a loved one who’ll continue to be asking a simple question: why?


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2021)

Smokeandsteam said:


> 150,000 people who lost a loved one who’ll continue to be asking a simple question: why?



how many of them live in key marginals?


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

Artaxerxes said:


> The fact he's more or less given Sunak and Gove a free pass is clearly spin, even if its unconscious bias on his part that "those pair think like me"



I can believe Gove pushing for quicker lockdowns, because there's been plenty of reports on that, but I am not convinced that Sunak did, as there's been so many reports of him pushing back against them.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 27, 2021)

Smokeandsteam said:


> For starters there are 150,000 people who lost a loved one who’ll continue to be asking a simple question: why?


I think it's the families of the 150,000 people who died who will be asking the question why?  and that's a whole load more people...


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

Anyway, the Handcock show starts in the Commons from around 10.30 am, the squirming will probably be entertaining.


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2021)

If those families of the glorious national martyrs keep on bleating about their loss it's clear that they're just Marxist scum who hate their own country.


----------



## Smokeandsteam (May 27, 2021)

ruffneck23 said:


> I think it's the families of the 150,000 people who died who will be asking the question why?  and that's a whole load more people...


And friends. I don’t know many who haven’t been touched by it in some way. That’s not going away because of the vaccine


----------



## ElizabethofYork (May 27, 2021)

There are still people on Fuckbook saying that "Boris did his best" and "Thank god Labour weren't in power" and stuff like that.  There are plenty of people who won't hear a word against this shower of shite.


----------



## Smokeandsteam (May 27, 2021)

ElizabethofYork said:


> There are still people on Fuckbook saying that "Boris did his best" and "Thank god Labour weren't in power" and stuff like that.  There are plenty of people who won't hear a word against this shower of shite.



I agree. I regularly see and hear similar. But, people have had a lot to cope with and shit to deal with. At the moment the overwhelming mood is one of relief that things might finally be turning a corner. But, as with every process, the mood will shift and people will want to know how it happened and how they can be assured it won’t happen again. That’s going to raise all sorts of questions about the state, the economy and the political class.


----------



## Artaxerxes (May 27, 2021)

ElizabethofYork said:


> There are still people on Fuckbook saying that "Boris did his best" and "Thank god Labour weren't in power" and stuff like that.  There are plenty of people who won't hear a word against this shower of shite.



My honest take on Corbyn is that he tries to lockdown earlier but a lot more opposition to it occurs, like a lot more, this does result in some fuckery.  Once summer is over and things have calmed down we'd get a lot more push back to get back up and running but Labour again tries to lockdown sooner and make it clear a normal Christmas isn't happening. This once again gets a lot of push back by the usual suspects and potentially even a VoNC.

With luck we'd probably get at least 50k less deaths but it would be a struggle and we would of course see that the more successful Labour* was in minimising the numbers the more vocal opponents would be in insisting it wasn't needed.

Overall though we'd have a lot less deaths but I do think we'd be further behind on vaccines, the government chucked basically everything at everyone to sort out vaccines but Labour likely tries to stick to one, maybe two sources and takes part in the EU schemes further diluting the amount available.


*I should also say that in fairness this applies to any government - success so often breeds in the attitude that "well everything was fine, what was the fuss" about disasters.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

Artaxerxes said:


> My honest take on Corbyn is that he tries to lockdown earlier but a lot more opposition to it occurs, like a lot more, this does result in some fuckery.  Once summer is over and things have calmed down we'd get a lot more push back to get back up and running but Labour again tries to lockdown sooner and make it clear a normal Christmas isn't happening. This once again gets a lot of push back by the usual suspects and potentially even a VoNC.
> 
> With luck we'd probably get at least 50k less deaths but it would be a struggle and we would of course see that the more successful Labour* was in minimising the numbers the more vocal opponents would be in insisting it wasn't needed.
> 
> ...


What would have happened is a load of shite about vaccines along the lines of a) Corbyn to nationalise pharma and b) Corbyn causes deaths in europe


----------



## Knotted (May 27, 2021)

I don't think the government, the PM or the Tories in general are incompetent. For them government is not about managing disaster. Whereas managing public opinion is a central element of politics and government, and here they have been ruthlessly efficient. Until yesterday that is. They have been extremely good at messaging, looking like they are doing their best and blaming the public for the death toll. Until yesterday that is.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

Knotted said:


> I don't think the government, the PM or the Tories in general are incompetent. For them government is not about managing disaster. Whereas managing public opinion is a central element of politics and government, and here they have been ruthlessly efficient. Until yesterday that is. They have been extremely good at messaging, looking like they are doing their best and blaming the public for the death toll. Until yesterday that is.


There seems to be a disconnent between what you say the government thinks government is about and what everybody else thinks government is about. And when people think they've been fooled they really don't like it.


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

Knotted said:


> I don't think the government, the PM or the Tories in general are incompetent. For them government is not about managing disaster. Whereas managing public opinion is a central element of politics and government, and here they have been ruthlessly efficient. Until yesterday that is. They have been extremely good at messaging, looking like they are doing their best and blaming the public for the death toll. Until yesterday that is.


Get some extra PPE on the next BOAT out of China and get loads of vinyl printing done about staying 2m apart, wasn't a particularly competent response to a pandemic in my opinion.


----------



## Knotted (May 27, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> There seems to be a disconnent between what you say the government thinks government is about and what everybody else thinks government is about. And when people think they've been fooled they really don't like it.



I agree, I think Boris is in deep trouble now. It's not going to go away either, there's going to be an investigation and it's going to go on and on. And the virus hasn't gone away either.


----------



## Knotted (May 27, 2021)

gosub said:


> Get some extra PPE on the next BOAT out of China and get loads of vinyl printing done about staying 2m apart, wasn't a particularly competent response to a pandemic in my opinion.



From their point of view it doesn't matter as long as their electoral coalition don't see it that way.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

Knotted said:


> I agree, I think Boris is in deep trouble now. It's not going to go away either, there's going to be an investigation and it's going to go on and on. And the virus hasn't gone away either.


No on knows whether there are more investigations into Johnson's actions than he has children, not even Johnson


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

Knotted said:


> From their point of view it doesn't matter as long as their electoral coalition don't see it that way.


Nah, we are getting close to HMG refusing to disclose what if any legal adivce they have had regards corporate manslaughter


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

The squirming Hancock is due on any moment now.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2021)

Cummings said Hancock lied consistently to cabinet and public. He doesn't say which ones though? (Apart from whenever he opens his mouth of course).

I'd imagine Hancock will say something along the lines of "I'm not going to grace the rumours being spread by that man with a replay." Followed by "I've already answered that question and I'm now off to save more lives".


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 27, 2021)

two sheds said:


> Cummings said Hancock lied consistently to cabinet and public. He doesn't say which ones though? (Apart from whenever he opens his mouth of course).
> 
> I'd imagine Hancock will say something along the lines of "I'm not going to grace the rumours being spread by that man with a replay." Followed by "I've already answered that question and I'm now off to save more lives".


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

Interesting timing in this yesterday : Hillsborough trial: Men acquitted as judge rules no case to answer

Mr Denton, Mr Foster and Mr Metcalf were accused of trying to minimise the blame placed on South Yorkshire Police in the aftermath of the disaster by altering statements.
However, the judge said the statements had been prepared for the* public inquiry* chaired by Lord Taylor in 1990.
He said this was not a statutory inquiry and therefore *not considered "a court of law", so it was not a "course of public justice" which could be perverted.*
Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC said they would not seek leave to appeal against the judge's decision.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2021)

Not even misfeasance in public office eh. And too late to bring new charges now because it would be unfair to the defendants so long after the events that happened.


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

two sheds said:


> Not even misfeasance in public office eh. And too late to bring new charges now because it would be unfair to the defendants so long after the events that happened.


Would be more than annoying if it were to become  a habit


----------



## MrSki (May 27, 2021)




----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

MrSki said:


>



TBF.  Number of radioactive spider related incidents under this administration. Nil.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

Dominic Cummings really is a fucking idiot if he thinks the plural of Spider-Man is Spider-Mans.


----------



## Yossarian (May 27, 2021)

maomao said:


> Dominic Cummings really is a fucking idiot if he thinks the plural of Spider-Man is Spider-Mans.



I think Spider-Mans would be correct if Spider-Man is being treated as a proper noun, not a type of man.


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2021)

Nomatter what evil stuff he does someone always crops up and defends him


----------



## Yossarian (May 27, 2021)

two sheds said:


> Nomatter what evil stuff he does someone always crops up and defends him



This is definitely not a hill I am ready to die on.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

Yossarian said:


> I think Spider-Mans would be correct if Spider-Man is being treated as a proper noun, not a type of man.


It can be both. It's a proper noun with a literal root. Anyway it was settled definitively in the spiderverse where there are multiple Spider-Men and that's what they call themselves.

ETA: also 'spider-persons' as not all of them are male.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

Epona said:


> I remember seeing a very early briefing with Hancock describing how they were going to do intermittent lockdowns to ensure that people got infected for herd immunity but to manage it in waves so the NHS didn't get overwhelmed.  I don't have proof, but I swear I did not imagine this.  I have a very good memory for certain things and did not imagine it early on.  There were graphs about how many seriously ill people the NHS could cope with at any one time and everything (and the approach was never about preventing people getting ill, just how many needing intensive care/ventilators/oxygen could be coped with at any particular time so it didn't overwhelm the NHS)



Funny you should mention that. First a little background:

There were only a few days in March where they explicitly talked about herd immunity, in the contect of getting it all out of the way with a single wave. As part of explaining the original plan A, and then that plan went down badly and was incompatible with reality so they pulled the plug on it within days. And part of pulling the plug involved publicly denying that herd immunity was ever part of the plan. Hancock was one of the first to be sent out to deliver that message.

The next stage was messy because plan B was botched together over the next week+. And they tried to make it sound like it wasnt a giant u-turn, so aspects of the original language and explanations were retained and then only moved away from in stages. Due to the previous shitstorm its unlikely they used the term herd immunity at that stage, but they may still have spoken about immunity more vaguely, and the need to avoid a winter wave.

Its also certainly true that 'turning measures on and off repeatedly' was on their mind for plan B, because the likes of Imperial College did subsequently explore that possibility when looking at alternative options, talking about having trigger points for reactivating measures as infections rose, and a long cycle of mini-waves. This wasnt really considered desirable for all sorts of reasons including economic ones, so over time we ended up with all the local restrictions and pinning hopes on mass testing etc etc.

Anyway the reason I am explaining this now is to do with the fact that I think something has not really been drawn attention to when it comes to the 'plan B whiteboard photo' that Cummings tweeted the other day. 



So two of the curves in that graph are to do with the original thinking - the extremely high peak wave if nothing was done, and the somewhat 'pushed down and stretched out' peak that they were aiming for with original herd immunity plan. And then there is the original possible plan B, the wiggly line where we end up in a cycle of mini waves that dont exceed NHS etc capacity.

But whats this wording attached to the plan B wiggly line? Oh look, it says 'Roughly same number infected but no collapse'. Well roughly same number infected implies same expectations of herd immunity! So attempts to attach a desire for herd immunity as the endgame were not just a feature of plan A, but also at least this initial stab at plan B!


----------



## BillRiver (May 27, 2021)

But the mass testing never happened either, did it.


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

BillRiver said:


> But the mass testing never happened either, did it.


As a member of the masses I'm certainly feeling tested ( not in a tonsil tickling way)


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

Well, sadly, Hancock got away with very little squirming, bating away difficult questions with the predictable mentions of the vaccination success story.


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2021)

ElizabethofYork said:


> There are still people on Fuckbook saying that "Boris did his best" and "Thank god Labour weren't in power" and stuff like that.  There are plenty of people who won't hear a word against this shower of shite.


totally - the majority of voters in fact


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

BillRiver said:


> But the mass testing never happened either, did it.



It did but it was very slow in all sorts of different senses, and could not meet demand by September when infection levels hit a dangerous tipping point.

In my book the biggest issue ultimately with the 'avoid second wave via testing' was something I kept telling a couple of people on this forum who pinned all their hopes on test & trace and thought we could avoid future lockdowns as a result. Testing systems only help manage the overall pandemic if authorities are prepared to act on the suveillance data that testing provides! ie they do not offer everything needed to keep the virus under control on their own, they tell you when you need to act more strongly, impose lockdowns, circuit breakers etc. We had with the Johnson government a stubborn load of shit that was not prepared to act in September when the results of testing proved that the resurgence was well under way and that urgent action was required. For all its faults and limitations the test system did give us a better view of the state of infections, but the opportunity to act on that was utterly squandered.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

ska invita said:


> totally - the majority of voters in fact


Still a plurality of voters rather than a majority but enough that they're in no danger.


----------



## gosub (May 27, 2021)

cupid_stunt said:


> Well, sadly, Hancock got away with very little squirming, bating away difficult questions with the predictable mentions of the vaccination success story.


He's up before the Joint Committee next month, Hunt said this morning that the accusations were serious but as yet unproven.... which means  asking Baron Sedwill


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2021)

Smokeandsteam said:


> Spot on. Cummings performance won’t bring Johnson down, but it’s confirmed and added to a narrative that isn’t going away. As the understandable relief about the vaccine and life ‘returning to normal’ subsides the longer term consequences for the economy and health will sharpen. For starters there are 150,000 people who lost a loved one who’ll continue to be asking a simple question: why?





ruffneck23 said:


> I think it's the families of the 150,000 people who died who will be asking the question why?  and that's a whole load more people...


It's 127,750 people that have died, not 150,000, as of this morning and as reported by the BBC.


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

equationgirl said:


> It's 127,750 people that have died, not 150,000, as of this morning and as reported by the BBC.


That's the (conveniently lower) 'within 28 days of a positive covid test' figure. The ONS estimate is over 150,000.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

maomao said:


> That's the (conveniently lower) 'within 28 days of a positive covid test' figure. The ONS estimate is over 150,000.



Yes and by repeating the lower number daily, they have successfully implanted the much lower figure into many peoples minds 

I will check the latest ONS number shortly and will shout about it.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

The latest ONS number I have is 153,093 which covers deaths by date of death up to mid May. 

The actual number will be higher still, since death certificates are also expected to miss some deaths, and thats why analysis of excess mortality forms part of how the mainstream experts on such subjects try to analyse total burden in pandemics and epidemics.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

equationgirl said:


> It's 127,750 people that have died, not 150,000, as of this morning and as reported by the BBC.



The 127,748 figure is the total of daily reported deaths after testing positive, the 152,068 figure is the number reported with covid on their death certificates, hence you see both figures getting quoted. 

Excess deaths have been lower than both those figures, the last UK figure I saw reported was about 120k, I can only find the recent recent figures for England & Wales, so Scotland & NI would increase that.



> Using the most up-to-date data we have available, the number of deaths from the week ending 13 March 2020 up to 14 May 2021 was 737,168 in England and Wales. Of the deaths registered by 14 May 2021, 139,790 (19.0%) mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate. During this period, the *number of excess deaths above the five-year average was 112,834 deaths.*







__





						Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional - Office for National Statistics
					

Provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales, including deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, by age, sex and region.



					www.ons.gov.uk


----------



## SpookyFrank (May 27, 2021)

BillRiver said:


> But the mass testing never happened either, did it.



Oh yeah, then where did that 33 billion quid go eh? Up the nostrils of legions of carpetbagging contractors and spiv consultants? Don't be daft


----------



## Jay Park (May 27, 2021)

ska invita said:


> in which case this _might _cut through



one would certainly hope so


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

elbows said:


> The latest ONS number I have is 153,093 which covers deaths by date of death up to mid May.
> 
> The actual number will be higher still, since death certificates are also expected to miss some deaths, and thats why analysis of excess mortality forms part of how the mainstream experts on such subjects try to analyse total burden in pandemics and epidemics.


not to mention the many thousands of people who will go through something awful because they weren't able to get eg early cancer diagnoses


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

equationgirl said:


> It's 127,750 people that have died, not 150,000, as of this morning and as reported by the BBC.


about twice the number of people killed in the uk by enemy action between 1939 and 1945


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

cupid_stunt said:


> Excess deaths have been lower than both those figures, the last UK figure I saw reported was about 120k, I can only find the recent recent figures for England & Wales, so Scotland & NI would increase that.



Excess deaths were lower than normal for various lengthy periods, due to a combination of lockdowns preventing normal seasonal flu, less deaths from other causes for all manner of reasons including lower levels of economic activity (start of recessions generally lead to less deaths than boom times) and the fact that some of the people who died of Covid earlier would otherwise have died later.

So the proper analysis of overall UK total will involve a somewhat complicated mix of the different figures. eg it is entirely appropriate to use excess deaths during the first wave, when testing was exceedingly limited, and death certificate deaths for other periods. I'm not going to attempt my amateur version of that again right now, but last time I did it wasnt very hard to get a UK total that was well past 160,000.


----------



## Jay Park (May 27, 2021)

Artaxerxes said:


> Saw this last night and not going to lie its just circling in my head and I'll never not find it funny.




fucking Batman here


----------



## Jay Park (May 27, 2021)

two sheds said:


> Cummings said Hancock lied consistently to cabinet and public. He doesn't say which ones though? (Apart from whenever he opens his mouth of course).
> 
> I'd imagine Hancock will say something along the lines of "I'm not going to grace the rumours being spread by that man with a replay." Followed by "I've already answered that question and I'm now off to save more lives".



to the Batmobile


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2021)

It's fucking disgraceful whatever the number is.


----------



## dessiato (May 27, 2021)

I've been told, again, that everything would be worse under Corbyn. My response that we don't know that, because he didn't get in, is, I'm told, ridiculous.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

dessiato said:


> I've been told, again, that everything would be worse under Corbyn. My response that we don't know that, because he didn't get in, is, I'm told, ridiculous.


my response would be at least when corbyn ruined xmas it was just for a few labour mps who thought they'd be reshuffled. when johnson ruined xmas it was because gran and grandad were dead and the country was in lockdown after he'd fucked things up earlier in the autumn. say what you want about corbyn but he hasn't the blood of thousands on his hands.


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2021)

The Sun are basically calling Cummings Captain Hindsight... Effective line, proven


----------



## chilango (May 27, 2021)

Corbyn wouldn't have got much past March before being removed


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2021)

dessiato said:


> I've been told, again, that everything would be worse under Corbyn. My response that we don't know that, because he didn't get in, is, I'm told, ridiculous.


What sort of dullards are telling you this?
& why are you listening?


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2021)

ska invita said:


> The Sun are basically calling Cummings Captain Hindsight... Effective line, proven


I quite like that. Has a certain ring to it.


----------



## cupid_stunt (May 27, 2021)

elbows said:


> Excess deaths were lower than normal for various lengthy periods, due to a combination of lockdowns preventing normal seasonal flu, less deaths from other causes for all manner of reasons including lower levels of economic activity (start of recessions generally lead to less deaths than boom times) and the fact that some of the people who died of Covid earlier would otherwise have died later.
> 
> So the proper analysis of overall UK total will involve a somewhat complicated mix of the different figures. eg it is entirely appropriate to use excess deaths during the first wave, when testing was exceedingly limited, and death certificate deaths for other periods. I'm not going to attempt my amateur version of that again right now, but last time I did it wasnt very hard to get a UK total that was well past 160,000.


Indeed, and as you say excess deaths would also be kept low, because a number of people dying from covid would have died during this period anyway, but they still need counting as covid deaths, even if their lives were shorten by only by a matter of days, let alone weeks or months.


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2021)

BBC reporting Hancock as saying 'we've always been straight with people'. I almost died laughing at that brazen whopper, he wouldn't know straight if he was handed a ruler.

Liar liar pants en flambe.


----------



## ska invita (May 27, 2021)

equationgirl said:


> I quite like that. Has a certain ring to it.


Its designed to discredit Cummings testimony, just as it discredits Starmers pathetic attempts to scrutinise


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

dessiato said:


> I've been told, again, that everything would be worse under Corbyn. My response that we don't know that, because he didn't get in, is, I'm told, ridiculous.


It quite possibly would have been worse under Corbyn; the media would have been in full revolt well before the pandemic hit and there's nothing about the PLP to suggest that they're actually more competent in any way. There might have been less blatant corruption but there may have been completely different kinds of mistakes; maybe we would have had the Woodcraft Folk in charge of testing rather than PWC with equally disastrous results.


----------



## dessiato (May 27, 2021)

brogdale said:


> What sort of dullards are telling you this?
> & why are you listening?


My goddaughter and her partner. I'm listening because they're the ones who organise family Zoom so I can speak to my mother.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

cupid_stunt said:


> Indeed, and as you say excess deaths would also be kept low, because a number of people dying from covid would have died during this period anyway, but they still need counting as covid deaths, even if their lives were shorten by only by a matter of days, let alone weeks or months.



Yes and I really hated the people who tried to diminish pandemic deaths using that sort of thing. I only mention it because I cannot fairly describe why excess deaths were lower during other periods without including that reason.

I've said on other threads in the past that I approve of using a particular measure when evaluating pandemic burden: QALYs lost. (description stolen from wikipedia: The quality-adjusted life year or quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) is a generic measure of disease burden, including both the quality and the quantity of life lived. It is used in economic evaluation to assess the value of medical interventions. One QALY equates to one year in perfect health.)


----------



## equationgirl (May 27, 2021)

I think Cummings discredited his own testimony to be honest ska invita .


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

Another thing that was not surprising about his testimony was the number of women who did their bit to make the pandemic response better at certain key moments or on an ongoing basis. Its a somewhat crude anaylsis but we've seen signs of this elsewhere when its come to the most obvious pandemic success stories*

* excluding Dido Harding, who is obviously not a success story. edit - and Jenny Harries, how could I forget to include her in the hall of shame.


----------



## MrCurry (May 27, 2021)

MickiQ said:


> In a startling revelation today, the British people were shocked to discover their Prime Minister is an idiot and doesn't really know what he's doing


This is the heart of the problem really, isn’t it? Johnson is essentially untouchable by allegations of incompetence since that’s the image he has profited from promoting for himself for many years.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

ska invita said:


> The Sun are basically calling Cummings Captain Hindsight... Effective line, proven


everyone has 20:20 hindsight. everyone. except for boris johnson.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 27, 2021)

MrCurry said:


> This is the heart of the problem really, isn’t it? Johnson is essentially untouchable by allegations of incompetence since that’s the image he has profited from promoting for himself for many years.


fucking poundland auric goldfinger


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2021)

maomao said:


> It quite possibly would have been worse under Corbyn; the media would have been in full revolt well before the pandemic hit and there's nothing about the PLP to suggest that they're actually more competent in any way.


yep



maomao said:


> There might have been less blatant corruption but there may have been completely different kinds of mistakes; maybe we would have had the Woodcraft Folk in charge of testing rather than PWC with equally disastrous results.


What would Corbyn have done though? As you say there'd be the general incompetence but I think he'd have done some useful things like throwing money at the NHS and having it do all the things Johnson and his dodgy mates siphoned off so probably make huge savings. You'd hope he'd have given the nurses more than one fucking percent. Quantitative easing and try to stop offshore tax dodging and giving the money to local authorities and people directly? You'd hope renationalize buses and railways at least at knock-down prices. 

Yep somewhat hopeful and he might have done none of that, but it's the sort of thing that was in the manifesto and he'd have faced a revolt by the members if he'd have sat and done bugger all. But more likely of course the markets would crash and the pound would take a dive and labour right would stage a revolt and he'd be gone before doing any of it.


----------



## prunus (May 27, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> fucking poundland auric goldfinger



Cacric Shitfinger


----------



## brogdale (May 27, 2021)

equationgirl said:


> I quite like that. Has a certain ring to it.


Isn't that what blustercunt calls Starmer?


----------



## maomao (May 27, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Isn't that what blustercunt calls Starmer?


It's a South Park reference.


----------



## Smokeandsteam (May 27, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Isn't that what blustercunt calls Starmer?



Yes, ‘Captain Hindsight’. Nobody can possibly disagree with Johnson without the benefit of it basically.


----------



## Spandex (May 27, 2021)

equationgirl said:


> I quite like that. Has a certain ring to it.


The 'Captain Hindsight' label is a catchy soundbite that, like all the best soundbites, summarises a lot in an easily memorable phrase. 

It's used by Johnson to support the idea that last year he was faced with an unprecedented crisis, did his best in difficult circumstances and no one else could've done any better. Any criticism of what he did or didn't do is just hindsight from grumblers and moaners. That's likely to be his defence going into next year's Covid enquiry, so he wants the idea well established in the public mind before then.

It is, of course, a lie. At every step of the way there's been people shouting at him what he should be doing, whilst he ignored them all, blundering on, focused on the economy, leaving a trail of tens of thousands dead in his wake.


----------



## steveo87 (May 27, 2021)

MrSki said:


>



In two weeks, Hancock will explain the Dancing Baby meme.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 27, 2021)

Spandex said:


> The 'Captain Hindsight' label is a catchy soundbite that, like all the best soundbites, summarises a lot in an easily memorable phrase.
> 
> It's used by Johnson to support the idea that last year he was faced with an unprecedented crisis, did his best in difficult circumstances and no one else could've done any better. Any criticism of what he did or didn't do is just hindsight from grumblers and moaners. That's likely to be his defence going into next year's Covid enquiry, so he wants the idea well established in the public mind before then.
> 
> It is, of course, a lie. At every step of the way there's been people shouting at him what he should be doing, whilst he ignored them all, blundering on, focused on the economy, leaving a trail of tens of thousands dead in his wake.



Even if you take the most charitable interpretation possible (and I wouldn't), that's really only going to apply to the early stages isn't it. It doesn't even begin to explain why he was still making the exact same fuckups nine months later.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> Even if you take the most charitable interpretation possible (and I wouldn't), that's really going to apply to the early stages isn't it. It doesn't even begin to explain why he was still making the exact same fuckups nine months later.



Exactly. There was broader establishment failure the first time, later on the blame becomes more about Johnson than other layers of the establishment.


----------



## steveo87 (May 27, 2021)

A liar gets called out for lying, then lies to protect a lie.


----------



## elbows (May 27, 2021)

steveo87 said:


> A liar gets called out for lying, then lies to protect a lie.



Monitored in near realtime using lieteral flow testing and sewage surveillance.


----------



## Smokeandsteam (May 27, 2021)

Spandex said:


> The 'Captain Hindsight' label is a catchy soundbite that, like all the best soundbites, summarises a lot in an easily memorable phrase.
> 
> It's used by Johnson to support the idea that last year he was faced with an unprecedented crisis, did his best in difficult circumstances and no one else could've done any better. Any criticism of what he did or didn't do is just hindsight from grumblers and moaners. That's likely to be his defence going into next year's Covid enquiry, so he wants the idea well established in the public mind before then.
> 
> It is, of course, a lie. At every step of the way there's been people shouting at him what he should be doing, whilst he ignored them all, blundering on, focused on the economy, leaving a trail of tens of thousands dead in his wake.



Indeed, and that's what makes the Cummings testimony so important in the development of a counter narrative. Cummings has directly engaged with the argument that Johnson and his friends have constructed about 'plucky Boris' doing the best he could in the circumstances. His evidence reveals both incompetence and complacency in respect of track and trace, PPE, lockdowns, border control and over the care provided to the most vulnerable (those in care homes). It directly engages with the constructed narrative of Johnson and demolishes it. Cummings account, and the forthcoming release of emails, messages and What's App groups, is public and ticking away....


----------



## two sheds (May 27, 2021)

I presume I'm ok linking direct to reddit? Sorry that it is on autoplay, just click it to stop I think, and I hope this works, but


----------



## elbows (May 28, 2021)

gosub said:


> TBF.  Number of radioactive spider related incidents under this administration. Nil.



Dont fall for their web of deceit on this, cases are only nil because the radioactive spider testing system lacked capacity.


----------



## elbows (May 28, 2021)

Wilf said:


> I've only dipped in and out of this, but weren't we expecting more killer evidence from cummings - tapes, texts etc?  He has submitted some docs to the committee I think, but it's all a bit short on smoking guns.  Either leaving it in reserve or he's a bullshitter.



Given that his criticisms of Hancock and that the care home non-testing scandal has been the focus of much subsequent press attention, I note this Peston article:









						PM’s office summoned Hancock last May to explain care homes 'negligence' | ITV News
					

Cummings says Hancock made an unconditional promise not to send potentially infected patients into care homes. | ITV National News




					www.itv.com
				






> The health secretary Matt Hancock today insisted he promised the prime minister and his former chief aide Dominic Cummings only that all elderly and vulnerable patients would be tested for Covid on discharge to a care home when there was adequate testing capacity, and not with immediate effect.
> 
> This is Hancock’s defence to Cummings’s charge that he lied to him and the PM when promising to test patients prior to them going to a care home.
> 
> But I understand Cummings has *documentary evidence* that as late as May last year he and the PM feared they had been misled by Hancock about how he would protect the elderly in care homes, and that he was guilty of “negligence”.





> The problem for Hancock is - I understand - that Dominic Cummings has documents showing Matt Hancock was summoned by the prime minister’s office to 10 Downing Street on 3 May, for a meeting on 4 May, to explain whether he had misled Cummings, the PM and the then cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill on testing patients before discharge into care homes and also about further testing of residents and staff in care homes.
> 
> A source says there was a fear in Downing Street that Mr Hancock’s “negligence” had “killed people in care homes” (a charge which the Department of Health has denied). The term “negligence” is used in the documents. Downing Street officials asked for information from the Department of Health to understand what had gone wrong.


----------



## ska invita (May 28, 2021)

i think i misunderstood - the Covid Bereaved Families are taking the government to court, but only with the aim to force the government to start an inquiry immediately, as opposed to trying to sue/press charges against anyone. Unless anyone knows otherwise?


----------



## muscovyduck (May 28, 2021)

Cummings clearly had enough info to whistleblow when he could have saved many many lives. But he didn't because he wanted this pantomine big reveal. Fuck him


----------



## killer b (May 28, 2021)

Has anyone posted the yougov polling on this? The usual split - funny to see Labour voters supporting Dominic Cummings though huh.











						Dominic Cummings: What do Britons make of his accusations against the government?  | YouGov
					

The former special advisor has given explosive evidence to MPs over the governments handling of the pandemic




					yougov.co.uk


----------



## Favelado (May 28, 2021)

ska invita said:


> The Sun are basically calling Cummings Captain Hindsight... Effective line, proven


Private Eye have gone with something similar on the front page.


----------



## teqniq (Jun 6, 2021)

In the wake of Cumming's revelations Hancock is put on the spot and all he manages to do is look and sound proper shifty:


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jun 6, 2021)

killer b said:


> Has anyone posted the yougov polling on this? The usual split - funny to see Labour voters supporting Dominic Cummings though huh.



yes

i'm not convinced this is a good guy / bad guy situation, just two massive twunts


----------



## two sheds (Jun 6, 2021)

Yep, and cunt #1 needs to detail exactly what cunt #2 said that were lies.


----------



## stavros (Jun 6, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> yes
> 
> i'm not convinced this is a good guy / bad guy situation, just two massive twunts



It is perfectly possible for two people taking opposing lines on something to both be talking bollocks.


----------



## MickiQ (Jun 6, 2021)

two sheds said:


> Yep, and cunt #1 needs to detail exactly what cunt #2 said that were lies.


All of it


----------



## prunus (Jun 6, 2021)

stavros said:


> It is perfectly possible for two people taking opposing lines on something to both be talking bollocks.



Indeed so - see for instance pretty much every religious disagreement since the beginning of time.


----------



## elbows (Jun 6, 2021)

Ah yes I think we only have a few more days to wait before Hancock goes before that same committee (this coming Thursday?).

I think I also read that Cummings missed the deadline for submitting evidence to back his claims, but maybe he has gotten round to it since I read that. I'm not convinced hes got much in the way of that sort of evidence, but there should still be something, however meagre.


----------



## elbows (Jun 8, 2021)

Yeah shit all evidence submitted by the sounds of it.









						Cummings fails to provide evidence to back up dishonesty claim
					

Former aide to Boris Johnson had promised to give documents to Commons committee




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## maomao (Jun 8, 2021)

elbows said:


> Yeah shit all evidence submitted by the sounds of it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What did anyone expect. Cummings is an obvious bullshitter with a grudge. And clever enough to know that everyone who hates the government would back him if he slagged them off. I'm sure lots of it was true but it wasn't court level evidence.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 8, 2021)

That's Handjob off the hook then.


----------



## existentialist (Jun 9, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> That's Handjob off the hook then.


And, worse, vindicated. At least as far as he's concerned. Bring on the smugness and hubris.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 9, 2021)

existentialist said:


> And, worse, vindicated. At least as far as he's concerned. Bring on the smugness and hubris.


Sadly nemesis is self-isolating atm


----------



## two sheds (Jun 9, 2021)

All we can look forward to is that cunt #2 sues cunt #1 for slander :hopeful smiley:


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 9, 2021)

two sheds said:


> All we can look forward to is that cunt #2 sues cunt #1 for slander :hopeful smiley:


Libel probably more likely


----------



## tim (Jun 9, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> Libel probably more likely


Why can't they have a duel try and kill each other like senior members of the Government who disagreed in the early nineteenth century did. It's a bit more honourable than verbal snipping in select committees


----------



## two sheds (Jun 9, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> Libel probably more likely


Would be more entertaining. Did he write the accusations down too?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 9, 2021)

two sheds said:


> Would be more entertaining. Did he write the accusations down too?


More likely than slander. I'd suspect any case would fail as evidence to parliament likely privileged


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 9, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> More likely than slander. I'd suspect any case would fail as evidence to parliament likely privileged




I believe it is only what is said in the chamber that is protected by parliamentary privilege and that what is said in committee can form the basis of a prosecution. I think.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 9, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> I believe it is only what is said in the chamber that is protected by parliamentary privilege and that what is said in committee can form the basis of a prosecution. I think.


Hancock's fucked then if DC has something tucked away


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 9, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> Hancock's fucked then if DC has something tucked away




I don't suppose he has though, most of what DC said is probably true, or thereabouts, but I imagine that this chaotic crew didn't really go for minuted meetings, more just yelling vague ideas about the place. Most companies I deal with seem to adopt the working styles of the boss, no reason why #10 should be any different.


----------



## two sheds (Jun 9, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> I don't suppose he has though, most of what DC said is probably true, or thereabouts, but I imagine that this chaotic crew didn't really go for minuted meetings, more just yelling vague ideas about the place. Most companies I deal with seem to adopt the working styles of the boss, no reason why #10 should be any different.


Let's hope for secret recordings then


----------



## Serene (Jun 9, 2021)

After being told to believe him and everything he says during the eye-testing debacle we are now told not to believe anything he says because he is a scoundrel.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jun 9, 2021)

Government acted unlawfully over firm's £560,000 Covid contract
					

A judge criticises the awarding of work to a firm run by former colleagues of Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings.



					www.bbc.co.uk
				




*The High Court has found the government acted unlawfully when it gave a contract worth £560,000 to a company run by friends of the prime minister's former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings.*
Ministers have denied any favouritism was shown towards the market research agency Public First.
But the judge decided a failure to consider other firms meant there was "real danger" of bias.
Public First looked into public understanding of coronavirus.
Campaigners took legal action against the Cabinet Office over the decision to use the company, following the start of the pandemic in March last year, and questioned the involvement of Mr Cummings.
Lawyers for the Good Law Project argued that he wanted focus group and communications support services work to be given to a firm whose bosses were his friends.
The government, and Mr Cummings - who left Downing Street last autumn - disputed the claim.
Delivering her ruling, Mrs Justice O'Farrell said: "The claimant is entitled to a declaration that the decision of 5 June 2020 to award the contract to Public First gave rise to apparent bias and was unlawful."


----------



## teqniq (Jun 10, 2021)

This is potentially interesting. It may be possible (as speculated in the replies below) that Cummings has waited for Hancock to bullshit his way through the select committee before he releases any actual evidence. We'll just have to wait and see....


----------



## BCBlues (Jun 10, 2021)

Hes no better than Tommy fucking Robinson, a right wing grifter.


----------



## existentialist (Jun 10, 2021)

BCBlues said:


> Hes no better than Tommy fucking Robinson, a right wing grifter.


But if he's got the dirt...then the enemy of my enemy is a useful chap to develop a sudden urge to spread said dirt...


----------



## not-bono-ever (Jun 10, 2021)

Cummings is too smart to try to bluff I think. Or he should be too smart to bluff anyway


----------



## MrSki (Jun 10, 2021)

Hancock was in front of a Select Committee today so maybe he is waiting until he has lied some more before spilling the evidence. Hope so anyhow.


----------



## weltweit (Jun 10, 2021)

Cummings is scum, I suppose in that he is now anti the Tories some may see him as an ally, given that the enemy of my enemy might be my friend. But he is still the self serving scum he always was.


----------



## tim (Jun 10, 2021)

not-bono-ever said:


> Cummings is too smart to try to bluff I think. Or he should be too smart to bluff anyway


Just because he tells everyone that he's smart doesn't mean that he is. The fact that he conned Gove and Johnson into believing his boasts, says more about them than it does about Cummings.


----------



## brogdale (Jun 10, 2021)

I pretty sure that he's the sort of malevolent narcissist that keeps records and/or recordings.


----------



## tim (Jun 11, 2021)

brogdale said:


> I pretty sure that he's the sort of malevolent narcissist that keeps records and/or recordings.


Malevolent narcissism to you, common-sense to me.


----------



## Santino (Jun 11, 2021)

tim said:


> Malevolent narcissism to you, common-sense to me.


"Simple common-sense", as you said to me on 3rd February 2019.


----------



## gosub (Jun 16, 2021)

Leaked text messages: Boris Johnson called Matt Hancock 'totally f***** hopeless'
					

Boris Johnson described Matt Hancock’s performance when it came to mass testing in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic as “totally f****** hopeless”,




					www.cityam.com
				





All well and Leaked text messages: Boris Johnson called Matt Hancock 'totally f***** hopeless' - CityAM D but weren't you supposed to give supporting documentation to the joint committee Mr Cummungs


----------



## maomao (Jun 16, 2021)

gosub said:


> Leaked text messages: Boris Johnson called Matt Hancock 'totally f***** hopeless'
> 
> 
> Boris Johnson described Matt Hancock’s performance when it came to mass testing in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic as “totally f****** hopeless”,
> ...


He wants to pick and choose the screenshots because whole chat logs would no doubt be incriminating to him.


----------



## maomao (Jun 16, 2021)

Anyway, verbally agreeing with a disgruntled employee's opinion of another employee while committing to nothing in terms of remedying the situation is standard management. I don't think that screenshot is the smoking gun Cummings thinks it is.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jun 16, 2021)

maomao said:


> I don't think that screenshot is the smoking gun Cummings thinks it is.


Pretty sure we've established that his vision is different to the rest of us


----------



## brogdale (Jun 16, 2021)

maomao said:


> Anyway, verbally agreeing with a disgruntled employee's opinion of another employee while committing to nothing in terms of remedying the situation is standard management. I don't think that screenshot is the smoking gun Cummings thinks it is.


Agreed, but No 10 will want these screen grabs like a hole in the head. Stuff like this about Hancock & others has the potential to make Johnson's case/defence in any enquiry harder to establish:


----------



## gosub (Jun 16, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Agreed, but No 10 will want these screen grabs like a hole in the head. Stuff like this about Hancock & others has the potential to make Johnson's case/defence in any enquiry harder to establish:
> 
> View attachment 273768


God I hate Blackford (Angus Roberson was good). I for one welcome the fact that under Matt Hanckock the response wasn't to paint a ross on the door and nail it shut (thorugh gritted teeth)


----------



## brogdale (Jun 16, 2021)

gosub said:


> God I hate Blackford (Angus Roberson was good). I for one welcome the fact that under Matt Hanckock the response wasn't to paint a ross on the door and nail it shut (thorugh gritted teeth)


Whatever, Blackford's was the only question about Cummings' claims.


----------



## gosub (Jun 16, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Whatever, Blackford's was the only question about Cummings' claims.


My mistake its Justine Madders calling this worst ever pandemic. Took me a while to find Blackford's question, (din't see PMQ's) he got a reasonable write up PMQs Sketch: Sir Keir Starmer misses an open goal as Dominic Cummings passes him the ball


----------



## TopCat (Jun 16, 2021)

Why does lots loathe Cummings? He ain’t a Tory by any measure.


----------



## gosub (Jun 16, 2021)

TopCat said:


> Why does lots loathe Cummings? He ain’t a Tory by any measure.


Benidict Cumerbatch


----------



## TopCat (Jun 16, 2021)

gosub said:


> Benidict Cumerbatch


I loathe that fucker


----------



## brogdale (Jun 16, 2021)




----------



## philosophical (Jun 16, 2021)

Gove is still at it the cunt.
His long game is looking a bit more hopeful for him.
The cunt.
They’re all cunts virtually equally, the ones who voted remain are slightly less cuntish than the rest, but only by a factor of about 0.0002 percent. Like lexiters.
What’s slightly diverting is watching the cunts wondering and fearing what else Cummings has got.


----------



## Raheem (Jun 16, 2021)

Must say, Cummings is doing a great job of proving his thesis that Prime Ministers would be much better off by swapping civil servants for big-brained guns for hire.


----------



## brogdale (Jun 16, 2021)

Genuinely _BrassEye _like....


----------



## two sheds (Jun 16, 2021)

He's not sure then


----------



## brogdale (Jun 16, 2021)

two sheds said:


> He's not sure then


I think he is.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jun 16, 2021)

teqniq said:


> This is potentially interesting. It may be possible (as speculated in the replies below) that Cummings has waited for Hancock to bullshit his way through the select committee before he releases any actual evidence. We'll just have to wait and see....




Not like there's a shortage of evidence against Hancock in the public domain already. Johnson doesn't give a fuck. Everyone around him is just a bullet-catcher, as Johnson himself is for the degenerate right.


----------



## Sue (Jun 16, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Genuinely _BrassEye _like....



Or The Thick of It. (Just wish we could see Peter Capaldi tearing a strip off him.)


----------



## DJWrongspeed (Jun 16, 2021)

Saw this killa headline in the Independent =>

*"Hancock denies claim he is ‘hopeless’ "*


----------



## Badgers (Jun 16, 2021)

#goingwell


----------



## Cerv (Jun 16, 2021)

Dominic Cummings can’t work out what he really wants
					

Boris Johnson’s former aide is trying to do too much with his attacks on the Prime Minister.




					www.newstatesman.com
				




is Cumming's aim really to get Gove in as PM to actually enact more (of Cumming's pet policy peeves) than the lazy Johnson who's done very little with his position?
I still think he comes across more as just desperate to be listed relatively favourably in the inevitable history books about covid which will have to be very critical of the uk government in general.


----------



## tony.c (Jun 17, 2021)

DJWrongspeed said:


> Saw this killa headline in the Independent =>
> 
> *"Hancock denies claim he is ‘hopeless’ "*


I didn't catch where it was but BBC Radio 4 Today program is saying one headline says *"Hopeless bloke says hopeless bloke is hopeless, says hopeless bloke"*, which is even better! 😅


----------



## Lurdan (Jun 17, 2021)

Britain's most left wing tabloid of course


----------



## keybored (Jun 17, 2021)

existentialist said:


> Someone will invent a Random Sleaze Question Headline generator.


They'd be too late.








						Daily Mail-o-matic - qwghlm.co.uk
					

Get a new Daily Mail headline every time you click! Guaranteed not to give you cancer or affect your house prices.




					www.qwghlm.co.uk


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Using Norman (who is smart and able to keep a straight face when talking shite) shows that they are rattled by Cummings willingness to offer up the convo screenshots.


----------



## gosub (Jun 17, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Using Norman (who is smart and able to keep a straight face when talking shite) shows that they are rattled by Cummings willingness to offer up the convo screenshots.
> 
> View attachment 273909


I think its probably true "fucking hopeless' came from a period just prior to all three Johnson, Hancock and Cummings catching covid....One of them was hospitalised, one of them ran for the hills and one of them did a lot of stuff wearing the same pink tie.  There's fuckups and Hancock probably will end up carrying the can. But in terms of then, the Rose Garden shit and now the way this going on.  Whom ever stabilized shit whilst  these clowns were off grid, you have my respect, and sympathy.


----------



## Voley (Jun 17, 2021)

keybored said:


> They'd be too late.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'd forgotten about this.

I got ''Will foxes rip off the memory of Diana?'


----------



## Lucy Fur (Jun 17, 2021)

Voley said:


> I'd forgotten about this.
> 
> I got ''Will foxes rip off the memory of Diana?'


"ARE GYPSIES MAKING BRITISH JUSTICE OBESE"


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Ooof...wrong thread, methinks!


----------



## keybored (Jun 17, 2021)

Voley said:


> I'd forgotten about this.
> 
> I got ''Will foxes rip off the memory of Diana?'


HAVE FERAL CHILDREN GIVEN CLIFF RICHARD DIABETES?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 17, 2021)




----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> View attachment 273968


Only the young ones.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jun 17, 2021)




----------



## Raheem (Jun 17, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> View attachment 273968


"Well, they've not tried everything then, have they?"


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Pickman's model said:


> View attachment 273970


Give Jonny Forriner an inch....


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Settled.


----------



## two sheds (Jun 17, 2021)

An extremely stable genius


----------



## keybored (Jun 17, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Settled.
> 
> View attachment 273972


JRM blatantly trolling the house at this point.


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

keybored said:


> JRM blatantly trolling the house at this point.


They don't give a flying....


----------



## tim (Jun 17, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Only the young ones.


And the young ones, shouldn't be afraid, apparently.


----------



## Lorca (Jun 17, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Settled.
> 
> View attachment 273972



Jacob Rees Mogg is the what of the commons?


----------



## JimW (Jun 17, 2021)

Lorca said:


> Jacob Rees Mogg is the what of the commons?


Tragedy.


----------



## belboid (Jun 17, 2021)

JimW said:


> Tragedy.


Farce


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Lorca said:


> Jacob Rees Mogg is the what of the commons?


7 letters, ending in _f_


----------



## Raheem (Jun 17, 2021)

Gandalf?


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jun 17, 2021)

Blowoff?


----------



## two sheds (Jun 17, 2021)

I keep thinking Blood Sucking Leech but it doesn't have seven letters.


----------



## belboid (Jun 17, 2021)

Tiwkcuf?


----------



## brogdale (Jun 17, 2021)

Raheem said:


> Gandalf?


Guardian, not Telegraph.


----------



## ska invita (Jun 17, 2021)

was there anything else of note in these released whatsapp messages ?


----------



## brogdale (Jun 21, 2021)

Gather that the oracle is dispensing more pearls of wisdom today.


----------



## elbows (Jun 21, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Gather that the oracle is dispensing more pearls of wisdom today.



I saw this bit via the Guardian and didnt bother exploring the rest:



> He said there should be a “revolving door” between the civil service and the private sector. He said all civil service jobs should be open to outsiders. When a reader said this could create the risk of a revolving door between the civil service and business, Cummings replied: “That’s not a risk, that’s the goal!”











						UK Covid: Burnham tells Sturgeon to justify Scotland ban on non-essential travel to and from Manchester – as it happened
					

Mayor of Greater Manchester writes open letter to Scotland’s first minister about decision ban on non-essential travel to and from city




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## teqniq (Jun 21, 2021)

Heh.









						In at the Domination | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine
					

In the beginning, God should have called Me before He created the heavens and the earth. As it was, by the time I arrived on the scene it was already too late to fix multiple problems that could have…




					thecritic.co.uk


----------



## Raheem (Jun 21, 2021)

The Guardian said:


> He said there should be a “revolving door” between the civil service and the private sector. He said all civil service jobs should be open to outsiders. When a reader said this could create the risk of a revolving door between the civil service and business, Cummings replied: “That’s not a risk, that’s the goal".


Wouldn't there also be a risk that, after you sack them, they try to embarrass you by slagging you off and quoting things you said to them in confidence?


----------



## brogdale (Jun 26, 2021)

What's that thing they say about tweeting after beer o'clock?


----------



## brogdale (Jun 26, 2021)

popcorn time


----------



## cupid_stunt (Jun 26, 2021)

brogdale said:


> What's that thing they say about tweeting after beer o'clock?



Worth a screen grab, in case it disappears.


----------



## brogdale (Jun 26, 2021)

Looks like Diane's been on one of her long tube journeys too!


----------



## brogdale (Jun 26, 2021)

Christ he's such a thick cunt.


----------



## existentialist (Jun 26, 2021)

brogdale said:


> Christ he's such a thick cunt.



Attack! Divert! 

Anyway, anything that James "bitter irony" Cleverly says that's remotely clever was almost certainly written out for him. In crayon.


----------



## MrCurry (Oct 2, 2021)

Maybe directly linking to his blog is _a bad thing to do_ but I see he’s gone into bat to try to stop Trump getting back into the Whitehouse .

Maybe he’s not all bad then?  But you’ve got to wonder at the hubris of the man, apparently seeing it as his place to influence the selection of future presidents of the US. His confidence in his own competence clearly considerably exceeds his self effacement. I wonder how his parents brought him up, as he was clearly never told “no” and grew up to expect the world to bend to his will. Complete opposite of most people, and somehow grimly fascinating as a result.

I bet he has a fair few million quid in the bank, but whenever he has a new idea for a pet project it seems it is for others to fund it, while he rings the begging bowl soliciting donations via PayPal or whatever.

I wonder how the Cummings story will end in the future. I doubt he’s the type to fade into obscurity.  He clearly sees politics as a game in which he’s chasing the highest score. Will he win big at some point, or lose a life?  He‘s just the type who might be seen as dangerous by people with real power and could easily have an unfortunate accident.


----------



## tim (Oct 2, 2021)

He has as much trouble spelling bureaucratic as I do.


----------



## MickiQ (Oct 2, 2021)

I find it rather sad tbh (in the pathetic rather than feeling sorry way)
He is clearly having trouble adjusting to the realisation that he is now a nobody and no-one cares what he thinks. 
His blog posts carry little more weight than some of the rants that have been posted on this forum


----------



## tim (Oct 2, 2021)

We should invite him on board, assuming he's not already here


----------



## Serge Forward (Oct 2, 2021)

Then ban the cunt after his first post, no matter how safe and inoffensive. The cunt.


----------



## Kevbad the Bad (Oct 2, 2021)

If he is on here it'll only be to test his eyesight.


----------



## wemakeyousoundb (Oct 2, 2021)

Kevbad the Bad said:


> If he is on here it'll only be to test his eyesight.


I never knew U75 was the barnard castle postcode


----------



## Supine (Oct 2, 2021)

tim said:


> We should invite him on board, assuming he's not already here



I’m Dominic Cummings


----------



## Serge Forward (Oct 3, 2021)

No, I am!!!


----------



## eatmorecheese (Oct 3, 2021)

I can categorically say that I am not Dominic Cummings.


----------



## Supine (Oct 3, 2021)

eatmorecheese said:


> I can categorically say that I am not Dominic Cummings.



You would say that, wouldn’t you dom…


----------



## 8ball (Oct 3, 2021)

I’m unsure.

Which Dominic Cummings generally isn’t, so probably not.


----------



## a_chap (Oct 3, 2021)

Supine said:


> I’m Dominic Cummings





Serge Forward said:


> No, I am!!!



I'm Dominic Cummings and so is my wife.


----------



## kropotkin (Oct 3, 2021)

@Dominic2306: Total bullshit from a bullshit org that nobody shd take seriously. Take EVERY penny of taxpayers £ from them, remove them from EVERY gvt program, let them raise their own £ from trans men pretending to be women in MMA competitions. Sign of idiocracy  orgs like this even exist https://t.co/XrKNOl5DpL


What a lovely man.


----------



## eatmorecheese (Oct 3, 2021)

kropotkin said:


> @Dominic2306: Total bullshit from a bullshit org that nobody shd take seriously. Take EVERY penny of taxpayers £ from them, remove them from EVERY gvt program, let them raise their own £ from trans men pretending to be women in MMA competitions. Sign of idiocracy  orgs like this even exist https://t.co/XrKNOl5DpL
> 
> What a lovely man.



Give it 5 years and he'll be ranting at Speaker's Corner with his packed lunch in a satchel.


----------



## Chilli.s (Oct 3, 2021)

eatmorecheese said:


> Give it 5 years and he'll be ranting at Speaker's Corner with his packed lunch in a satchel.


He'd be too chickenshit for that. I see his path as internet based, think a british nerd version of alex jones


----------



## ska invita (Oct 3, 2021)

kropotkin said:


> @Dominic2306: Total bullshit from a bullshit org that nobody shd take seriously. Take EVERY penny of taxpayers £ from them, remove them from EVERY gvt program, let them raise their own £ from trans men pretending to be women in MMA competitions. Sign of idiocracy  orgs like this even exist https://t.co/XrKNOl5DpL
> 
> 
> What a lovely man.



wow. like i said though, reduced to mouthing off on twitter with the other cunts. below all over


----------



## tim (Oct 3, 2021)

kropotkin said:


> @Dominic2306: Total bullshit from a bullshit org that nobody shd take seriously. Take EVERY penny of taxpayers £ from them, remove them from EVERY gvt program, let them raise their own £ from trans men pretending to be women in MMA competitions. Sign of idiocracy  orgs like this even exist https://t.co/XrKNOl5DpL
> 
> 
> What a lovely man.




How much of a numpty do you have to be to be taken in by a Svengali as crap as Dom?


----------



## Dogsauce (Oct 3, 2021)

He’s just laying out his pitch for a slot on GB News. “Damn the gays. Will this do?”


----------



## ska invita (Oct 3, 2021)

tim said:


> How much of a numpty do you have to be to be taken in by a Svengali as crap as Dom?


TBF he helped win some big vote.s I bet he still has those skills today. Will be really interesting (sort of) to see the next Tory election camapaign


----------



## Dogsauce (Oct 3, 2021)

> _Total bullshit from a bullshit peddlar that nobody shd take seriously. Take EVERY penny of taxpayers £ back from them, remove them from EVERY gvt job, let them raise their own £ from creepy libertarian billionaires pretending to be saviours of the common man. Sign of public school nepotism that pillocks like me even exist in positions of power or influence_


Fixed that for you Dom


----------



## elbows (Oct 3, 2021)

I thought he'd already got a new job in the new Dune film.


----------



## Badgers (Nov 6, 2021)




----------



## Cerv (Jan 14, 2022)

Intoxicating, insidery and infuriating: everything I learned about Dominic Cummings from his £10-a-month blog
					

Since he left Downing Street, Boris Johnson’s former adviser has been setting out his worldview – and settling scores – on his Substack. Could it help us understand the most notorious man in British politics?




					www.theguardian.com
				




some poor soul from the Guardian got tasked with reading Cummings' ppl blog so you don't have to


----------



## BCBlues (Jan 14, 2022)

Cerv said:


> Intoxicating, insidery and infuriating: everything I learned about Dominic Cummings from his £10-a-month blog
> 
> 
> Since he left Downing Street, Boris Johnson’s former adviser has been setting out his worldview – and settling scores – on his Substack. Could it help us understand the most notorious man in British politics?
> ...



The article itself is as tedious as Cummings ramblings. He must have poisoned the mind of the Guardian hack, hs will never be the same again.


----------



## brogdale (Oct 18, 2022)

They voted for the vermin, you plum.


----------



## Sasaferrato (Oct 18, 2022)

brogdale said:


> They voted for the vermin, you plum.


----------



## Ax^ (Oct 18, 2022)

tbf anyone who vote in line with Gove, Farrage and Boris


did vote for vermin


----------



## ska invita (Oct 18, 2022)

brogdale said:


> They voted for the vermin, you plum.



hilarious
i love how despite having got their preferred hard brexit through OMG NOW A REMAINER TORY IS IN CHARGE!!! ARRRGHHH!!!! How do they sleep at night with such threats to their dreams

says a lot about the brexit project and what it is and what it isnt


----------

